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Corporate burn-out - what's next?
I have watched friends, and colleagues climb their way up the corporate ladder to end up at "corporate burn-out". It is common, people get into a rut, they have invested so much time, and energy, and they are so frazzled they don't know what to do next. There is a simple technique that will help you decide what is your next step.

Internet Marketing - 5 Reasons People Fail to Make Money Online
Internet Marketing systems and direct sales products for making money online are bountiful. Many are turnkey and ready right out of the box, ready to make you a successful entrepreneur. While there are many success stories about internet marketers making good money online and running successful businesses, there are many more failures. Going into an online business is not get rich quick. It requires effort, dedication, focus, and a good mindset. Here are 5 reasons why people fail when using internet marketing to make money online, consider them and plan to overcome them before you jump into the business feet first.

What Does Consistancy in Your Internet Marketing Have To Do With The Psychology of Persuading?
Your internet marketing strategies have everything to with the Psychology of persuading. You have to understand how people think, and what makes them say "yes" to a buy. This concept is one of the reasons an internet marketer will go from good to great.

Employment Security And The Future Of You
It's official: no one's safe from getting laid off from his or her present form of employment. Why? Because if you work for someone other than yourself you have absolutely no say in your professional future. The failing economy has made that brutally clear.

How I Went From $19K to a Six Figure Income a Year By the Age of 30
This is a true story. My intention is to inspire anyone who has always wanted to make a significant income to take a stand and not be stopped by their circumstances. This is about drive, determination, and exactly what I did to achieve my six figure income.

How to Overcome the Fears of a First Time Entrepreneur
There are many fears to starting your own business. here are a couple of ways to overcome those fears.

Stop Ignoring the Single Most Important Skill in Business
Every entrepreneur needs skill in selling, strategic planning, and creativity. More importantly, and often overlooked, is the skill of handling conflict during the process. It’s about how to handle relationships to get to the common goal-building your business. Learn more about the 13 common patterns in the workplace that disrupt the ability to work through conflict to innovation. Read on!

Home based business for ‘Out of the Box Thinkers’
Pushing boundaries, having unique, trendsetting ideas and opinions, is not a bad thing. ‘Outside the box’ and ‘Innovative thinking’ could be the earmarks of an entrepreneur, a leader and a successful home business owner.

It is not to late for a career revelation - professional to successful entrepreneur.
In today's economic environment, changing careers might seem like an unstable decision. Truthfully, you have to examine if you are cut out for a transition, and if you have the mindset it takes to succeed. A job is not necessarily stable anymore. YOU have to be the stability in your economic future.

Growing Your Business
The end of the year and the beginning of the year are critical times for the entrepreneur, and purchasing times for the customer. Taking advantage of the season can build the business relationship and earnings potential into the new year.

Earn Six Figures - The How Is Easy, All You Need Is the Why
You can show someone exactly how to earn six figures, and they will choose to live in fear that they can't reach the goal. If they can find their why, they may rise to take action.

Franchise Opportunities – Fears That Drown Dreams – Instalment 1
Studies show that 70% of the people surveyed indicated that they had a desire to own a business.

Home Based Business Owners Don’t Need to Advertise Their Home Address
Intrepid entrepreneur, Staging Diva, advises home-based business owners to use a contact details other than their home address on marketing materials to protect their safety and to appear more professional.

Picking a Success Mentor to Accelerate your Results
Knowing HOW to pick a mentor or coach can be the most important decision you make this year. Having someone who can eliminate the guesswork, brainstorm new solutions assist you in prioritizing what to do in what order is essential to accelerating results. But you do want to make sure the person you hire is a good match for you.

Top Tier Opportunities Attract Top Tier People
Who you work with in an Internet business is completely up to you, so why not work with the highest caliber of people possible? Peers, professionals and people who take action! People who make things happen, not excuses.

Live Your Dream - Become A Successful Travel Professional
Discover Your Area of Expertise: Let’s face it – the world is a huge place. While your desire to travel all over is clearly justified, do keep in mind that this is the era of specialists. If you have an in-depth knowledge of a particular area, you will be a valuable asset to any company that wants to send professionals to the region. So the best thing to do would be to select a region and study as much as possible about it. Once you feel confident that you have acquired sufficient knowledge about a region, move on to another region and start studying it. In this way you will be able to improve your knowledge database in a systematic manner.

Thinking of buying or selling your business in the New Year, then start with your life plan
This article is the second in a set of 13 articles that collectively talks about 12 different plans to manage and operate a business. Why so much planning? Many business owners operate their business with the idea to earn as much as they can and pay as little tax as possible. This means selling the business is only considered when the owner is worn out and no longer has the motivation to maximize the performance and therefore purchase price they will receive. However, if this series of plans were recognized and executed on a consistent basis, not only would the business be available to sell as it’s in its best condition, but also allow the business owner an easier and more positive environment in which to own and operate the business; to be benefit to employees, suppliers, lenders and of course, the owner.

Thinking of buying or selling your business in the New Year, how is your Financial Plan?
This article is the third in a set of 13 articles that collectively talks about 12 different plans to manage and operate a business. Why so much planning? Many business owners operate their business with the idea to earn as much as they can and pay as little tax as possible. This means selling the business is only considered when the owner is worn out and no longer has the motivation to maximize the performance and therefore purchase price they will receive. However, if this series of plans were recognized and executed on a consistent basis, not only would the business be available to sell as it’s in its best condition, but also allow the business owner an easier and more positive environment in which to own and operate the business; to be benefit to employees, suppliers, lenders and of course, the owner.

Thinking of buying or selling your business in the New Year, how is your Business Plan?
This article is the fourth in a set of 13 articles that collectively talks about 12 different plans to manage and operate a business. Why so much planning? Many business owners operate their business with the idea to earn as much as they can and pay as little tax as possible. This means selling the business is only considered when the owner is worn out and no longer has the motivation to maximize the performance and therefore purchase price they will receive. However, if this series of plans were recognized and executed on a consistent basis, not only would the business be available to sell as it’s in its best condition, but also allow the business owner an easier and more positive environment in which to own and operate the business; to be benefit to employees, suppliers, lenders and of course, the owner.

Thinking of buying or selling your business in the New Year, how is your Sales and Marketing plan?
This article is the fifth in a set of 13 articles that collectively talks about 12 different plans to manage and operate a business. Why so much planning? Many business owners operate their business with the idea to earn as much as they can and pay as little tax as possible. This means selling the business is only considered when the owner is worn out and no longer has the motivation to maximize the performance and therefore purchase price they will receive. However, if this series of plans were recognized and executed on a consistent basis, not only would the business be available to sell as it’s in its best condition, but also allow the business owner an easier and more positive environment in which to own and operate the business; to be benefit to employees, suppliers, lenders and of course, the owner.

Thinking of buying or selling your business in the New Year, how is your Communication Plan?
This article is the sixth in a set of 13 articles that collectively talks about 12 different plans to manage and operate a business. Why so much planning? Many business owners operate their business with the idea to earn as much as they can and pay as little tax as possible. This means selling the business is only considered when the owner is worn out and no longer has the motivation to maximize the performance and therefore purchase price they will receive. However, if this series of plans were recognized and executed on a consistent basis, not only would the business be available to sell as it’s in its best condition, but also allow the business owner an easier and more positive environment in which to own and operate the business; to be benefit to employees, suppliers, lenders and of course, the owner.

Thinking of buying or selling your business in the New Year, how is your Management Plan?
This article is the seventh in a set of 13 articles that collectively talks about 12 different plans to manage and operate a business. Why so much planning? Many business owners operate their business with the idea to earn as much as they can and pay as little tax as possible. This means selling the business is only considered when the owner is worn out and no longer has the motivation to maximize the performance and therefore purchase price they will receive. However, if this series of plans were recognized and executed on a consistent basis, not only would the business be available to sell as it’s in its best condition, but also allow the business owner an easier and more positive environment in which to own and operate the business; to be benefit to employees, suppliers, lenders and of course, the owner.

Thinking of buying or selling your business in the New Year, how is your Productivity Plan?
This article is the eighth in a set of 13 articles that collectively talks about 12 different plans to manage and operate a business. Why so much planning? Many business owners operate their business with the idea to earn as much as they can and pay as little tax as possible. This means selling the business is only considered when the owner is worn out and no longer has the motivation to maximize the performance and therefore purchase price they will receive. However, if this series of plans were recognized and executed on a consistent basis, not only would the business be available to sell as it’s in its best condition, but also allow the business owner an easier and more positive environment in which to own and operate the business; to be benefit to employees, suppliers, lenders and of course, the owner.

Thinking of buying or selling your business in the New Year, how is your Technology Plan?
This article is the ninth in a set of 13 articles that collectively talks about 12 different plans to manage and operate a business. Why so much planning? Many business owners operate their business with the idea to earn as much as they can and pay as little tax as possible. This means selling the business is only considered when the owner is worn out and no longer has the motivation to maximize the performance and therefore purchase price they will receive. However, if this series of plans were recognized and executed on a consistent basis, not only would the business be available to sell as it’s in its best condition, but also allow the business owner an easier and more positive environment in which to own and operate the business; to be benefit to employees, suppliers, lenders and of course, the owner.

Thinking of buying or selling your business in the New Year, how is your Performance Plan?
This article is the tenth in a set of 13 articles that collectively talks about 12 different plans to manage and operate a business. Why so much planning? Many business owners operate their business with the idea to earn as much as they can and pay as little tax as possible. This means selling the business is only considered when the owner is worn out and no longer has the motivation to maximize the performance and therefore purchase price they will receive. However, if this series of plans were recognized and executed on a consistent basis, not only would the business be available to sell as it’s in its best condition, but also allow the business owner an easier and more positive environment in which to own and operate the business; to be benefit to employees, suppliers, lenders and of course, the owner.

Thinking of buying or selling your business in the New Year, how is your Disaster Recovery Plan
This article is the eleventh in a set of 13 articles that collectively talks about 12 different plans to manage and operate a business. Why so much planning? Many business owners operate their business with the idea to earn as much as they can and pay as little tax as possible. This means selling the business is only considered when the owner is worn out and no longer has the motivation to maximize the performance and therefore purchase price they will receive. However, if this series of plans were recognized and executed on a consistent basis, not only would the business be available to sell as it’s in its best condition, but also allow the business owner an easier and more positive environment in which to own and operate the business; to be benefit to employees, suppliers, lenders and of course, the owner.

Thinking of buying or selling your business in the New Year, how is your Exit Plan?
This article is the twelfth in a set of 13 articles that collectively talks about 12 different plans to manage and operate a business. Why so much planning? Many business owners operate their business with the idea to earn as much as they can and pay as little tax as possible. This means selling the business is only considered when the owner is worn out and no longer has the motivation to maximize the performance and therefore purchase price they will receive. However, if this series of plans were recognized and executed on a consistent basis, not only would the business be available to sell as it’s in its best condition, but also allow the business owner an easier and more positive environment in which to own and operate the business; to be benefit to employees, suppliers, lenders and of course, the owner.

Thinking of buying or selling your business in the New Year, how is your Transition Plan?
This article is the thirteenth and final article that collectively talks about 12 different plans to manage and operate a business. Why so much planning? Many business owners operate their business with the idea to earn as much as they can and pay as little tax as possible. This means selling the business is only considered when the owner is worn out and no longer has the motivation to maximize the performance and therefore purchase price they will receive. However, if this series of plans were recognized and executed on a consistent basis, not only would the business be available to sell as it’s in its best condition, but also allow the business owner an easier and more positive environment in which to own and operate the business; to be benefit to employees, suppliers, lenders and of course, the owner.

Franchise Opportunities – Fears That Drown Dreams – Instalment # 2
While there are certainly legitimate reasons why a person may not become an entrepreneur, I will focus on a few of the main reasons cited by people that would like to begin a business but haven’t made that leap.

Choosing the Right Domain Name
Choosing the right domain name can be critical to your business. Do not skip this very important step in your business.

Proven home business intellectually ingenious
A proven home business is intellectually ingenious so that you don't have to be in order to be extremely successful. It is a rare gem, and used by bright people who know how to leverage the work and effort of others.

Serious Entrepreneurs Use Social Media To Get Leads Without Being Annoying
Every serious entrepreneur is aware of the power of Internet marketing. However, a majority of them still consider online marketing to be related to the company website, email and online ads. While these online mediums make a significant part of the internet market, there has been a revolution in the last five years in the online world that has given birth to another powerful medium - social media or social networking.

Serious Entrepreneurs Use “Attraction Marketing”
Marketing their products and services is a big challenge for most business owners and it is common to see many entrepreneurs struggle at it as they face stiff challenge from bigger business firms that have millions of marketing dollars to spend. A serious entrepreneur acknowledges the business fact that fighting the competition head-on will lead to limited success. Therefore, a serious entrepreneur is always on the lookout for unconventional means of promoting his or her business. Attraction marketing is one such unconventional method of acquiring new customers and retaining existing ones. However, not many people are fully aware of the concept of attraction marketing and its advantages.

Who Needs A Work At Home Business Opportunity?
Having a work at home business opportunity enables the entrepreneur to generate income that isn't dependent upon employment or traditional business woes.

Baby Boomers: Exercise Your Entrepreneurial Independence
Note to all baby boomers - one billion, seven hundred million people have access to the Internet. For the aspiring baby boomer entrepreneur just staring up his or her home-based business, every one of those people is a potential customer. With the right Internet marketing, a lot of them could be convinced to buy the product or service that's offered.

A Life Worth Living
This article will serve as an introduction to a series of articles that I am writing on a wonderful book entitled “The Slight edge “ by Jeff Olson. The Slight Edge can be characterized as the road to success. either you are above that edge and working on the arc of success or you are below it and working toward failure. Follow the series called The Easiest Journey to understand the slight edge, how to live above it and forge your path to success.

Authentic Marketing: Invest in Yourself and Your Business by Taking Your Show on the Road
The safest and most lucrative investments you can make are in yourself and in your business. In this article, we will explore this concept and one of the most lucrative ways to implement it, by developing and serving an audience of buyers.

Client Retention Tips: How to Show You Care By Staying in Touch
In order to retain clients and build a sustainable business, you must stay in touch with people in a meaningful way. In this article, we will explore how and why to stay in touch with your clients, prospects and subscribers with an email newsletter. We will also delve into other ways to stay in touch.

“Fail Forward Fast” by Pia Lord
In today's fast moving world, we have to get on the track and start going. It would be great to have every piece of information that we ever dreamed of before making a decision. Sometimes that is not possible though. A philosophy of Fail Forward Fast gets us there by allowing a decision to be made, action to occur and then reflection immediately afterward. There is no downtime involved but staying the course, the right course.

Serious Entrepreneurs Don’t Do Everything Themselves, They Outsource
Entrepreneurs are bold people who decide to do their own thing against all odds. Often to curtail costs and get things done quickly, they do all kind of jobs required in a business on their own. Unfortunatley, this is not always the best use of an entrepreneurs time, and, therefore, outsourcing can be beneficial.

Characteristics of the Entrepreneurial Mindset – Passion and Drive
It is a popular misconception that all small business owners are entrepreneurs. Small business owners often follow the same tried and true methods of conducting and running their business that larger corporations do. They are structured and methodical. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it does not demonstrate any of the characteristics of the entrepreneurial mindset. An entrepreneur creates and develops an often wildly successful business in a very short period of time. They think differently than other business owners. They are willing to try new things, implement new procedures and use new technology that has not been widely accepted.

Help! There Are Not Enough Hours in the Day
How many times do you hear yourself say, “I wish I had more hours in the day,” or “I don’t have enough time.” When you include sleep, can you honestly say that you’ve had a productive day and maximized all 1440 minutes allotted? Perhaps a quick glance at the evening news might turn into an hour. Maybe you planned on checking out one website, but find an interesting link and click on it, and then you continue clicking more links. Soon enough, you spent nearly two hours checking out travel deals and reading all the gossip news, and haven’t accomplished anything. Where did all the minutes go?

Entrepreneurs – Things To Avoid When Having Trading Problems
Your company is having problems, you need to cut down, but which cuts will cause your business more problems than they are worth? Here are a few ideas of cutbacks to give a miss.

Is A Work At Home Internet Business Opportunity The Best?
The ability to leverage the internet with a work at home business means our ‘store’ is always open. Wealthy people quickly put their money to work for them so they no longer have to work for their money. While any work at home business requires work, what we appreciate most in the internet business model is that when we stop our work day, we continue to make money.

Can Anyone Run A Work At Home Internet Business?
A work at home internet business is actually much easier to manage and maintain than most home businesses. The skill set required does depend on the type of business, but using the internet as a base of operation is always designed to be user friendly. Whether you run the business, or use the service as a customer, the goal is to make the experience more enjoyable than going to the store.

Entrepreneurs – Testing Your Product Ideas
You’ve got some great new product ideas but are jot sure if they are going to be profitable, so how do you test them?

Wait Until the RIGHT Time
How often do we wait until “the RIGHT time” to begin a task? How many excuses can we create to postpone beginning something? How many “things” hinder us and preventing from even starting a mission?

Advertising, Marketing and PR: What's the Difference?
Sure, They Are Related ... But Each Serves a Different Function

How to Brand Yourself?
Being able to brand yourself is extremely important for today’s entrepreneur. It is also very difficult to do. In order to be a successful online business owner, the branding part of your business could mean the difference between people choosing to do business with you or someone else. Think about it, if a prospect is thinking about starting a business and he/she has an option to see you and get to know you vs. the other option of not seeing or knowing anything about the other entrepreneur, which one will they choose!

How to on Making Money Online
Success as a entrepreneur on the internet is not easily achieved. The advertising you see constantly telling you how easy it is. And the claims of how you can make all of this money by just doing a minimal amount of work. Are just not how the world we live in works. Success always has been a thing that has been confined to a small number of us. And it won't be changing any time soon.

Disadvantages of Outsourcing to Offshore Virtual Assistants
As an onshore Virtual Assistant and entrepreneur, I feel it is necessary to address the disadvantages of outsourcing to offshore virtual assistants (VAs), as well as discuss what some of these disadvantages are.

Every Small Business Owner Should Have At Least One
A business owner with 1-4 employees or is a single-person business owner should have at least one Virtual Assistant (VA).

Five Principles of Biblical Stewardship for Your Small Business
Stewardship is a biblical perspective that can be applied to your business. Stewardship simply means managing possessions and property that are not yours. There are five principles of biblical stewardship: persistence, planning, proportionate, pleasantness, and purpose. Let's see how we can apply them to your (God's) business.

Who and What is a Virtual Assistant?
As an entrepreneur and small business owner, you’ve probably heard the term “Virtual Assistant (VA),” but you are still not quite sure exactly what a Virtual Assistant is or what they do or don’t do. Think of a Virtual Assistant as your online administrative assistant.

Psychographic Profiles
Psychographic profiles are used in relation to marketing segmentation and advertising. They are not exactly a demographic profile, but still very important. What psychographic profiles do for an entrepreneur is enable them to better define their strategy on a cultural level. Let's first better define psychographic profiles. A psychographic profile of a group of people will reflect common activities, interests and opinions (AIO) as well as attitudes and values of those people. In a way this could be considered a nice and basic cross section of a culture.

Escape The Rat Race - You Know That You Want To
Escaping the rat race was never an option for my parents generation. My father worked for the same company for over 40 years and this was not unusual. In their day people stayed loyal to the same company and worked seemingly happily for many years.....

How to Build Clients for Business
Everyone wants to grow their business and see it flourish to its full potential. No one I know got into business for themselves with the understanding that they would never grow and never reach anything beyond punching a clock for themselves instead of someone else. The only way to really grow your operation is to grow your client base. How to build clients for business is definitely a subject that every entrepreneur at every level needs to look at and understand.

Work At Home Job VS Work At Home Business
A work at home job will never compete with a work at home business. Yet for those who hold a work at home job, they would seem to have an advantage in starting their home business.

Small Business Planning - Or Not!
The concept of business planning is great for large companies, for we entrepreneurs it is a waste of time. The only person who needs your business plan is your lender, but it is more for their benefit than yours. So, make what you give the lender fat so it will fill up their file and believe you know exactly what you're doing. Then go do what makes money and be ready to re-write the plan for the next year's credit line renewal.

Visionary, Salesman and Pragmatist Model of Business Success
Josh Kaufman has posted an article, Are You an Implementor or an Enabler? where he posits that businesses revolve around two complementary skill sets. Here I offer an alternative, hopefully more complete model of what roles are necessary for business success.

Do I Need A Work At Home Business Idea?
A work at home business idea needn't be an original concept, or a unique product or service for an entrepreneur to launch a home business. Ideas and concepts are plentiful and discovering one that fits your interests, will ensure that your home business will receive the passion and commitment necessary for success.

Can I Work At Home And Make Money?
Many variables affect the entrepreneurs ability to work at home and make money. One very important consideration is the work environment they create for themselves. Productivity can be enhanced or stifled depending upon where we attempt to accomplish specific tasks.

Multilevel Marketing MLM - the missing link
The dream of financial freedom, and working from home or anywhere you desire through a Multilevel Marketing MLM or network marketing opportunity is why people are attracted to this industry. Unfortunately, there is a missing link to the puzzle, and having success with this model.

In Hot Pursuit of Your Dreams
Do Your Dreams Get you moving in the morning? Running out the door to get them done? yes? Great Keep on Keeping On! No? maybe you need to pick something else, another dream, that sets your heart flying, your feet swiftly running and your mind buzzing till the chicken come home!

Five Techniques to Strengthen Your Mental Toughness
Have you ever wondered what it takes to become an Olympic Athlete, compete in the Ironman contest, or win a Grand Slam tennis match when you’re nearly at the brink of defeat? If you ask coaches and athletes, they will almost unanimously mention that mental toughness gave them the edge. Mental toughness is the ability to maintain focus and determination to stay on a course of action regardless of the difficulties.

Start-up your small business - 5 steps
Starting a small business can be a daunting task for a new entrepreneur. But, there are a few simple steps that you can take to help ensure your success. Incorporate these steps into your early development and you will be on your way to financial freedom.

Why Starting A Business Is Recession-Proof
The recession has made the economy spiral downwards, but on the other side, it has also amplified prospects elsewhere in other non-related industries. So the likelihood of doing well after starting a business is quite realistic.

Why Mindset Is Important To The Success Of Every Entrepreneur
If you start your entrepreneurial journey with the mindset that you may fail, you are doomed. Having the right mindset is the foremost attribute required for every entrepreneur.

Should I Start To Work At Home Part Time?
Many aspiring entrepreneurs choose to work at home part time while establishing their home businesses. There is an advantage both in budgeting time and expense which makes this option appealing.

Example of a Business Plan
A business plan is like a road map or charted course to success for your business. By its very nature a business plan can never be one hundred percent (100%) accurate as it is written in advance and cannot take into account unexpected changes in the marketplace. But a properly constructed business plan can help an entrepreneur avoid some of the most serious pitfalls that can be encountered in business.

Advice for New Entrepreneurs And Business Owners
Thinking of being an entrepreneur? Starting a new home business? Here's a bit of advice from Bruce Wood, an entrepreneur who has launched many businesses.

E R R Your Way to Negotiating Excellence
Negotiating is the ultimate challenge for any entrepreneur. Being good at it is essential for success. You don't have to be a shark to succeed. The dolphin approach is better. The difference is one of style. While sharks try to intimidate, dolphins genuinely enjoy people. They are confident, assertive and don't try to manipulate their opponents with negotiating ploys and gambits. Learn the ERR principles of negotiating and you may never need any others. When you apply these 3 principles you'll become a more successful negotiator and gain the respect of your opponents in the process.

Become My Own Boss - Learn How To Achieve a Dream Lifestyle
Many people dream about becoming their own boss, but few people take action. Those who do take action know the rewards can be massive. Those who wish, only go through live wondering "what if", and never see the rewards with being a business owner.

Direct Marketing Products With Value
Direct marketing products with value always serve the best interest of everyone. When true, measurable value exists in the product, it benefits everyone it affects. Any product or service of value, finds expression in various places. Exceptional services and remarkable products are always sought after. In order for companies to compete, they must rise to the same standard.

What Does It Mean To Be An Entrepreneur?
I wanted to share my thoughts on a recent article from Inc. Magazine on an economist named Joseph Schumpeter who had a very insightful way of looking at entrepreneurs. I found that it captures the essence of the day-to-day grind most small business owners experience.

Goals for sales reps in 2010
The downturn in the world economy has forced a lot of companies to rethink their sales plans in the last year or two. While some sectors of business might not be doing as badly as others, the general feeling is one of "things can't go on like this forever." This half-hopeful/ half incredulous outlook is pretty much the norm right now. For the new entrepreneur though, this is an opportunity to compete on a more level playing field. The big players in just about every sector have scaled back in so many areas that the market has opened up for the more streamlined and customer service oriented small businesses. For sales people this is your chance to play ball.

MomPreneurs: Resources Available for Women-Owned Businesses
The National Women's Business Council, which advises the Small Business Administration, estimates that in 2008 there were 7.2 million majority-owned, privately-held, women-owned businesses in the United States, employing 7.3 million people and generating $1.1 trillion in sales. Here are some organizations and resources that help women-owned businesses succeed.

Direct Marketing Meets MLM
When multilevel marketing companies began giving distributors their own websites, this allowed them to begin direct marketing campaigns. They were able to drive customers directly to their web site for sales, membership or distributorship. From a business standpoint, for MLM business owners to build a substantial income, they need to develop a network of distributors. From a marketing perspective, they now have the ability to develop their downline network, using direct marketing techniques.

Inside The Mastermind Marketing Group
Entrepreneurs joining together to form a mastermind marketing group can enjoy the shared benefit of personal growth and support for their respective businesses. Independent business owners as well as larger marketing groups receive the benefit of this collective effort.

10 things to expect from your business intermediary
Buying or selling a business comes with personal emotional and financial risk as well as the complexities of finance, accounting, tax, negotiation and legal items. Having a professional agent or intermediary to help “quarterback” and manage the variables is good business. Here are some attributes to look in the intermediary that you choose.

11 reasons to reject the recession and grow your business
Watching CNN, CNBC, MSNBC and the other media you keep hearing about the “green shoots” in the economy. This can be seen with things like the Federal Stimulus program beginning to gain momentum, clear direction with the resolution to the bankruptcies of GM and Chrysler, the level of fear about the economy subsiding, housing sales starting to stabilize and unemployment stabilizing. So it’s time to put the recession behind us and get on with it.

5 tips to use when selling your business
Selling a business is rarely a simple and straight forward process. One of the biggest mistakes I’ve found is that the seller doesn’t put themselves in the shoes of the other parties be it the buyer, lender, landlord, employees, franchisor or whoever. This article outlines 5 suggestions for a seller to use when approaching the way to sell their business.

5 traits of a successful entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes including diverse social, economic and education backgrounds. There is no “guaranteed” path to being a successful entrepreneur but this article suggests there are five traits they generally have in common.

6 questions to answer bluntly to find out if your business is in a crisis
Is owning and operating your business in this current economic climate getting you down? Not sure what your next steps should be? Not sure if you have options? The first thing is to know where you and your business currently stand; which is the purpose of this article. Once you know that answer, dust off your business plan, refresh it and review your next steps from an informed position.

Is business ownership right for you?
Business ownership is an option many refugees from Corporate America are considering. Unemployment is high and growing so owning your own business to control your future is a great option. But where do you start? This article covers some suggestions to get you started.

Seven growth industries to consider if you are starting a business
If you are planning on starting or buying a business, it makes sense to consider a business in a growth industry. This article outlines seven industries that are doing well, despite the recession.

Starting a business...let's start with you
If you're buying a franchise, starting a new business or buying an existing business it's difficult to know where to start. This article suggests you start with yourself. Read on to find out more.

Starting a business…Look before you leap...no really!
Are you a "forced entrepreneur?" Just in case you were wondering, a "forced entrepreneur" is someone that's been happily working in Corporate America until that pink slip arrived. So you're highly skilled, highly motivated and thought you would easily get a job somewhere else...but you're not sure that's what you want to do? Perhaps becoming an entrepreneur is where you would really like to go but are not sure where to start. This article helps address that dilemma for you.

Starting a business…what are my options?
This article discusses the options available to a new entrepreneur planning on entering business ownership. It explains a new entrepreneur has three options and how to consider which option is best for their situation.

Starting a business...what options are available?
Over the last 2 years, Corporate America has not been kind to it's employees. Perhaps that's the wrong way to look at it. Maybe a better approach is that we only let things happen to us if we don't take action. Perhaps moving into business ownership is an action you need to take but are not sure where to start? This article suggests some options. The rest is up to you.

Why entrepreneurs adjust their thinking when business failure is not an option
A true entrepreneur only sees opportunities and the chance to make a lot of money. In a down economy they see it as the time to build greater knowledge, strength and resources to be ready for the inevitable upturn in the economy. However, we if we are not wired like the true entrepreneur we need to remind ourselves of what it takes to keep going and get to the next level.

Any time, any place, anywhere
Flexible working is normally conceived as working part time, compressed hours or starting earlier/finishing later. But what if your work was so flexible that it meant you could move to the other side of the world with virtually no impact? That is what Lysette Parbhu has done. She set up her ethical children's clothes company, Babies in Sheep's Clothing, in the UK and has just moved to South Africa for her husband's business and is still able to work more or less as normal around her two children.

A woman with potential
Roberta Jerram has spent her life setting up businesses and running party plan organisations so she is well qualified to moderate a social networking forum for businesswomen.

Becoming an Entrepreneur - 10 Mistakes That Will Kill Your Transition From Executive to Entrepreneur
Here are the things you need to pay attention to in order to avoid sabotaging your business success...

Managing the Transition - Why Most Businesses Fail in Today's Economy & How to Avoid Business Doom
A business must adjust and adapt to survive - no matter the economy. Managing the Transition gets You and Your Organization There...

Always changing Online Business? There is a cure
Do you find yourself always looking for the next big opportunity? Are you always looking for greener grass? It is a disease but it can be cure.

What Is Your Why?
For those who have never been entrepreneurs, not having a boss to motivate them may cause problems. Here a proven model is introduced to alleviate this problem.

Living the Lifestyle of Your Dreams?
If you have been sidetracked on the path of life, and are not living the lifestyle of your dreams, I have found an opportunity to get you back on the path.

Are Your Finances Stuck In A Vice?
Many people feel their finances are being squeezed. Their dreams will remain dreams never to be realized. But thanks to the internet, there is a way out.

Can You Become A Successful Entrepreneur?
Anyone can become an entrepreneur but what does it take to become a successful entrepreneur? Mindset, self discipline and passion are key components.

Do You Have Job Security?
How safe is your job? People continue to lose their jobs as unemployment figures hover around 10%. Thanks to the internet, there is a viable option to traditional brick and mortar jobs.

Recently Laid Off or Fired?
In this scary economy, unemployment is extremely high and finding a job is a tough, long process with no guarantees. Here is presented a viable alternative to which many people are turning.

"What is the Best Business to Start?"
If you want to start a business, the best business for you will be one that involves an activity that you enjoy. Use the following steps to find out which business is the best business for you to start.

How to Properly Develop Relationships Using Social Media
How many times have you cringed after receiving a message from someone you just connected with immediately pitching his or her opportunity? We’ve all heard them tell you that they have the best compensation plan, they’re going to be the next billion-dollar company, and that their juice, lotion or potion is the cure for cancer. They even create a sense of urgency by telling you that if you don’t sign up by midnight, you’ll lose out on a once in a lifetime opportunity. Sound familiar?

Launch a Coaching Business: 4 Secrets for Authenticity and Success
People often ask me how I built my successful coaching business while working a full time job. In this article I will share four key secrets to building a successful business that is authentically yours.

Authentic Marketing: How to Respond to, "What do you do?"
Instead of telling people your title when sharing what you do, focus on the change you'd like to see in the world, the pain you alleviate and the solutions you provide. Once you're clear on your mission and your message, you must connect with as many people as possible to further your movement and build your business.

Making More Money
Making more money begins as a thought. Entrepreneurs develop plans of action to accomplish this. After a plan is devised and acted upon the entrepreneur expects to get what they desire; to make more money.

Business Ideas for Beginners
The new would be entrepreneur has a lot of things to consider. Choosing the right business vehicle for you can be a daunting and sometimes intimidating task. A little advice on the subject might be needed so here is a mini guide of a few business ideas for beginners. The phrase "aim small miss small" comes to mind. For a very first business maybe taking out a second mortgage on the house and dipping into the college fund isn't the wisest of things. While id can be argued certainly that radical change requires radical action you should look at your potential for loss and realize that what you are about to attempt has risks involved.

Business Plan Examples
There are lots of business plan examples on the internet available for download. Some of these plans are easy to follow while others can be a little complicated. We will look at the advantages and disadvantages of using business plan examples available to the entrepreneur online and maybe help you make a choice that would be best for you. The average business plan will have the same key elements. This is important for consistency sake. Think about it from an investor's standpoint; they see many business plans and having the same format, more or less, will save them a lot of time, effort and more than a few questions. These are busy people and will not think twice about rejecting your proposal based on a business plan that does not meet the basic requirements. That is to say, the following

Build An Online Business From Scratch
To build an online business a person needn't go into great expense or extensive training but a successful business requires some level of investment both in time and money. Looking at the basics shows how quickly one can progress from start to finish with an internet business. The only remaining step is success.

Entrepreneurs – How To Establish And Market Yourself As A Fashion Designer
You’ve been to college or have the fashion skills and you now want to establish yourself as a fashion designer, so how do you get started?

10 Things to Remember for a Successful Business Startup
There are a number of factors you must have in place to ensure a successful startup. These are:

Seven Steps to Eradicate An Entrepreneur's Fear of the Unknown
Entrepreneur, is the one who assumes the responsibility and the risk for a business operation with the expectation of making a profit. It takes courage to be an Entrepreneur. To assume the responsibility and the risk for a business operation, he needs to learn to conquer fear. Conquering fear is not a RESULT, but a PROCESS. Here are the seven steps to conquer "fear of unknown".

The Ever Enticing Direct Marketing Opportunity
The direct marketing opportunity continues to be the number one choice for marketing entrepreneurs because of the lucrative immediate profits as well as residual income. While the direct marketing opportunity provides the best income potential for marketing professionals it also produces an unparalleled educational experience.

Top 10 Get Noticed! Tips
Follow these suggestions and you will be noticed. The best people will notice and appreciate you „o and you will enjoy a wonderful life.

Business-Building Lessons Learned in 2009: What Highly-Successful Small Business Owners Are Doing that You Can Do Too
I know some small business owners who’ve experienced unprecedented growth this year. I’m talking growth that would be considered stellar in a good economy. So, what are successful entrepreneurs doing differently?

How to Stay Motivated in your Home Based Business
A struggle in the life we live and more so in being an entrepreneur, because being an entrepreneur is a very performance and productivity and results driven vocation.It's demands do place a damper on your motivation at times in is article it is a preventitive measures that we can put into place to safeguard from our level on motivation taking a wrong turn along the way. Here are a number of things that you can put in place where you need to make improvements where needed.

You need one, I need one: we all need a break
In the current economic climate the mantra is to work harder and harder. This is a global phenomenon and we are told it regularly. There is no time for a break; you just have to keep pushing yourself. Everyone else is doing it - so of course you must follow suit. It's expected that this behavior will impact on productivity in all the right ways and that the organisation will go from strength-to-strength. Those in leadership are not immune from this pressure. It is not only difficult to continue to work harder and harder, it is impossible because there comes a point when the bone has no more meat on it. While sustainable for awhile, over time issues start to emerge. Pressured, exhausted leaders can experience a loss of confidence, self esteem, lack of clarity and mental and/or physical health issues can appear...

The Only Way To Have Real Employment Security
Self-employment is the only option available to protect your personal and financial wellbeing regardless of the condition of the economy. Working for someone else strips you of the tremendous power you have over fate. You become a passive player in your own life; success suddenly becomes a question of whether you get lucky or not. Self-employment is your ultimate leverage with which you can take back what’s rightfully yours-the power to set your own destiny.

5 Activities That Separate Successful People from the Rest
I have been observing the activities that separate top successful people from the rest across different industries, and have noticed that they have common characteristics. Although one can argue the number or variety of traits they share, I’ve noted five traits you can model if you want to join the ranks of the top 10% of successful people.

Online Entrepreneurship: Is It For You?!!!
Online entrepreneurship is an exploding industry in times of a recession. There is plenty of wealth achievable through online businesses, but is it for everyone? Many people jump into home-based businesses without doing research on what is required within the business. Most legitimate opportunities are not "get rich quick" and require deligent work and investment to be successful. So what are the advantages of starting your own online business? FREEDOM!!!

Why Dedication to Lifelong Learning is a Key to Success
Jim Rohn said it best that you should “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.” The most successful people in any industry will tell you that they spent a considerable amount of time honing their skills and working on their personal development.

Are You an Entrpreneur?
Ever wonder if you have the stuff to succeed in your own business? To find out, take this eye opening test. It is based upon studies that reveal common characteristics among entrepreneurs.

The Power of Entrepreneurship
James Dicks examines the joys and difficulties of becoming an entrepreneur.

Work From India as an Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs can work from India, Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas or anywhere else the internet is available because of the online business opportunities available. The brand new international entrepreneur has never owned a business before, has no prior training, yet they are jumping onto this awesome business opportunity. With support and training resources available in different languages, individuals are suddenly empowered to positively affect the global economy.

Why You Must Master Self-Discpline
How many times have you felt the urge to take a small break and watch TV while you are in the middle of writing an article? Or perhaps you’re in the middle of making your prospect calls, and suddenly you decide you want to chat with your friend about weekend plans without completing your other calls? I know it’s important to take breaks once in a while, and you should to recharge your batteries, but have you ever experienced taking a break, and suddenly that break turns into a few hours and you suddenly don’t want to do that task anymore? Most of us have been guilty at one point or another, but it’s important to complete income-producing tasks to put you closer to your goals. Out of all the skills, mastering self-discipline and focus is key to success.

Part 3 - Relationships and service
It is absolutely essential for any manager to communicate with and to understand what motivates each individual staff member. This brings relationships to the fore as the most important factor for any manager in any business. We are not just caged canaries or a selection of laboratory rats. We are thinking, feeling human beings, trying to be just that – human beings - not just human doers. We live to express ourselves creatively and to grow and develop each in our own unique way.

Small Business Owners - Seven Simple Steps to Get You Started As an Entrepreneur
Many of my Non-immigrant readers are getting excited to start their own business. Here are some questions I get asked. I am currently on pending adjustment of status and have a work permit. Can I start my business? What are the requirements? Can I start a business in my home country? Can my relative in my home country become my business partner? I want to start my business, but I don't know where to start. I can relate to my reader's feelings, as many of my clients have been there. First, I wish I had answer to all these questions, but I do not. However from my experience I can say that following step by step method has worked for my clients in establishing their business. It can be very challenging to make a decision with a mind confused with too many questions.

How to Plant the Seeds and Reap the Harvest of Success in Network Marketing
If you’re new to network marketing and prefer to build a business offline, start planting a lot of seeds. Seeds take time to grow, and you reap what you sow. The more seeds you plant, the bigger your harvest. So what exactly are the seeds? The seeds are the prospecting tools provided by your company, and the soil is your prospects. Hand out your prospecting tools, like brochures or videos, to as many people as possible. Now that you planted these seeds, let the prospecting tools do most of the work for you. Before you hand out any of these tools, ask them some pre-qualifying questions. You can simply ask, “If I could show you a way to make extra income part time that won’t interfere with your current job, would you at least take a look at it?” If your prospect says yes to this question, hand them the prospecting tools.

Entrepreneur Job Description
An entrepreneur is defined by Wikipedia as: a person who has possession of a new enterprise, venture or idea and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome. That should just about cover it right? Nope, that barely scratches the surface. The entrepreneur job description goes much deeper than just assuming risks and taking on accountability. The entrepreneur is a rebel by definition as well. They go against the grain and strike out on their own. But they aren't reckless bandits roving the countryside looking to make their next big score. There are a few traits that most entrepreneurs have in common.

Successful Entrepreneurs and The Importance Of Building A Team
Many entrepreneurs see themselves as soloists, single individuals boldly taking risks by themselves. What many have learned the hard way is that success requires a team of people who can add their unique talent and skill to the mix. Every entrepreneur needs to understand their own skills and talents, and also know what skills and talents are needed in other team members.

Important Steps to Take When Starting to Build a Network Marketing Business
So now that you have signed up to join a network marketing company, what is the next step and how do you start building a business? Your upline or sponsor should provide you the necessary training on how to start, but if you have not heard anything from your sponsor once you have signed up, make sure you follow these five steps when starting to build a network marketing business.

How MLM Leaders Can Motivate Their New Distributors
As MLM Leaders, you should make every effort to keep your new distributors motivated at all times. Your passion and commitment for the business are two ways to encourage them, but it may not be enough to keep them committed for the long haul. When new distributors join a network marketing business, they feel excited and motivated at first. However, when they start experiencing frustration and setback from the beginning, they may lose motivation and be tempted to quit. All MLM leaders must stay in touch with them as frequently as possible to help them through the challenging times and help them achieve some results so that they can stay for the long haul. So how do you keep new distributors motivated? MLM leaders should follow these three suggestions.

Dont Give Up On Your Dream
This is a no lose situation. I either prove conclusively that my new business model works or prove conclusively that is does not work. Either way I move on to the next level.

Why Building Trust is Necessary for a Successful Network Marketing Business
The most successful network marketing business owners will tell you that the key to their success was their ability to create a relationship of trust with the people they sponsored into their organization. You need to sell your prospect on yourself first, and then built a relationship with that customer until they have a reason to remain loyal to you. In order to sell yourself and build a successful network marketing business, you need to focus entirely on the prospect. Don’t focus on yourself, your business, and your products. Instead, you need to learn about your prospects wants and needs by asking the right questions.

More Faith - The Goal of Persistence
Acquiring more faith in our core mission as an entrepreneur demands we exercise the discipline of persistence in pursuit of our hearts desire. The one who perseveres longest, believes strongest in what they are doing and where they are going.

Passion, Plan and Profit by Christy Strauch
Having your own business is said to be a part of the "American Dream". Even in these tough economic times, many people are still working toward having their own business. Actually, I've read that a financial recession can be the perfect time to lose a fortune --- but also the perfect time to make a fortune. So, is this the time for you to get serious about starting your own business?

Rules for Homed Based Business Success pt.3
In this installment we arelooking at the importance of you being able to see the big picture clearly. Because this is very important how you are able to see the big picture wiil prove to be a asset as you are build yourself and you business. These things go hand and hand in are and must be putinto action for success.Be very careful of who you surround yourself with the people who you surround yourself with are the people who you will model yourself behind so if you want to make 10,000 a month then you want to be around people who make 50,000 . Do not be around people who do not share your vision and your dream

Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome by James L Wilson
Every business person faces stress and fatigue. Every business owner and entrepreneur faces stress and especially in these tough economic times. So – maintaining our health can be a key to being able to continue giving our best to our business, ourselves, our families and our customers.

Heart of Marketing by Judith Sherven and Jim Sniechowski
Customer service and really good customer service seems to be a thing of the past in many businesses. When I was growing up - my grandfather reinforced the importance of stellar customer service to me and that lesson has served me very well of the last two decades. This book explains how to put "heart" back into our businesses and our marketing.

Guerilla Marketing Weapons by Jay Conrad Levinson
In these tough economic times – it is more important than ever to find inexpensive and effective ways to market our businesses. Jay Conrad Levinson and Guerilla Marketing are two of the best sources for this information.

How to Make the Mastermind Group Unlock the Door to Success
I came across the concept of the mastermind group after reading Napoleon Hill’s book Think and Grow Rich. According to Hill, the mastermind group is formed when two or more minds work actively together in perfect harmony toward a common definite object. Hill noted that every successful person in history had a mastermind group that helped him achieve greatness. No one mind is ever complete in itself, so you need to have a mastermind group to help you achieve those objectives.

If You Want To Be a Home Stager, Luck Won’t Make It Happen
Intrepid entrepreneur, Staging Diva, discusses how being an entrepreneur and starting your own home staging business has nothing to do with luck.

Work At Home Dads
Work at home dads with the right online business opportunity can earn extra income or become full time entrepreneurs capable of generating substantial wealth. The career path once made famous by stay at home moms is serving up lifestyle transformations for the entire family.

Essential Top 7 Communication Skills for Entrepreneurs
As a communication coach, trainer and yes entrepreneur, I get the chance to run workshops for entrepreneur and small business organizations, as well as personally coach entrepreneurs, consultants and other coaches. Each year the titles of the workshops may change but the core values do not. The question we must ask ourselves is what are the essential communication skills entrepreneurs need? I want to share them with you, so you can start to develop your talents as quickly as possible, and assess your personal and team communication strengths and weaknesses.

Sustainable Business Development - Benefiting your Community
Sustainable Business Development was popularized just over 22 years ago by a report put out by the Brundtland Commission. The world economy was growing and throughout the late 60’s and into the 80’s world development advanced rapidly with little regard to the environment and the Brundtland Commission, which came out of the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development, characterized ‘sustainable development’ as: “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” As a business leader and entrepreneur, we can benefit from the agenda established as a result of these United Nation Conferences in order to combat Poverty, Change Unsustainable Patterns of Consumption and Protect Bio-Diversity and Natural Resources.

How to Follow Up When Prospecting Into Your Network Marketing Business
Successful network marketers know how to follow up because they understand that it is important to cultivate relationships with prospects before converting them into customers or new distributors. When you learn how to follow up, you will start cultivating relationships.

Your Health Insurance Policy
Pia Lord discusses a number of strategies that can give you some educational and financial advantages when choosing a health insurance policy. With high cost of premiums the beginning entrepreneur as well as the savvy business person needs these strategies to make the most of their health coverages.

The 18 Disciplines of Selling: Part 3
The 18 Disciplines of Selling as a title are a little misleading. These key silver bullets are not just for those who make a profession of selling. They're for any and all who are in business large or small; an entrepreneur or executive or sole proprietor. If you're in business today, you're selling! You're constantly selling and unfortunately many people who are entering business at any level have little to no sales training. So whatever level you're at you'll need the 18 Disciplines as a basic and foundational checklist to master. We started with the rules in our first edition. In Part 2 we discussed the true basics and now in Part 3 we begin to bring them together with the hard core strategies that will be a success foundation for life!

Why We Need to Create Associations of Success
To thrive in any entrepreneurial venture, we need to create associations of success. Most of us have heard the saying that we are the average of the 5 people with whom we are most closely associated. Your associations of success will help you follow through with your plan and achieve your goals. You can have the greatest vision and put together the most complete plan of achieving that goal. However, being surrounded by only negative and unsupportive people will derail your plans of making your goal and vision a reality.

Top Twenty Reasons to Become an Entrepreneur
Read why now is the time to explore your dreams and become an entrepreneur.

“Why You Should Become an Entrepreneur in 2010”
Did you make your 2010 New Year’s Resolutions yet? How about the one where you promise that this will be the last year you work for a measly paycheck? Isn’t it time to keep all the money you earn instead of a fraction of it?

Knowing The Entrepreneur Definition Will Help You Become A Successful Entrepreneur
Are you looking for a way that you can make money from home? Then you need to learn what the entrepreneur definition is. You also need to know how you can become a successful entrepreneur. Learn more about this now so you can soon be making money from the comfort of your own home.

Franchise Your Business In India
What do businesses/companies seeking to franchise in india need to understand? I am listing out a few components of the pieces of franchising they need to be aware of whilst franchising their businesses.We come across entrepreneurs everyday advertising their businesses and seeking franchisees, without being structured.Additionally on the other end we have international companies seeking entry into India and they generally have a clear mandate as to how they would want to go about expansion.The challenge is then to merge that requirement into what could work practically in the markets.What a individual businessman or a company seeking to develop franchise, need to put in place even before they started looking at their first franchise.Hence I am putting in a few basic points of franchising in India which could serve as a cursory.

Start A Franchise Business In india Either By Yourself Vs With Professional Help From Franchise Consultants.
With millions of Indians looking at starting a new franchise business annually, this would be a brief synopsis of how they can do so,either on their own or professionally.When we started franchise consulting a decade ago we hardly had a handful of reputed franchise businesses available.Today more than 1200 organized franchisees are available.along with atleast 3000-4000 businesses getting ready to franchise in the next 3-5 years,opening the industry to a variety of options.So how will entrepreneurs go about choosing a new business,how are they going to sort their franchise lists, how will they do the due diligience. As internet,technology and information is increasingly making it possible to know which ones are available, the challenge will always remain on the 'best business suitable.'Let me try answering this for you ahead.

Entrepreneur's Coaching Center - Do you have what it takes?
In times of perpetual talk about job creation interesting facts come to lignt. For instance, did you know that most new jobs, in today's economy, come from young firms (3 -5) years old. Entrepreneurs are important if for now other reason than they are responsible for the creation of new job and more so than any other sector. Most think entrepreneurship is easy, think again. There are very certain and specific qualities that determine success. Learn three categories of skills, values and behaviors that characterize entrepreneurs.

Internet Marketing And Home Business
A lot of us hope of being our own bosses. The lure of good money and flexible work hours is quite the dream. Never the less, many are afraid to venture out on their own. They fear that they don't have the capital required to start a business or they don't want to loose the security of their steady job. The solution could be starting a business at home. The reality of the matter is that you can begin your home business without any capital. Ask yourself this, do you have a spare room or space in your house. Do you have a computer with an internet connection? Do you have a telephone? If you have these three assets you have the essentials of an office from which your home business can be started.

Making The Shift From Entrepreneur To Business Person
When is a business person not a business person? When that person is a narrow focused entrepreneur, brimming over with ideas and concepts and starting one project after another with hardly a breath in between.

Business Plans: Uses and Abuses
“Some men see things as they are and say "Why?". I dream of things that never were and say "Why not?" (George Bernard Shaw) Do you ever dream about business success and wonder how to make it happen? We all have aspirational dreams and goals but how many of us know how to turn them into reality. Many of you will have thought about writing business plans to make your dreams come true and been put off, thinking them either too hard to write, not necessary, or feeling that they are not really needed as the plans are already in your head. In fact it is important that you create plans, as they provide focus and a pathway for you to follow to achieve your business goals. In principle plans are not that difficult to write, providing some fundamentals are clearly identified and followed before you start the process.

Check for Consistency - It's How the Tortoise Beat the Hare
Remember Aesop’s fable of The Tortoise and The Hare? Both were in a race, and the hare dashed off to an incredible start. He became complacent, and even arrogant to the point where he took a nap, thinking that he could wake up and still beat the tortoise. When the hare woke up, he dashed as fast as he could to the finish line only to find the tortoise celebrating victory.

The abundant side of authenticity: Are you allowing yourself to receive it?
What two things do multi-millionaire real estate developer Donald Trump (“The Donald”) and Brett Wilson ("The Capitalist with a Heart") of the Dragon’s Den Canadian television show share in common? It is abundance: financial, family, and much more. Discover what the other thing is!

Considerations For Valuing a Service Business
A common problem occurs when an entrepreneur, who has been building a business for a period of time, decides to take on a new partner

Start Taking Action Now - You'll Be Closer to Your Dreams
Do you know what keeps people from achieving their goals or living their dreams? It’s not taking action. You can spend all the time in the world envisioning your future, setting goals, creating affirmation statements, meditating, and networking with successful people. However, if you spend all your time preparing and don’t take any action, your goals won’t materialize. Yes, you have to start taking action to make your goals and dreams come true.

Hate Selling? Start a Movement Instead.
When you are fired up and focused on the changes you want to see in the world, you won't even have to sell. Marketing is important, but any marketing you do must be preceded by defining the movement you want to perpetuate and the changes you want to make in the world.

Authentic Marketing: How to Set Yourself Apart from Others
A common challenge for coaches, teachers, healers and other helping professionals is differentiating themselves from others in their fields. In this article, I will explain the ways to authentically set yourself apart from your competition.

The Best Career Change Books
Career expert and VocationVacations founder, Brian Kurth, offers up his top picks for career change and career transition books

Reinventing Yourself After
Career expert, author and VocationVacations founder, Brian Kurth, offers up his advice for 50-year old+ career reinvention for those who are retiring but not ready to simply hit the golf links or sit on the beach...or are forced to work a bit longer due to the current economic situation.

Tips For The New “Age” Entrepreneur
Career expert and VocationVacations founder, Brian Kurth, offers up his advice to encore careerists in pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams.

Finding Your Dream Job In Your 50's
Career transition expert and VocationVacations founder, Brian Kurth, offers up dream job pursuit tips for the 50+ generation

Top Ten Ways for an Entrepreneur to Improve Joint Venture Success
While National Entrepreneurship Week falls in the last week of February in the USA, and the rest of the world who celebrates it, does so in November. This year may find the timing ripe to have entrepreneurs save economies around with the world, with joint ventures. Whether it's labeled joint venture, partnering, collaboration or cross-promotion, here are ten ways to get started:

So, You Think You Want To Become An Entrepreneur?
VocationVacations Founder, Brian Kurth, provides five key questions to ask yourself prior to becoming an entrepreneur.

Missing files and Tender Entrepreneur Brokers
It has now become recognised that an important catalyst to business growth is enabling entrepreneurs to compete on the public procurement market. And it is encouraging that young entrepreneurs are taking on the bottlenecks in the public sector, and developing new applications that equalize information asymmetries and promote transparency whilst combating public sector corruption.

Are You An Entrepreneur Who Takes Action? Take The 4 Trait Test
Entrepreneurs are independent people who set themselves apart from others by being innovative action takers. Entrepreneurs know how to solve problems and see opportunities that others miss. In today's uncertain economy entrepreneurs are needed more than ever because they are the ones who are willing to do the tasks and follow through despite obstacles.

Simple Preparations on How to Start a Home Based Business
Do you have great ideas, but not sure how to start a home based business? Many of us get excited about the prospects of being your own boss and starting a home based business. However, a number of people get too caught up in the excitement that they forget basic things. By forgetting the basics, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, which can lead to struggle in the beginning before you can even taste success. I’ve outlined a few basic things to help prepare yourself on how to start a home based business.

Bring Your Inner Entrepreneur to Life
Some people have spent their whole lives dreaming about being their own boss and working from the comfort of their own home, but never quite had the opportunity. Now, with the emergence on the internet as a strong business platform, the opportunity exists for all that have an internet connection. Online business is booming despite the current recession and with a worldwide audience at your fingertips, you can do business in just about any industry you like.

Secure Your Financial Future
Currently in this economy many businesses are struggling to stay afloat and increase their profits. Online business owners, on the other hand, are at an advantage during these times. There is reasoning behind the way online business entrepreneurs are able to strengthen and secure their finances for the future. Any entrepreneur should consider an online business modification that will assure a positive and profitable future for the business.

Three Great Online Internet Business Possibilities
Forget everything you've heard about this not being the best time to start your own online internet business. Yes, there's a recession going on right now, and that's exactly why you need to stop bouncing

Don't Over Think It!
Just think back to how excited your were to tell your story and share your product when you first got involved with your business. Don't become a victim of over thinking, over analyzing, over planning, over anything! Just be yourself and share your enthusiasm and be honest with the people you meet and you will find the success your are striving for.

What High Level Enrepreneurs Think Great Coaching is About
I recently held two focus groups with some of the successful, high networth entrepreneurs I coach.

5 Ways to Stay Focused on Your Goals As an Entrepreneur
We all constantly have to battle life's distractions, as an entrepreneur, to stay laser-focused on achieving our goals. Now I'll admit, it's not always easy to stay on track with a goal you have set out for yourself. Your personal responsibilities, self-esteem, just not enough time, these are all excuses that we, including myself, occasionally use to vision our goals as unreachable.

Don’t Start An Online Business Opportunity Before Reading This!
Deciding on which online business opportunity to become immersed in not as easy as some may think. The internet has opened the door for entrepreneurs, allowing for thousands of online business opportunities to emerge with millions of different products and services to profit from. With so many companies, compensation plans, products and services to choose from, how can an entrepreneur decide? Well, glad you asked. In this article, I’d like to mention five very important traits to look for when making that incredibly difficult decision of: “Which company should I become a part of?”

Qualities That Define True Leadership
There are many qualities that can define true leadership, but I believe five qualities stand out among all others. These qualities truly define and maintain the focus needed to become a true leader and gain the goal of success as an entrepreneur. Leadership is a skill that must be mastered and shown daily, not only in business but in life in general.

The Single Most Important Thing That’s Missing From Many Home Based Businesses
Those that have made the decision to become entrepreneurs in the network marketing industry are being faced with the very strenuous decision as to which company should they choose to become a part of. The enormous amount of ads, websites, and offers to become financially free are overwhelming to the average beginner entrepreneur. And what many entrepreneurs are beginning to feel is that none of these home based businesses are actually legit opportunities. Why?

"Time Management Tips For Serious Entrepreneurs"
Being able to manage your time in order to become 100% productive is critical for your success as an entrepreneur. We all tend to be extremely busy and sometimes even have excuses for not being able to complete a certain goal or objective. Time management is the only way to take control of your time and increase your productivity level exponentially.

Tips for Not Feeling Overwhelmed in Your Network Marketing Business
The start of a new venture is always an exciting time. Motivation, adrenaline, and excitement all come together to give a sense of nervousness about starting something that is completely new and unfamiliar. As an entrepreneur, the commitment we embrace to take control of our lives and future can lead us to an overwhelmed feeling, one that if not attended to can lead to confusion, doubt, and unfortunately for some, ending their venture as an entrepreneur. But there are various ways to easily overcome that feeling of being overwhelmed.

Top Reason Why Network Marketers Fail and How to Overcome It
During a recent conversation with an entrepreneur in the network marketing industry, I felt the need to ask a question, "When you first began in the industry, what was the one thing that delayed your progress at becoming successful?" Several minutes went by during the process of answering my question but eventually an answer rose above that very powerful conversation. So what's the top reason beginner network marketers fail, drum roll please.................FEAR! I don't mean your typical fear of not becoming successful, but of success itself.

Entrepreneur? - What the Heck is that?
According to most dictionaries, an entrepreneur is a business person who willingly takes a new idea, concept or enterprise. He or She will take on the full responsibility for the outcome. They provide more then capital. Just providing capital would make them an investor, not an entrepreneur. An investor usually will let someone else handle all the day to day business activities.

Making Money During a Recession
Regardless of when an entrepreneur is looking to start their business, money can be made during a recession. It is a proven fact that many increased their portfolios even during the great depression.

How do you keep it together on a daily basis?
As the professional organizers industry thrives, the small business owner often drowns under piles of paperwork trailing from the kitchen to the bedroom. Each individual has their own approach to business, with various motivations and priorities. What are yours?

Tips on how to create wealth
Do you dream of becoming wealthy ? Do you wonder how people become successful millionaires? Do you yearn to change your life for the better? If so here are some tips on how the wealthy make their millions.

Associate Programs Advantages and Disadvantages
Affiliate programs have some awesome advantages, and if you implement them correctly,you can make incredible money with affiliate programs.

Why Developing Mental Toughness Will Bring Great Results
You will achieve great results through developing mental toughness. So what is mental toughness? It is the desire of taking control of your emotions in performance situations. Some people claim that they work well under pressure. My mentors often argue that the statement is a myth, and pressure can actually hurt you. With added pressure, the chances are high that you will start having negative self-talk, and then lose belief in your ability to complete a task or project.

Are You a World Class Thinker That Produces Great Results?
Have you ever wondered why some people work very hard, but never seem to get great results? While others seem to work effortlessly, sometimes with minimal work, and achieve great things? My mentors told me that the difference all lies in their way thinking, and I’d like to share with you these points.

A Clear Goal Creates Momentum
Achieving the UnReasonable is only possible when you set clearly defined, measurable goals. Learn here how to fine-tune your goals to make the UnReasonable realistic.

Four Ways to Fuel Your Passion
If you want to take that quantum leap towards achieving your goals, a great way to do so is to fuel your passion. Passion is what separates champions from the rest of the field, and can keep you going for the long term. Passion is what drives you to get you closer to your goals. If you’re about to undertake a major goal, make sure you follow these four things that will help fuel your passion.

Are You Tired of Making Other Peoples' Dreams Come True Instead of Your Own?
Life is not a game of chance, but a game of choice. Winners determine their futures in advance. They project what they want to occur in the future, and hold themselves accountable for that. My mentors often tell me that successful people and winners create their futures, rather than live reactive lives and acting like victims of circumstances. Most people, on the other hand, spend little time creating their dreams, and use most of their waking hours making other people’s dreams a reality.

10 Tips on How To Stay Focused – An Entrepreneur’s Training Guide
My dad always said, 'Plant your feet, keep your hips and shoulders in line with the plate, bat back, eyes on the pitcher and stay focused!' It's hard for kids to stay focused with all the distractions, but it can be hard for entrepreneurs as well. If you're willing to plan a schedule to accomplish a series of tasks, acknowledge the importance of concentration during the whole process.

The Entrepreneurial Spiritual Muscle
The spiritual muscle is the energetic capacity for deep listening, attention or consciousness that exists behind our stream of consciousness mind. It is innate; we are born with it. Through it we connect to our soul, and thence to the cosmic consciousness, to the Divine, to our Source, to God. It is a "psychic muscle," if you will, that develops through use. By exercising this psychic muscle we increase our access to and experience of our Divine connection, becoming more spiritually fit.

Women Entrepreneurs Setting the Pace
Women today, have a much more entrepreneurial, gutsy spirit, than they did 40-50 years ago. I have been a successful entrepreneur since 1986, and I have seen for myself the number of women that take bold step into the world of entrepreneurship, often driven by the desire to spend more time with their families, and these women are setting the pace for what is possible, for women and men alike.

4 Ways to Market your Business with a Low Budget
Especially when you are starting your own online business, money may not be available. After all you are starting a business in the hope to make money. Now there is an old saying that says “It takes money to make money”. In our business, that is totally false. I am personally proof of that. You can make a lot of money as an online entrepreneur even if don’t have thousands of dollars to invest. I will share with you marketing tools I use every day and make money with my online business.

3 Easy Steps to Reviving Your Business Vision!
Are you a small business owner, solopreneur or entrepreneur with an unfulfilled vision? Have you set the same New Year resolutions for the past few years but failed to achieve your desired result? Do you have a burning business goal which you have not been able to accomplish? Contrary to the beliefs of some, your past does not have to represent your potential!

Goal Achieving Process Part 1: Reflection and Evaluation
You must follow a certain process if you want to set and achieve your goals. When you are going on a road trip, you plan carefully how to get from A to B and follow that process. Goal achieving is similar, and if you follow a certain process, you will get to your goals in an effective manner.

Internet Business Marketing Plan – Promoting For Profit
Are you working on your internet business marketing plan? Whether you are a new or an experienced entrepreneur a business plan is fundamental to the growth of your business. Think of it as a road map to your success.

The Basics of starting a home business
The shift from a full fledged office with a complete infrastructure to a home-based office can be complicated. The most important change is that you are the boss now...

Computer based home business
Computers are now an integral part of our daily lives. Since so many people are using computers nowadays, you will have a very large customer base for potential clients and for building up your home based business.

Guide to starting an online home business
Before starting an online home based business, you should first make a long term plan that can be a framework and guide for running your business in an efficient

Marketing your own online home business
Once you start your own online home business, the most critical step is to build your marketing properly. Your marketing plan has to be planned out carefully keeping in mind

Various types of home based businesses
There are various kinds of home-based business options that can work without even requiring a commercial setup. Some examples of typical home-based businesses

Benefits of having a home based business
In today’s chaotic world, most business persons are realizing the advantages of working from home. Nowadays, people are willing to opt out of the rat race

Home business opportunities for you
If you really wish have to have a profitable home based business, you need to do much more than just make use of someone else’s tested idea. First and foremost

Unleash the Potential of home based business
Have you ever wanted to be your own boss by working online from home? There are many people like you who long to do the same kind of work. For most beginners

FRANCHISING OFFERS A SAFTEY NET TO ENTREPRENEURS
No business is fool-proof but franchising offers a tried and proven model for your success!

Goal Achieving Process Part 2: Dreaming Big Dreams
The next step in the goal achieving process is dreaming big dreams. This is my favorite part of the process because it unlocks my inner child and opens up my creative faculties. We are all creators of our experiences, so why not make them as big and exciting as possible? Big dreams help you tremendously with goal achievement, especially since big dreams give you power and enthusiasm. When obstacles get in your way and things don’t go according to plan, big dreams make up for it with energy and enthusiasm. Small dreams don’t really give you any kind of power.

A Look Into Direct Sales Vs Multi Level Marketing Programs
To be clear, multi level marketing does not, necessarily, mean that a scam is being pulled. However, the simple fact that this is a question that needs to be addressed so often only goes to show that MLM businesses aren't, always, on the up and up.

Some Important Tips To Help You Find A Legitimate Home Based Business Online
So you want to start a legitimate home based business, but don't know where to look online for information - or even what types of jobs are available to you. Well, start by reading this summary of what to look for, what to do, and what to watch out for

Learning To Create Your Own Legitimate Home Based Business
When it comes to running a home business, you have two options, more or less. First, you can keep it all under the radar and make peanuts to supplement your income. If you're already making enough money

Small Time Business In Comparison To Legitimate Home Based Business
There are essentially two types of home businesses: Small time businesses, and legitimate home based business. What's the difference? Well... There are actually quite a few differences. We've only got the time and space to list the most integral

Getting Online Business Education To Succeed
There's a recession on right now, and during a recession, there's always a lot of confusion regarding what we should do to find financial stability. Sometimes you may hear that the best thing to do is to simply try your best to make it from check to check,

Authentic Business: Why Old Marketing Tactics Don't Work
We are in a new era of business. Things are shifting very fast. A lot of the old marketing techniques simply do not work any more. It's a hard truth for many people, but it can lead to great joy and success for business builders and their customers if they embrace it.

Building Your Coaching Business: Are You In a Practice or a Business?
Coaches often refer to their business as their 'practice,' but in this article we'll talk about why you should think bigger than that, and what the difference between a practice and a business really is.

Coaching Business Tip: Get Past Perfectionism
So many of us allow a false sense of perfectionism to stop us in our tracks when launching something new. The key is to be genuine in relating to who you're trying to serve, and learn how to tell your own unique story to reach them most powerfully.

Coaching Tips: Charge What You Deserve & Invest in Your Ongoing Growth
Two areas where many coaches struggle is in setting their rates and making the time to continue their own training. In this article we'll discuss these two critical success factors and how you can use them to grow your coaching business.

Entrepreneurial Mindset for Coaches – Pinpoint the Right Group of People to Work With
Here is some core foundational information that is important in understanding how to grow your coaching business - getting your mindset right and pinpointing the right group of people to help.

Ethical Marketing Tips: 3 Easy and Fast Ways to Help More People and Make More Money This Month
Learn some quick changes that you can do right away to attract more ideal clients into your business this month, allowing you to make more money and help more people.

Heart-Based Coaching: Three Simple Steps To Make More Money By Making A Difference
If you want to make a living by making a difference, your business has to reach people. Getting clear on your business plan can actually allow you touch hundreds and thousands of people through your work.

How to Be a Better Coach: Learn to Talk to Prospects with End Results Language
We're often guilty of using words that don't work well when explaining to people what we do as coaches, words that don't persuade them to work with us. Learn how to change your language to reach people where they are, so they understand how you can help them achieve what they want.

Law of Attraction Marketing - Attract Your Ideal Coaching Clients When You Embrace Your Inner Helping Guru
As a solo coach building your practice, reaching the right people is about discovering your gift and embracing that it is not something you do, it is not your profession or your title, it is a gift. In this article you'll learn that understanding how to share your gift authentically is the true magnet that will draw your ideal prospects to you.

Marketing Your Coaching Practice: 2 Tips to Help Build Your Business Successfully
Two of the key struggles that I see with my clients in marketing their coaching practice are that they're afraid to ask for their worth and their rate, and are stalled in their business growth because they're primarily offering just one-on-one coaching services. This article addresses the ways you can overcome these struggles in your own business.

Niche Marketing - Introducing a Different Way to Identify Who You Serve in the Marketplace
We’ve all heard how important it is to identify our "niche" or even "sub-niche" in our business. Entrepreneurs often struggle with pinpointing exactly who to serve. Let’s look at it a different way.

Relationship Marketing Tips: Essential Principles to Successfully Ask for What You Want in Your Business
Learning to ask for what you want in your business does not come naturally to most entrepreneurs. Let's discuss some key principles to help you formulate a plan for asking the right questions, to the right people, at the right time, to get the right results.

Skyrocket Your Coaching Business: Build a Business Model that Supports Your Desired Lifestyle
It takes the right support to accelerate a coaching business. A team is essential. Your time is best spent on things that only you can do, so build a team around you to do the rest, and create a lifestyle of balance.

Small Business Marketing – A Different Look at Understanding Your Niche
Do you struggle in this supposedly essential step of ‘identifying your niche’? In this article you’ll learn how to ask the right question that makes everything easier in marketing your small business, and why you don’t need a ‘niche’ after all.

Solopreneurs - Use Daily Action for Momentum and Meaning
Solopreneurs have unique challenges in keeping momentum going in their growing businesses, and that is knowing what to do each day. Taking action every day is the only thing that gets you closer to your goals, and here are some great tips to help you stay in momentum.

Starting Your Own Coaching Business – Start with Telling Your Story
Starting your own coaching business requires you to be clear about what you offer that’s unique to prospective clients. There’s no better place to start than with your own story. In this article you’ll learn what it means, “Your truth will set them free.”

The Importance of Authentic Marketing for Your Coaching Business
Building your coaching business requires that you learn how to market your services authentically in a way that's aligned with who you are. It's not enough to be qualified; you need to know how to attract the right kind of clients.

What’s Your Motivation for Marketing Your Coaching Business?
Growing your business is a long-term proposition. It takes a certain mindset to continue marketing, and without the right motivation it can become a dreaded task. Let’s talk about keeping this part of business personal and motivating for the long term.

Networking and Joint Ventures-Why to Ignore Your Competition
Too many coaches, healers and consultants get caught up comparing themselves to everyone else and worrying about their "competition". In this article, I'll explain why that is a waste of time and outline a better approach to making connections and building your business authentically.

Have You Plugged Into an Internet Marketing System?
Plugging into any valuable source of information or power should be a rewarding experience. An internet marketing system is more than a valuable tool, it’s a virtual plug and play business asset for anyone who wants to leverage the internet for success.

Goal Achieving Process Parts 4 & 5 - Implementation and Accountability / Repeat Process
I’m now completing my series on the Goal Achieving Process with parts 4 & 5 here. There are two major reasons why people don’t reach they’re goals – they lack action (implementation) and follow-through (accountability). You may have the biggest dreams, and create S.M.A.R.T. goals, but without taking any action and following through your goals, then it’s worth nothing at all. You need to have a means and method to implement goals, and then follow-up. This all comes as a result of accountability.

3 Leaders Who Follow the Signs
These companies trust their intuition, signs and the facts, evolving to intercept opportunities for growth!

Are You Too Good for Your Job?
When we don't believe the job at hand is our best option, we need some blueprint by which to measure and behave. Are you concerned you're too good for your job? Are you an entrepreneur concerned about key team engagement?

Are Retail Store Managers the next Entrepreneurs?
While many people may not see the direct correlation of a Retail Manager and being an Entrepreneur, the two are close in the same. A Retail Store Manager is normally the individual that oversees the daily operations of a retail establishment, they over see many employees and have a responsibility to make them successful in their responsibilities and making sure that the customers have a good experience. As you read this just keep asking yourself “Are Retail Store Mangers the next Entrepreneurs?”

5 More Reasons Why a Small Business Should Hire a Photographer
Many small business owners don't realize the importance and value of having photography that best represents their company brand. Images, in the form of still shots or made into videos or slide shows, can be extremely effective in showcasing a company, particularly in these days of social media and online marketing. This is the second of two articles in this series so please check out the first article for continuing tips, whether you're a franchise owner, a manufacturer's dealer or a stand-alone small business. In the meantime, make your own list of reasons why your company should have an image bank. You'll be surprised at all the benefits and how having available photography that represents your brand can help your business gain visibility and grow substantially.

The Plan was a Success but the Business Died
Planning is a good thing. Don't think I'm saying it's not. We have to plan. The challenge is that human nature, and many of our reward systems, tend to reinforce the plan as the "be-all and end-all." We forget that the plan is a means to an end. The end is profitability, or however we define success.

Choose to Live Your Potential
This article is about one of the greatest tools we possess -- The power to make choices!

3 Basics of Personal Financial Planning – The Entrepreneur’s Success Formula
Personal financial planning is the key to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Where our personal finances are so closely tied to our business interests and lifestyle, how well we manage them will determine how successful we are in life.

Entrepreneurs, Do You Have Mental Toughness?
I am sitting here watching Tiger Woods make a comeback from what is probably the biggest challenge is ever faced. Even the comebacks he made after the death of his father or the major surgery were not as great as the one he is trying to conquer this weekend. So, I asked myself, what makes one person more successful today than the other and the answer is mental toughness. Tiger could have quit and never come back but he is able to survive any setbacks thrown his way and bounced back stronger than ever because he is mentally tough.

Get the Real Story on Networking Groups
Overcome the self-imposed roadblocks holding you back from networking success. The following article is an edited excerpt from Networking Like a Pro, by Ivan Misner with David Alexander and Brian Hilliard, now available from Entrepreneur Press.

Apr 14 2010 Making Opportunities And Not Waiting Is One Step Close To Your Startup
When it comes to startups it is important that you have a killer idea to get the word going. Now, you just can't spring up and yell I can create a device that will take you to Andromeda and vanish. It might trigger a few enthusiasts but your disappearance and no methodology to put this to practice would have people call you stupid. Seriously, you don't have to doubt that at all. I have many ideas to talk about, many that can be implemented and yet putting them to practice can be difficult for many reasons and the major one is a business model...

Is Your Brain Mush As a New Entrepreneur?
I remember starting out as a new entrepreneur as an internet marker and thinking ok, this should be a piece of cake. I started out learning this and that, just scraping the ice of every aspects as an internet marketer.

Advice for Small Business
I have been recognized by the President’s Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity as the National Entrepreneur of the Year. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has awarded me their top honor, the Blue Chip Enterprise Award. Steve Forbes included me, along with Donald Trump and Tom Monaghan, as one of the Twelve Great American Business Successes in his 2000 book. This certainly does not mean I have all the answers, but I have identified a few of the questions.

Stop Sitting On Your Goldmine! How To Turn Your Ideas Into Highly Profitable Income Streams
Here are three key phases to creating a profitable signature program for your business.

Build Wealth: Work From Home With Online Business
Yes, there's a recession going on right now. Yes, the economy is in rough shape. Yes, it's getting harder and harder to make ends meet. No, it's not fun living check to check.

Earning At Home With Internet Business
Many people are trying to figure out ways to make money from home using the internet. It is a challenge to find the right business to accomplish this goal but many people are doing it

What You Shouldn't Do When Opting To Work At Home With Online Business Solutions
If you're ready to take the jump from employment to self-employment using an online business, you should be prepared to pay the cost. Working at home has many advantages, but the ability to manage

Five Smart Steps To Online Internet Business Investments
The economy is in rough shape, everybody knows that. Unfortunately, many people think that, because of the recession, that they should be satisfied to just make ends meet.

Discovering the Entrepreneurial Spirit within you
Sharing of some profound insights on Entrepreneurship after a week end seminar with Michael Gerber.

5 Web 2.0 Marketing Strategies - Tips and Tricks
These 5 web 2.0 marketing strategies are more than just tips or tricks. These are essential marketing techniques for any business with a desire to improve their online presence.

11 Ways Teamwork can be Affected
If you have a business, If you are part of a sport team or you are an entrepreneur, teamwork will always be the key ingredient that decides how successful you and your team will be. Without teamwork, teams are not cohesive and steps are missed in the process of accomplishing the task you are working towards. Here a list of items that can help your team be more focus and more productive.

Entrepreneur, Goal Setting!
Home based business, online business, MLM or if you are in direct sales, you have to be goal oriented to be successful. If you are new or experienced, without a goal the chances are you will be part of the 97% of entrepreneurs that will fail this year. Knowing how to set up your goals, how to break them down will play a major part of all entrepreneur success.

Entrepreneur, Steps to Manage your Time Effectively
One of the most critical parts of any online business entrepreneur is time management. I don’t know any Top Income Earners in the home based business industry that does not manage their time well. In this article, I will teach you the steps to manage your time effectively and what the pros do to make their time very profitable.

How to Negotiate without Compromising Everything
An entrepreneur needs to negotiate for pricing, supplies, with clients, etc. and we cannot be intimidated into giving up everything. At the same time, we don't want to come off as a bully either. Please read on...

Entrepreneurs, are you a good Coach?
It always sounds good when people say, I will be an entrepreneur or I will start my own business. In fact, 75% of Americans say they will start their own business in the next three years. It could be an online business, MLM, a brick and mortar business, home based business or some kind of affiliate program. Either way, to be a business owner or entrepreneur you have to have some skills or develop some kind of skills. One of them is being a good coach.

The Call To Action
“No matter how carefully you plan your goals they will never be more than pipe dreams unless you pursue them with gusto.” That is your call to action.

Do you have what it takes to become an Entreprenear and Profit Online from Home?
It takes an extra ordinary individual to take the plunge and become an Entrepreneur. Firstly, you must be willing to risk losing some money in the beginning, as all legitimate businesses require a start up to get going and a bit extra for marketing. Are you willing to give it all you have got in the beginning to get your business off the ground? This means sacrificing family time in the beginning, or your favorite TV program, and even losing out on your precious sleep.

30 Days in the Life of a Balanced CPA after April 15th
Debbie Lessin, CPA, entrepreneur and self proclaimed Balance Lady chronicles the first thirty days of her life after April 15th, her big work deadine. A seasoned entrepreneur for 25 years, Debbie shares her life openly, honestly and with a sense of humor. Interwoven through out are tips on living a balanced life and just balance means, especially for Debbie. From friends and family to work and play, from mind and body to heart and soul, Debbie's adventures just might give you some insight into ways to add balance to your own life. Debbie lives a single urban city life in Chicago, IL. Just because her life might be different than yours in many ways doesn't mean that you won't be agree with some of her philosophies, empathize with her stories and relate them to your own life. Life is a Balancing Act and Debbie's 30 day journey proves it.

The Other Side of Fear
Yet once we face that fear - reach out for help - the relief is extraordinary.

Make Money Fast Using The Best MLM Presentation!
Learn a formula that will help you increase your closing ration by 90%. Learn what to say to your new prospect. Learn how to get the prospect so they are asking you to tell them about your business opportunity.

Get Coaching Clients: A Simple Strategy to Fill Your Next Program or Event
Often times, in order to take the next step in business, you must go against what others think is right for you. Let me teach you how to overcome this obstacle and a simple strategy I use to stay on track and reach my goals while building a new program or launching a live event.

Find a Business Coach: 3 Steps to Choosing the Right One for You
When growing your business, it's important that you find support that is right for you where you are right now. I'd like to share three important criteria for finding and hiring your next business or marketing coach, teacher, or mentor so you can help more people and make more money.

Three Reasons Start-ups Fail
This article describes some common reasons that new businesses fail and offers ideas on how entrepreneurs can be successful with regard to planning and funding.

What Are The Top 5 Online Home Business Solutions?
These key ingredients are called online home business solutions because they can be found at work in every successful business that uses the internet. Home business owners that are looking to take their product or service online should consider how these 5 practices work together harmoniously.

Work from Home
One of the fastest growing sectors of the business world right now is that of Internet entrepreneur.

THE ENTREPRENEURIAL ADVENTURE
In a week when the big media stories have been about disasters involving an oil spill off Louisiana, immigrant legislation in Arizona and bomb plots in Times Square, my “story of the week” was quite different. It was written in a San Francisco newspaper on April 29th, 1852.

A Freelance Web Designer Can Help Make Your Marketing Dreams a Reality
If you are looking to make money online, you shouldn’t let your lack of a particular skill stop you. I didn’t have the particular skill sets that one would look at and immediately think, “Oh there goes an entrepreneur,” but that didn’t stop me.

Smart Women Know Who to Ask
This article is about making sure that you ask the right people when you have an idea for your business. It’s essential that you get your advice, mentoring and coaching from the right people. People who are successful, positive and inspirational. Get advice from people who’ve accomplished the kinds of goals that matter to you.

Entrepreneur's Success Center- The Business Plan
You wouldn't travel from your home or place of business to Brazil without a plan to get there. Too many businesses fail for lack of a plan. The plan does not have to be perfect but it does need to be flexible. Develop a plan and increase your successes. This brief article lays out the essential of a business plan.

The SECRET Truth Accountability Plays in Success
It is evident everywhere that the vast majority of the human population needs structured assistance with hitting the goals that are most important. For executives and entrepreneurs, there are always key activities that MUST be completed, and tasks that are of necessary (or vital) importance to the success of the company. Knowing that these important responsibilities must be addressed and resolved on a regular basis, the misconception is that we don’t need anyone to hold us accountable for these actions.

Direct Selling Compared To Multi-Level Marketing
There are different ways for people to start up businesses especially when they want to start one up of their own. Either way can be a very good money-making endeavor, however, they work in different ways.

Ken Blanchard's insights on thought leadership
Ken Blanchard is one of the world’s most influential figures on leadership and management. He is a sought-after author, speaker and business consultant on the topic. His book “The One Minute Manager’ co-authored with Spencer Johnson has sold more than 13 million copies. He has co-authored over 50 books and has been inducted into the Amazon Hall of Fame as one of the top 25 best-selling authors of all time. He has received many awards and honours for his contributions in the field of management and received The Thought Leadership award by Association of Learning Providers. In this interview, Ken gives his views on thought leadership and tips for aspiring thought leaders.

10 Tips to Help You Find & Do Your “IT”
Wittig offers his insight on how you not only identify that thing you know you should be doing in your life, but how to act on ‘IT’ as well.

Learn how you can start an internet marketing business
Being an entrepreneur is the goal of 75% of all Americans. The days of starting the traditional brick and mortar business are behind us and starting an internet business is the new way to earn a massive income without having to invest a lot of money. So where do you learn how you can start an internet marketing business? The answer, right here in this article!

Entrepreneurs wonder: Business Plan or Private Placement Memorandum to Raise Angel Investor Capital
Entrepreneurs wonder if they need to put a business plan together when they are selling equity and have a PPM, Private Placement Memorandum. Or, if they have a business plan do they need a PPM? Business Plans and Private Placement Memorandums serve two different purposes. One is used to build your business, one is used as a transactional document to sell a piece of your business. Read this article to learn the difference and how other documents are used in growing your business and raising capital

Smart Women Have a Winning Offense
This article is about how important it is to create a trusting and happy relationship with your clients---especially when they are brand new. It’s key to foster good communication and be in touch with them on a regular basis.

Being Organized Is Cornerstone To Small Business Success
When you're starting or growing a small business you need to lay the ground work. Organization is key. We're here to help you get your act together and become more productive.

Options to Help You Work from Home as an Internet Based Entrepreneur
If you have ever dreamed of being your own boss and working on the internet from home with the option of making a full time living and working the hours that you choose, there are methods that you can use to do this without having to give up all the security of full time employment.

Overwhelmed Solo-Entrepreneurs…Here’s Why You Gotta Outsource to Grow Your Business
If you’re an overworked solo-entrepreneur, or any business owner looking to leverage the power of the Web to market your business, I guarantee you can benefit from hiring a VA team too-no matter your budget.

Tax Tips for Professionals and Business Owners
As an entrepreneur, dealing with the day to day operation of your business, not to mention trying to plan for the future, consumes a lot of your time. Paying less tax, although important, may not always be top of mind. There’s no time like the present to ensure you are taking full advantage of all the tax minimization strategies available to you. As you review these key tips consider how you may be able to apply one or more to you and your business...

Gary Sasser / Averitt Express, Inc.
Mazon Associates, Inc. features a monthly Entrepreneur of the Month in our newsletter, Building Bridges. This article is from our June 2010 issue for the enjoyment of our clients, friends and others.

Entrepreneurship: A Business that Booms
A successful entrepreneurship is one that caters to a rising demand and creates a stronghold during rough times therefore allowing it to continue to grow even when other corporations return to their status quo. Microsoft, the most successful computer software business, which has now become a household name, began with one inventive entrepreneur - proof that a little creativity can go a long way.

What is a CopyCat Multi-Preneur?
Find out what a CopyCat Multi-Preneur is and why you need to become one to achieve success as an entrepreneur.

The Journey to Success - Persistence
The dream, struggle, and the victory are so important in the journey to success. Find out why it's important to go through all three steps before achieving success.

Self Doubt Biggest Barrier to Business Growth for Home Stagers
Intrepid entrepreneur, Staging Diva, discusses the danger of giving up too soon on a new business.

Winning at the NEW “Mommy Track”: Seven Ways to Use Smart Connecting Skills to Become a Mompreneurial Maven
As the economy struggles and household incomes fall, “mompreneurs” are picking up the slack. How can these busy, busy women win the constant battle for time? It’s all about making connections-and here are a few tips on doing just that.

The Entrepreneur Incubator
Entrepreneurs need a place to prepare for their new life of success. Each needs the care and attention of the unborn to become what they desire. If the conditions and surroundings aren�t conducive and supportive the attempt will be fruitless. Entrepreneurs need an incubator

How Your Business Is Losing (No Less Than) $500.00 PER DAY
As a busy business owner or career professional, any one of a multitude of profit-stealers consumes AT LEAST an hour of your day. And if you even deal with even two of these issues throughout your day, it’s almost guaranteed your time wasted and gone is two hours.

The Entrepreneur And The Internet-A Match Made In Virtual Heaven
The internet is the fastest growing advertising medium in history. It’s hard to believe that it just came into common knowledge in the early 1990s. The Internet has created a virtual world of its own; it has integrated itself into the very fabric of our lives, particularly with the younger generation.

Lesson #1: Do Not Look at Things in Only Black and White
What is one of Johnson’s greatest successes? “Being an African American who succeeds at the highest level,” he says, “since nobody expects minorities to be there.”

The Wired Entrepreneur: The Early Years of Elon Musk
“I didn’t really expect to make any money,” he says of his first venture. “If I could make enough to cover the rent and buy some food that would be fine. As it turns out, it turned out to be quite valuable in the end.”

Breaking Free: Branson’s Early Years
“I was never, ever interested in becoming a businessman or an entrepreneur,” says Richard Branson. At 56, despite his intentions, Branson has become one of the most successful and eccentric billionaires of the 20th century. He is the man behind one of the most recognizable brands in history and is sitting on an estimated fortune of $3.2 billion.

Lesson #5: Build a Great Team
“Good employees will energize you and your business,” says Stewart. With over 650 people working for MSLO, Stewart has become a bonafide expert in the realm of human resources. Some have been with her from the very beginning and some have joined along the way, but all of Stewart’s employees share the talent, energy, passion and optimism that Stewart herself has for her businesses.

Lesson #4: Break Records
“We’re going where no one has gone before,” says Branson, referring to Virgin Galactic’s partnership with the estate of New Mexico to build the world’s first commercial spaceport. “There’s no model to follow, nothing to copy. That is what makes this so exciting.”

Lesson #5: Stick To Your Guns
Rare is the entrepreneur who has achieved success by simply following the advice of others. Being willing to make unpopular decisions and having the resolve to stick to his decisions even in the face of doubt and criticism was what propelled Hershey to success. His choices were often questioned for their business sense and were thus not always popular with everyone from his wife to his advisors. But, in true entrepreneurial fashion, Hershey stuck to his guns.

Lesson #4: Take Control
“I don't like formal gardens,” said Disney. “I like wild nature. It's just the wilderness instinct in me, I guess." Despite his apparent disregard for structure, Disney was a hands-on entrepreneur, who enjoyed taking control over all aspects of his company. While it was in part personality-driven, Disney’s hands-on nature was also due to a lesson he learned the hard way early on in his career.

Lesson #1: Don’t Take ‘No’ for an Answer
“If you have a goal, if you want to be successful, if you really want to do it and become another Estee Lauder, you’ve got to work hard, you’ve got to stick to it and you’ve got to believe in what you’re doing,” said Lauder.

Lesson #1: Keep The Entrepreneurial Spirit Alive
“In the 1970s, I filled my ranks with managers from all different walks of life who generally were very savvy to the ways of big business,” recalls Vernon, “and they almost killed us.”

Lesson #3: Believe In Yourself
“It was a risk,” said Vernon. “I had a husband and I was pregnant with my oldest son. But I don't look at risk the way other people do. When you're an entrepreneur, you have to go in feeling like you're going to be successful.”

Lesson #1: Don’t Compromise
At the very first audition of “American Idol”, fellow judge Paula Abdul got her first taste of what it was like to work with Cowell. Following a terrible performance by a young contestant, Cowell responded with one of his trademark criticisms. “My jaw literally – like a cartoon – must have hit the table,” recalls Abdul. She proceeded to tell Cowell that he could not talk to people that way. Cowell responded that indeed he could. Abdul countered, saying he could not talk to Americans that way. Cowell said that he could and he would and the conversation abruptly came to an end.

Richard Branson Quotes
Richard Branson Quotes

Lillian Vernon Quotes
Lillian Vernon Quotes

Ted Turner Quotes
Ted Turner Quotes

Lesson #1: Plan for the Worst to Reduce the Risk of Risk
Entrepreneurs, by definition, are risk-takers, people willing to strike out on their own in order to seize an opportunity and make a profit. But, for Li Ka-shing, the richest man of Chinese descent, risk should not be a part of the equation. Li is a self-proclaimed risk-averse entrepreneur and goes to any and all lengths to reduce the risks inherent in his actions. It was in planning for the worst case scenario and learning to expect the unexpected that Li managed to succeed where others before him had not.

Lesson #2: Make Creativity the Centre of Your Company
“It is a critical job of any entrepreneur to maximize creativity, and to build the kind of atmosphere around you that encourages people to have ideas,” says Roddick. “That means open structures, so that accepted thinking can be challenged.”

Steve Case Quotes
Steve Case Quotes

Lesson #3: Nice Guys Can Finish First
In creating eBay, Omidyar began with five basic values: “We believe people are basically good; we believe everyone has something to contribute; we believe that an honest, open environment can bring out the best in people; we recognize and respect everyone as a unique individual; we encourage you to treat others the way you want to be treated.”

Master of the Show: P.T. Barnum is Born
The Fiji Mermaid, Siamese twins Chang and Eng Bunker, General Tom Thumb the Midget – besides being considered “freaks”, they all had in common one man, P.T. Barnum. He was a master showman whose rise to fame came in the 19th century thanks to his traveling “freak shows”. But Barnum was more than that; he was above all else an entrepreneur and a highly successful salesman. Barnum knew how to get people talking. Today, the legacy of his work lives on in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, still billed as ‘The Greatest Show On Earth.’

Banking on Success: How Giannini Achieved his Greatest Ambitions
He never dreamed of being a banker when he was a child, but today, there is nary a student of retail banking who does not know the incredible story of this determined entrepreneur. A son of poor immigrants, Giannini helped build the first national system of banks for the ordinary person, all the while fueling California’s economic development and inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs. What were Giannini’s secrets for success?

Lesson #2: Learning is a Process of Trial and Error
Neither Moore nor Noyce were natural-born businessmen. They were scientists, people who felt more comfortable inside the walls of a laboratory than within the four walls of an office boardroom. They had spent the majority of their youth conducting science experiments rather than doing sales, playing with molecules and electrons instead of learning about contracts and markets. However, once the two decided to branch off on their own and create Intel, they knew that their success would rest upon how well they could learn by trial and error.

Howard Schultz Starbucks
Howard Schultz, Starbucks visionary, once said, “I believe life is a series of near misses. A lot of what we ascribe to luck is not luck at all. It’s seizing the day and accepting responsibility for your future. It’s seeing what other people don’t and pursuing that vision.”

Ray Kroc McDonalds
What would have happened had Ray Kroc never met the MacDonald brothers? How would the landscape of today’s fast food industry be different? The story of Ray Kroc and McDonald’s demonstrates how one idea can be turned into something completely different when it is placed in the hands of someone else.

Lesson #4: Test Your Product and Test Your Pitch
Almost every day, some new kitchen widget or another is released onto the market. A select few might become hit sellers, while the rest crash and burn as quickly as they were thought up. However, even where an entrepreneur finds himself with a successful product, rarely has he been able to transform it into an entire business. That is, of course, until Popeil came along.

Lesson #3: Dedicate Yourself And Follow Through
“I made a resolve then that I was going to amount to something if I could,” Sanders once said. “And no hours, nor amount of labour, nor amount of money would deter me from giving the best that there was in me. And I have done that ever since, and I win by it. I know.”

Lesson #5: Make It Count
“Work is futile if we cannot utilize the experience we collect in one life in the next,” said Ford.

Lesson #4: Discipline Yourself So Your Customers Do Not Have To
“Discipline yourself, become hard on yourself,” says Ramsay. “I’ve never had dinner in my own restaurant. I’ve never sat and had a glass of champagne with customers. Don’t indulge yourself in your business – treat it as a business.”

Lesson #4: Every Entrepreneur Needs a Little Brand Aid
According to Clark, the secret to Baby Einstein’s success has been “a good concept and a brilliant branding strategy.”

Lesson #1: Do Not Put All Your Eggs Into One Basket
When McFarlane was once asked by a journalist what he considered to be his greatest career mistake, he did not hesitate for a second to answer. “Not thinking about being diverse in the business and artistic areas I was involved in,” he said. “My early mistake was not putting myself in a position where one or more mistakes wouldn’t determine the outcome of the rest of my future.”

A Doodle And A Dream: How McFarlane Turned Spawn Into A Success
“In all honesty, I wouldn’t say that the business end of it came with any kind of ease,” says McFarlane. “It was more Darwinian. You have to learn business if you’re going to be self-employed and survive. If you’re a bad businessperson and you’re an entrepreneur, you’re going to be out of business.” Drawing had always been his passion, but not once did McFarlane consider it a career choice. That is, until an injury forced him to reexamine his life. How did this young man with nothing but a dream in mind and a doodle in hand become the success he is today?

Lesson #4: If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It
When asked what the number one key to success is, Charney replies, “Passion. That’s it. When you believe in what you’re doing, that’s it.”

Lesson #5: Turn Up the Volume to Tune out the Critics
BET might have gone on the air over twenty years ago, but it has no fewer critics today than it did when it first started. Indeed, throughout its lifetime, BET has been criticized from people all across the spectrum. From white conservatives to black liberals, BET had its enemies from all walks of life. But throughout it all, Johnson remained focused on his number one goal: to make his business profitable. Other than that, there was no criticism that could distract or deter him.

Turning Bald Into a Business: Walker Launches Her Beauty Line
“God answered my prayer, for one night I had a dream, and in that dream a big black man appeared to me and told me what to mix up for my hair,” said Walker. “Some of the remedy was grown in Africa, but I sent for it, mixed it, put it on my scalp, and in a few weeks my hair was coming in faster than it had ever fallen out. I tried it on my friends; it helped them. I made up my mind I would begin to sell it.”

Copying Success: How Orfalea Turned Paper into Power
“Keep your nose in the window long enough, and they are going to let you in.” That is Orfalea’s advice to up and coming entrepreneurs; he got in and he has not looked back since. But how did his hyperactive dyslexic who flunked two grades in school turn his condition into a recipe for success?

Lesson #5: Position Your Business to Become an Industry Leader
Gallo did not just help put California’s wine industry on the map; he helped establish the modern U.S. wine market as a whole once prohibition came to an end. Aside from the personality characteristics and work ethic that helped Gallo succeed as an entrepreneur, it was largely his strategic decisions on how to gain industry dominance in all aspects of his operations that transformed E&J Gallo Winery from a two-man operation into an international success story.

Creating a String of Blockbusters: How Huizenga Achieved Success
“My father always said working for somebody else never amounted to anything,” Huizenga once said. “You have to be an entrepreneur.”

Lesson #3: If Your Job Does Not Excite You, Find a New One
Fuller was born the son of an RAF pilot who later became a teacher who was passionately enthusiastic about founding schools. It was that passion that took the Fuller family to West Africa. Simon, along with his brothers Kim and Mark, spent much of their childhood growing up in Ghana, where their father would establish schools.

Simon Fuller Quotes
Simon Fuller Quotes

Lesson #5: As the Head Rooster, You Can Have a Little Fun
Running a business is about hard work, inspiration, and ambition, but at the end of the day, all entrepreneurs need to ask themselves one question: Did you have fun?

Lesson #2: “Getting out of the way is really important”
One of the reasons why Craigslist has become such a success story is because Newmark has understood the importance of getting out of the way where and when it mattered. From content to overall management of the site, he knew that it was not going to be him who always had the best answers. And, where it counted, he was willing to step back and hand over the reigns.

Lesson #4: Low Risk Means Low Rewards
When it came to taking the road less traveled, Warner was all about accepting risk. And not just a little bit of risk; Warner knew that the more risk he was willing to take, the greater the reward in the end would be.

Brokering Broadband: How Matthews Achieved Serial Success
A journalist once suggested to Mathews, “The standard wisdom is that Canadians are more risk-averse than Americans and therefore less aggressive.” Matthews’ response? “Okay, so I suggest you write some articles to stay that’s bullshit. Canadians need to just get on with it.”

Lesson #1: “If you get knocked down, get back up again”
“I have a number of famous quotes, and one of them is, if you get knocked down, get back up again,” says Hawkins. “I don’t really feel like I want to let anything ultimately defeat me.”

Lesson #5: “I feel very comfortable out there, being out on the frontier where it’s rough and unclear”
“I always find myself out on the leading edge of these new media, and since I’ve done it now for so long, I feel very comfortable out there, being out on the frontier where it’s rough and unclear and a lot of things have to be sorted out,” says Hawkins. “I don’t mind making that longer-term investment and figuring things out and waiting for it all to come around. And there’s always a lot of confusion in the beginning and different ways of thinking about it as a business. And that’s what I’ve always loved doing is being out there on the front, figuring that out for the first time.”

Lesson #5: “Hard times are an opportunity for growth”
If there is one lesson that Wilson has carried with him since he was a young boy it is this: every opportunity, whether missed or taken, represents another lesson to be learned.

Characteristics of Entrepreneur - Successful Entrepreneurs Need These Traits!
Find out if you have what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur. Do you have the three successful characteristics of an entrepreneur?

The Livin’ is Easy: What Passive Income Is, and How You Can Get Some
No matter your stage of business development, it's wise to incorporate plans generating passive sources of income. Not just for pyramid schemes and hucksters, there are numerous simple and ethical ways ordinary entrepreneurs can take advantage of this business strategy.

How to Make Thousands of Dollars Every April
Declaring yourself as a corporation can give you substantial tax advantages - and it doesn't have to mean selling out. Make the system work for you!

BlackBerry Jones No More
When we hire employees to interact with the public, we’re entrusting our image to them. The guidance, direction and even nurturing of our employees is often the best investment business owners can make.

Swift Decision-Making for Busy Business Owners
Business owners identify making decisions as one of the most stressful aspects of self-employment. Outlined here is a simple system for reasonable decision making in a limited amount of time.

Laid Off - Now What?
Being laid off is one of the biggest stressors there is - but you can get through it if you understand what to expect and how to transition as smoothly as possible to your "new normal." Each person is different, but handling your job loss will undoubtedly involve certain predictable steps... and here are some thoughts on how to approach the aftermath of your lay-off with the least possible pain.

I’m back and feeling better!
When the Supreme Technician (that’s me) wanders around the world, speaking, shouting, screaming and whispering the mantra of extreme entrepreneurship and the Age of The Entrepreneur, exhorting everyone in sight to wake up and to see the roses (before smelling them), life takes its toll, oh yes it does, and my voice goes with it, grinding down to dust, to squeals, to scratchy itchings, and with it goes my imagination which says, oh, no, will I ever be able to speak again?

Awakening The Entrepreneur Within You
There is a commonly held belief that one becomes an entrepreneur by going into business, or going out on one’s own. I don’t subscribe to that belief.

Wikipedia for Patents
John Funk, an entrepreneur (I’m an investor in John’s newest company – Evergreen IP) and friend has a innovative proposal up concerning changing the rules on the current patent system. I’ve been on both sides of the patent aisle with John – we like to joke that early on in our relationship John’s company sued one of my companies (and then my company sued John’s company back) for patent infringement (the companies settled several years later for a cross license and $1 – much to the delight of the lawyers who got all the bucks.) Fortunately we got past all that crap and have developed a nice friendship.

The Confused Entrepreneur: Lost On the Way to Nowhere
So many business people I have met over the years were lost on their way to nowhere, unclear about where they were going, consumed by the business of their endless days, wishing business could be easier, that people would be more responsible, that something, anything, would change for the better, that work didn’t have to be so hard, so boring, so tedious, so…well, you get my point.

Do CEO\'s Overcompensate for Their Strengths?
As I sit in the Seattle airport waiting to board my delayed flight to Anchorage (Dear Alaska Airlines: Since it’s a “mechanical delay”, please feel free to delay it as long as you want until you are absolutely sure the airplane works), I was pondering a conversation I had at the very end of Gnomedex with an entrepreneur that I’d met for the first time.

The Top Ten Lies of Entrepreneurs
I get pitched dozens of times every year, and every pitch contains at least three or four of these lies. I provide them not because I believe I can increase the level of honesty of entrepreneurs as much as to help entrepreneurs come up with new lies. At least new lies indicate a modicum of creativity!

Getting Face Time
Put yourself in the right place at the right time to get in front of that elusive someone.

The Entrepreneur As Systems Thinker: Getting Down to Basics
In my last article, I discussed the unique quality that makes world class entrepreneurs different than simply owners of businesses. I said that true entrepreneurs are Systems Thinkers. I then went on to define that peculiar quality of systems thinking that true entrepreneurs are blessed with. (If you have not read that article, please do so. It will provide you with a platform of understanding to better relate to this article: Getting Down to Basics of Systems Thinking.)

The Top Ten Lies of Venture Capitalists
Venture capitalists are simple people: we've either decided to invest, and we are convincing ourselves that our gut is right (aka, “due diligence”) or there's not a chance in hell. While we may be simple, we're not necessarily forthcoming, so if you think it's hard to get a “yes” out of venture capitalist, you should try to get a conclusive “no.”

To Listen or Not To Listen
Yesterday, I was on a conference call with an entrepreneur that I’ve backed in the past. He wanted to walk me through the idea for a new business that he was working on. His goal was simply to get feedback from me at the very early stage of his idea – he wasn’t pitching me for an investment. We got about five minutes into the pitch when I interrupted him.

The Entrepreneur As Dreamer
I have written so many words on this subject, but it never seems enough. How to describe in a way that you can feel it, what it means to dream an enterprise into existence?

3 most important activities
What are the 3 most important activities that an entrepreneur needs to engage in on a regular basis to become successful.

How to Change the World: Defensibility
Blog reader Curtis Thompson asked me a very good question a few days ago: What should an entrepreneur say when she’s asked what makes her company defensible? This question is more and more common as more and more entrepreneurs start “Web 2.0 companies,” and investors torture themselves by wondering why they didn’t fund YouTube.

There are so many opportunities how can one choose?
Every time I lead a Dreaming Room® this question comes up. It’s usually asked by someone who has difficulty making up his or her mind. Who is so overwhelmed by the flood of thoughts that run through the mind as to be completely incapacitated by the sheer weight of them? At least that’s how it feels when you’re inside that person, as we all are from time to time. I call it the Reluctant Entrepreneur. I talk about that syndrome a lot in my latest book, E-Myth Mastery: The Seven Essential Disciplines for Building a World Class Business.

I’m in the Houston airport…
…wondering how my confirmed ticket to Dallas was cancelled, leaving me stranded for three hours with nothing to do other than what I usually do when I find myself in this unfortunate situation with absolutely no control over getting what I really want, which is to be on the plane I was originally booked on, filling the three hours with stuff I should have done in the time I had personally allotted for it, but didn’t do.

Filling the Gap Between Generation and Conversion
I had a journalist ask me the other day to define the difference between sales and marketing for the typical entrepreneur.

Crazy Dad Stories
Entrepreneurship requires serious determination. So does life. My friend Andy’s story of his dad’s fractured back reminded me of my favorite story about my dad’s dad.

Get Right to the Point
I once hired a very qualified young man. I expected him to be great. But boy, was I ever wrong. This guy took so long to explain everything that I began to dread talking with him. He was just too slow. Yes, he was thorough and painstaking, but he couldn't keep pace. He wasted too much time.

Guerrilla Effectiveness
There is a world of difference between efficiency and effectiveness, and it’s in that world that guerrillas flourish. They are well aware of the power and omnipresence of the 80/20 rule and have probably read Richard Koch’s book, "The 80/20 Principle" because even its subtitle -- "The Secret of Achieving More with Less" -- is guerrilla through and through. It dramatically emphasizes the effectiveness that can be gained by simplicity.

As Usual Im Nobodys Market
After a brief email exchange today from an extremely smart and capable friend suggesting a potential feature for my blog, his response was “As usual, I’m nobody’s market.” He provided a humorous followup to the comment “that’s a great blog title” from one of the people on the email thread with “Ah, if only I didn't have to suck up to the world, that would be a great title for my contrarian-curmudgeon blog.”

Do I Practice What I Preach?
At dinner I was pondering the answer I gave on the post How An Entrepreneur Can Protect Himself Post-Funding. Something was bothering me about it and I thought to myself “do I practice what I preach?” (Amy suggested that I should be bothered by my title of the post, which should have been “… Can Protect Himself or Herself …”)

The Way of the Guerrilla
The goals of the 21st century guerrilla entrepreneur: work that is satisfying, enough money to enjoy freedom from worry about it, health good enough to take for granted, a bonding with others where you give and receive love and support, fun that is not pursued but is in the essence of daily living and longevity to appreciate with wisdom that which you have achieved. WHAT IS A GUERRILLA ENTREPRENEUR?

There aren’t any more where that came from
Well, it has been quite some time. I apologize for my absence. The thing is I’ve been working on my book, Awakening the Entrepreneur Within and I just, last night, wrote the last two words of it… The End!

Updated: The Age/Entrepreneurship Myth
I pretty much entirely disagree with Fred Wilson's implication earlier this week that age is an obstacle to entrepreneurship. It may be an obstacle to a particular kind of entrepreneurship -- venture-backed companies where you give up equity to parental figures with money -- but implying anything broader than that is silly and counter to the facts.

Failure Comes From Not Following Your Additive Rules
The cliche “rules were meant to be broken” is a common one in the world of entrepreneurship. Paul Berberian – a great entrepreneur (and dear friend) almost died yesterday when flying his airplane because he broke three of his rules of flying in a row. Paul got lucky and I very glad he’s alive.

The Guerrilla Entrepreneur
WHAT IS A GUERRILLA ENTREPRENEUR? The guerrilla entrepreneur knows that the journey is the goal. He also realizes that he is in control of his enterprise, not the other way around, and that if he is dissatisfied with his journey, he is missing the point of the journey itself. Unlike old-fashioned enterprises, which often required gigantic sacrifices for the sake of the goal, guerrilla enterprises place the goal of a pleasant journey ahead of the mere notion of sacrifices.

Guerrilla Marketing With Technology
Up until a few years ago, technology was not something associated with small business marketing. Perhaps it was connected with databases or inventory control, possibly with electronic spreadsheets and word proccessing. Anyhow, it was complicated and expensive -- and its affect on small business didn't stretch into the arena of marketing.

The Business Plan
I periodically get questions from readers of this blog about business plans. I was pondering the best way to work through a “business plan series” (similar to the Term Sheet series and Letter of Intent series) when Dave Jilk - my partner in Feld Technologies (my first company) - dropped a few documents on my desk, including the original Feld Technologies business plan. A scanner, Adobe Acrobat PDF maker, and a little OCR later, I had the document in electronic format.

Do Not Undervalue Yourself
Generosity and working for free when you're first changing careers is one thing; undervaluing yourself is another.

Labels That Mean Nothing
I’m going to pile on to Fred Wilson’s post titled Web 3.0 Nonsense where he suggests that Jason Calacanis’s Web 3.0, the official definition is “nonsensical versioning.”

The VC Version of Kick the Can
I got an email this morning from an entrepreneur that I know that has been trying to raise an early round from a "seed VC investor" for the past few months. He's put together (and closed) a decent angel round and left it open for this seed investor.

Organizing For Growth
It has been a long time since I read the most extraordinary business book I have ever read, Organizing For Growth by Theodore Levitt.

Angels? Sure. VCs? Sure. But Not Both.
This paper's result makes me think we need to augment the martini model of venture investing with a martini and olive model:

Entrepreneur Things
Entrepreneurs ( I need to share this with you) do the most ridiculous things. (I’m not going to name any of those things here because I don’t want to hurt the feelings of the dumb entrepreneurs who thought them up) But, I’m sure you know what I mean. I’m sure you’ve asked yourself the question from time to time, “What in the world was he thinking?” Well, that’s the subject of this morning’s blog. (It’s morning where I am, and I woke up with the thought that I needed to get this out of my system, off my chest, out of my mind, so here goes.)

Planes, Trains, and AutomobilesShare
By the time you read this I'll be in New York (right now I'm on a plane.) If you follow me (or any of my partners) on twitter, you will quickly understand why a Boulder entrepreneur recently referred to twitter as the "Foundry Group location / travel finder."

The Five Most Important Lessons of Entrepreneurship
Over at the Sun Microsystems blog I've posted my list of the five most important lessons I've learned as an entrepreneur. #1 is "Focus on cash flow."

How to Buy Domain Names Like a Pro: 10 Tips from the Founder of PhoneTag.com
I have used my success and failure in buying domains to create a step-by-step process that should help secure the domain you want…

Wrestling, Ratings and Guerrilla Marketing
Guerilla marketing is a term that was coined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his book of 1984, Guerilla Marketing. This is a form of advertising and promotions that depends on the unconventional. Imagination is key, and a big budget isn’t always necessary. Entrepreneurs use this technique, and it’s considered to be non-traditional--just what entrepreneurs are known for being.

You're Not Crazy--You're an Entrepreneur
Over at the American Express Open Forum, I posted an article called “You Aren’t Crazy, You’re Just an Entrepreneur” by Pamela Slim.

Eliminate Ranges From Your Negotiating Vocabulary
I was fortunate that two of my early mentors were master dealmakers. They had different styles and approaches so I learned an incredible amount from each of them. Before I met them I’d never made an investment, acquired a company, or sold a company. In the past 17 years since I met them, I’ve done a ton of each.

Ms. In-between
The either-or world continues to decay, confronted by a shifting economy and the tools of the net.

The Ether and the Scrum
Every day I get emails from entrepreneurs that make me think. In this case, it’s from a friend who is on the fundraising trail. He started off the email with “I felt compelled to share this with you as someone who would appreciate it.” I thought it was dynamite and asked him if I could share it since – in its unedited form – it captured so nicely what I expect many entrepreneurs feel. And, just as importantly, it’s something I hope VC’s realize that entrepreneurs – even very experienced ones – feel.

Give Your VCs Assignments
Over the weekend, Mark Suster wrote a great post titled How To Communicate with your Investors between Board Meetings. Mark continues to just tear it up with great advice for entrepreneurs. However, he left out one thing from the post – which is one of my favorite pieces of advice for entrepreneurs. Give your venture capitalists (and board members) assignments Mark alludes to this in many of his suggestions but he never comes out and says it. And, amazingly to me, many entrepreneurs either don’t ever think of this or don’t feel comfortable doing it. They should.

Setbacks in Network Marketing
Most entrepreneurs do not know how to survive the many setbacks they will encounter with their network marketing business. Unfortunately you mentor will not teach how to deal with that either, usually they don't know themselves. Surviving the setbacks with your network marketing business is without a doubt the main reason why you will be successful as an entrepreneur. In this article I will provide you with a few tricks of the trade that may help you with your business and survive the dreaded setbacks.

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter for Entrepreneurs
Whether you are a newcomer to Social Media, or have stuck your foot in the water; a Social Media coach discusses the relationship between the giants: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, and how they can save the Entrepreneur time and money.

How To Widen The Gap Between Your Compensation Versus Your Value
Are entrepreneurs the only ones that own their own business? Everyone is really in business for him / herself, like an independent contractor. How you perceive the connection between the employee mind-set and that of an independent contractor is imperative. The independent contractor like the successful entreprneur, has a responsibility to maximize and deliver value. What can you do to deliver your assigned responsibilities with a new approach and be proactive with your talents in a way that creates maximum value? This article offer 2 key areas of focus for employees to increase your value, widening the gap between your worth and your compensation. Those are the folks who never get laid off, no matter what the economy is doing.

“May the force be with you” – and stay with you!
Are you an entrepreneur? Do you have huge energy resources? Are you full of stimulating, creative ideas? But does this leave you feeling stressed, and not able to focus? Is this creativity channeled effectively?

3 Benefits of Increasing Success with Authenticity
You may believe that the best recipe for increasing success is to think and act like the rest, but in reality, blending in with the rest of the pack will only hinder your success. As an entrepreneur, it is vital that you find your own unique voice and message, so that you are anything but just another business owner lost in the pack.

Think Big and Grow Your Business
Contrary to common belief, most successful entrepreneurs aren’t born into money or possess above average IQ’s. Most of them are self-made and many of them do not even have college degrees. It doesn’t take genius to become successful; it only takes the proper mindset, desire, and commitment. How do you gain the proper mindset? By learning to think outside of the box. Let me ask you a question, if you quit tending to your business, would it run on its own? The likely (and logical) answer is no. Sadly, many entrepreneurs go from being chained to their job to being bound and gagged to their business. If your business cannot run without you - you’ve got to start thinking outside the box! One of the quickest ways to grow your business is to gain leverage. You do that by creating a business that does not solely rely on you

People ARE listening! The question is – Are you saying anything worth hearing?
Are you communicating something compelling that is short and concise? Does it give anything of value? Or are you becoming a victim of “light listening” as you fail to get to any point in a timely manner?

The Trump Entrepreneur Initiative Blog
For the first blog for The Trump Entrepreneur Initiative, I'd like to start with some basics that will help anyone who wants to be an entrepreneur. My father, Fred C. Trump, who was a real estate developer, gave me some great advice, great because the advice was not only solid, but it worked. In fact, it still works.

Finding Your Purpose in Life through Entrepreneurship
We have become a society of followers. Like sheep, we are herded and fed from our master's seconds and leftovers. Few ever realize what they are truly worth because the wealth and empowerment is in the hands of the elite. The scraps that the major corporations feed the masses are just enough to keep them hanging on. We continue to hang with the false sense of security that is ingrained on our brains by those in power.

How to Make a Transition from Store Manager to Entrepreneur
Just like you were as a store manager an entrepreneur must possess a handful of skills. A few of the skills needed would be to have the knowledge on how to maximize profits, increase sales, and how to deliver exceptional support to your team. All of this while providing exceptional customer service.

Entrepreneurs Thanking the Recession
Though most of the world may be grieving because of the ill economic effects of the global recession, a lot of entrepreneurs may actually feel the exact opposite. A number of opportunities have opened up to entrepreneurs which actually helped them make millions despite the hard times. If you're aiming to become an entrepreneur, it may be a great option depending on your traits and passion about the job. Here are some tips and tricks.

Top Character Traits of Entrepreneurs
More and more people are quitting their jobs and starting their own little businesses. If you want to try being an entrepreneur, you should be ready for both the ups and downs of the path. You might be shocked that you suddenly do not get regular income each month compared to being an employee. However, you are more than free to increase your income generating capacity to limitless bounds. Here are some of the traits you have to possess.

The Employee Mindset
The mindset of an employee is much different than that of the entrepreneur. With no one to tell you what to do and how to do it may be difficult but can also be very rewarding.

Colonel Harland Sanders
Mazon Associates, Inc.'s featured entrepreneur of the month for July 2010's Building Bridges newsletter. Mazon is a family-owned factoring business in Irving, Texas (DFW Metroplex), which has been in business for over 30 years assisting businesses to finance their new and existing businesses by daily funding of our clients' business-to-business invoices.

Breathe new life into your business
You wouldn't be an entrepreneur if you didn't have vision, were afraid to take risks or prepared to let things stay the way they are. So why start now? The world may be in economic crisis, but one man's problem is another man's opportunity.

Why is Being an Entrepreneur so Hard?
Why does being an entrepreneur seem so hard? It should be the easiest thing in the world to do.

The Magic of Entrepreneurship
James Dicks examines the benefits of creating your own small business.

4 Ls of Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneur Devesh Dwivedi talks about the the letter L in the word 'entrepreneurship'... Love, Listen, Learn, and Leverage are the Ls of entrepreneurship. Read until the end as there are two surprise Ls as well.

You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Meeting
What's true for impressions is true for meetings! If you're a super busy professional, you're keenly aware of 1st impressions when you're meeting with someone new. You know that it is important to come off as clear, energetic, strong, confident, and really put your best foot forward.

John Ilhan: The Early Years of One Crazy Mobile Phone Entrepreneur
He might have been known as ‘Crazy John’, but this was one savvy businessman. John Ilhan migrated to Australia and went on to found one of the largest privately held mobile phone companies in the industry. He even became the richest Australian under 40 years of age just a few years prior to his death in 2007.

7 Key Components of an Instantly Successful Small Business
If you are looking to start a small business, or you are interested in growing a business that you currently own, then you need to keep reading. There are 7 factors that every small business owner needs to obtain in order to position their business to have the best possible chance of success. Read on to find out more...

Info Product Creation In 3 Steps
Info product creation is part of the ‘Home Business Game Plan’ because the process of identifying and solving problems is part of home business. You should realize the value in everything you learn and be willing to charge others a reasonable price to discover what you know.

Feeling Frustrated? You Have A Choice
What's really going on when you get frustrated? I'll tell you what: You've given control to someone or something else! Don't allow your frustrations to keep you from accomplishing what needs to be done today. Confront them and see them for what they really are.

Three Common Marketing Mistakes
All businesses make marketing mistakes. By identifying some of the most common mistakes, you will be more likely to avoid these mistakes in your business.

60-Second Commercial
At some point during a networking event, you will have a chance to talk about your business - whether it's a formal part of the event where you speak in front of everyone or it's during informal one-on-one conversations. You need to have a 60-second commercial prepared and memorized before attending the event so that you can easily, calmly, and succinctly talk about your business.

Appreciating Your Team
Recognizing your team members for their contributions is an important part of leadership. When people are properly recognized, they are likely to continue engaging in business with you.

Are You Building Bridges of Influences?
There is a good chance that you already know who your target market is and that you are already attending networking events to find that target market. Though, many business owners who I work with fail to pay attention to events where they will find people who can be their Bridges of Influence.

ARE YOU GUILTY OF THESE 7 BIG TIME KILLERS? by Ed Abel
There are plenty of ways to fritter away the day, that’s for sure. And after years of experience building my own businesses and then helping others build theirs, I found the following seven suspects guilty of killing time.

Collect Your (Good) Marbles
When two companies are similar, it's the little things that differentiate them. If your company is similar to your competitors, things such as smiles, warm greetings, or eye contact might just tip the balance in your favor.

Confessions of an Accidental Entrepreneur
I'm going to tell you a story about an Accidental Entrepreneur. The accidental entrepreneur was a highly skilled intravenous nurse who thought he could do a better job administering Intravenous Therapy services than the organization he worked for. So he borrowed $5,000 and started his own business providing intravenous services to patients in their homes. Because he took the risk of starting a business, he believed he was an "entrepreneur."AE

Customer Loyalty and Chinese Food
A little story about customer service.

From Complaint to Raving Fans
One of the hallmarks of world-class customer service is how your company manages customer service failures. When a customer speaks up with a complaint, it's time to listen. Think of the complaint as a gift, and you will see it as an opportunity to learn rather than something to avoid or resist.

Getting Your Horse (Customers) to Drink Water
You may have heard the old adage of marketing and sales. Marketing is leading your horse to water. Sales is getting your horse to drink. The question we all want to know is how to get your horse to drink.

How Does Your Service/Product Benefit Your Client?
In order to be successful with your marketing and sales efforts, you must be clear and confident in knowing, discussing, and delivering the benefits of your services or product. Many sales people and business owners know their facts and features very well. Unfortunately, those alone will not always lead to a sale. To ensure more sales, you must also be able to communicate the benefit of the product or service.

Knowing Your Products and Services
Your products or services are the heart and soul of your business; without them, your business cannot exist. Much like the human body, a healthy heart is imperative to a healthy body. Although there are other organs and appendages that carry out the body’s functions, none of those can be completed without a functional, intact heart. As the business owner, you must become in tune with every facet of your business. Let’s apply this to your business:

Product Differentiation: "A Success Story"
Just how did Howard Schultz pull of selling a cup of coffee for $3 to millions and millions of people?

Run Your Business; Don't Let it Run You
One of the most important principles of being a business owner is to run your business; don't let it run you. To run your business is to create a vision of what is possible - a vision that's bigger than doing the day-to-day work associated with your skill or trade.

Seven Fundamental Marketing Principles
Marketing is defined as a suite of principles and strategies you use in your business to persuade your target market to contact your business. Marketing is beneficial to your business because it:

Summer is Ending...Are You on Target to Boost Sales?
How are your summer sales? Are you moving forward or have you become a victim of summertime sales slowdown? Sure, customers and clients go on vacation, you go on vacation, and life in general slows down during the summer. But to boost sales this fall, you need to do some work now�even if your sales are up. (You want to increase sales, don�t you?) Here's the one thing small business owners must do before summer ends...

Taking Aim with your Business
At the start of a new year, it's a good idea to take stock of your business by reviewing your Vision, Mission, and your Main Business Goals.

The 5 Practices of Wildly Successful Entrepreneurs by Ed Abel
It's Time to Face the Truth. Are you an "Entrepreneur" or a "Skillpreneur"?

THE 5 REASONS SUPERSTAR ATHLETES' HAVE A SECRET WEAPON-AND WHY YOU SHOULD TOO!
Question: What is the one thing Superstar Athletes have in common? Answer: A COACH ! Actually, they have a number of coaches, as well as advisors, to handle the different aspects of their personal and professional lives. Can you image Derek Jeter doing his taxes, negotiating his contract, or acting as his own financial expert? I'm not saying Jeter's not informed, what I am saying is that he hires experts, so he can focus on and practice what he does best: play baseball. If you want to play in the "big leagues" and build a superstar business, do what professional athletes do: get coached. Professional athlete or small business owner, here's what a coach can do for you:

The Evolution of Your Business
Your business has evolved, and it will continue to evolve, as long as you let it. It is part of the evolution of who you are and what you are becoming. It is part of the evolution of your skills, knowledge, experience, beliefs, purpose, and dreams.

The Keys to Business Success
Dun & Bradstreet reports that "businesses with fewer than 20 employees have only a 37% chance of surviving four years (of business) and only a 9% chance of surviving 10 years." The Lessons in this article, The Six P's of Success, are dedicated to helping you thrive, not just survive in your business.

What You Need to Know About Marketing!
If you're like most small business owners, you have a basic understanding of marketing and why you need to do it. However, most small business owners these days are forgetting the basic goal that effective marketing will archive and are reducing their marketing efforts because of an "economic downturn."

Money Mindset for the Small Business Owner
Making money is probably a big part of why you are in business. In business, as in life, money matters. With it, you can make a difference; without it, you’re limited in what you can do.

How to close the deal with an effective Sales Conversation
Sales are a key component to building a thriving business. However, many people who start businesses are not natural sales people. If you find yourself in this category, try following the below step-by-step sales process. Though you'll need to adjust it for your particular business, it will provide you with a framework to closing more sales.

Information Product Marketing
Information product marketing is a full time business for many entrepreneurs but every business owner should include this step in their business game plan. Selling mid range and high end information products and services can generate significant profit. It also builds congruency between your free offers and your primary business.

Profile: HALCHA Youth & Community Development organization
HALCHA Youth and Community Development organization is based in Garbatulla, a small town in northern Kenya where the populace are faced with poor living standards, low literacy levels, unemployment, unpredictable weather patterns that adversely impact on food security.

How entrepreneurs stay motivated
After the initial excitement of the brain wave that will change the world and revolutionize society has long ended; and the entrepreneur sets to the task of actually making their vision happen, sometimes set backs or sheer fatigue sets in. Then the visionary who was once so elated over their business idea starts to view it as work.

There Really Is No Free Lunch For Entrepreneurial Success
Scientists may have a handle on how to greatly increase longevity - but there is a down side. Cause and effect may keep you from immortality, but it's the key to entrepreneurial success.

Paying Oneself As An Entrepreneur
Many business owners are under the impression that they can take money out of their businesses as soon as their doors open. This is not good financial management. There is a point that rewards can be realized, you just have to know where that point is.

Picture Becoming A Millionaire! Now Discover The Way To Becoming A Millionaire
The timing for becoming a millionaire could not be more perfect. As you read through this article, you will discover facts and predictions which point to the newest way to becoming a millionaire and you will find yourself believing that it is possible.

Getting Past Fear of Failure and Growing a Successful Business
When it comes to growing a business, every entrepreneur is bound to make mistakes along the way. It’s easy to let your emotional self get frustrated, fearful and freaked. But you can’t let a couple mistakes-no matter how painful-keep you from being successful…

How to Motivate Yourself to Plan With Enthusiasm
Business plans are important for starting and growing a business but often people are resistant to preparing them. Entrepreneurs need to envision the business they wish to build and then let their enthusiasm and excitement drive the planning process. Putting the plan on paper is the only way the entrepreneur can be sure the business will work.

No Such Thing As A Sell-Out
Art vs. commerce. Where do the two cross? Where do the two meet? Is there anything wrong with combining them? That's what we're going to discuss. Entrepreneurs are found everywhere and there's most certainly an art to being an entrepreneur.

A Business Mentor Is Important For A Successful Entrepreneur
When you first start your business everything can be quite confusing. Having an experienced mentor guide you can make the difference between a successful venture and a failed endeavor. There are many pitfalls and problems that are difficult to work out on your own.

Bootstrapping Basics Entrepreneurs Need To Know
Practical assistance for entrepreneurs on how to start and grow a business by bootstrapping along with the importance of utilizing a small business mentor to assure success.

Entrepreneurs- How to Start-Up an E-Commerce Business on a Budget
Many entrepreneurs start e-commerce businesses due to the low initial costs involved. No store lease to pay for, good quality web designers will work for very reasonable fees and you can target your specific demographic will relative ease. Most e-commerce start-up entrepreneurs still need a steady income, but they lack start-up funds, and have little to no retail experience or technical expertise.

Entrepreneurs Make The Most Of Your Business Mentor Relationship
Finding a great mentor is one of the best ways to learn, to get feedback, and to take your start-up or small business to the next level. Here are ten tips for making the most of your mentoring relationships.

Ethos Mentor - The Ultimate Success Strategy for Serious Entrepreneurs
Ethos Mentor provides entrepreneurs with affordable one on one mentoring, business coaching and capital raising services so they can launch and grow their businesses. We help business owners at every stage, from how to start a business, start-up and growth stage, to established firms seeking large capital funding and expansion.

Women – The Innovative Entrepreneurs
In America, women start 424 new enterprises every day that’s more than twice as many as men. These mothers of invention have nurtured their creative ideas outside the corporate box.

Financing 101 for Entrepreneurs - Debt vs. Equity or Both?
Small business owners can choose from two basic types of financing- debt and equity. There are advantages and disadvantages of each type that may be used for different purposes.

How A Business Mentor Works With An Entrepreneur
My mother used to remind me that all relationships take time. Friendships, marriages, and even business relationships all require a little TLC and room to grow so that they can find their way to success. This is especially true for a business mentor relationship.

How to Fund a Small Business- The Entrepreneur Start-Up Money Hunt
Young and mature entrepreneurs alike, often get creative in finding money to start their own small business. Having the assistance of a business mentor can greatly improve your chance of success.

How To Increase Your Chances For Getting An SBA Loan
Many of our start up business clients at Ethos 360 come to us with basic questions on how to get financing from the SBA. There are a few things to have in your back pocket (and on the tip of your tongue) before going to them in order to increase your chances of getting approved.

How To Market Your Small Business For Little Money
Every business owner wants to use time-proven, effective marketing tactics that build strong brand awareness and increase its clientele. Small business owners today may not necessarily have the tools to spend an insane amount of money on television advertising, radio spots, or other costly advertising avenues such as billboards emblazoned with state-of-the-art graphics.

How To Pitch Angel Investors And Venture Capitalists
I hear from a great deal of my clients that they're looking for the secret to the, "best pitch to investors." To me, this always sounds like looking for the secret to, "the best pitch to ask someone to prom." There is no perfect method. There is no secret. At the end of the day, all you can do is show up and do your best. There are, however, things you should remember to do and things you should definitely avoid.

How To Start A Business For Under $5000
In today’s economic environment, individuals with entrepreneurial mindsets are exploring new ideas for businesses that will not only survive in a recession, but will also thrive. The key to starting a new business is maximizing its resources while remaining lean in operations.

How To Start A Successful House Cleaning Business
A house cleaning business can be started on a shoestring budget so you can get up and running relatively quickly and start making money. Service based businesses are often some of the best start-ups.

How to Start an Online Business for the At Home Entrepreneur
Some people believe it easy to start an online home business, but without having a handle on what is needed to make money online, they will fail like the rest of the 99% that try building a home business on the internet. There are things you must know and 'tricks of the trade' that will make the difference between success and failure.

Keys To A Powerful Business Plan
Whether you are planning to start a brand-new business, expand an existing company, or get financing for a business venture, you will need to write a business plan. There’s no way around this unless you have a dead rich uncle who just left you his two-car garage full of thousand dollar bills.

Leadership Secrets For Your Sales Team To Get Through The Down Market
Sales, sales sales. It's what makes your business, any kind of business, become and stay successful. What was once taken as a given in 2007-2008 no longer exists. It's time to discover and reward talent and manage your team as effectively as possible to maxmize potential. These are the times when talent shines and leaders thrive.

New Website, Sprowtt, Has Arrived To The Benefit Of Cleantech Entrepreneurs
Cleantech entrepreneurs receive assistance in obtaining financing and networking to get their deals done with the help of this excellent new website.

Online Entrepreneurial Opportunities During the Economic Downturn
Remember- Fortunes are built during the bad times and cashed in during the good. If you think a recession is a bad time to start a business, think again. An entrepreneur is adaptable and is always looking for opportunities. There are many logical reasons why this is a good time to start your own online venture. Your capital maybe limited and you feel the pressure of a recession that looks like it’s not going away anytime soon so let’s get serious and look at your options.

Preparation Is Key to a Successful Start-Up Business
Most new small business owners and entrepreneurs discover that getting starting is often the most difficult task. Inundated with often contradictory advice from the internet or friend and family they’re left more confused and frustrated than ever.

Raising Capital And What You Need To Prepare
Many people ask me if it's possible to raise capital in the traditional sense these days. Everyone knows and understands that lending practices have tightened and many VC firms have gently (and occasionally not so gently) refused to accept any more submissions. But is it impossible to raise capital? Of course not, it's just even harder now.

Small Business Brand Identity Strategies
"Does a brand identity matter when you are a start-up?" Sleepless nights, a staff of three to do the work of 20, and the doubters will test your stamina to survive the start-up game. I suppose if it were easy, every person with an idea would be doing it. Start-ups require lots more than possession of an idea. They require an uncanny drive to succeed, a fearless spirit, a sense of humor and thick skin.

Small Business Owners Need to Embrace The Web
The return on investment for website design and search engine optimization (SEO) is huge for small business owners. The result of not having a professional, effective web presence is being left behind.

The Current Paradigm Shift For Venture Capital Firms
Currently, the state of funding for start-ups from a venture capitalist seems to be on the wane. The keyword there is “seems.” Once again, what is actually happening in the realm of business and what is being perceived to be happening in the realm of business are too very different things.

The Holy Trinity Of Business Mentoring And Coaching
Whenever I’m discussing my philosophies on the purpose of hiring a mentor service, I sometimes notice an elephant in the room that no one wants to address: Just what the heck IS a mentor anyway? Sometimes it slips my mind that there isn’t a clear definition of what these types of services are for in business. My own personal definition of a mentor is pretty much the norm for the business world, but should probably be reviewed, regardless.

The Importance of Updating Your Business Plan
The importance of updating a business plan is simple: it creates a long-term strategy for your business, while alleviating the stress and headaches of operating a business if action is continually implemented. There are important factors to consider when revising and updating a business plan.

The Start-Up Blues – How to Keep Motivated
Nationally and locally, business are facing hardships that we as a country haven’t truly had to face in a few generations and we’ve done our best to persevere, but that doesn’t always keep us from being pushed to the mat and the breaking point. The world where business credit was easy to acquire, vendors were lax in their collections, and the consumer was hungry for new purchases is long gone and the small business owner isn’t getting any true encouragement on what to do next.

Tips For Creating Lender Ready Business Plans
Guess what? Lenders can’t approve every loan application that crosses their desk. I’m sure they wish they could, but the fact of the matter is that they deal with mostly very small businesses seeking small loans, usually less than $250,000. Lending to inexperienced, new business owners is one of the riskiest arenas for a lending agency. That’s where the eye for looking for those classic, “business plan killers” comes in.

Websites For Small Businesses- What You Need to Know
Whenever I meet a potential client that has a business they’d like to tell me about, the inevitable question follows: “Do you have a website?” You’d be amazed how often this answer is, “Uh…” It’s baffling to me that people don’t really find a web presence as important as it should be. At some point, no matter what type of business you’re about to start, establishing a website or presence on the internet will be vital. These days, almost every company has a web page. If you still advertise your small business only in print only, you’re just not paying attention to current trends. A professional web presence is a must for a small business, especially a start-up.

Woman Owned Start-Ups Outpace Men
Currently, women outpace men in new businesses about 2 to 3. Of this statistic, Latina women in particular are entering entrepreneurial ranks full speed ahead, outpacing every other demographic group.

Accomplish More in Less Time
With better time management and planning an entrepreneur can achieve more in a relatively shorter period of time. Learn to plan, prioritize, and delegate your work so that you can focus on what is important to make your small business grow.

Derive Happiness from Doing What You Enjoy
Taking a few risks in life to find happiness in what you enjoy doing is worth the trouble because life is short and everyone should have fun living a life of their choice. There should be nothing for you to regret after you have lived your life. By doing something that you are passionate about, be it starting a business or engaging in your favorite hobby, you make yourself happy and also act as a role model for your near and dear ones. Happiness is contagious and you are sure to pass it on to the others around you.

What is Business Networking?
Business networking is a skill that can be learned by even the shyest entrepreneur. It can take your business to a new level of prosperity.

How to get bank funding in five essential steps
As we all know, persuading your bank to give you funding is a much trickier business that it used to be. So if you're an entrepreneur or growing company relying on bank finance, it is essential to have a healthy relationship with your bank.

Smart Women Make It Happen
This article is about taking steps to go from where you are right now in your business life to where you want to be in the future in terms of your business. There are some steps that you will need to take in order to create the life you want. This article gives you 6 tools to think about as you get on your journey from where you are to where you want to be.

Smart Women, LeBron James and the Need to Be You
This article is about being courageous and standing firm in what you want in your life, despite what others may think. It’s about getting creative and making a plan to achieve this dream. You need to give yourself permission to take action on your dreams and goals.

Entrepreneurs Demonstrate Resilience and Determination in Action
I encourage you to read the full report for more ideas you can use now in your sole proprietorship.

Raise the $takes for Success
3 steps to funding your dream business

Start Your Dream Business
If you’ve been dreaming of starting your own business, and are ready to put your plan into action, then we’ve got advice for you. Read on for the first steps any would-be entrepreneur needs to take in order to launch his or her own business.

What keeps millionaires from becoming angel investors?
It is estimated that only 10% of those millionaires that would qualify as accredited investors actually invest capital into early stage private companies. Recognizing that all investments with potential to produce at least double digit ROI have some risk associated with that asset class investment. So with the socio-economic benefits of angel investing - bring innovation to the market, create jobs, create wealth - why don't more millionaires at least dabble in angel investing? This article explores the theories uncovered by Author Karen Rands' investigative team.

Business Opportunity Customers Not Leads
Business opportunity leads are not customers. Leads are defined as people who may be interested in your product or service and eventually become a customer. A lead is anyone that breathes. Notice that I did not say anyone that is interested in your opportunity, or any business opportunity for that matter. Leads are not the best way to find customers or people seeking a business opportunity.

Business Opportunity in a Recession
Business opportunity is often the last thing people think about during a recession when it should be one of the first. With 1000's of people losing their job every day the competition for any advertised jobs is fierce. For many people a home based business opportunity is one of the best viable options.

Why Big Companies Resist Doing Business With Startups
Every start-up wants to make a deal with a large, reputable Fortune 500 company. But does the large company want to do business with the start-up? How does a large company perceive a start-up? What motivates a large company?

The Importance of Marketing for Fledgling Startups
Today’s investors are not interested in funding start-ups that don’t know how, where, and to whom to sell their products or services. Why are investors so concerned and why the entrepreneur should be too?

New Internet Marketers , Are You Ready To Make It Work?
Every week thousands of people are trying to become Internet Marketing Entrepreneurs. Most have little or no knowledge of what lies ahead, but only see an income opportunity. The purpose of this article is to shed some light, and truth on what does lie ahead, and advice on how to proceed to succeed.

If Your Business had a Voice, Who would it Sound Like?
Every business has a voice that comes through in your marketing. That voice has the power to grab your prospect’s attention and hold it, or make them turn away in boredom or frustration. So if you’ve never given the voice of your business a second thought it’s time to reconsider.

10 Key Success Factors For ANY Internet Business
There are certain characteristics and actions that are common to successful entrepreneurs (entrepreneurs or business owners on the internet). Learning them will also make it easier and more likely for you to succeed than it would be without a knowledge of them. There are many factors indeed that we can attribute their success to. I will cover ten of them here.

The Yukon Spirit: Nurturing Entrepreneurs
What creates the entrepreneurial spirit? Are you born with it or is it determined by your environment? I believe it is both. The environment can help to nurture the spirit within you. One perfect environment to nurture that spirit is the Yukon Territory of Canada. The Yukon is nestled right next to Alaska.

To become your best self, you need to become a slightly different person.
If you're reading this newsletter, chances are you're a successful person already. However, there is a next level to who you are. Learn how to achieve that. Learn how to transform into that person, faster and more easily.

High Risk Endeavor? - Surviving Stress!
When you dive into a high-risk goal, you must learn to deal with a flood of new stresses -- can you handle it? Or will the stress freeze you and prevent action? It is possible to enjoy your life even in the midst of a risky business endeavor. Read on to learn how.

How to Make a Marketing Action Plan
Marketing your business can be overwhelming when you don't know where to start or how to spend your time. Follow these tips to create a successful marketing action plan for your business -- and see results!

Are others holding you back from living your dreams?
When you're in the process of discovering what you really want, all kinds of blocks can arise. Some are from within yourself, and others are from the people around you. Read about how the people who you spend the most time with may actually be holding you back from realizing what you want most in life.

How To Lose An Investor Before You Finish Speaking
Start-up killers are those spoken statements that will lose the funding or customer deal for the entrepreneur. When speaking to someone about the new product or the business proposition, there is often the moment when you know that you have lost your listener. One misspoken comment and everyone wants to leave as soon as possible. They’ve made their decision and they want you to stop wasting their time. It’s their gut reaction. What are some of these turn–offs?

Franchising in Nepal
This article explores the franchising market in Nepal

How to Practice Article Marketing Profitably
I am sure that you are familiar with the fact that words possess incredible power. They continue to be extremely useful tools for the common businessman as well as for online entrepreneurs. Through the medium of words, products and services, together with brands and companies, the distance between businessman and the entrepreneur and the vast internet markets can be effectively shortened and bridged. Words in the form of written articles, combined with the power of article marketing, continue to be an efficient method for successful branding of a product, service or company leading to eventual profitability...

Five Strategies to Help you Break Free of What is Standing Between You and Your Success
Mindset traps plague many business owners, but there are strategies to break free of them. Over the course of the next several articles, you will learn five strategies to help you break free of whatever stands between you and your desired success.

Entrepreneur's Success Center- Six Steps to Marketing Success
Entrepreneurs need marketing help Entrepreneurial success is often achieved on the back of a sound marketing plan. Here is a six step marketing plan that never fails. Great information for the entrepreneur that has no formal marketing training. Follow this plan and become the "lead dog."

Life’s Big Desires - Your's for the Asking
As an Entrepreneur one of your primary responsibilities is to design a business model that supports business success and a clearly defined personal lifestyle. Being successful at planning and subsequent strategizing does require that you first process your desires at a deeply personal level. It is simply not possible to separate your inner game from business growth – it is all part of an effective working “system.” It is not that one must precede the other, but that they run through your life synergistically.

Making Brilliant Entrepreneurial Choices without Getting Distracted
Balancing work and life. There comes a time in every entrepreneur's life when he has to weigh the balance between being flexible enough to take on new opportunities and steady enough to stick to his plan.

Workaholism: An Entrepreneurs Compulsion for Acceptance, Work and Money
Workaholism is merely a reaction to a need to be right, to be in control. According to Judith Sills, Ph.D. in Excess Baggage, “You are an organized person who treasures productivity. If you had a psychiatric label it would be obsessive & compulsive, and you brag about being a workaholic.”

Bottom Line Success: Addictive Entrepreneurship
Many entrepreneurs obsess over little things that might require effort because it is too hard to make it or do it perfectly. So they rationalize and convince themselves that it wouldn’t work in the first place, especially when I have to pay this consultant $500 to tell me something I already know but don’t want to do. Even if it could generate tens of thousands more dollars.

What Does It Take For Us To Become An Entrepreneur?
Now is the time for entrepreneurs to lead the way out of our stressful economy. Unemployment is on the rise and the state is under financial burden, so the call to all entrepreneurs is loud and clear. Are you an entrepreneur?

Profitable Non-Profits
Randy Seitz is taking the traditional approaches of 'non-profits' and turning them on their ear - challenging status quo in every aspect of his operations. I'm inspired by Randy's innovative thoughts on turning a non-profit into a self-sustaining entity. This is a fabulous example of defying Gravity for all of us.

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR ENTREPRENEURS TO WRITE WELL?
Alas, it’s not as necessary as it once was for an entrepreneur to be a good writer. Today entrepreneurs and business people in general can substitute other communications skills to take them where they need to go. I say “alas” because I’m a writer who loves to write and mourns the demise of good writing in our rapid-paced, text-crazy world.

HAIL TO THE ENTREPRENEUR WHO SAVES LIVES
An ingenious invention by a California entrepreneur could put a spring in the step of endangered healthcare professionals coast to coast. Doctors and nurses soon will no longer have to worry when giving injections, thanks to Jack Dillard and his company, Protectus Medical Devices, Inc. His patented invention will soon be saving the lives of nurses, as he has designed a syringe with a special spring, which for the first time automatically covers needles with a plastic sheathing if they’re ever dropped or mishandled, thus eliminating accidental needlesticks that nurses are always prey to when using or disposing of syringes.

ENTREPRENEUR STEVE GIORDANELLA IS WALKING ON AIR THESE DAYS (OR MAYBE WATER) AFTER OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST DARA TORRES CREDITS HIS OLYMPIC GOLD AMINOS FOR HELPING HER TO BECOME OLDEST FEMALE EVER TO COMPETE IN OLYMPICS
Torres makes surprise announcement on national TV that she will compete in 2012 Olympics at age 45 and credits highly-pure amino acid supplements for speeding her recovery from surgery and getting her back into the swim of international competition

Fighting the Internet “Black Hole” In Your Job Search It is easy to apply, easy to be ignored. The Internet is Good and Bad. Use it, not have it use you.
Bad combination- recession and internet job hunting. Large numbers of job seekers and the technology to easily apply to many jobs, even ones where the match is slight. Discover how to make the internet work for you as an applicant. Tired of working for others, use the same internet marketing skills for a new business.

Writing Business Articles
Writing business articles can be a good way to establish yourself as an authority on any subject that you prefer to write about. When writing business articles, keep in mind the inexperienced entrepreneur while offering advice, coaching or other useful tips. Many people who first start their own business, have little or no experience with which to fall back on. Writing business articles as an experienced entrepreneur is an effective method to assist these new colleagues.

What is an Entrepreneur?
An entrepreneurial mindset can exist in any size and type of business. Entrepreneurs are self-motivated and believe that they can control their own level of success.

I Missed the Joy
One of the biggest dreams in my life has been to become a published author. That dream came true last week. Last week I launched my first book - Defy Gravity. And I was so stuck in my own Gravity, I missed the joy.

Financing Your Start-Up Business - NO FREE LUNCH
Start-up business need capital - money to finance operations until revenues are generated sufficient to meet all expenses, and make a profit! An Urban Myth is that the Government has money to grant for this - free money! Unfortunately it's not true. All money someone gives you has strings attached. There's always something wanted in return for providing it. This article gives the entrepreneur a good picture of what financing options a start-up business has, and what the strings may be.

The Internet is Full of Bad Guys! How to tell the Good Guys?.
Think you know a scam when you see one? Want to work from home? Recently retired, or fired? Watch out, the internet Bad Guys will sweet talk you and get your money then hook you with endless up-selling. You are left with nothing that makes money and hungry for real information. I have found a community of internet marketing pros who want to help and share tactics that work. It might not be for every one and you will have to prove you are worthy to join the community. They will not waste your time or theirs.

Determining what is You, Inc. and How to Market it
Old way was to market your self with blasts of emails to potential customers. The new way is to put you first. Sell YOU, INC. To do that you need to deeply examine you and the process. Here are some fresh ideas and some proven old ones.

Learn From Other Entrepreneurs Mistakes
When starting a new company always keep your mind open to input from others - you will be so focused on your goals and what you immediately need to accomplish, that sometimes you may find yourself internalizing all your ideas and not looking at a larger picture. Having like-minded people around you to give input, advice, and encouragement can definitely help you create a broader understanding to your direction.

BY KEEPING HIS MESSAGE SIMPLE , THE GREATEST ENTREPRENEUR WHO EVER LIVED ESTABLISHED A LASTING ENTERPRISE
Before there was a Bill Gates or a Steve Jobs, or even a Mark Zukerberg . . . before even Henry Ford or Andrew Carnegie or even Leonardo Da Vinci, there was a humble man whose eloquence captivated the world. And one of the ways he did it was by keeping His message utterly and universally simple.

Be Your Own Boss - Be Your Own Employee
Becoming your own boss is sometimes tricky as a new entrepreneur. The key is becoming your own employee. It is more than words, but a mindset.

Advantages of Owning a Franchise
Today, many more people are considering business ownership than ever before - it's a sign of the times. As we experience great changes in our workplaces and work forces, as the general economy erodes, more and more people are exploring business ownership - to be their own boss and work for themselves rather than someone else. As those individuals begin to investigate business ownership, franchise ownership is the first choice for many. For one who has not experienced business ownership previously, franchises offer many advantages.

Are You Ready For A Franchise
Determining if you are ready for a franchise could easily be a “defining moment” in your life. Are you ready for a franchise?

Business Ownership The American Dream
What is it that attracts more and more people to become business owners? What happens to bring that Entrepreneurial spirit to the forefront? Not only do Entrepreneurs embody the American Dream, they drive our economy and our future.

Entrepreneurs OpportunityFranchise Ownership
Are Entrepreneurs missing out on the exploding franchise industry?

Franchise Resales
What happens when an existing franchisee decides to sell?

Top Ten Questions To Ask When Exploring Franchises
During the research and due diligence phase of investigation, there are numerous questions to ask both the Franchisor and the existing franchisees. After all, what better source of information than from those individuals currently operating that particular franchise model.

Why Use a Franchise Consultant?
There are thousands of franchise opportunities available – the numerous options can be overwhelming. Why not let a professional help you narrow the field?

Conversations with Venture Capitalists about Start-ups and Funding
What attracts a investor to an entrepreneur? Here's a conversation with two venture capitalists about start-up funding and other issues.

Don't Forget To Monetize
Monetizing your internet marketing is essential to your business and financial success as an entrepreneur. If you don't know how to monetize...learn from the myriad free resources out there!

Internet Marketers....Blow Your Own Horn!
This is not the time to be shy about what you have to offer. Remember to use the tools and technology to your benefit as an entrepreneur and online business owner!

James Cash Penney
Mazon Associates, Inc. features James C. Penney, founder of J.C. Penney Company, as its Entrepreneur of the Month in the May 2010 issue of Building Bridges monthly newsletter.

Dolly Parton
Mazon Associates, Inc. features country singing star Dolly Parton as its Entrepreneur of the Month in the September 2010 issue of Building Bridges, our company's monthly newsletter.

Joyce C. Hall
Mazon Associates, Inc. featured J.C. Hall, founder of Hallmark Cards, in its February 2010 issue of Building Bridges monthly newsletter.

Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
In its December 2009 issue of Building Bridges, Mazon Associates featured Charles Dickens, author of A Christmas Carol, as its Entrepreneur of the Month.

Changing the Game
Changing the Game can save our butts.

Norm Miller, Interstate Batteries
Mazon Associates, Inc. featured Norm Miller of Interstate Batteries in its November 2009 issue of Building Bridges.

Robert Tucker and Shoe Show, Inc.
Mazon Associates, Inc. featured Robert Tucker, founder of Shoe Show, Inc., in its September 2009 issue of Building Bridges.

Elizabeth Griscom Ross Ashburn Claypoole aka Betsy Ross
In celebration of Independence Day, July 4 2009, Mazon Associates, Inc. featured Betsy Ross as its Entrepreneur of the Month in the July 2009 issue of Building Bridges.

Santa Claus
Mazon Associates, Inc. featured Santa Clause as its Entrepreneur of the Month in the December 2008 issue of Building Bridges newsletter.

Dream Big but Start Small: A Recipe for More Business Success with Less Stress
Lots of mindset gurus say you shouldn’t even consider failure as an option. But not everything you do, or launch, in your business is going to be wildly successful. So how do you play big without taking big chances…

I Need Some Help
How often do you ask for help from others? If you're like me, it's a hard thing to do. Many of us are taught that asking for help equates to not being capable, to admitting some kind of flaw or weakness.

Multiple Streams of Internet Income
Internet Marketing is a topic near and dear to my heart, because it allows me the freedom to do things I might otherwise not be able to. I choose when I get up and go to work, I take holidays when it suits my family and I, and when I think it’s time for a raise, well that parts up to me as well.

Are you an “Off Season” Entrepreneur?
seasonal businesses, cash flow quadrant, working on business, business plan, working in the business,

An Unwitting Entrepreneur - My Mom
But I do believe that the very same spirit of self reliance, resourcefulness and entrepreneurial thinking is more important than ever. The country is hungry for it. You’ve probably read the biblical references to teaching people to fish rather than simply giving them a fish

Staying Positive about Business Success in a World Full of Negativity
With negative messages coming from everywhere, finding the positive can be a challenge. Here are some strategies to build a great support system to keep a positive attitude and a positive trend in your business.

Developing a Strong Work Ethic for Online Business
As an entrepreneur who works from home, it is more important than ever to learn the techniques for developing a strong work ethic in your online business.

Taking the Fear Out of Marketing so You Can Really Grow Your Business
I’m a full-time marketing professional and I still suffer from fear of marketing sometimes. Typically I’ll be trying or launching something new and suddenly realize I’m procrastinating about some of the marketing tasks. Here’s how I get back into action…

Entrepreneurs - Business Start Up Tips For Ultimate Success
Entrepreneurs want to be more successful in your home-based business? Work-at-home experts Jill Hart and Diana Ennen show you all you need to know to succeed in your home-based business.

Ready. Set. Check!
Only when we continuously and consciously shift our perspectives - from Gravity to Growth, from Known to New - will we reach for and attain sustainable growth.

GKhair, the International Leader in Innovative Hair Care, Launches Global Promotion of its Acclaimed GK Hair Taming System with Juvexin™ and Full Line of Professional Hair Care Products
Going global is today's entrepreneurial dream and companies like Global Keratin are living that dream.

7 Reasons You Hate Marketing – And How to Learn to Love It
Marketing is not what you think. And the sooner you can embrace your “inner marketer,” and learn to love her, the happier and more fulfilled you’ll be in your work.

A Five Point Strategy for Job Creation
Most of the net new jobs in the last decade have come from business startup less than 5 years old. Yet, the number of startups, in 2010, was at an all time low. We present a strategy to return the startup numbers to their pre-recession highs in 2006. Entrepreneurs are key to returning unemployment to a reasonable 5%-7%.

Are You Connecting With Your Customers With Consistent Communication They Can Relate To?
Because copy is one of the key elements of your marketing materials, it’s important to keep up with what’s working and what’s not.

7 Surefire Signs of a *Virtual Violation and 5 Ways to Avoid It
Not everything is always what it seems. By having the right information and knowing what to look for you can avoid being a victim of unethical practices online.

The Importance of Persuasion in Entrepreneurship
Being able to persuade others and allow them to see your vision is the key to running a successful business. Below, you will find some persuasion techniques.

Top Home Business Ideas That Can Make Your Dream A Reality
It’s true that procrastination has killed many dreams, when people consider ways to make money. Here are three quick to start top home business ideas that can make you a home entrepreneur.

LinkedIn Secrets - 3 Reasons Why Most Small Business Owners Fail To Attract Clients Using LinkedIn
Only a few internet marketers and companies are successfully getting more clients each and every single day from LinkedIn ... find out their secrets to attracting clients that are ready, willing and able to invest in their products or services...

Online Entrepreneur’s Coming Through Google!
It truly is the age of the entrepreneur! Those who adapt will prosper will those who do not, will be left behind. These new online entrepreneur's are just as daring as those of one hundred years ago like the Wright Brother's, Ford and Albert Einstein.

Who’s Recovering the Quickest – Is it You?
We hear that the recession is on the wane and that there may be growth this year, albeit with high unemployment plaguing us for a while. Notwithstanding that you as the self-employed entrepreneur may not yet be feeling a recovery, it is happening.

Are Shifting Rules and Government Investment in Canadian Firms the Real Obstacle to Foreign VC Funding?
Every time we make an investment in a Canadian company or do some sort of transaction with a Canadian company we have a whole set of "surprises" (and I put quotes around the word surprises) that we have to figure out each time, so there is always a new set, or different set of rules that we have to go through . . .

Two Types of Women Business Owners Respond to Hiring the Wrong Person
In certain situations, a new hire just doesn’t fit the bill. Despite everyone’s best intentions during the hiring process, sometimes the poor fit doesn’t become obvious until a new team member actually starts working. Different business owners are bound to handle such a situation in different ways. This article details the different ways two types of female entrepreneurs may react when they’ve hired the wrong person.

Learning From your Work Calendar
As a leader, what does your calendar say about you? Where are you spending your time? Is it where you want to spend your time?

When Bad Things Happen to Good Business Owners and Entrepreneurs
Stuff happens. As a business owner and entrepreneur, the more successful you become, the more you open yourself up to criticism, negative feedback or just plain being attacked. Here are 4 ways to help you deal with it.

Are Online Entrepreneurs Today Like Entrepreneurs of The Past?
Is there a lesson we can learn from entrepreneurs of the past? Some people wonder is there a common denominator that runs through entrepreneur's of today and of 1900's. These questions are discussed in this article along with much more!

Make Money with Feel the Fear & Do It AnywayˇKˇK..by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.
Tips on How to Build a Successful Business Online Even If You are New.

Ways by Which Personal Coaching Empowers You As an Entrepreneur
Would you consider yourself an entrepreneur? If you are an individual who has taken the initiative to start you own small home online business, then count yourself as one. You invested some capital and took charge of the initial costs of setting up your business, in the hope that you would reap the benefits of profit sometime soon.

Produce A Large Home Based Business Income Without Trying!
Have you heard of the snowball effect? If you know anything about marketing then you've heard this before. An you've heard of people producing large home based business incomes without even trying. That's because of the snowball effect. Small marketing efforts that overtime turn into a large massive avalanche of marketing. An that's when you produce that large home based business income without even trying. The unfortunate thing is, is that 97% of people online can't even get the ball rolling. So to accomplish a large home based business income hears what you do.

Home Based Business - Negative Consequences of Setting Unrealistic Goals
Home based business owners need to understand the importance of setting realistic goals and then focusing all their efforts to achieve them. Without goals you will not have any way to measure your success. You will be like a ship at sea without a rudder. Without goals you may not be able to achieve targets or assess your potential as an entrepreneur. Goals provide an opportunity to test your skills and business acumen required to run a home based business.

Reasons To Have Your Own Personal Development Plan
One purpose of having your own personal development plan is to have a map to show you where you are as far as self-awareness and self-growth are concerned. Many individuals found inner peace upon completing their development plan.

Winners Never Cheat and Cheaters Never Win...Bull#$%!
This article puts to rest the idea of cheating and all good deeds coming without criticism. Read this to learn more.

The 12 Hidden Crises of Entrepreneurial Women
Several years ago I conducted a yearlong research study with over 100 working women across the country about professional crises in women and how we can reclaim our lives to overcome them. I was astounded by the findings, and felt they were so universal and important for women, I wrote a book called Breakdown Breakthrough about these 12 crises, offering a three-step holistic model to break through these challenges once and for all.

Successful Business during Great Depression
While many people loosing their jobs in the corporate world, there are other opportunities that are knocking on your door. Owning your own business is the best way of gaining financial freedom and experiencing your dream lifestyle.

Need for Project Formulation
Taking a first look carefully and critically at the project idea. Assessment of the various aspects of an investment proposition.

How to Start Your Own Business: What Does It Take to Create a Solid Business Presence Online?
When figuring out how to start your own business there are a lot of things that need to be considered, but one of the biggest things that must be conquered is how you are going to position yourself as a likable, trustworthy authority in the industry you're tackling. The question remains, though, if you're barely figuring out how to start your own business online how are you going to compete with people who have years of business experience on you? Here are some steps that need to be taken to have people see you as that trusted authority so you can thrive in your new endeavor, from creating your marketing campaign to talking to your prospects one on one.

Why Choose Network Marketing and Direct Sales to Build a Business?
Network marketing at its core is about an individual working to build their own business, and to develop a model that attracts other like minded people to want to come work for them. It’s about entrepreneurship – breaking out of the traditional ‘employee’ mold and mindset, and then developing a business that you have control over its – and your – destiny.

International Online Business: How Local Business Owners Are Going Global
Local business owners are discovering that international online business is well within their grasp especially if they already have an established internet presence. In most cases going global is simply a matter of tweaking what they already have in place. The local business owner that isn’t already part of the online business world now has an even greater reason for joining.

Tips For Creating an Internet Marketing Business for Entrepreneurs
The Internet marketing business is surrounded with lot of myths, especially for people who have very little idea about what it comprises. They usually assume that it is too complicated or too expensive. Both these notions are wrong and your internet marketing business can be a success story only if you do things the right way.

An Introduction to Home Based Business
The USA is still in the grip of a recession it hasn’t seen since the days of the Great Depression. Layoffs on a massive scale are the order of the day.

136 Effective Presentation Tips by Tony Jeary and David Cottrell
In these tough economic times we should all be on the lookout for ways to make ourselves stand out in business - in a good way. Being able to step up on the job and to create and do an effective presentation is a great way to make ourselves stand out. Are you an entrepreneur who does presentations for your business? Are you a sales person who does presentations for clients? Are you a speaker who speaks in front of crowds on a regular basis and you want to stay at the top of your game? Are you in a business and you want to advance and impress your boss? All of these people can use the information in this book.

Hiring a Winning Team: How Three Types of Women Entrepreneurs Put it Together
When it comes time to hire a team to implement a business’ game plan and strategy, the business owner often has to have in place her own system for creating a team that will not only carry out what she wants, but will complement her unique style and mindset. Women in business face special challenges, and as a fast-growing segment in the business world, must work harder than ever – with a great team behind them – to be successful.

How's Your Elevator Speech
Your elevator speech describes who you are and what you do. Learn how to prepare a brilliant elevator speech.

How To Google Adwords Part #3- A Quick Guide To
This part #3 of the "how to Google Adwords" series. In the last 2 you should have learned the basics. Now we get to do the fun part! Here is what we are going to cover...

Find Honest Collaborators
How to avoid wasting your time with the hiring process: looking for a job, or hiring for one. Building a team is very important, and finding people who identify with you and produce is key.

Home Stagers and Liability Insurance
Expert home stager, Staging Diva, offers advice to home stagers concerned with obtaining liability insurance for their business.

Can You Say “This Is It” for Yourself?
I am profoundly inspired... in a life-changing kinda way. I saw the new Michael Jackson movie, This Is It, yesterday. It blew my white rhinestone socks off! (Truth be told, I had tear dewbies at several points in the movie - it is that powerful!) As an entrepreneur, and a soul-driven person, it spoke to the depths of me.

Work with Home Based Business Ideas - What Limits You
Work from home in a global marketplace can be as dangerous as stumbling into a jungle unprepared. Global marketplace has vast potential. Average working men and women, in the spirit of current entrepreneurs, are stepping up to the plate. Is it time to roll up your sleeves and start working towards mastery in your online home business?

Is Your Virtual Assistant Letting You Down: Sound Business Advice for Women Entrepreneurs
Hiring a virtual assistant or VA is like any relationship and nobody likes to be disappointed, especially when you’re investing in someone who is supposed to make your life easier. Don’t be afraid to expect the best. Here are three respectful, yet powerful tips on how you can nip an assistant problem in the bud, without losing sleep or feeling like you’ve suddenly turned into a raging diva.

Staying Motivated In Your Home Business
Are you having issues with staying motivated in your home business? Well, do not fret because it happens to everyone. Motivation is something that everyone needs whether you are just starting in your online home business or are already a seasoned entrepreneur, you need a certain internal drive to get you going consistently.

How To Choose The Best Network Marketing Company: 3 Crucial Choices, Part 1
Personal experience speaks volumes and here are 3 crucial question, in a longer series, that one must ask before joining any network marketing company. These questions and answers gathered from experience will save you thousands of dollars, years of wasted time and a great deal of heartache. Question #1: Does the company have a solid and highly tested marketing system in place for you to plug into? Answer #1: You are looking for a tightly constructed turnkey.... Question #2: Does the company allow online marketing NOW? Answer #2: Look for a company that will train you in Internet marketing..... Question #3: Does the company have a lucrative enough compensation plan allowing you to replace your income in 6-12 months? Answer #3: Look for a company with high end products $500-$1000 This is the first article in a series.

Hard Times Give Birth to Healthy Entrepreneurs
Your entrepreneurial dream can become a reality during hard times. Is unemployment the foundation for being healthy, wealthy and wise?

Home Stagers, It’s Not All About Price
Expert home stager, Staging Diva, discusses why there’s more to marketing a staging business than offering cheap rates.

Characteristics of the entrepreneurs
Dream a big dream, big dreams attract a lot of people!

Home Based Business Ideas to Make Money With Fast
Everybody wants to have a Home Based Business. Working at home, making your own schedule, not having to ask bossy poo if it's alright to take a few days off. Well before you get to that point you need to have an idea of what service you are going to provide in the marketplace...

4 Success Strategies for Getting and KEEPING Ideal Clients
Take one idea from this article today and make it a specific action step you will take toward building your business, with a vision for what it will look like when you’ve accomplished it and a deadline for when you will do it.

Attracting Ideal Clients/Customers
This article focuses on one important aspect of your business –who you serve. Here’s an exercise I did when I first got started and if I find myself attracting people who are not ideal for me to serve, I revisit my vision to get clear again.

Best Home Based Businesses
If you are now considering self employment, I want you to know that there are many possibilities for you. Here are a few ideas to get your creative sparks going–if any seem right up your alley, do a Google search on associations and or trade journals in that field to begin to gather more information.

Do You REALLY apply the 80/20 Principle: Why ignore one of the most important success factors?
I can’t remember where I first heard about the 80/20 rule – Pareto’s Principle –a powerful success factor. About 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. Here are 3 tips for applying this rule to your success.

Speaking to Grow Your Business Part III: Marketing Tips to Fill the Room
There are several low/no cost ways to begin speaking. I would begin speaking for free –I did and it was a great way to build my database quickly. Here are my 4 favorite tips for building your reputation and becoming slightly famous with speaking.

The Millionaire Mindset
Do you have a millionaire mindset? Ok, maybe you don’t want a million or think that’s too high a goal. That’s ok. The purpose of this article is to get you thinking about the way you think about money.

The New World of Work
What's happening as a result is that many Americans feel betrayed. No longer can you count on a job for life or a paternalistic relationship with your employers. Your sense of security has been shaken. So how can you best deal with this?

Uncovering Your Passions
Some of you may have had an "aha" or life changing moment that made you aware of a passion. Others discover their passions through intuition - an internal knowing that this is it. Others come to a gradual awareness through their experiences. Here are 3 methods to uncovering your unique passions.

Want to Spend the 2nd Half of Your Life YOUR Way?
Are you considering self employment in order to live life they way you’d like? Nearly one in five pre-retirees say they want to start their own business after retirement. And many of you are chomping at the bit and want to start now –to heck with waiting for retirement. Learn what it takes to be self employed.

Massive Growth: How Will You Handle It? Part 1
For the owner of a small business, experiencing explosive growth can be exciting. It can be the beginning of a new era for the business, and it can solidify the company’s existence in the sometimes brutal world of commerce. In the same breath of excitement, though, massive growth can provide new challenges as entrepreneurs strive to keep up with it. This article details how three very different types of women entrepreneurs may respond to massive growth – and how their reactions may affect their businesses.

What To Do When You Just Can't Concentrate
My email in-box is jam packed, I have several calls from sales people that I haven't returned yet, my desk is a mess, and I'm finding it very hard to concentrate. What in the world is going on here!

Network Marketing - The New Way To Your Ultimate Business
The essential reasons why network marketing is taking the market and changing the face the way business will be conducted in the future.

4 Effective and Efficient Actions that Drive Your Success
As a business owner, it's imperative you focus your energy on completing actions that drive your success. When you spend your workday procrastinating or refusing to delegate low-priority tasks, you are losing money as well as preventing your business from growing. Below are some tips that will drive your success.

The Ins and Outs of Small Business Public Relations
Whereas it’s true that large companies, feature films and celebrities need to launch powerful PR campaigns, it’s the small businesses of the world that benefit the most from effective public relations.

The Secret to Instant and Lasting Motivation
How can you get motivated NOW and stay motivated for the long run?

Making a Habit of Personal Development
Do you study personal development? Do you study your self and your behaviors? This kind of self analysis is proven to yield high levels of success.

Cherish The Tough Times
Learning how to benefit from the challenges experienced during tough times.

Targeting Your Niche Made Simple – Start Small, Grow Later
It's perfectly normal to have big dreams when starting a business of your own. Having this long term vision provides both direction and ambition along the way. To really achieve though, you've got to start somewhere and make steady progress-it would just be way too easy to skip from startup right to industry leader, right? The surest way to ensuring profitable growth is to target and earn the trust of your niche. Start small, grow later.

WUSME World Union of Small and Medium Enterprises: The new home of SMEs supporting institutions
One of the top-priorities of the WORLD UNION OF SMEs (hereinafter called the “UNION”) will be to provide widespread information and to foster awareness among the various national institutions of the Countries belonging to the UNION as regards the true needs of micro-, small and medium enterprises which represent the basis of the economic fabric of all societies. The UNION shall develop strategies to support the growth of this vital global economic sector and identify annual activities to facilitate relations with national associations and to create opportunities for integration between the representatives of different Countries and geographic areas.

When It Comes To Marketing, Consistency and Discipline Beat Shiny Objects Every Time
When you are starting out in a new venture, all you want to know is what sort of marketing works so that you can focus on it 100%. Because there are so many options, you will be tempted to throw your efforts in 100 different directions and chase down anything that looks promising. As a result, you will find yourself chasing after each new "shiny object", abandoning avenues that will produce for you if you give them time. This is a classic path to failure. Instead of chasing the gurus, learn from what they do - spend the time to master each form of marketing before you chase the next best thing.

Network Marketing In The 21st Century
There are two types of people those who take action and those who let opportunity pass them by, which one are you? "If you're willing to do for a year what others won't, you can do for a lifetime what others CAN'T!" Entrepreneurship in Network Marketing or any other Business Adventure must have 4 things to be successful...

Being an Online Entrepreneur the Right Way
Anyone can be an online entrepreneur in the sense that anyone can start up a business online. However, that doesn't mean that everyone will be successful at that business or achieve any kind of online success. The best way to see success with an online business though, is to be an Internet marketer.

Why Failure Is Essential To Online Entreprenurial Success
Successful online marketing entrepreneurs are not afraid to fail. Instead, they see “failures” as indicators of what they need to change or do in order to move their home-based Internet marketing business to the next level.

Is Now A Good Time To Start A Home Business?
Entrepreneurs, especially those with a successful home-based Internet marketing business, are more recession-proof than someone who is in the traditional employer-employee relationship trading time for money.

Think Like a Leader in Order to Become a Leader
Article debating what it is that truw leaders have in common and how we can learn from this.

Top 10 Entrepreneur Trends for 2011
There's been a fundamental cultural change toward small business. Many of those who became unemployed have taken control of their own destiny by creating their own work and boosting local economies.

Why Entrepreneurs Will Save The Economy
I saw these stats the other day and they were eye opening. If anyone thinks bailout plans and social programs will empower the world just looks at who actually FUNDS it all.

Mining Your Soul for Gold
Everything that you are seeking right now is already within you. That's a big statement but it's based on my belief that we are here as a physical representation of Divine energy. That is, the Universe lives through each of us, and that (naturally enough) includes living through you.

Leadership Stereotypes: Playing the Victim
How to identify the bully, but also have the victim take responsibility.

The Secrets to Small Business Success
I was delivering a one-on-one coaching call tonight and my client asked me the question of, 'How did you become so successful so fast?' and at first I paused and thought about that. How did I become successful in just three and a half short years? The first thing I thought of was, 'Am I successful?' and that question alone could have taken me ten minutes to think about an answer to so instead of ponder that, I moved on. I thought about what I had done over the course of my time in business and I thought about what had allowed me to achieve so much in such a short time.

5 Quick Ways to establish an online presence
Professional Business Coach and Internet Entrepreneur Frank McGuinness provides 5 very simple yet effective ways to create an online presence with your new internet business.

Why Should You Learn Internet Marketing?
Why should you learn internet marketing? Can you sell any product to anyone, anywhere in the world at any time? If not, you need a marketing education.

The Groovy Mermaid Finds Treasure In Legitimate Work From Home Opportunity
While more and more people find themselves with time on their hands, they are taking a more innovative approach to the unemployment problem, and are deciding to work from home. This can be quite a nerve-racking endeavor, and along with all the other unknowns in the entrepreneur arena, there is also the added anxiety over finding a legitimate work from home opportunity.

Got Team?
As an entrepreneur, you wear a lot of hats in your business, don't you! You're smart. You know you need to have the right help so you can be super productive and profitable in your business and you are probably already outsourcing certain tasks and responsibilities. That's a great start. But let me ask you, how well is it working for you? Do you have an ideal team in place? Is it easy and almost effortless for you to work with your team and together create awesome results? Here's what I've discovered. Most entrepreneurs and business owners aren't having ideal experiences with creating their own strong team".

3 Keys to Internet Marketing Success
Internet Business Coach Frank McGuinness explains the 3 crucial components to Internet Marketing Success.

A Legitimate Work From Home Business Teaches Be, Do, Have
Be, Do, Have. A simple phrase, yet so valuable when looking to operate a legitimate work from home business. Learn more about this interesting phrase as expert author Jeffrey David Nelson dives into the philosophical world of "Be, Do, Have."

The Power of Letting Go
By moving through and letting go of our fears, we can envision and create the life that we truly want for ourselves. By contrast, when we let our preconceived notions about ourselves and our fears take control, we can be paralyzed by them

Launching a New Product or Service – Things Two Types of Women Business Owners Should Consider
In the journey of a business, launching a product is a key step. It provides many new opportunities for expansion, growth and excitement. But it’s not a step to be taken lightly. Business owners of all types should consider several things to ensure this step is carefully mapped out.

ASK - A Magic Little Word For Every Online Entrepreneur Who Wants To Get Wealthy
Many people, including a fair percentage of Internet marketers, have issues with asking for help under the mistaken belief that it shows ignorance or incompetence on their part. Nothing could be further from the truth.

We must step outside our Comfort Zone in order to succeed
When we decide to become an entrepreneur we must change our mindset and habits from our previous employment in order to succeed and this often involves performing tasks and actions that are outside our comfort zone. This article gives an insight into this process.

What to expect in your first month of business as a beginner network-marketer
The prospect of beginning business is an exciting experience but what are your expectations in the beginning stages and what decisions and actions should you be adopting in the early stages of your business? This article gives a brief overview of important points to consider.

"How To Find The Top Online Home Based Business?" Part 3: Qualify YOURSELF.
Successful people are not born, they are made. Take me as an example, I never knew I was going to end up being an entrepreneur working from home. Like everyone else I studied, finished school, worked for a company and worked myself up to management. I got caught up in debt because I was not financially educated. Because I did not have enough income to pay off our bills and support my family, I had to find a way to survive specially that I have two children dependent on me and my wife. Even if my wife worked, she had her own credit card bills to pay too. I learned my lesson the hard way. I had to experience nights without peace of mind. The situation forced me search for other income sources. I tried working overtime, looking for a second job, searched the internet for opportunities that had low cost startup without any risk.

Make Business Ownership a Reality through Franchising
If you’re like many people you’ve probably fantasized about how different your life would be if you were your own boss. Whether it’s the ability to be in control of your own success, schedule or future that leads you to daydreaming about being your own boss, you’re not alone.

Client Loss: Three Types of Women Entrepreneurs, Three Types of Responses
In an increasingly tough economy, losing clients can be a daunting proposition. A new study reveals that different types of women entrepreneurs have different approaches to running a business and dealing with everyday business challenges that arise. This article details how three very different types of women entrepreneurs are likely to respond to the loss of a client—along with insights for building business resilience and moving ahead.

You Can Recover From This Economic Recession - Are You Ready For Change?
Change is coming whether you like it or not, and I strongly suggest you make a change now and prepare for what's to come which is the biggest wealth transfer in the history of mankind. The best thing about all of this is that if you're in the know and position yourself properly, you will create a fortune for your family for generations to come.

Understanding Diversity in the Workplace
As a business owner, consultant, and entrepreneur I have been told by many small business owners that "diversity" is really only applicable to larger businesses. When asked what diversity means to them (the small business owner), many respond it is about differences in race or gender. It is not about making the workplace a better place in which to work, but more about following the law.

Do What You Love
I want you to do what you love. That's my mission. And if you want to be paid to do what you love, all the better! Sounds simple huh? Then why are so few of you doing it? Because it's not all that simple after all.

Be Your Own Boss! ~FOR SERIOUS ENTREPRENEURS...SECRETS TO WEALTH
Do you want to be your own boss this year or in the future? With so many choices and industries to choose from it is easy to choose a business model that looses you money and wastes your time, rather than make you money and give you more time. Well I'm going to tell you some facts and share with you the number one business model if you want to be your own boss. Enjoy this article by Omari Taylor and discover the number one business model if you want to be your own boss that will give you the results you are looking for.

How to choose a Successful Business Online and making that Right Choice
The prospect of choosing the correct online business can be daunting if you have limited experience in the profession and you are bombarded by many opportunities on the internet, particularly 'get rich quick schemes'. This article explores the different questions and criteria behind choosing a successful marketing system that will give the reader a clearer vision and process of what to look for and what questions to ask.

SMEs - entrepreneurs decoded
An overview of the different types of entrepreneur found in South Africa

SMEs - government strategies
An overview of government strategies for SMMEs

SMEs - a challenge for African countries
Why SME's are a challenge for African countries

SMEs - the impact of corruption has deep roots
What are some of the unforeseen consequences of corruption

SMEs - Are African SMEs serious about business
Overseas businesses often question me as to the ability of South African SME's to deliver

SME's - can entrepreneurialism survive in Africa
An overview to see whether entrepreneurialism can survive in Africa

SME's - does protectionism help
Is protectionism necessary in the African context fro SME's

SME's - entrepreneurs with no skills
South African universities have come under fire from the Minister of Education for producing too many arts graduates. What is the true cause of the problem?

SMEs - entrepreneurship in a true democracy
A look at the impact of a true democratic environment on entrepreneruship

SME's - government purchasing opportunities
What are the options for government purchasing?

SME's - in Africa the skills challenge grows
The impact of the skills drain on SME's in Africa

SMEs internal reasons for business failure
What causes most SME's to fail as businesses?

SME's - interventions in developing countries
In my literature review, a pattern developed for developing countries separate to developed countries.

SME'S - is government spending good for them
A look at the use of government spending to create SME'S

SME's - Is tendering harmful to SME's?
Does tendering hurt more SME's than it helps?

SME's - left wing politics in the new South African government
What are the likely effects of a more-socialist government in South Africa, on SMEs

SME's - major external reason for failure
My auditors claim that South Africa has one of the worst payment cultures in the world

SMEs - my PhD topic and African context
A brief overview of my PhD topic and its relevance to this blog.

SMEs oil price globalisation and SMEs in Africa Part II
Possible impact of increasing oil prices on globalisation and SMEs in Africa!

SMEs oil prices globalisation and SMEs
An overview of the possible effect of oil prices on globalisation and SMEs

SMEs - opportunities in Africa
An overview of opportunities in Africa for SMEs

SME's - protectionism does it help?
Does protectionism help entrepreneurs?

SME's - regulation in Africa
Why so much regulation in Africa?

Why Should I Become an Entrepreneur?
Five powerful reasons to become an Entrepreneur.

From Trucker to Transport Legend: How One Entrepreneur Rose From His Humble Beginnings
“I'd ask you what you'd been smoking if you'd said this was where I want to be at this particular time of life,” says Fox of his current achievements in life. “Being in the right spot at the right time, making commitments, fulfilling obligations to all the people that you've ever dealt with, give you a certain aspect of credibility. And credibility is really the foundation that you've got to keep on building upon. Stepping stones in the life, I guess, have been setting a goal. My original goal was to make Ł10 a day, two or three days a week. And then…”

SME's - regulatory compliance - is it an issue
Is regulatory compliance a real issue in Africa?

SMEs - should despots and dictators be given a free pass
Jacob Zuma has suggested if African despots and dicttors are given a free pass on war crimes and crimes against humanity they might leave the stage.

SMEs - South African SMEs and development capital
Certain entrepreneurs battle to get finance in South Africa

SME's - still a strong component in the South African economy
Despite the educational crisis in South Africa, entrepreneurship is thriving, albeit not the way it could be!

SMEs - survivalist start ups in South Africa present a unique problem
Problems associated with survivalist start ups in South Africa.

SMEs - surviving the recession in Africa
How can SMEs survive the recession in the African context

SMEs The African error
Do SME's create jobs?

SME's - The attractiveness of Africa
Is Africa, or will Africa, be attractive to SME's?

SMEs the difference between entrepreneurs and franchisees
There is a vast difference between a franchisee and an entrepreneur. what is the impact thereof?

SME's - the future is bright
Where do the fortunes lie for SME's in the future?

SMEs the impact of government interventions
An overview of the impact of government interventions on SME's.`

SME's - the impact of government mindset on entrepreneurship
Does government mindset impact on SME's?

SME's - the impact of regulation
What happens when we overregulate?

SMEs The impact of the current power crisis in South Africa
The impact of the current power crisis in South Africa on SME's is high. Where to from here?

SME's - the importance of communications for SME's in Africa
A look at why communications are important for African SME's

SME's - The need for more thought by African governments on the informal sector
The importance of a proper informal sector policy.

SMEs - the problem with development capital in South Africa
Development capital is available in South Africa. The problem is getting access to it.

SMEs - their future in the world economy
The next decade or two will become known as a period of economic decentralization. This refers to the breakdown of the large corporate organisation for a number of reasons, in such a way as to lead to economic decentralisation. Why should this occur?

SME's - Trends to watch for new business opportunities over the next decade or two
A review of predicted trends for the next decade - what business opportunities exist among them?

SME's - whose responsibility is finance for SMEs?
Is it the role of government to fund SME's?

SME's - why business from government is a challenge
Why African governments battle to give SME's business

SME's - why communication is good for innovation
A look at the link between communication and innovation

SME's - why compliance models work in Africa
Compliance models offer Africa the best hope for creating SME's

SMEs - why governments contribute to SME failure in Africa
What are African governments doing that exacerbates the SME failure problem?

SME's - why is franchising not more popular in Africa
Why are franchises so seldom seen in Africa?

SME's - why tendering is bad for business
SME's - why tendering is bad for big business and SME's

SME's - WIll China be the next colonial power in Africa
What is China's role in Africa?

SMEs working in the dark
Poor statistical information leaves SME's with no direction.

SMEs in Africa - do interventions help SMEs
A brief look at a few African interventions and their impact

SMEs in Africa - is capitalism really dead?
A number of people have said capitalism has failed. Has it really?

SMEs - different types of entrepreneurs
Different types of entrepreneur have different needs

Don’t Let Dead Links Kill Your Website
Dead links that no longer point to a web page can hurt your rankings in the search engines. We describe what dead links are, how they happen, and how to detect them.

Getting Started in Internet Marketing-A Beginner Resource
New comer's experience in the internet marketing might pose to be daunting and discouraging with possibility of untimely withdrawal from this medium of amazing success. In this article, I am going to offer you what you will need to scale through the initial challenges namely: positive mindsets, social networking, initial customers, time management and resource.

Why Most People Fail In MLM Multi Level Network Marketing! ~SECRET TO YOUR FORTUNE
97% of people online spend more than they make in their home based business and a majority of them are in MLM multi level network marketing. Why is that? Learn in this article by Omari Taylor about why most people fail in MLM multi level network marketing and how to guarantee you do not fail because of the organization you join.

Top 10 Criteria When Evaluating Online Business Opportunities
At this time of year many people will be coming up with New Years resolutions revolving around getting out of the rat race or unemployment by setting up their own online business. So I have devised my top 5 criteria to help those who want toselecta legitimateonline opportunity but don't know who to trust and are afraid of getting ripped off.

The Two-Word Secret Weapon to Effective Leadership
“Performance Management” is a term coined by Dr. Aubrey Daniels in the late 1970s to describe a technology for managing, both behavior, and results, the two critical elements of what is known as performance. As an entrepreneur and a leader it is critical in your business.

The Incredible Power of Your Vision
Creating clarity in your vision and purpose will insure your success. Each time an entrepreneur begins a new endeavor, you will find that they focus all of their attention and energy on the project. All of it! Most learn all there was to learn about the task at hand and then find even more information, generally from sources unrelated to the actual project. Through this, they usually create a whole new way of approaching a particular venture and undoubtedly live and breathe that endeavor to its successful end.

How to Develop the Entrepreneurial Mindset and succeed in your online business
How do you develop the entrepreneurial mindset? Are there a set number of tangible steps to reaching the goals you have set? This is my analysis of what are the most important facets of the mindset that are necessary to really succeed in your home based online business.

Selling Benefits
Selling benefits is something most salespeople neglect. Learn why in this article.

10 Signs You are the Bottleneck to Your Growth
Are you the bottleneck to your growth? From control issues to lack of decision making systems, entrepreneurs unwittingly get in their own way and it stifles their revenue growth, their sanity and their ability to get massive results.

My worst spends
On an almost daily basis, entrepreneurs are faced with the challenge of deciding what to spend on and what not to spend one. Due to our naivete or inexperience, a lot of fly-by-night operators are ready to take advantage. This article explores some sordid experiences I had, and why I would probably never spend on these things again

Top 7 Reasons Your Sales People Can’t Sell
As the business owner or entrepreneur you may get pretty frustrated because it seems like your sales people can’t sell. Naturally you want to blame them for their inadequacies.

Working Online - - Endless Possibility
Starting an Internet based business has never made more sense. Traditional brick and mortar is quickly becoming a notion of the past as entrepreneurs look at new ways of marketing themselves that get superior results.

The Right Move
Eco-entrepreneur Spencer Brown is saving consumers a lot of time and money and changing the way they move with his company, Rent-a-Green Box.

Smooth Sailing
A cash flow crunch could cause a wave of problems for your business. Making finances a top priority will help to ensure that you don’t capsize.

The Ultimate Sales Tip
The ultimate sales tip has only 3 words. Discover what it is today.

Pros and Cons of Starting your own Business
An increasing number of professionals from graduate to senior management level consider setting up an own business. There is a large variety of factors underlying these thoughts and tendencies. What are the pros and cons when considering a change from a "secure" employment to running your own business?

The Instruction Manual for the Entrepreneur’s Mind
What are the secrets of the world's most successful entrepreneurs? Open the instruction manual for the entrepreneur's mind to find out what are the mental strategies enable to do what others only dream of.

Direct Marketing Excellence explores… Effective Recruiting
Recruiting is the lifeblood of any direct marketing career. So why should you write off 80 percent of your prospects?

Useful Internet Marketing Tools On The Cheap: AddThis
Advertising is one sure way to draw visitors to your web site - but you do have to pay for those clicks, don't you? Word of mouth is free, but how do you generate that online? Here's a free tool that helps entrepreneurs do that and more.

Online Home Business Start up Guide
A brief guide about running a home based business.

Public Relations Success Stories
What makes public relations so fascinating are the unexpected perks. While you’re reaching your target market and promotional goals via public relations that press coverage can also lead to other money making ventures and career opportunities.

Go Ahead — Take a Big Sip!
Frequently our best opportunities are right under our nose. Life circumstances can blur our vision -- but if we take a fresh look we will find new solutions to open the door to a higher level of success.

The Six Pillars of Energy-Aware Entrepreneuring
One of the greatest benefits of being an entrepreneur is having the freedom to do what you want when you want… and that can be a bit daunting when you’re actually living it. With focus and proper support through the pillars of success for energy-aware entrepreneuring, you can find your way to freedom.

How To Focus On Your ‘Right’ Priorities
The word ‘right’ for me means right-brain, which translates to intuitively honoring the optimal choice or investment of time and energy. The right priorities are not always the obvious priorities.

The REAL 'Secret to Success'
If you want serenity, seek humility. Seek it in the eyes, the words and the deeds of those around you. Because, once you've found it and embraced it, you'll discover that you've found integrity and courage as well.

Resistance and Resilience Reflect Each Other
Resistance is what we experience when we’re getting ready to do something that goes beyond what we know, expect or find familiar. It’s the thing that makes us have bad hair days, get paper cuts, drop the coffee, run late or lose the phone when we’re about to make big change. The ironic thing about it is that resistance shows up even when we actually want the change to happen.

Entrepreneurs Instinctively Find Solutions for Business Issues
Some people are born with a "take charge" attitude, others develop it over time. But all entrepreneurs, natural born or developed, instinctively choose a solutions based approach to problem solving.

Why Entrepreneurs Need To Exercise Differently Than Other People
Most entrepreneurs are aware of the importance to stay in shape, but the challenge is that entrepreneurs typically adopt the same approach to exercise as they do to business. To support your fast paced and intense working life the temptation is to do a high intensity workout at full pace. This is a mistake. Adding high intensity, fast-paced exercise to a high intensity, fast-paced life only serves to amplify the imbalance in your life leading to an increased risk of illness, injury or burnout. I call this being an "Exhaustedpreneur". Exhaustedpreneurs are entrepreneurs whose bodies can't physically keep up with the demands of their work and life. The solution is about exercising in balance. I call it Exercising Right For Your Engine Type...

Just Play the Hand You're Dealt!
Are you waiting on the economy to recover? Waiting for the recession to pass? Waiting to see what your business produces? Waiting for things to turn around? The truth is simple: Wait and you will starve. Act NOW, and you will profit... in any economy. Play (and profit from) the hand you've been dealt.

Home Based Businesses - Why You Should Not Start One
Before you start an online business, take a serious look at whether you have the resources, talent and aptitude to successfully start and run such a business.

Work From Home or Work From Anywhere?
Do you want an opportunity to work from home? Or is it freedom itself that you are truly after?

Do I have what it takes to succeed with a home based business?
The author and home business expert explores the three character traits found in the majority of successful home business owners.

It's The Experience, Stupid!
Take a few minutes and read through all the statements of value on your web site and in your recent proposals. Think about the value propositions you have articulated during customer calls over the last few months. Do they strike you as static statements? Or do they communicate a sense of a living, dynamic, ongoing, integrated, valuable experience?

The Savvy Home Business Entrepreneur’s Owner's Manual For Making Bank
Not long ago I pointed out that I've wanted to be a knowledgeable property company entrepreneur since I was within the 3rd grade. I may well not have said it in exactly those words at the time-entrepreneur is really a massive word for a 3rd grade kid! Nevertheless, it was usually a personal objective for me to head my own company.

Five Steps to Startup Success
Entrepreneurs fail at an astonishing rate, yet they keep coming. Here are 5 steps that significantly improve the rate of success.

How to Earn Income from Home with a Recession-Proof Business Opportunity
You may have chosen the path of Work at Home Mom or Entrepreneur in order to earn income from home and live the lifestyle you have always dreamed of.But if you're like many of the people I talk to everyday, things might not have turned out like you expected. The one question I hear most often from people in your situation is: How can I earn income from home while sustaining long term health, wellness and financial freedom, regardless of what is happening with the economy? Here are five ways you can identify a business opportunity that will help you earn income from home no matter what the economy is doing.

Be Careful of Free Video Sites That Aren't Really Free
A couple ideas on being careful of free video sites that are not really free.

5 Important Rules In Website Design
A couple ideas on the basics of website design

5 Ways To Get Visitors To Your Website To Come Back
A couple ideas on how to get website traffic to come back.

3 Crucial Tools For The Affiliate Marketer
A couple ideas on successful affiliate marketing

Good Website Design Practices
A couple ideas on website designs

How To Have Websites Built For You Inexpensively
A couple ideas on saving money when designing websites

How Past Experiences Affect Your Life
A couple ideas on how upbringing and nurture shapes us.

8 Things To Know Before You Start Any Home Business
The best home business these days is one that you can do on the internet – not the one that your family and friends are trying to sell you. How do you start a successful home business? The secret of success is perseverance ,not to stop halfway through the business building process as so many people do.Stick to your business for at least 12 months before exploring a new venture.

Think and Prepare for the Future with Strategic Planning
Great leaders understand that the thought and planning process is critical to long term sustainability, future business growth and achievement of goals. In the big picture, this is more important than day to day operations and activities read on to learn more...

9 Secrets to Creating Positive Change
As a soul-driven entrepreneur, it's likely that you want to make the world a better place. And you also likely know that it all starts with you... as you evolve, your business evolves, you make a bigger, "cleaner" contribution and the world benefits. You, like the rest of us, have big dreams... and it's through your personal transformation that you have the power to make the world a better place.

Sales – Are You Up for the Challenge?
Selling is not easy. The last thing sales professionals should do is to make it any harder. The question is "Are you up for the challenge."

3 Qualities All Affiliate Marketers Need In Order To Survive Online
A couple ideas for successful affiliate marketers in order to survive online.

Customer Retention Using Human Technology Not Just Digital
As humans we love technology but we still want human interaction from the businesses we buy from. This doesn't always mean live interactions it just means consumers want the business to show they care if they're happy and satisfied. Learn three simple things entrepreneurs and small businesses should be using everyday to keep their customers coming back.

Who Is Your Ideal Client (And Why You Should Know)
One of the greatest misconceptions of new entrepreneurs is that "everyone" will want a certain product or service. While this may come as a shock to some entrepreneurs, there is no product, service, or idea that has ever been developed for sale that appeals to everybody.

Is Any Publicity Good Publicity?
There's an old saying that goes something like this: "All publicity is good publicity, as long as they spell your name right." Frankly, as a marketing professional, I would pretty much agree with that. Publicity means visibility, which generates awareness that could lead to interest, which combined with the credibility that earned media endows, could very easily lead to sampling or a decision to buy. (Bear in mind that what looks like a long, convoluted path on paper actually takes only seconds to register in the minds of your customers, and then you have results!)

Business Opportunity Success Teams To Build A Home Business
Business opportunity success teams make money online by pooling talents and sharing the workload. Work at home used to mean working alone. Anyone can make a living online if they are willing to learn how to harness the power of the Internet. You can shorten the learning curve by participating in home based business success teams to make money online. Making the decision work at home should never be taken lightly. Wishful thinking of making mounds of money with no effort seems to plague the Internet. Years of hype, half truths and misleading information persist even today when people are looking at online business opportunity. The biggest lie and the greatest truth about online marketing are so closely related that it would almost qualify as an urban legend. The Internet is changing and opening the doors for business opportunity.

The 10 Worst Mistakes on Twitter
If you're a business-owner, entrepreneur or marketing director, you're probably interested in learning the ins and outs of using Twitter. Some of your questions may include "How can I use Twitter for my business?" or "How can I use Twitter for marketing?" Another question you might ask yourself is "How should I NOT use Twitter?" In other words, what are the most common mistakes with using Twitter? This article answers that by providing an overview of the 10 worst mistakes on Twitter. Hopefully, by understanding how NOT to use Twitter, you can eventually become a Twitter Power User.

A Mentor Is Important, But A Coach Is Invaluable
Both terms, mentor and coach, are used interchangeably, designating leadership in guiding others to excellence. But there is an important distinction between the two terms. A mentor lays the foundation for success to their student or client. A mentor gives advice and answers questions but rarely, if ever, follows up to check on the progress of their client. A mentor sees the people they help as clients, while a coach sees them as students with the goal of turning them into either partners or coaches themselves. While mentors have helped millions of entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground, coaches inject themselves into the process and guide the entrepreneur from business start-up to profit. Mentors generally take a hands-off approach while coaches are definitely hands-on.

Living from our Higher Values
The basics of human behavior requires that we live to our highest values, thus in so doing we are congruent with our true selves. Higher values always dictate to us from within whereas our lowest values are motivated from outside forces. When we live to our higher values we will operate/work spontaneously, we will be working on what we love and we will have a smile on our faces. We will be self-driven when aligned with our highest values. On the other hand, when we are operating from without, we need constant motivation and push. Our days are a “drag” and our whole lives can be described as “unlived lives” in that we are not doing what comes naturally to us. When we set goals aligned to our highest values we are inspired and will succeed.

The 10 Energetic Keys of Business: What Could Be Tripping You Up
Everything is energy; quantum physicists are proving that daily, and that includes your business. If your business feels stuck or you know it could be better, this is vital information you can use right away. Knowing these triggers as keys to unlocking your business potential can save you time, resources and money by identifying what you might not even recognize as an issue.

The Power of Practical Wisdom
To have practical wisdom means that you know when to innovate, when to bend the rules, when to be flexible, when to improvise a solution. No set of rules can give us what we want because they become inherently constrictive. And rules can often require the individual to sacrifice their own beliefs in order to adhere to the rule.

Musings from the Marathon (and How it Can Help Your Business)
Now that Iąve completed 3 marathons, Iąve come to the conclusion that I think every business owner and entrepreneur should complete a marathon at least once in their life. No, not because I want partners to share in the torture and agony, but for the same reasons why I do. Let me explain.

How Working From Home Has Changed My Life
Learn how I became an entrepreneur working from home and how it has changed my life

How Do I Develop Attainable Goals?
The internet, books and courses are flooded with information about goal setting and goal planning. This is all great information for a seasoned business owner with a higher ratio of working on their business to working in their business. New business owners, however, listen to audio CDs and read books about goal setting, then ignore it to work on their AdWords campaign. They see the benefit of proper goal planning but do not think they have the time to do it properly since it took them over a week to read a book about it. This article lays out a simple yet robust plan to develop attainable goals in less than 30 minutes. Plus, with its revolving structure, as more goals are met, more get created, giving the business owner confidence that goals are being met while striving for the big picture.

R-E-O Improves Your Listening & Management Skills
Active listening skills are important to utilize in your everyday life in the workplace or at home. Passively listening while multi-tasking several things will give the impression that you are not paying attention, and could cause people to avoid you or maybe even resent you! If you are an entrepreneur or a manager, then you need people to trust you and follow your vision and direction. People must feel that they are being heard and respected, in order for them to return the favour!

Learn To Network To Build Your Home Business
When you own a home business, networking is something that you need to learn how to do. Both online and offline networking will help you spread the news about your business. In turn, other people might tell their friends about your business and you might just meet other people who can help your business grow.

Keeping Your Home Based Business Going After The Rush Has Worn Off
Starting your home based business is a challenge; everything is new, and it's very easy to just put in the extra hours because you're building something for yourself, not working extra hours for a boss who doesn't appreciate your talents or work ethic. It's easy to get wrapped up in the work and to dig down deep into the details that make your business yours.

If you thought recruiting staff was easy, try recruiting franchisees!
Recruiting franchisees is complicated. Franchisors are looking for a very special individual who has the drive to run his or her own business. And there are numerous other problems to overcome!

Home Based Business 9 Basic Work At Home Essentials
Home based business basic work at home essentials that every entrepreneur should consider before giving up a day job. Making the move from having a job and being an employee to being an entrepreneur can be unsettling especially if it is your first attempt. If you truly want to be an entrepreneur do not be deterred from your decision. Everything you need to know or learn is readily available online. A good place to start is with the home based business basic work at home essentials.

Nine Ways to Guarantee Business Failure
Discover the nine "sins" business owners commit that lead to their own business failure... including how the Law of ACTION assists the "Law of Attraction"... how (and where) sales are made... and more down and dirty business truths. This quick article is built on Michelle's own experience and that of her clients, but greatly assisted by wisdom found on the back of a Starbucks cup AND the first man to profitably combine RATS and FOOD.. the founder of the Chuck E. Cheese empire! Enjoy!

Headline Copy Tweaks You Can Make Today to Increase Sales Tomorrow
Do you know what people read first - practically EVERYTIME they read your copy?

Take the bite out of cold calling with these helpful strategies.
Few things strike fear into the heart of an entrepreneur than cold calling. But these cold calling strategies will help make the entire process more successful and enjoyable.

6 Simple Steps To Naming Your Lifestyle Business
If you are ready to start your own lifestyle business, but stuck on finding a good name for it or just wondering how to come up with a catchy name that hasn't been taken yet, you'll find your answers here. These six simple steps will help you find a great name for your business - something fitting, catchy and not boring.

A Reality Check
Entrepreneurs are notorious optimists - they almost have to be, to take the risks required to start their own ventures. I'm an optimist too, but I temper my sunny outlook with a large dose of realism. (It doesn't always save me from making dumb decisions, but it helps.)

Brotherhood of Entrepreneuers
There have always been small business enterprises to hold families and communities together. Timeless, enduring and even biblical, our brotherhood will prevail and sustain our forward progress.

Michael Jackson History: Michael Jackson - The Icon and Entrepreneur
Until his death at the age of 50, Michael Jackson has been all over the TV, the papers, and the magazines. He always had an iconic presence in the music industry since he started his solo career back in the 80's. In fact, a lot of music experts have declared him as Michael Jackson, the King of Pop.

Top 10 Franchises For Sale in 2009
Every year, Entrepreneur magazine names its top franchises for sale, gathered up into a list called the "Franchise 500." By referring to this list, prospective franchise owners can determine the top franchise for sale in any number of categories-the best fast-food franchise, the best auto service franchise, the best do-it-yourself picture framing franchise, and so on.

Online Business Success: Is Your Professional Brand Magnetic?
Does your online business have a brand that is magnetic? If you answered anything other than yes, read this article to learn exactly how to create a magnetic brand for your online business.

The Entrepreneur's Attitude is his/her Route to Success
Your attitude is something that is completely within your control. When you leave your home each day, the attitude with which you enter the world is entirely for you to choose. Enter the world with a positive, determined attitude and it’s like having a crystal clear windscreen in your car, you can see everything clearly and far into the distance. Your attitude is your window to your world nd to your success.your attitude can determine what you will accomplish today, as your attitude is what can keep you positive and focused on the task in hand. Your attitude is something that you can never just take for granted. To keep a positive attitude, you need to keep feeding it with positive experiences.

Entrepreneurs must Regain Control and Balance in their Life
With the ever-increasing pressures we face in all dimensions of our lives – work, family and social – it is becoming harder than ever to get everything done. But, it is possible to regain a sense of control and balance in our lives if we learn to manage our time more effectively. When situations seem impossible things can become possible. Stress seems to affect everyone in different ways. Time is of the essence in creating a sense of balance in your life. The more you learn how to manage your time more effectively, the less stressed you will feel and you will realise how much more you are achieving.

Why Buy an Existing Franchise Opportunity
Provides a list of some of the potential advantages of buying an existing franchise opportunity versus starting a new franchise.

Internet Based Home Business - Why More People Are Starting One
Perhaps a lot of online business owners these days would express their great appreciation to the advent of the internet, as many of them have managed to set up and nurture an internet based home business even on a shoestring budget through this modern medium.

Should I Franchise My Business
It is an important business decision whether or not a company should indeed franchise their business model. This article will provide some guidelines on how this can be accomplished.

Rags to Riches…Anecdotally Speaking
I love listening to a good story...especially ones about entrepreneurs and their path to eventual success. The woman or man who turned nothing into something, who did it quickly, and without the help of others, AKA the "rags to riches" story. I think there is a yearning in every entrepreneur who hears these stories to identify with the subject and imagine how it could happen to them. Like there is some magic formula to success, and if we could just do this one or two things...our business would take off, our work load would ease up and we would start living the good life we deserve.

Out of Work, Business Slow? Don't Despair Promote Yourself!
This article deals with promoting yourself or your business during tough times using the tools PR firms use.

How to Build Quality Financial Projections
“Financial projections are part art and part science”. So what does that mean? It means that you won’t know how to do them until you have done them. Sure there are some things you can estimate based on your knowledge and experience with a particular type of business, but the rest has to come from research. And, that research, is part of the overall business plan. Find out how to get them done in this article.

Knowing When It Is Time to Close Your Business
Can't seem to get to break even cash flow even though you have given it your best? This article discussed when it is time to "throw in the towel" or when it is worth going on to fight another day.

What Are Recourse and Non-Recourse Loans?
Understanding the difference between a "Recourse" and "Non-Recourse" loan is vital to every entrepreneur. Whether you are seeking financing or not, it is important to know what these terms mean and how they apply to you, the business owner. It is widely acknowledged that if you don't understand them, it can be very costly. This information just might come in handy in the future.

Internet Marketing For Small Businesses
When one raises the topic of internet marketing there are usually a couple of responses. From the technically gifted, they immediately go off onto an elaborate discussion about the nuances and subtleties of the newest software or services. For small businesses, there is usually a completely different reaction.

PR for Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs can benefit more from public relations than anyone else. Why? Every entrepreneur has a story and effective public relations comes down to one thing, effective story telling. Through effective PR you become the news and with that comes credibility and validation. You not only reach your target market, you’re positioned as an expert. And, once you start garnering media placement, you can use the Internet to amplify your coverage. You can use social media and Internet marketing techniques to take your PR campaign to a whole new level.

Earn From Home With A Legitimate Online Business
There are great expectations from legitimate online businesses because they are the ones that customers trust and transact with more than once. Building a legitimate online business will ensure profits as well as guaranteed entrepreneurial growth.

Promoting Your Home Business Start Up
One of the biggest questions on any entrepreneur's mind when starting a home based business is usually how to attract people to you and the product or service you have to offer.

Build A Successful Internet Business With These Four Steps
Uncertain economic conditions are driving more people to the Internet in search of ways to add to their income. There is no shortage of Internet home business ideas, however, what most people really want to know is how to build a successful Internet business. What it all comes down to is a few basics that should be applied to every business start-up, no matter how big or small or what the industry is.

The 70 Lessons of Running A Business On One's Own
This is a list of 70 lessons of sane, self-employment from the book Spare Room Tycoon.

Staying Small By Choice
Gil Gordon, who invented tele-commuting as a way of allowing talented employees to work from home instead of at their corporate offices, prefers to stay small. Here is his personal story.

The Joy of Survival
We need to celebrate when we feel joyful. Those are among life's precious moments that make our journey worthwhile.

The Entrepreneur's Itch
The is a story of Bill Wolheim, who finally came to the realization that being on his own is the only way to be at peace.

Searching for Wholeness and Balance As An Entrepreneur
Balance and Wholeness are two sides of a coin for the living entrepreneurs.

Ethical Expectation You Should Expect From Your Business Broker
Some business brokers belong to certain associations that have a code of ethics for brokers to follow. These, along with their own code of ethics, help ensure business brokers are of value to a business seller and buyer. A code of ethics ensures that a business broker puts the needs of the client before their own when making a business transaction.

A Walk in the Woods for An Entrepreneur
A story of how Helen Solomons finds peace and realization as an entrepreneur during walks in the woods.

What are YOUR chances of Rags to Riches
You’ve been lied to. You’ve been misled and if you’re like millions of people, you are just starting to realize that! Don't make the same mistakes that millions of people seeking "get rich quick" are making every year.

So Why Do You Do What You Do?
In today's society we often put a lot of emphasis on HOW things are done. Present a plan with lofty goals to the board of directors of any company and surely they will ask you how you suppose those goals will be met. Apply for a mortgage and you will be asked to demonstrate how you plan to pay it off. Give a professor the correct answer to a complex question and chances are you'll be asked how you arrived at your conclusion. The HOW is often so predominant that the WHY is sometimes completely forgotten, as if the WHY is of less importance. Nothing could be further from the truth. WHY you want something is infinitely more important than HOW you think you're going to achieve it.

Home Based Business – Unlimited Potential Income for Everyone
One of the best ways to boost your income is to join the field of being an entreprenuer. You can start a business which has less risk than a brick and mortar franchise business and this is called a home based business. All you need is a computer and an internet connection to start, and you are plugged in to an international market.

Diary of A Nutty Entrepreneur
When you become your own boss, don't turn into a slave.

Dressed To Bill
When you are on your own, you have to look good.

Ask For What You Want And Need To Do A Good Job
How Ralf Graves asked for what she wanted and got it.

Building Self Assurance
How Ellen Thompson built self assurance and maintained confident when it mattered.

Confidence Is Money
Confidence comes and goes; but you have to have it when it counts.

The Three Best Ways to Put Your Small Business Marketing on Autopilot
These days, you have market your business constantly and consistently. Because if you don’t, people are quickly going to forget about you and what you do-if they ever even noticed you to start with. But how do you do all that marketing AND everything else on your list?

Choosing the Home-Business That's Right For You
Starting a home based business is a great way to make a living. And right now with the way the economy is there are more and more people researching their options. Here are some tips to help you get started on your search for a home business.

What Does The Initial Franchise Fee Cover?
Franchising can be a confusing new world for anyone looking into starting a new franchise. One of the most important things to know, however, is what you actually get for the money you invest in your franchise fee. If you'd like to know what's included in the typical franchise fee, keep reading.

The Value of Branding
When a small entrepreneur understands what a brand really is, and learn to focus on their business development from that angle, then they will "grow up" to be the big businesses of the future. Big business that grows from the small entrepreneur standpoint are connected with the impact they have on their customers and the world - but are finally operating from a place of power. All of this comes from having effective branding for your business!

Leaders Should Think Bigger
You know who you know… Who don’t you know that you need to know to expand your circle of influence?

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO ENABLE YOU DEVELOP YOUR BUSINESS AND INCREASE SALES AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.
Marketing is defined as coming up with products that satisfy the needs of the customers. Therefore marketing is identifying and developing products to satisfy the customers’ needs. By looking at the two definitions you can see the close relationship. Both entrepreneur and marketers do the same thing, identify and fill a gap in the market.Because entrepreneurs are marketers, then I believe you as an entrepreneur have done the following for your business development.

Smart Women Are Like Christopher Columbus
This article is about the value of life-long learning. Women must continue to grow themselves personally, professionally and spiritually. Our confidence and outlook on life is much brighter when we are learning and mastering new skills. The positive energy flow in adult learning environments is wonderful.

Entrepreneur vs. Small Business Owner—Why You Should Care
If you run your company (or career) from a place that is what you think you “should” or are “supposed to” do, not from what is right for you, it may be a very bumpy ride. Knowing the key differences between being an entrepreneur and small business owner should help guide you down the right path:

WHY KENNY ROGER’S GAMBLER SONG MAKE A LOT OF BUSINESS SENSE
The other day I was listening to music and Kenny Roger’s song The Gambler was playing. I had not listened to this song for quite a while and my mind was captivated by that song for a while. This song had a business idea for any entrepreneur in the world. The song says that every gambler knows the secret for surviving. What if the song says every marketer or business know the secret for survival? What would be the secret for survival would it be good customer service, superior products, or would it be sound financial management?

Understanding the Propose of Your Business
And just like building a strong house, creating the business/career (or life for that matter) that you love all starts with having a solid foundation: where that cornerstone is placed. Why do you have your business? What is it you want to ultimately achieve with it? Beyond the fame and fortune. What is it that really gets you excited and out of bed in the morning? Discovering the purpose of your business can be simple… and not so simple! It requires you to really delve deeply into the core of what it is you are all about… as an entrepreneur/intrapreneur as well as a human being. Recently I have been promoting and working with clients building their Sustainability Blueprints.

5 Ways Social Media Could Have Improved My Life
Social media has taken us a long way from where we were even ten years ago. Here's a fun list of ways social media and technology could have helped me in the past.

A Day In The Life Of A Plan Ahead Events Franchisee
Regardless of what the client needs done, what kind of event needs to be planned, or how big the night is supposed to be, the Plan Ahead Events people make it happen. Here's an in-depth look at a day in the life of a plan ahead events franchisee.

10 Pieces of Business-Building Wisdom I Wish I’d Known Years Ago
It’s sad to say but true…Most of what you learn about starting and running a small business before becoming an entrepreneur is dead wrong! You can spend years figuring this out on your own (like I did), or you can read this article and benefit from my mistakes…

So Thats What The Brake Pedal Is For! Great Executive Coaches Add Balance
Successful entrepreneurs understand that executive coaches can add an important dimension to their growth in business and as people. Great executive coaches add balance that can make all the difference in how effective the entrepreneur ultimately is.

How Much Do Press Releases Cost?
If you've ever wondered how much to spend on a press release, or whether or not you should even write one, check out these quick tips to save time and money.

The Boomer Survival Guide
If the name of the game is 'Life', then 'uncertainty' is how it's played. All the other illusions are merely debilitating distractions along the way.

Home Staging Offers Job Security
The Staging Diva®, explains why operating a home staging business offers more job security than being employed by someone else.

Sales Tip – Top 3 Ways Salespeople Can Underscore Serving Their Prospects!
One of the biggest problems salespeople have is not understanding who the selling ultimately helps: win, win, win sound familiar? There are long and short ways to underscore your prospect and with that, increase your sales.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
Total Cost of Ownership or TCO is referred to as a concept by which all costs associated with a capital purchase over a given time period are accounted for in the value assessment.

Why Should You and Your Business be In a Joint Venture Club
If you are considering building or growing a business you need to understand the current business trends.

Finding Joint Venture Partners Just Got Easy
Joint ventures produce 40 trillion dollars per year in revenue, shouldn't your business be benefiting from it? Finding joint venture partners to benefit your business was a difficult task until now. Learn how you can have access to entrepreneurs around the world who want to do joint ventures with you. Learn how to explode your sales and get thousands of new customers and have fun doing it.

Kick Off Spring Time With A Spring Cleaning Small Business Franchise
Spring is fast approaching, and with spring comes the notion of spring cleaning. While most of us consider spring cleaning to be cleaning out the garage or organizing the closets, there are also things around the home and office that need seasonal cleaning that are a bit out of the reach of the average homeowner. Here's a look at some spring cleaning franchise opportunities that can make great money all year long.

Sustainable Issues And Business Opportunities
With all the news of our planet being in such an environmental crisis, it is enough to make one's head spin. Here is how to select an issue and build your business, product or career around creating solutions for it.

9 Ways to Become An Expert Without Writing A Book
You have a business. You want more publicity. You don't have the time or inclination to write a book. Such is the plight of the modern entrepreneur. It seems like Jill Competitor is getting on the news all the time, and she doesn’t even know that much! How in the heck can SHE be an expert -- and how can you be one too??

Are You Looking for A New Start in 2009?
Now that many of the resolutions you made in the initial frenzy of the New Year may have fallen away, it's the perfect time to really evaluate what you want this year to mean for you. What do you want to be, do and have in 2009?

Why Small Businesses Don't Survive
There are more than 30 million small businesses nationwide. Approximately 65 percent of small businesses are grass-root small businesses, and unfortunately don’t survive because they are not fully equipped or prepared to do business and compete in the marketplace efficiently. They have great intentions, a vision, and a big dream. Many start their business with true purpose-to help others through the use of their products or services. However, most often a new business owner believe they can run a business without a plan or strategy, not considering the unforeseen and possibilities which could influence the outcome of the business.

Buying a Franchise vs. Starting a Business ©
During economic downturns, many employees get laid off from their jobs. They are then faced with the question of what they do next. They may file for unemployment benefits and look for another job. Others may consider buying a franchise or starting their own business. This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of buying a franchise versus starting a business from scratch.

How Much Should You Charge As An Independent Consultant?
James Chan shares one lesson on pricing.

Getting it From Here to There
"Build a better mouse trap and the world will beat a path to your door" is false! Building a great roduct is NOT enough. Executives need to think through how they will get their great product from their place of business to the ultimate end user. What needs to happen in the process? What are the implications for pricing and marketing the product? This article is intended to spur your own thinking.

When You Stand at the Turning Point
"Taking Care of Business" may be exactly the wrong thing to do when it's all about to come undone. In this economy, that could be tomorrow!

Why Start a Home Base Business
Small Businesses are everywhere is not a fashion is necessary to see how a working lake that is required and must be done to achieve solid growth and continued with these items that are displayed here. Since the beginning of the Internet to this day beginning with the most basic things to be adding something more complex so that you will develop your business if you wish. I remain at your service for any query.

From Founder to Leader – Building a Company From an Idea
“Right now it's only a notion, but I think I can get the money to make it into a concept, and later turn it into an idea.” -- Woody Allen Much has changed since Woody Allen came up with this line in 1977 – but the basic premise remains – any entrepreneur has the ability to bring an idea to fruition with the right backing. However, it takes more than money to make it work, and one of the main points of pain in building a company is making the transition from founder to leader. It’s a tough transition, and one that many startup founders fail to make.

How To Use A SWOT Analysis To Improve Your Business
SWOT is short for Strengths, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats. A SWOT Analysis is a powerful tool often used by business consultants when reviewing a business that is not performing as well as it should be. It’s a simple to understand but powerful tool that you should be able to use yourself. So how can you use it to improve your own business.

4 Things To Keep In Mind Before Dabbling Into A New Business
Are you thinking about starting your own new business? Many people often think about having their own business but they are not really sure about where to begin. On the other hand, since they have never been into business before, they are not confident about whether their business ideas and talent will actually work in the real world.

Entrepreneurs and Success-Seven Qualities that Matter Most
Entreperneurs and start-up add more jobs than any other source. What makes and Entrepreneur successful. Read of these 7 qualities essential to entrepreneurial success.

Realizing and Breaking your "Glass Ceiling" - Part 1
SERIES PART ONE: The legacy behind every successful professional, entrepreneur, and personal achiever is a storied history of breaking the "glass ceilings" in their leadership journey. These are the subconscious restrictions you place upon yourself as reasons for not achieving your goals. Take these proactive steps to begin your journey of achieving higher levels of Leadership.

Realizing and Breaking your "Glass Ceiling" - Part 3
SERIES PART THREE: The legacy behind every successful professional, entrepreneur, and personal achiever is a storied history of breaking the "glass ceilings" in their leadership journey. These are the subconscious restrictions you place upon yourself as reasons for not achieving your goals. Take these proactive steps to begin your journey of achieving higher levels of Leadership.

Realizing and Breaking your "Glass Ceiling" - Part 4
SERIES PART FOUR: The legacy behind every successful professional, entrepreneur, and personal achiever is a storied history of breaking the "glass ceilings" in their leadership journey. These are the subconscious restrictions you place upon yourself as reasons for not achieving your goals. Take these proactive steps to begin your journey of achieving higher levels of Leadership.

Realizing and Breaking your "Glass Ceiling" - Part 5
SERIES PART FIVE: The legacy behind every successful professional, entrepreneur, and personal achiever is a storied history of breaking the "glass ceilings" in their leadership journey. These are the subconscious restrictions you place upon yourself as reasons for not achieving your goals. Take these proactive steps to begin your journey of achieving higher levels of Leadership.

Leadership and Entrepreneurship
Seth Godin's newest book "Poke the Box" is like an entrepreneur's bible. He encourages all of us to instigate, innovate, reinvigorate. Isn't that what entrepreneurs do? yup, that's what we do all the time! So is that the same as leadership? Sometimes entrepreneurs, the real on the edge pioneers forget to bring along those who can't think as fast, be as visionary, move as intently. That is where a different kind of leadership needs to kick in.

How Experts Are Born
Let’s talk about becoming an expert. First of all, what is an expert and why is it important for you? As an Entrepreneur, positioning yourself as an Expert allows you to become a big fish in a small pond, you don’t need to be known all over the world to make money, you just need to be known in your specific niche. Think of it like cream rising to the top, people begin to know and trust the real estate agent that has a column in the newspaper and was interviewed on TV, or has a real estate TV Show in their local area. Often times, increasing your status to being the Expert in your specific field, can earn you 100,000 to over 1,000,000 in products and services sold annually. Customers come to you because you’ve earned the reputation as being the “best” in your field.

How to write a killer business plan executive summary.
The executive summary is the most read and often hardest to write section of a business plan.

Should I use a consultant to create my business plan?
A consultant can help you to better define your business strategy and succinctly outline this in plan. Whilst you may believe that a consultant led planning process may deliver an improved result, is it worth the cost?

How to overcome the fear of owning a business?
It’s a mixed feeling - both scary and exciting to own a business, especially when you are a first time business owner. The fear of failing can be overwhelming and in most cases prevents an individual from buying a business. However two things can help you overcome the fear and they are knowledge and self confidence. Sounds simple? It is simple. By the time you finish reading this article, you will know how to obtain the right information, ask the right questions, and how to think like an entrepreneur. All these actions will give you the self confidence you need to become a business owner.

Short Marketing Plan Helps Entrepreneurs Take Action
Business owners who feel intimidated by the thought of compiling a traditional “inch thick” marketing plan will finally be able to take action by following intrepid entrepreneur, Staging Diva’s, easy process for creating a one page marketing plan.

Blogging Dry Spell Anyone? How to Conquer the Blogging Blas
The longer you don’t blog the harder it is to blog, and that’s really how any kind of writing is. You get out of practice to the point that trying to say anything in prose feels stilted and difficult. It’s not a use it or lose it proposition though. You can get back on the blogging bandwagon.

Personal Success Tips - Blazing New Trails to a New Career
Reinventing yourself from one career to another is an adventure. The adventure can be welcomed or not. It depends upon personal circumstances. To some it is a deliberate intention to change. They are eager to venture out beyond their comfort zone and tap into their potential. To others reinventing themselves may be an unwelcome transition due to job loss, having to go back to work, divorce, or some other circumstance beyond their control.

7 Ideas Owners Must Consider When Succession Planning
Recently we’ve been reading reports and statistics on succession planning. Did you know that according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses more than 40% of business owners plan to leave their businesses in the next 5 years. Are you one of them? Then read this article and start ensuring your success.

The American Dream, Part I of II
This article is in two parts. The first part looks at the questions a prospective business owner must consider when pursing "The American Dream". In part II we will compare buying a franchise or existing business to starting a business from scratch.

Internet Home Based Business - What To Look For In A Quality Leader
When it comes to having success with your internet home based business, there are a number of crucial facets you will need to focus on. Something that often gets overlooked is the quality of the leader who is running the business you join.

5 Ways to Increase the Credibility of Your Business Plan
What most entrepreneurs and business owners don't realize is that investors and lenders receive so many hyped-up business plans each day that it actually becomes comical to them. Here are five ways to improve the credibility of your business plan so it is taken seriously by investors and lenders.

3 Entrepreneur Coaching Strategies
Did you ever learn to play chess? Not the most popular game for this century when we move at the speed of light. However, it is a vital game for anyone who runs a business. Whether you formally know where to position a knight or a pawn on a board, you do this with employees and customers all the time.

Entrepreneur Strategies: The Home-Work Connection
When you are stressed at work do you ever say "My home is my haven?" And when there is too much going on at home think "I can't wait to get to work so I don't have to think about the problems at home?" Work and home seem like different worlds. We say we want work/life balance as if they are opposite chunks of matter we can weigh on a scale. Thinking we can totally separate who we are at work from who we are at home is an illusion. Sure, there are some differences. Yet, the common denominator is that we bring ourselves to work, with all our patterned behavior, and we take that same self home. The other common denominator is that work and home are both relationship systems that are powerful influencers on us.

Entrepreneur As Coach: When You Work with an Avoider
You know anyone who is absolutely, positively aware of problems and conflicts, yet won't say a word, or do anything about it? I said, do you know anyone like that? Maybe another question can be are you like that? Avoiders are in great supply in our culture. In fact, other than pleasers, they are probably at the top of the pattern hit parade. We are, in general, people who hate conflict, hate confrontation, and will do whatever to stay out of the way of dissent.

Entrepreneur Caution: Idea Vampires are on the Loose
Watch your necks! Be careful with whom you share your ideas! The Idea Vampires are out in full force this month! Actually they are around all year. They just seem more overt in their blood sucking right around Halloween. This is their time of year. Right before the Christmas bonus is being discussed. So, how can you recognize an idea vampire? Here is what they are not: no, they don’t all have long black hair. They don’t all have extra long eye teeth hanging out like fangs. They don’t talk in funny Transylvanian accents.

Entrepreneur Learning: The Social Brain at Work
I bet you don't remember when you were born. I bet, however, your mother does. You were being set up to be cared for and nurtured, even without you or your mom knowing it, So, what in the world does that have to do with workplace cultures and workplace relationships? It's all about the social brain and how we are all connected. You see, when you were being birthed, a hormone called oxytocin was flooding your mother's system, and thus you got a shot of it, too. It is the beginning of the bonding experience. It is what helps all the mom's in the world forget about the pain of that arduous journey from the womb to becoming a member of this planet.

Top 10 Home Service Franchises That Succeed During Recession
When the economy suffers, real estate sales inevitably slow down, and a by-product of this hit to the real estate industry is that more and more people want to protect their own investments and make upgrades to their homes, making home service franchises extremely viable in nearly any economic climate.

Distracted by Life
'The Frazzled Entrepreneur' isn't at all a myth: it's the fate of too many men who jump ship from their careers to become an entrepreneur without enough thought. Things may not be as urgent as you think!

Entrepreneurship is Like Parenting: Nurture Your Business in Good Times and Bad
Intrepid entrepreneur, Staging Diva, compares entrepreneurship to parenting in this article and asks business owners why they would give up on their enterprise when times get tough.

Fearless Business Growth: Making 2009 Big, Bold and Profitable ... Even in a Recession
Are you or your company becoming a"shrinking violet" in this economic downturn? Do you find yourself controlled by a "wait and see"ť attitude, hoping the future will magically get better? Do you realize that, if you don't put the brakes on this no-win thinking and behavior soon, 2009 will be more of the same ... or worse? I am challenging every executive and entrepreneur to go against the "herd mentality"ť paralyzing the business world and drive your own reality in 2009. In this article are 7 "must do's" how.

Smart Women Make a Great First Impression
This article is about creating a lasting, positive first impression with your ideal client. Making sure that you have a process in place for people who inquire about your product or service is critical to long-term success and business growth.

Qualities of Excellent Leaders: Leading an Organization to Triple Digit Growth
The ability of any organization to experience explosive growth hinges on the quality of leadership in the executive office. Whether you are a budding entrepreneur or established CEO hungry for results, the changes you want to implement will only go so far as your leadership ability allows. Imagine for a second that you want to experience triple digit growth this year, in this horrid economy. Some companies will certainly do it. The question is: will yours be one of them? These are the leadership traits you will need to get it done.

Home Based Small Business Opportunities You Can't Miss
Owning a small business is a great way to earn a living, but when you say “small business” you may be thinking “home based business.” Here are the differences between the two, as well as some business opportunities to look into.

Entrepreneurs – Do You Want To Get Your Classified Ads Read?
We all know how important advertising is to your business – if people don’t know what you have to sell they won’t buy from you. Getting customers to even think about spending is hard as everyone seems to be watching their spending. Classified ads are great because they are relatively inexpensive and are quick to set up and equally as quick to change if they appear not to be working. So how can you make your small advertising budget work for you and get your classified ads read and most importantly acted upon?

List Building And The Successful Entrepreneur
Obviously as an entrepreneur you want to be successful but what if I told you that you are probably letting your next customers walk on past your shop or your web site? What if you were also wasting a high proportion of your marketing dollars? Gives you a pause for thought doesn’t it?

Home Business Expert: 5 Fundamental Income Producing Activities
These are the 5 fundamental income producing activities that are essential because they can ensure that your home business would be a success.

Home Business Expert: Prosperity
Ultimately, you have to ask yourself: Which is greater, the price of failure or the price of success?

Home Business Expert: Drive: How Far Will You Go For Your Business?
You need to ascertain what kind of drive you have and whether you are mentally prepared to experience the pitfalls or not.

Pursuit of Leadership Happiness
As we grow we have a right to pursue education and for many that is where happiness lies, for others it is being an entrepreneur, taking risks and going into uncharted territory.

Where Entrepreneurs Should Invest their Money First
Where entrepreneurs should invest their money first - Where should you invest money when you're investing back into your business? There are so many tools and software choices. Or maybe you should hire more staff? In this article, you'll read about a series of investments that might surprise you – and these might currently be pretty low on your investment list – but they should be much higher, and perhaps even immediate. When you do invest in one of these options, you'll not only be setting your business on a firmer foundation, but you'll also be opening your business up to much greater opportunity.

How To Successfully Buy Your Second Company
An accomplished entrepreneur who has sold his or her first business often seeks to re-enter the business world by acquiring and operating another company. But the acquisition likely involves new partners and different strategies than those previously employed. This article examines just such a scenario, presuming the reader is the purchaser in question. The article covers the necessary planning, leveraging purchasing power with debt, considering outside investors, and the benefits of professional expertise to ease the acquisition process.

Acquiring an Existing Business
Many people aspire to be an entrepreneur. So, buying an existing business, rather than starting one from scratch can be a sound strategy to achieve this dream. One good reason is that it puts you well ahead of the game, since the start-up phase is the most common time for a business fail.

Businesses Failure – 10 Reasons Why It Happens And What To Do To Avoid It.
Many, many businesses fail – and most would not have done so if only the entrepreneur had ensured that they had fully planned out and set up their new business first. Here’s ten vital areas to get right!

Starting A New Business Is Easy And Other Myths!
You’ve got your business ideas, you know what you want to sell and to whom. You’ve even got enough money to survive for six months. The next bit is easy then. Sorry no it’s not – now the hard grind starts. Here are some business myths that you should be careful not to believe.

Investors in your business - are they the best solution for your funding problems?
You've got your business; you now need the money to fund its startup or expansion. Where do you go to and what are the expectations you must meet? Have you thought of using investors? We'll show you what to expect and the best way to make them interested in you.

Entrepreneurs – How Do You Ride The Turnover Cycle?
You have a great month and make more than you thought possible, but the next month your sales are much lower and by the third month they are almost non existent. What happened and how on earth do you survive this situation?

Entrepreneurs – You Want Your Customers To Remember You Don’t You?
You’ve worked hard to get your business up and running and you are starting to get a good customer base – so how do you make sure that they do not forget you?

Entrepreneurs – Looking For Investors In Your Business – Here’s Where To Find Them
You’ve got the great business idea, you are all set to start your new business – all you need now is some finance. So where do you find those elusive investors – or better still some no strings money?

When Entrepreneurs are Outstanding
Do you love to stand out from the crowd? When you walk into a room do people point and nod and smile like you are a celebrity? Have you been asked to give interviews about your amazing skills and talents? Then please remember this quote: the higher you go the harder you can fall!!

The Fearless Entrepreneur's Pledge
Inspirational pledge to re-motivate business owners and entrepreneur's for the year ahead.

Are You Ready For Franchising?
Franchising. Just saying the word has an almost soothing quality to it as it rolls off the tongue. As a concept, franchising is suppose to provide business owners a sense of comfort and ease, knowing that behind their new venture are people with years of tried-and-true business experience waiting to share it. Franchising is a business network that allows people to share a brand identification, a successful method of doing business, and a proven marketing and distribution system. But franchising isn't for everyone. In fact business owner "wannabees" should think carefully before spending many months and much cash on securing a franchise that either isn't right for them and provides no extra benefits. This article provides 5 important steps you should consider before purchasing a franchisee.

THE CONSCIOUS ENTREPREUNER
Millions of entrepreneurs around the world are awakening to the new approach to business... a “conscious” or “spiritual” approach to business! But, here’s the problem, it’s nearly impossible to find books on this topic. Because it’s so new, there isn’t a lot of information available that INTEGRATES consciousness/spirituality and business specifically for entrepreneurs

Defining the Entrepreneur
How do you define an entrepreneur? Some would say that an entrepreneur is a well financed businessperson, who launches a new business with $20M in venture capital funding. Others would say an entrepreneur is anyone with a great idea and a folding table, a cell phone, and a computer in their garage! Both descriptions might be correct, but that does not really get to the heart of the matter of what truly defines the entrepreneur. This article examines three of the key elements that truly define the true entrepreneur in todays business climate!

Cheap Business Loans?
Every business owner is looking for Cheap Business Loans. But, what really is a cheap business loan? It might not have to do so much with the interest rate as you think.

Successful Internet Home Based Business Recruiting Process
When it comes to building a solid internet home based business program or company, the recruiting process is a vital piece to focus on. You want to find as many people who are dedicated and willing to excel in the business on the internet.

Post Sale Follow Up is really an Opportunity to Sell More Product
Many valuable opportunities to make more money are lost when we don't use the phone to follow up after a sale or purchase. Finding out if the buyer is happy is a great idea anyway, but here are a few brief tips on converting those existing clients to more sales.

Making Outbound Customer Service Calls
Converting Customer Service Calls to More Opportunities is vital in a recession, and any time. Learn a few tips on this valuable resource.

Compliance: Why Does Your Website Need a Phone Number?
Many Internet Marketers eventually run into a conundrum: They Didn't know they'd need a phone in order to run their online empire.

Growing Under Pressure
Courage is sometimes defined as “Grace under pressure”.

Who are you and what do you do?
"Ok...I'll give you 60 seconds to tell me why I should listen to you." Whether it is actually verbalized or just inferred, every entrepreneur has heard it and every entrepreneur needs to know how to respond.

You need involvement
If you're looking to build connections for you and your business, then you need involvement, too. Networking requires you to know other people, and successful entrepreneurs know the best way to do that is to be involved.

Avoiding drift...
Often in planning for our businesses, we set up performance metrics that are tied to ANNUAL goals.

Are your goals in writing?
The most PRODUCTIVE people write down their goals.

Business Lessons from Barack Obama
An Intrepid Entrepreneur, gleans a valuable business lesson from President-elect Barack Obama. Here she shares what she’s learned with other entrepreneurs.

How Not to Work Evenings & Weekends
Master the discipline of time management and delegation to avoid burn -out and to excel in many wide-ranging things simultaneously...

New Sales Using Twitter Locality Search
Using Twitter to grow a massive local following of potential sales, clients, readers, followers and contacts.

Tips For Making A Successful Home Repair Franchise Business
A recession-resistant business can be a great blessing, but if it isn’t operated properly, it will never become all that it can be. Here are some easy steps you can take to make your home repair franchise flourish.

Finding More Followers on Twitter
Twitter is Undervalued as a Search Engine. In this short series of articles, Lon will demonstrate basic search, locality search, and advanced search features. This article covers basic search feature of Twitter, and how to use it to find followers using keywords.

Building a Large Audience on Twitter Ninja Tips
Here are a few great tips on helping you find good lists to follow on Twitter. Sometimes the answer is right in front of us.

Who Are You Becoming?
Never lose sight of the person you are the person you are becoming.

Twitter Search Commands
Twitter calls their commands "Operators" when using Search. Underrated as a search engine, it is possible to search many ways using a diverse range of tactics. These commands or Operators are taken directly form Twitter's Search Feature.

Marketing - The Key To Small Business Success In Recession
Though many forget it, marketing is one of the most essential ingredients to the success of any business. Before you look seriously at a franchise, ask a few questions about its marketing.

Don't Think Too "Small"
Don't Think Too "Small" Simple as it may sound, many small companies stay small because their owners never dare to think big. It's true: Negative or defeatist thinking is the greatest obstacle to business success. As long as the entrepreneur thinks of himself as a nickel-and-dime operator, his company will never be more than a financial midget scratching around for subsistence earnings. It is an easy trap to fall into. You may, after all, run a small venture with relatively few employees and limited capital. Accepting the role of a small-time business owner is an inexcusable business mistake. It is like drawing a circle around your company and promising not to grow any bigger than these artificial borders.

Top Traits of Women Entrepreneurs
The growth of women's entrepreneurship in the last few decades has been extraordinary. According to the Small Business Administration, women-owned businesses accounted for a mere 4.5 percent of all businesses in 1977. In 2008, more than 40 percent of all businesses are 51 percent women-owned. However, only 3 percent of these companies gross more than a million in annual revenue. The Center for Women's Business Research studied this elite group (those businesses grossing over a million in annual revenue) and determined some key characteristics that were common in all of the companies.

Effective Leadership = Business Success
Leadership plays a vital role in the building of any business and can have a direct effect on the attitudes of colleagues and staff which in turn affects products and services. The attitude and influence of the leader is also reflected in aspects such as staff satisfaction and retention.

Business and Entrepreneurship Passion not required
What’s the deal with passion and business? I often hear people say, “To be in business requires passion”, “Entrepreneurs need passion to be successful”, or “You won’t make it in business without passion.” The list goes on and on. My intention in this article is to discover if passion is truly required for business (or life for that matter).

Networking strategies for growth
Networking is becoming more and more popular as a method of meeting business contacts and building relationships. Some people like to network to meet like minded people and develop a support network because it can be lonely if you are working on your own. Others want to seek out people who can refer them to new sources of business, or might even become a client themselves. Yet with so much choice available, how do you decide on a strategy to meet your business goals?

Is Your Sales Model Effective? Know Your Salesforce ABC's
What happens when you compare a model like Deborah's - if you're gonna go hunting you'd better come back with dinner - with a model that has its salespeople making 3 sales calls per day, or around 60 per month? Do you think those salespeople come back with 60 new customers or orders per month? No chance! They probably sell 10. That's why they're on so many calls. What would happen if you told those salespeople that you only wanted them to go on 30 calls per month, but you want them to be a lot more selective, and you expected them to close 50% instead of 10%?

Seek and ye shall find – the right information
Good information is all around you

Twitter Add New Followers Daily
Networks that aren't growing, are stagnating. People get bored, they lose interest, they don't understand Twitter. DON'T GIVE UP! Get serious, and grow your network.

Successful Franchising Building Your Own Box
This article discusses how to make sure that any franchise you investigate is first and foremost a strong fit to you and your skills. This is the number one mistake people make when trying to find a franchise on their own.

"I’m Just a [Insert Your Title Here] Who Can’t Say No"
In my experience, most of the people I coach are truly capable of accomplishing anything they want to achieve. They are highly talented and highly gifted in their ability to make dreams become realities for themselves and for others. However, they often sabotage themselves by trying to do too many major projects at the same time.

Great at Multitasking? Well, That’s a Bummer!
Some wear it like a badge, others are visibly overwhelmed. Multitasking, they feel, is a necessary component of being competitive and in touch in today’s world. In fact, it is quite the opposite... and much, much worse. Here’s why.

Pros and Cons to Marketing Your Company as Green
With everyone and their mother now marketing themselves as green this and green that, what is the real scoop on green marketing?

Why Rapid Business Decisions is Crucial and How
Rapid decision making as an entrepreneur is increasingly crucial in today’s global economy. Here are the six steps necessary to make sure you make them quickly… and correctly.

Why Rapid Business Decisions is Crucial and How
Rapid decision making as an entrepreneur is increasingly crucial in today’s global economy. Here are the six steps necessary to make sure you make them quickly… and correctly.

Your Inner Entrepreneur
Recently I was asked by a friend “how do you see so many opportunities?” I thought about her question for a while and was not sure how to answer and said “My mind always sees the big picture, but I’m not sure why.”

Smart Women in a Wild, Wacky World
If you've had some challenges lately in your business or personal life, and feel like you need some solutions to help you move into possibility thinking, here are a few tips that I personally use to move me out from under the covers and into being an energized solution seeker.

Bear Market Defense
An entrepreneur asks, “Is there anything I can do to defend myself against lower investment returns when the market slumps?” Happily, the answer is yes.

TOP TIPS FOR SURVIVING IN BUSINESS
Develop a Creative way to work within your organization. Say Yes And to new ideas, rather than Yes But. How to brainstorm and blue sky ideas in a more creative supportive way. Especially in this time of economic uncertainty businesses need to be more when innovative this improvisational model will build ideas.

The Freedom Formula by Christine Klosser
This book was written to help entrepreneurs learn how to put soul and a spiritual aspect into their business. The book has repeatedly been an Amazon best seller throughout 2008.

Top time management tips for busy entrepreneurs
I don’t think I’ve ever met a business owner who wasn’t busy. Managing your time is one of the hardest things you’ll need to do as an entrepreneur. There’s always too much to do, so you’ll need to manage your time well in order to get everything done. Here are my top time management tips:

The Quick Media Blitz
Business Owners Need to Understand and Have a Strategy for Event Marketing, Announcements, even Blog Announcements. This quick read covers what you need to know, so you can instruct your marketing department what you want done.

Why We Still Need Good Telephone Skills
We still need to use the phone to develop our business. Indeed, as fewer people actually make traditional phone calls, those who still do have an edge.

Business Development Plan
People Get into Social Media without any real strategy or plan. This quick read covers the basics of why you need to draw up a marketing plan, and why you need to participate yourself in the entire process.

Press Release: Time Tested Method for Being Recognized
Event Announcements, Building your Brand or Reputation, Getting Recognized, or Just A Getting Promoted at Work? The Press Release is a time tested method for getting your message out.

Franchise Brokerages--The Smart Choice In Small Business Opportunities
If you've done much research into franchise opportunities these days, you've no doubt discovered that there are plenty of reasons these days to choose a franchise rather than to start your own business from scratch. Banks are much more willing to lend money to franchisees (especially during a lending freeze) and franchises are proven to have 5 times the success rate, which is reassuring in this type of economy. Here's a look at franchise businesses that show would-be-franchisees the best options available and work almost as a dating service for franchises; matching perfect franchises with the right candidates.

Conversation Is About the Other Person
Basic Conversation IS networking whether we realize it or not. Learn to integrate good conversation skills with an overall strategy of helping others. Grow your network by being a good conversationalist.

The High Price of Gas Four Ways the Idea of Your Business Can Cost You Everything
Last week I was exercising in the canyons of Southern California by climbing hundreds of stairs. I love being away from my business because I’m fr*ee to expand for at least 60 minutes. Out of the blue an idea for a completely new product came into my mind and it wouldn’t leave.

Automating Tweets for the Busy Small Business Owner
Many Small Business Owners or Entrepreneurs don't use Social Media because it is a long term commitment which requires consistent effort. Scheduling your tweets in advance is a great way to get the task out of the way, and let your Twitter Account work on Autopilot.

Achieving Visibility in the News
Entrepreneurs recognize the potential benefits of a press release announcement - visbility for your product or service that could reach a very large audience. The challenge is often how to identify a newsworthy announcement that will catch the attention of the media to broaden its reach.

Creative Ideas For Daily Life In A Home Based Business
There are so many benefits to working from home, including setting your own schedule, growing at your own pace, and even being able to work in your pajamas, but once you settle into the routine and the work from home bloom comes off the rose, you may find it hard to stay focused and even have difficulty getting up and getting to work in the morning. If that's your situation, or if you're considering a work from home business opportunity, take a look at some creative ideas to mix things up a bit in your home based business.

If You Can Dream You CAN Become a Woman Entrepreneur
Article to inspire and instill in women, no matter what their personal situation is, that if it is their dream to do so, they can turn their dream into reality and start their own business.

2011 - The NEW Normal
It’s not a great depression, neither is it a great recession we’re going through now. It is a great compression, as economy built on perceived value reconciles with actual value. A great restructuring of the economy and society, starting with a fundamental change in our relationships - how we are linked and intertwined and how we act. This financial crisis forced many to change their lives in ways large and small. It's with more belt-tightening, less income and, in many cases, a newfound gratitude for the most basic human comforts: family, home and health. After all, life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. There are a lot of aspects of the situation that are really unique to this recession that we haven't seen in recent decades. We don't know how fast we pull out of it, although it does look like we have hit bo

Are You Adept At Adapting?
I've found the most adaptive people to change often are entrepreneurs, whether they are inside or outside organizations. Either as independent business people or corporate executives, they react quickly to change and they have a "next" (what's next) mentality. They seem to have certain attitudes and behaviors that allow them to "roll with the punches" and take advantage of changing situations. When change occurs - whether good or bad - they nearly always land on their feet. For them, change truly is interesting.

Are your people better off when they leave than when they got there?
In today’s ever changing and often turbulent economic environment, you are facing challenges that your predecessors would not have been dreamt about. How do you ensure that you have the leadership tools and strategies on hand to ensure you come out on top? Any time two or more people are gathered together for a purpose, an organization exists and there is an opportunity for leadership. There are many thousands in leadership positions today know that they are failing their people and desperately desire help in developing effective leadership skills. Many have long ago recognized that the old ways of leading through command-and-control and barking orders are largely ineffective when working with a diverse workforce.

How Not To Succeed In Business
Here it is: the absolutely guaranteed secret of success in business...

Selling What's Different
Selling what's different is better than selling on your pricing. Just remember selling what's different doesn't come naturally to most salespeople. Here are six ideas to stimulate your thinking.

A Day In The Life Of A 1-800-WATER-DAMAGE Franchisee
You've probably heard of them or seen them around town, but even if you haven't, this article will give you an in-depth look at the day-to-day operations, roles and responsibilities of a franchise with 1-800-WATER-DAMAGE

The Secret Of Great Ideas
Many entrepreneurs spend their lives looking for the One Big Idea that will make them rich.

Who Wants to Be an Emperor?
The defining feature of an entrepreneur is his interest in business – not in a particular business but in business itself.

Reasons to Avoid Buying a Franchise
You’ll find an abundance of reasons for buying into a franchise being repeated here and there. Among these reasons of course is the alarmingly high rate of failure among small businesses, the freedom of working in franchising and the benefit of an established brand name and business plan. There’s also the added benefit of not having to start from absolutely nothing and having to claw your way to the top, as in small businesses. This all makes franchising sound like an extremely attractive prospect but not everything about it is as pleasant as you may think.

The Art of Recreating Yourself
Whatever business each of us finds ourselves operating everyday, we got there for one reason or another. It can be a business we truly have a passion for, or in some cases one we thought we would, turning out that we didn’t. Or perhaps there are aspects of the business where our passion lies and other parts that we avoid creating a big disconnect for us in the entire business.

I Wish I Knew When I was Starting my Business
I wish I knew that someone distinguished business for me when I was younger. It would have made my life much simpler. But, like with all things in life, the most valuable information arrives at exactly the right time we need it to. It is my intention that this story arrives for you at exactly the right time.

Entrepreneurs don’t take risks
What does it mean to be an entrepreneur? We often hear that being an entrepreneur requires taking great risks. I would like to explore a different point of view.

Join Affiliate Programs: 15 Reasons Why?
If you've been sitting on the fence deciding whether or not to take up affiliate marketing today is the day you get off the fence and on with your affiliate marketing adventure. Below are 15 reasons to partake and join affiliate programs

Internet Marketing–Tips For Ranking High On Search Engines And Getting Traffic
Internet marketing depends on traffic to a website. Without traffic, you do not make sales, and your online business fails. This is a simple fact that anyone considering or already involved in internet marketing should know.

Start With Passion!
To succeed in business, you must start with passion!

Managing a Growing Business
Once a start-up business is up and running, how does an entrepreneur manage it? Often the entrepreneurial spirit of self-confidence, creativity, focus and control leads to financial and personal grief as the enterprise grows. A hands-on entrepreneur who gives birth to the business loves perfecting every detail. But after the start-up, continued growth requires a shift in management style. Those who fail to adjust to a growing business can be the cause of the problems rather than the solution. In this article, we will look at the stages through which entrepreneurial companies move and consider how managers should out their planning, organizing, leading and controlling.

Small Biz Marketing Essentials
The long and the short of it, is marketing does take money and it is the cornerstone of your businesses success however, all is not lost there are some low cost and no cost creative ways to get the word out about your products and services. While these ideas will not break your budget however; they will require you to trade your time for marketing your business. The following marketing strategies are fantastic, cost effective and essential for the small business just starting out.

Get In The Mix With A Smoothie Franchise Opportunity
Go to just about any mall in America these days and you'll undoubtedly come across a smoothie place. Some focus on vitamin boosts and supplements, while other focus purely on great taste combined with fresh fruits and veggies, and all of them are a good sign when it's readily available, Americans will choose a healthy alternative to sugary sodas. If you're ready to jump on the smoothie bandwagon, take a look at some of the best smoothie franchises available.

Bounce! by Barry Moltz
We all love to share our success stories in business. But, there is so much to learn from our failures. One key to learning from our failures is to be prepared for failure, develop the humility to deal with problems and develop the keys that we need in order to be resilient. Barry Moltz explains how to do these things in his book - Bounce! Failure, Resiliency and Confidence to Achieve Your Next Great Success.

Smart Women Create the Right Environment
This article is a reminder about how important it is to create the “right environment” both internally and externally is we are to live a meaningful life filled with passion and purpose. A cluttered environment creates a cluttered mind. We typically are not as creative as we might be if we have an open, reflective environment. This is also true of our internal environment---our self talk. Is your self-talk positive and full of possibility? Do you have relationships with nutritious people? The “right” Environment is key to living our dreams and reaching our goals.

Delegate! Do you know how?
Delegating is a skill that is very difficult for many professionals to master. Either they do not give enough responsibility the assistants that they have, or they micromanage them way too much. Successful business people are able to empower skilled individuals to handle administrative tasks, while they focus on keeping current clients, growing relationships and reaching a new client base. So, why is delegation so hard? Well, for many it is because the skill has not been developed. You have to learn how to delegate just like any other business skill. Here are some great web resources to help you do just that!

What Would You Do With A Second Chance
You could avoid the mistakes you previously made and build on the successes you previously enjoyed. You could nurture the positive relationships and avoid the bad. You could tap into your wealth of experience during times of indecision and always know where and when your time and money would be best spent.

Veteran Entrepreneurs Are Growing In Ranks
What my eldest offspring doesn’t understand is I have a great life. In fact, I am living the life I have always dreamed of living. My life just happens to revolve around Planet Business. I am an entrepreneurial addict, a business junkie. Business is my chocolate, my Krispy Kreme donut, my nicotine, my caffeine, my crack. Maybe I’ll start a 12 step program for entrepreneurs who want to kick the habit and charge a cover to get in. Hi, my name is Tim, and I’m an entrepreneur.

To Go or No Go That Is The Question
Many entrepreneurs would rather have their front teeth pulled without anesthetic than go to the time and trouble of creating a feasibility plan; often because they are afraid of what it will reveal

Tips For Dealing With Contractors
This week we discuss how to find a capable building contractor to build out the location. And as this series has been thus far, this segment is based on my personal experience and offered to you warts and all. As with all of my columns only the names have been changed to protect the innocent, the ignorant, and the overly litigious.

Time To Sign A Lease Get Your First Born Ready
We’ve been discussing the steps required to open a brick and mortar store. We’ve talked about startup plans and finding a location. This week we look at what comes next in the process: the negotiation and signing of one of the most dreaded legal document any entrepreneur will ever face: the commercial lease (insert scary music here).

Whats Stopping You From Starting Your Own Small Business
Some people simply don't have what it takes to start your own business. Others just need a bit of kicking to jumpstart them.

The Joy and Hazards Of Finding Your First Office
Putting your name on a commercial lease is one of the first tangible commitments an entrepreneur makes to his or her business and searching for that first office or retail space can be a truly invigorating experience.

The Great American Customer Service Unawareness Campaign
I'm so sick of you so-called business experts always saying the customer is always right. This is my business, not the customer's, so I'm the one who's always right. Sure, they can have an opinion, but in the end it's up to me to decide who's right and who's not. And if the customer doesn't like it they can take their business elsewhere.

Teaching Large Companies To Think Like The Little Guys
The fact that innovation and entrepreneurship run rampant in smaller companies, but is often suppressed in larger companies is nothing new. Management guru Peter Drucker first addressed the issue in his 1985 book, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Drucker wrote that one of the most often-asked questions in many a 1985 boardroom was, “How can we overcome the resistance to innovation that plagues most organizations?”

If It Was Easy Everybody Would Do It
Even on the best of days running a business can be incredibly stressful, not to mention overwhelming and exhausting. It's only natural that there will be times when you wonder if it's really worth it.

If It Was Easy Everybody Would Do It
Even on the best of days running a business can be incredibly stressful, not to mention overwhelming and exhausting. It's only natural that there will be times when you wonder if it's really worth it.

Dont Let Stress Run You Out Of Business
Stress is business is a common phenomenon and every entrepreneur must know how to handle it and grow with it.

Dont Be Afraid To Give Problem Customers The Boot
We have all had customers who expected far more than was their due: customers who were unreasonable, overly-demanding, condescending, hard to please and sometimes, even dishonest in their dealings with you. When a customer's reasonable expectations become unreasonable demands you must decide whether or not that customer is doing more harm to your business than good.

Do You Want Fries With That Management Style
The environment of any workplace is highly dependant on the type of manager and his/her management style. This article describes some of these management approaches.

Companies Stifle Intrapreneurs At Their Own Risk
I've noticed an interesting trend lately. Usually the e-mail I receive in response to this column comes from rookie entrepreneurs or established business owners seeking my input on startup matters, financing, employee relations, general management and leadership issues, policy matters, etc. Lately, however, many of the messages are coming from employees of medium-size and large companies who are interested in starting a business of their own.

Choosing A Business Thats Right For You
Many successful businesses have been built by taking a traditional business and making it better. Domino's Pizza was certainly not the first to offer home delivery of pizza, but they were the first to guarantee it would be delivered piping hot to your door in 30 minutes or less. Amazon.com was not the first company to sell books, but they were one of the first that would let you buy books from the comfort of your own home while sitting in your underwear

Business Is No Guarantee of Riches
We have all had customers who expected far more than was their due: customers who were unreasonable, overly-demanding, condescending, hard to please and sometimes, even dishonest in their dealings with you. When a customer's reasonable expectations become unreasonable demands you must decide whether or not that customer is doing more harm to your business than good.

Are You Willing To Do Whatever It Takes To Succeed In Business
There is a very simple reason some entrepreneurs do amazingly well in business while others do not. It has nothing to do with product or location or backing or education or street smarts or dumb luck. It has more to do with people willing to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to succeed in business.

Achievements Outweigh Education and Experience
Even on the best of days running a business can be incredibly stressful, not to mention overwhelming and exhausting. It's only natural that there will be times when you wonder if it's really worth it. Asking yourself the "should I just get a real job" question simply means that your human side is showing. And as a human you have a limited tolerance for things you can not control. And that's really where the stress of being an entrepreneur comes from

Top 10 Reasons Why You Need a Coach or Mentor
The economy may be slower than we’d like, however, this is the time when people are more creative about working with others and services may be more affordable. Jump on the opportunity to work with a coach and mentor – I hope you’ll choose me – and get ready to kick off the academic year with a bang. Here are some things a coach can offer you, should you take that step.

Five Steps to Keeping Ahead of the Pack
As entrepreneurs, it’s easy to fall behind. To evolve constantly not only ensures you stay ahead, but are a leader in your industry. Here are the five steps some of the world’s most successful companies use to be leaders in their industries.

PREPARE to Fund Your Technology Development
Finding funding for technology development can be a daunting process. Sources of funding, which include Federal Grants, State economic development funds, debt financing from investment banks, and equity funding from Angels or Venture Capital, will use some form of rating to determine your suitability for funding. This article presents a schema for evaluating a venture's "Funding Readiness Level (FRL) ®", which includes the market readiness of the technology or "Technology Readiness Level (TRL)", the maturity of the business or "Business Readiness Level (BRL)", and the ability of the venture to manage the deal process and negotiate in its own best interest or "Dealsmanship". (This article appears in the Jan/Feb 2006 issue of The Austin Business District magazine.)

Living Life On Your Terms
The keys to achievement, motivation and ultimate success are in your own heart. Find the goals that truly inspire, challenge and excite you, then stay up all night and work all day to achieve your destiny. Success is not something to be chased, it's something to be celebrated by living your own life, on your own terms, every day.

Got Tall Poppy Courage?
To be outstanding in life, you must be willing to stand out. When all you do is try to fit in, you negate the difference your difference makes. Tall Poppy Courage is not about being better than anyone else, just the best possible version of yourself.

How to Turn Prospects Into Paying Clients by Shifting Your Focus
You’re probably familiar with the acronym WIIFM (what’s in it for me). As a business owner it’s one of the most important acronyms for you to be familiar with. Because, although you undoubtedly created your business out of passion, your business is about more than your passion, it’s about what makes your core audience tick.

Productivity How Can I Achieve It
If you are an entrepreneur or business professional who wants to increase their overall productivity? This article provides 5 steps that will assist you to increasing overall productivity for yourself and team.

Productivity Lessons from an Accidental Entrepreneur
Susan is in business for herself, but did not set out to be an entrepreneur. She stumbled into entrepreneurship (or self-employment) upon returning to work after a major health challenge, and finding herself essentially out of a job. An important mind shift changed Susan's approach to work, from keeping time to focusing on results. Her willingness to examine her beliefs about work, which were formed in the 9-5 working world, gave her the opportunity to create her own rules for working.

Priorities Are Out
By definition, entrepreneurs are creative people with a lot of energy and a never-ending stream of ideas. In addition many are in business for themselves with very little support. This means they have to juggle a wide range of tasks each and every week, including some they don't love. To make matters worse, some of the time management guidelines and standards developed twenty-something years ago have caused many people to pack far more in their day than truly possible. There's one truth that can set you free. Read the article to learn more.

How to Use Your Natural Potential to Drive Your Business
Have you ever wondered at the business owner / entrepreneur who seems to have the ‘knack’ of smoothly buying, building and selling businesses and... Bearing that in mind, here’s three suggestions for tapping into your natural genius and dramatically improving your business results...

4 Tips For Spiritualpreneurs To RecessionProof Your Business
Are you a Spiritualpreneur? This is someone who is Spiritual Entrepreneur. Spiritualpreneur’s are people who want to build their business and expand their business in a new way. Spiritualpreneurs also want more in their life. They want health, balance, a greater sense of collaboration and connection. And the way to do that is really to use both an inner and outer approach. Are you a Spiritualpreneur ready to change your dominant vibrations so you can have the business and life of your dreams?

How can I turn my company's operations into a competitive advantage?
Network Member Question How can I turn my company's operations into a competitive advantage? and What are the best ways to run my supply chains? Ramesh Malani L'Entrepreneur En Residence at Foundation Washington D.C.

Brand Enhancer, Detractor or Adolescent: Which One Are You?
Entrepreneurs are busy people. When it comes to branding our company's, our focus tends to center around our products and services. Amy Elizabeth Casson suggests there is one other element on which entrepreneurs need to focus: their personal brand. This article helps you define whether your personal brand enhances, or detracts from your company brand and suggests ways to developing a powerful personal brand that effectively represents your company brand. After all, you are your company and your image is the best way to quickly communicate your company's unique qualities.

Are You On The Verge Of Quitting
I believe if you're an entrepreneur or in sales - you deserve a gold star! Why? Because we're people who don't get regular pay cheques like the rest of the madding crowd. We ONLY get paid when we SELL. (Now look in the mirror because I just pasted a BIG Star on your forehead!) And sometimes it feels like sales are slow, no one is calling you back, and you couldn't come up with a new idea if your life depended on it. (thank goodness that's not the case!)

Juggling Your Full Time Job With Starting Your Own Business
Not every entrepreneur has the luxury of starting their own business without having to hold down an existing full time job at the same time. It isn't easy, but it isn't impossible with the right schedule and support of your family.

Stay Hungry
Hunger is a bad thing if you life in a third world country... but it can be a good thing if you're a business entrepreneur reaching for the stars. Here's why.

Smart Women Have Dreams Too!
What fuels you? What’s your dream moving forward into 2008? When you land on where your energy and passions are, you feel this incredible sense of being alive with possibilities. Everything seems possible.

Smart Women Take Risks in 2008
Remember Risk? I wrote about taking risks recently and it really hit a nerve with many women. If you set a goal that’s achievable, it will create positive change in your life over the next 90 days, and you will be more fulfilled on your journey in 2008.

Tips to Reduce the Headaches of Being An Entrepreneur
Being an entrepreneur has many advantages but as with most things, it does have its downside. Entrepreneurs tend to be workaholics and they experience their share of headaches. Here are some simple tips to help reduce those headaches.

CCPro is Paving the Way for the New Entrepreners
Jay Kubassek states, "While virtually every other opportunity out there uses a broken business model with people competing against each other, we designed CarbonCopyPRO to be a professional sales and marketing system where everyone gets to share and leverage each others' success. This is about creating a story and a legacy. It is something that has never been done before." Debra Bolton adds “You can not go wrong with Jay’s system. It is working for me and I am new to direct marketing; so anyone can do it!”

5 Things Business Owners Must Consider During Growth or Survival Periods
Growing a business in today’s market is all about survival of the fittest. Surviving through the uphill battles of being an entrepreneur is critical. Surviving through the growth stages of the business is just as vital as when your business is in a negative cash flow period or downhill mode.

Why Micro Loans Could Be The Answer to Many Small Business Owners Financing Needs
Small business owners, if you have never considered accessing a Micro Loan, you might want to take a look at this viable financing option. Some of you might think that these types of loans are used only in Third World countries. Perhaps you have heard of lending sites such as Kiva.org, which primarily finances individuals living in countries other than the United States who are starting their own businesses.

Is your "Fire" for Business Going Out?
As with career choices, sometimes our business choices change and what once excited and motivated us no longer has the same appeal. Do we stick with it anyway, get rid of it, or try to change it?

Follow Your Dreams
Follow your dream - an age old wisdom which has become cliche and probably ignored for that reason. The truth is we are on this planet to live our best life and we can only do that by following our "dreams".

Straight and Simple Marketing for SOHOs
When you are a one man "show" and just starting out it can be daunting trying to find new clients. Marketing seems like such a huge task. It only seems huge because there are so many options and tricks of the trade, but as a beginner, there are some quick and easy things you can do on your own.

The Art of Being Wealthy
You can win a million dollars tomorrow and it won't make you wealthy. You can also lose it within weeks. There is a knack to making and keeping wealth and this is how the wealthy do it.

High Octane Ways To Generate Articles
There are lots of internet venders that came upon the idea that writing and putting forward articles for a website can be quite a dismal challenge. The relative quantity of site ownners who require to make article content, additionally delay doing things just as much as they are able to, in order to obstruct the volume of writing they really should carry out. Lots of people can't stand creating articles basically because they identify investigating for that niche and documenting genuine materials as likely being too demanding a task.

Practical Search Engine Optimization or SEO For The Small Business Owner
A website is the best and most cost effective advertisement that your business can possibly have; however even the world's greatest website will not do any good at all if no one visits it. That is why you need traffic. Traffic is acquired through free and paid advertising, offline and online promotion and search engine optimization. So take a minute to learn the down to earth basics of Search Engine Optimization for your small business website. It is not difficult to do and it can easily make the difference between success and failure.

Debt consolidation: how it has worked for a female entrepreneur
Tahminae Madani runs two successful financial services broker businesses in France - yet started them up with almost no management experience and speaking a limited amount of French. So how did she achieve this? Read on to find out more....

Putting A New Spin On Selling
Here's a new spin on selling. You can use this to increase your sales in a down economy. Four new pieces to the selling puzzle - check it out.

Can You Fail Successfully?
This is not another failures are just lessons lectures. This is Black Belt class right? Let's be blunt about it; failure sucks! Failure is, however, an important and essential part of success, but only if you learn to fail successfully.

5 Not So Obvious Business Plan Mistakes to Avoid
Everyone knows they need one. Everyone plans on writing one, eventually. But not everyone does it. Why? Because it’s so easy to put off and it’s such a chore. I’m talking about writing a business plan. Many business owners put more effort into planning their vacations than they put into planning their businesses. This is a shame because an entrepreneur with a business plan is much more likely to succeed than one without a plan.

Acting Successful from the Start
What kind of message are you sending to your prospects? Do they see you as a competent professional or someone who doesn't believe in their own value? In order to be successful you must learn to act successful.

Women Don't Get Their Power From a JOB
Unlike men, the majority of women don't identify their worth or identity from their job. In fact, while many women enjoy top positions and thrive in that environment, there are double the amount who are doing it for the wrong reasons and missing out on the success and happiness they consider "ideal".

Design Days
To succeed you need to find time to work on your business, not just in it.

What do Barbara Streisand and Tiger Woods have in common?
In addition to being at the top of their respective fields, Streisand in music and Woods in golf, they both work with a coach. Why would someone at the top of their chosen profession need a coach?

Don't Be Flat Lemonade
This is not about turning lemons into lemonade. This is about putting the fizz into your business.

The 6 Figure Business Building Model for Small Business
If you own a small or solo business or practice, or are an independent service professional here are some great business building ideas for you.

What to Ask When Recruiting
As you become proficient at questioning, you’ll be able to reveal a candidate’s motivation for considering this career. You’ll make better recruiting decisions and as a consequence have more time to devote to the candidates that will succeed.

Is Buying into a Franchise right for you
Going into business by yourself can be a risky venture which is why buying into a proven franchise is often more successful and an easier option. This article explains the benefits of a franchise over going it alone in your own business.

How a Low-Risk Entrepreneur Can Start a Work at Home Business
Many of us dream of working from home; however, in the past there were few legitimate work at home business opportunities that allowed you to do so. Entrepreneurs at heart had the option of either joining a multi-level program, holding in-home parties for kitchen ware or cosmetics, or selling restate. Many of these however, required a substantial investment without the guarantee of success. In fact statistics say that four in five businesses fail in the first five years.

Why Small Business Entrepreneurs Need a Mentor
A mentor is a must for the success of your small business. Do you have one as yet? A mentor is a person who has more entrepreneurial business experience that you and he or she is someone you learn to trust over a period of time. Learn how to find the best mentor for your needs.

What Type of Business Should I Start?
Many people struggle with what kind of business to start. There is no “one size fits all” business that can be recommended. Starting a new business is fraught with problems and complicated. You need to find a business that fits the following criteria:

How to Become a Rock Star Entrepreneur
Want to be a rock star entrepreneur? Want to land those high-profile media outlets? Before you run out and hire a PR firm, get your personal (NOT your BUSINESS) brand in shape. If you do, you will have the media coming to YOU. Read this article and learn how one small one-person firm became an international sensation by cleverly structuring, then perpetuating an engaging personal brand.

Art Of Selling
The art of selling is a lot like professional golf because success depends on having the right mental attitude. As a professional golfer, Tony Jacklin was inspired throughout his career by a poem his caddie wrote. Now you can be inspired by this poem.

Proposals in a Jiff
Here are some quick tips for creating and submitting proposals (of the business kind!)

Prospering in Your New Business
If you are considering starting your own business or you have just started and are still in that "will it work" stage, follow this checklist to see if you've covered your bases.

Successful Postcards
Postcards are always an affordable and successful marketing strategy. Here are some ideas that have worked for me and continue to work for me.

Speak Everywhere
Why public speaking is still one of the top ways to establish important credibility for yourself and your business and how to get involved.

Create Strategic Alliances
Creating strategic alliances with other small business owners is an excellent way to build your business while keeping your costs low.

Formal Networking Groups
There are all kinds of online and offline networking groups, many of which are beneficial for different types of individuals and businesses, but when you really mean business there are a couple that stand out and are worthy of joining.

Be a Greeter
Make the most of all networking events and seminars and meetings you attend by meeting people by being a greeter.

Radical Shifts to Achieve Extraordinary Business Results
There are many different ways to travel the road to success and sometimes the easiest routes are overlooked simply because they are just that... simple.

Am I Cut Out to Work For Myself?
ot everyone is cut out to be a self-employed business person. To work for yourself, you are required to be an innovative and motivated individual and need to have a professional attitude.

Here's a Quick and Easy Way to Learn Aboult Ezines!
What is an ezine and how do you advertise in them? Read below to find out now.

Would You Like To Know How To Become Successful?
I am going to start by talking about the concept of success and how you can attain it.

How To Write Killer Ads and Sales Letters!
Do You want to learn how to write winning ads and sales letters? These tips will help you get leads to succeed in any business venture you are in

The Biggest Component Necessary to Build Your Online Business
Are you part of an affiliate program? Did they give you a web-site that is up and ready to start making you money? Are you getting traffic to your site? If this is you and it is Not working, then this is your main problem.

You Deserve To Make The Choice Of What To Do With Your Life!
There are 3 different groups of people in this world. Where do you fit in?

Developing The Law Of Attraction
The key things we do in our everyday living developes our dominant thoughts. Everything that we do in life from our happiness, to our love life's, to our jobs are through the thought process.

Goals-Start By Setting Them Small!
Do you any formal small goals set?

Reason Why You Would Want A Home Based Business!
The most obvious is for the type of income it can generate. It is so powerful that many people are using the internet to build their business's.

Domain Names- Do You Need One?
What exactly is a domain name?

5 Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Fail to Reach Their Full Potential
Discover the five most common reasons why entrepreneurs have problems building businesses from great ideas. Hiring a business coach helps entrepreneurs to both identify these pitfalls and learn how to overcome them and go on to create successful businesses.

The Call to Leadership
As a coach working with small business owners for over a decade I've seen the difference it makes when entrepreneurs consciously choose to function as leader and learn to apply the fundamentals of good business practice. Learn them here.

What can a good mentor do for you?
A mentor is someone who is going to help you learn something new. They are simply people who have the qualities of being a good role model.

Are YOU Taking Your Business Serious?
Are you an Entrepreneur who started a Home Based Business but just doesn't know where or even how to start? Are you serious about running a successful business of your own?

Basic Information About Solo Ads!
Advertising with solo ads is not rocket science! I'm sure that almost anyone has seen at least one solo ad and can figure out how to write one. You only need a little guidance with writing that first solo ad to make it effective.

Catching Flies with Chopsticks
One of the best scenes in martial arts cinema features the hero, Mr. Miyagi, practicing with chopsticks to catch a house fly. Of course, he’s never actually caught one, but he keep trying! (If you think Daniel is the hero of this movie, don’t read any further!)

The Importance of Mentors
"Foreknowledge cannot be elicited from ghosts and spirits; it cannot be inferred from comparison of previous events, or from the calculations of the heavens, but must be obtained from people who have knowledge of the enemy's situation." Sun Tzu.

Creating Your Resource Box -> Your BIO
Do you have any idea regarding what to put into your resource box? Well you do know that you have to put in your name, Right?

Your Head Lines-> Are They Working?
Everyday you check your e-mail they are full of all sorts of offers. What is the main reason that you click to open them? The ones that get your attention, the headlines, RIGHT?

Outsourcing Saves Lives (Your Life)
How every entrepreneur and business can outsource their time-eaters to cheaper, better, and foreign professionals.

Home Staging Training Courses: Make the Right Decision for You
I receive many emails from people who are completely confused by the various home staging training programs available. With so many options, I can understand the frustration. However, once you know the right questions to ask, you can make a well-informed decision.

The Twin Pillars of Success
Honor the fire in your belly! Trust that your passion, your dreams and your imagination know where they are going, they know better than your logical brain what you are capable of achieving.

Excellence vs. Perfection
At some point, we have to settle for "excellence" and go for it! I'm not talking about being sloppy or settling for mediocrity, but in most cases, excellence is good enough.

The End Starts at the Beginning
Every entrepreneur must begin planning their exit strategy at the beginning. The months spent on writing a business plan must include a plan for the end of the business as well as the start.

WOW Them With Your Speech
Entrepreneurs are called upon almost daily to deliver informative, as well as enthusiastic speeches. Learn how even the shyest of entrepreneurs can motivate the troops.

A Free Way To Target Marketing!
Do you have problems recruiting people into your business? Are you looking for quality people who want to do what you do? The ones who want to learn the skills that it takes to build a business.

Tools to Use to Make Your Twitter Life Easier
Of Course you have heard about Twitter, it is everywhere, and everyone is using it. But do you really know what it is exactly or even how to use it? Here are some ideas to help you make your twitter life a little easier.

Communicating for Success!
Exceptional communication skills are a definite must have to be successful in any enterprise. How well do you communicate??

Is There A Secret to Success?
I hear people telling me all the time that they want to succeed, and they go out and search for the secret. They think that if they learn the secret they can become successful. I really hate to tell you this but NO there are no secrets to success!

A Start-up with Money Problems
People going into business are typically under-capitalized. Their expectations of how fast things will move is optimistic. The consequence is a "crunch" between time and and available money. If you're in this spot this article tries to give you a way out. If you're just starting out this article may help you avoid some of the problems of an under-capitalized start-up business.

You Can Turn Your Articles Into Videos
Well we all know that video's are the next best thing on the internet! It is the fastest growing type of online content. Everyone loves videos, people love to be entertained.

Plan Ahead and Build Your Own Business after Retirement
The process of starting a business can be a challenging, and an exciting experience. It can also be frightening, exhausting, and frustrating. The key to a minimum stress start-up is to plan ahead and build your own business after retirement, in a planned and rational way. Understanding, and planning out, the entire process of start-up makes a huge difference to the end result.

How To Find A Loan For A Business Franchise
There are some basic steps that can help the soon to be franchise owner acquire the loan and financing that allows them to go into business for themselves.

The Young and Old Man
Be inspired. Be motivated. Recognise the power of mentorship.

Fuel for your Entrepreneurial Mind
As an entrepreneur, you may at times question your sanity : long hours, uncertain outcomes, energy drain on the rest of your life. And yet you keep on going. You have to. The thrill of successfully launching a new endeavor, whether to make a living, a difference in the lives of people, an impact on the health of the planet, or all of the above is too great not to. And yet, there may be times that nothing’s coming to you. You’re either stuck for a new idea, or having doubts about or missing pieces to what you’re currently working on. In steps Springwise. Springwise is hub for people to share ideas, and is smartly designed for rapid skimming, by category, keyword, and country.

This President Is On Track To Double Sales
How often do business owners express frustration about an area of their business that appears to be blocking accomplishment of a key goal? Mr. Mario Lapointe, president of SMT-ASSY, a Montreal firm that services the electronic industry felt just that way, although he was very positive about the long-term prospects for his business even considering the increased competition from Asia. Mr. Lapointe decided to work with me to take his business to the next level, which in his words was to double sales within 12 to 24 months.

Using a Coach
Professional coaches aren’t just a perk for executives or athletes. Anyone with a strong personal commitment to achieving results can benefit from working with a coach.

Dont Get Caught In the Trap The BIG Difference Between Personal and Business Branding
When you’re all alone in the privacy of your home office, surrounded by your computer, your phone and your business idea, have you ever asked yourself, “Where’s the line between me in my business and the business in me” ?

Clearing the Path 4 Ways Fear Wreaks Havoc on Your Dream and What to Do About It
Please take a moment before you read any further and answer these three simple questions: 1. Are you making daily progress towards accomplishing your business vision? 2. Do you find that despite a strong desire to make your vision happen, obstacles always seems to pop up and slow you down? 3. Do you find that doubt is chipping away at your vision, keeping it from ever becoming a reality?

Is there a leak in your bucket: Eliminating energy drains in your life and business
Is there a leak in your bucket? Your bucket can be described as your life and the leaks are those energy drains that keep the water from being full in the bucket. The leaks are anything that drains your energy - your physical, emotional, spiritual, financial energy. Find out what the leaks are, how to repair the ones you have and how to prevent more from killing your energy and productivity.

To Delegate or Not?
In every business, there comes that critical time when a leader must decide whether or not to delegate some projects to other people. This decision can make or break a company; not making this decision can also make or break a company. Find out how to use this powerful sill of delegation to grow your team and business.

Why You Should Ignore Your Cell Phone and Laptop: Six Keys to a Great Vacation
You work hard, long for a vacation and when the time comes, you drag along your laptop, cell phone,iPod, portable DVD player and other tech gadgets so you can play 'catch up' while you're 'enjoying' your vacation. But wait, isn't a holiday supposed to 'free you' from these obsessions. Discover the six key secrets to having a vacation worth taking.

Internet Based Affiliate Marketing: Three Basic Steps to Start
Internet based affiliates marketing programs open the opportunity for everyone to promote, even without having products to sell. However, understanding the basic steps to start is very important to be successful in this business.

Are Multiple Supply Chains Important (Survey Response 1)
A 2006 Report made the following statement: "Designing and operating multiple supply networks to meet the needs of specific market segments--supply chain innovation and the use of multiple supply chains will be important to future revenue and market share growth." Based on your own experience is this an accurate assessment? If yes, why? If no, why?

What are the 3 biggest challenges faced by supply chain/purchasing professionals today? (Survey Result 5)
There are many factors both internally as well as externally that are affecting supply chain/ procurement practices today. From the growing talent vacuum to the continuing lack of collaboration between Finance, IT and Purchasing relative to corporate initiatives. What in your own experiences and opionions are the top 3 issues that procurement professionals face?

The Need for Problem Solvers
The need for business problem solvers is increasing daily. The need to reach out for help when problems occur is a natural occurance.

Private Equity Lessons for the Startup or Entrepreneurial Company
The November issue of the Harvard Business Review poses a tough question to the management of public companies: “What If Private Equity Sized Up Your Business?” The question comes on the heals of recent revelations that public companies are facing increased scrutiny by Private Equity funds both favorably as, for example, an acquisition target or adversely, as a mismanaged and underperforming asset in need of reform. The article goes on to identify five trends that develop when Private equity gets involved. The purpose of this article is to highlight the premises upon which these five trends are based. Understanding this premise will lend valuable insight and strategic fodder for Start-up or Entrepreneurial companies as well as seasoned businesses.

Help Im Freaking Out
The Universe is responding to you in your NOW. So whatever you're feeling right NOW means that is what you are sending out vibrationally right NOW, which means that is what you are attracting to yourself right NOW, which means your future is FULL of a bunch of stuff that is gonna feel pretty much like right NOW feels." Abraham-Hicks

What Your Prospects Wants vs. What They Need
Learn how some businesses have failed even though they excelled at discovering what their target market needed. Avoid this classic marketing mistake and you could save yourself lots of time and money - not to mention disappointment.

Has Your Fire Gone Out?
Have you found that you've lost the initial excitement of having your own business? Are you second guessing your decision to become an entrepreneur? Do you find you are experiencing burn out? Don't worry. This can be a pretty common feeling when you own a home based business, especially if you are the one running the entire show.

Achieving Extraordinary Business Results
Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best, but often overlooked.

Living Your Dream To Make It True
If you can think of anybody who is more creative than someone who takes a jet ski to work and changes into business clothes from water clothes every day by using a waterproof backpack, then tell me.

How to Boost Your Bottom Line by Strengthening Your Power Factor
Your Power Factor is a combination of your energy, your bandwidth and your support systems. As entrepreneur's, our greatest asset is our creativity and ambition. But if our Power Factor is being compromised, then your bottom line can take the hit.

Trend Spotting To Improve Your Business Efforts
Identifying and acting on trends is important in every business. It helps to identify new products or services, opportunities to expand on an existing range, and it can provide insight into a more effective marketing strategy.

Stick to Your Guns and Understand That Failure is Natural
Stick to your guns. Outside advice should be welcomed but the vision should come from the entrepreneur and you should stick to your guns. Just because nobody has done it before doesn’t mean that you can’t; I urge entrepreneurs to maintain their vision, and the payoff will come.

Do People Really Need to See Your Ad 7 Times Before They'll Buy From You?
According to the advertising industry, your prospect needs to see your ads at least seven times before they'll act on it. And if the claim is true, you will need a deep pocket to play the game. That's why so many businesses spend enormous amounts of advertising dollars on branding and positioning, but at the end of day they have very little to show for it. Most businesses go through the mechanical motions: creating brochures and websites, buying advertising space in newspapers and magazines, paying for prime spots on radio and TV, and launching public relation campaigns to pursue publicity and raise public awareness.

Are You Brand Worthy Four Simple Questions to assess your brand ability
Branding is a one hot topic, although it is wildly misunderstood. To make things even more confusing, branding is often tossed in the same basket as marketing which makes its application to an entrepreneur or sole-practioner even more unclear.

Will You Survive the NEW Competition Four Ways to Win Customers Every Time
There I said it — the dreaded “C” word. Most people fall into one of three reactions when they think about facing competition: 10% of them go weak in the knees and would rather pretend it didn’t exist, 10% relish competition like it was an ice cream sundae, take a spoon and run with it, and the remaining 80% well… they’re in the middle unsure which way to go. They wait for something to happen —something outside of themselves to cause them to stand up and win or lie down and let the prize pass them by. Where do you fall when it comes to competition?

The High Price of Gas Four Ways the Idea of Your Business Can Cost You Everything
Last week I was exercising in the canyons of Southern California by climbing hundreds of stairs. I love being away from my business because I’m fr*ee to expand for at least 60 minutes. Out of the blue an idea for a completely new product came into my mind and it wouldn’t leave.

The Keys to Your Network Marketing Success
If you aren't earning the income you want as a network marketer, there are simple steps you must take to change this. If you are serious and have passion about network marketing, the following steps will lead you to success and prosperity.

Drivers Seat The REAL First Step to Making Your Business Irresistible
Many people seem to think that the answer to creating their successful business lies in a book, a program, a system... a guru. While each of these have great merit and can inch you forward to the next level of wealth and freedom, they are not where you actually start.

Clearing the Path 4 Ways Fear Wreaks Havoc on Your Dream and What to Do About It
1. Are you making daily progress towards accomplishing your business vision? 2. Do you find that despite a strong desire to make your vision happen, obstacles always seems to pop up and slow you down? 3. Do you find that doubt is chipping away at your vision, keeping it from ever becoming a reality? Thank you. N*ow let's do something about it.

Branding Is Not Selling Out ITS SELLING IN
Ever see an amazing band perform and wonder why you’ve never heard of them before? Ever see an astonishing artist on the street and wonder why isn’t their work isn’t in a gallery? Ever see an astounding independent film and wonder why people all over the world don’t know about it?

How to advertise without spending $1 on advertising
Are you a boot-strapping entrepreneur struggling to get appointments and find new customers through conventional advertising methods? What if you could discover one method to generate business around the clock without spending a dime on advertising? Does it sound too good to be true? Before I explain, let me ask you one question… Have you ever jumped into the deep-end of a pool without learning to swim first? That’s exactly what most businesses are doing with advertising. They believe what the advertising sale rep tells them, that as soon as their ads go live, their phone will ring off the hook and their inbox will be filled with floods of incoming emails.

Where to find a Full System Home Business Kit.
Are you looking for a full system, home business kit which offers all of the training required to really succeed. This article points out some of the major things to look for when choosing your full system, home business kit

Sales-Moxie . . . You Gotta Have It To Succeed In Sales
Learn the origin of the word "Moxie" and how you can apply to your selling career, to achieve even better selling results.

The Chaordic Entrepreneur: How Dee Hock Achieved Success
Even if you have not heard of him, chances are your wallet is very grateful to Dee Hock. The founder and former CEO of VISA, Hock was no ordinary entrepreneur. He left the business world at the top of his success to focus on creating a new organization theory centered around chaordic organizations. Today, his business and theoretical legacy live on.

Dare To Choose To Be An Entrepreneur
An Entrepreneur is someone who sees what they want and they go and get it. They are problem solvers, who do it in a way that doesn't hurt anyone, nor do they judge others.

Why Should You Consider Career Reinvention?
Career reinvention. What is it and why should it matter to you.

Why You Should Always Keep Your Marketing Hat On.
Why marketing isn't just a 9 to 5 activity.

5 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make
How to recognize and deal with 5 common mistakes made by entrepreneurs.

Does "Education" Expand or Limit Your Options?
Sometimes when we position ourselves as "experts" we get locked into a certain way of thinking and learning. Maybe it's better to remain with a "beginner's mind" to see the big picture of opportunity waiting!

How To Overcome Your Weakness!
Today I would like to start out by talking about what weakness is exactly. A Lack of passion for that area of your life you fear to do or to try to do well. Building blocks to something greater. You need to overcome your weakness and turn them into your strengths.

Ezines and Why They Work!
Ezines, simply put are electronic magazines that are sent via e-mails to subscribers. This works well because the subscribers have opted in to receive these e-mails, for that reason these ezines are not spam, since people have asked to receive them

Are You On Craigs List?
I believe craigs list could very well be a goldmine if you know how to use it. Of course there are things that you shouldn't do. But there are millions of people who view the site, alexa's global rank is 39 and it is ranked 9 in the United States. What does this tell you. And if everyone is telling you it doesn't work then that's where you want to go because then there isn't any competition, Right?

Positive Affirmations to Successful Thinking!
Do you have what it takes to become successful? Have you ever used positive affirmations to get what ever you wanted. Do you even know what they are?

Start Setting Those Goals!
What are your goals in life? Do you have goals set to provide a destination to take in life? This essentially is just a guideline for which you wish to bring about in your life. If you have no goals you actually have no place to go.

Success depends on individuals and how badly do you want it and what are you willing to do for it
Choose to be among successful people by knowing some principles which might lead you to the success.

Improve Your Social Skills!
Did you ever notice when you are at a party or an event that there are always a few people who stand out from the crowd? Do you have the social skills to openly communicate with other people? If not keep on reading.

The Entrepreneurs Coaching Center-The Power of the Master Mind
Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford and Mahatma Gandhi all have something in common-An understanding of the value of the Master Mind. Entrepreneurs are in a position to capatalize and leverage the Master Mind concept. Starting a business is often a lonely job and pushes many to their limit. The Master Mind group concept, if done properly, can expand and leverage the knowledge and talent of the Entrepreneur.

Tips For Creating Examples of Successful Internet Marketing Campaigns
When you start your small business online, you want to be as prepared as possible. You want to have your ducks in a row, be prepared for the unexpected and be ready to roll as soon as possible. It's been said that the small business owner and entrepreneur will be the ones that pull the economy out of the slump it's currently experiencing.

Why your great idea will work
It's not the business idea that matters, but the execution. Find out why.

Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How
Majority of people want something better for their families and themselves than what they are currently doing. There are many opportunities that anyone (with work) can do to make their lives more of what they want and desire than just settling for what they have.

Lesson #3 Know The Game Part II.
The follow up to part I http://www.evancarmichael.com/Leadership/6509/Lesson-3-Know-The-Game-Part-I.html The most important lesson an entrepreneur can learn

If You’re Afraid of Hard Work Don’t Start a Business! Here’s why…..
The key is not to let the advertising world force us into their mold; one in which reality and logic do not exist. Everything takes effort and the greatest achievements take a whole lot of effort! I am glad that we have the screening process in place that we have. Unless an enrollee possesses the right frame of mind: the mind of an entrepreneur, he/she is not invited to enter.

90 Days To Explode Your Business!
Are you an entrepreneur who has been trying to get your business off the ground but you just don't really know what to do. You need to challenge yourself, make the decision to get started and just do it.

The New Boomer Entrepreneur, Start-Ups and Start-Downs
Small business has changed dramatically since the new millennium. For starters, it's grown dramatically with 95% of all businesses in Canada and the United States being classified as small or medium-sized. Moreover, the distinction between micro and larger more established small and medium-sized businesses is widely accepted by most companies targeting the 'small business market' today. This means suppliers of all kinds of products and services recognize the significant differences in their respective needs and have created distinct offerings to suit the unique requirements of these separate and distinct groups.

What Are You Waiting For?
This is exactly why the best real estate investing opportunities are right now. Most people aren’t even interested in real estate investment. They have watched the market plummet for a very long time and are convinced that there are no opportunities for the entrepreneur wishing to start his/her own home business. Just the opposite is true.

Boomer Business Start-Up Strategy #4
As time goes by, you will encounter situations where you may have doubts about the advisability of continuing with your venture. This is completely natural. I have discovered, much to my dismay that the world really doesn’t care if I make it or not, thus, I must take responsibility for sustaining my own inner drive to succeed.

Learning From Failure
Did you know that many Entrepreneurs have been in your shoes and have decided to take a second, third or fourth run at starting a new business? As a leading Real Estate Mentor, I work with many Boomers who have tried starting a business in the past. They may have mortgaged the family home and thumbed their noses at the boss only to have to return a year or two later with ‘their tails between their legs.’ This can take a huge toll on one’s self-esteem and severely injure your confidence. As a result many have lost their “spirit” and now drudge through a daily routine in which they find little to no fulfillment.

A Winning Attitude – Key to Your Success
I am in dialogue nearly every day with highly anxious Boomers who see the world changing in front of their eyes. Many feel less and less useful in today’s high-tech climate. Boomers everywhere are increasingly stressed over ageism in the workplace. They are tired of watching their fleeting retirement plans passing away. So, what are you going to do about, yourself?

Are You Having Tough Times?
Are you unemployed? You can't find any work? You don't know where to turn? Times are tough in today's economy!

Writing Ads That Work!
Your headline is the most important part of your ads, this is the subject line, the first thing that others will see when they read your ad. If they don't get past the headline you will not make the sale. Make sure you have the best headline possible, one that pulls your reader in.

Your Internal Board of Directors ... Part I: Who's In Charge?
Have you noticed? When it comes to running your business, you have a lot of different voices in your head. You have the voice that tells you to work on your business plan, and the voice that tells you that you need to answer that email. You have the voice that encourages you to write an article to promote your business, and the voice that tells you it would never get published. You have the voice that wants you to hire an assistant, and the voice that says it’s easier to do everything yourself. With all the chatter going on in our heads, it is actually amazing that anything gets done!

How To Find More Time
Many holistic therapists discover the need to develop or hone their time management skills when they go into business for themselves. Unlike the corporate world where the "boss" frequently structured your day, as an entrepreneur you are the person who is responsible for organizing your days and your time.

Boomer Entrepreneurs: 5 Ways to Blog Your Way to Business Success
As a savvy boomer entrepreneur, you want to increase visibility of your home-based business. Creating a blog is one way to attract attention and to create a strong relationship with customers, and prospects. Learn five ways to create a blog that will increase sales, and solidify your reputation.

Home Based Business Success: 3 Key Marketing Essentials
As the economy waffles along increasing one minute and decreasing the next, and unemployment hovers near 10% nationwide, people are fast realizing that home-based businesses are the way for to supplement or replace income without being dependent on others. To build a successful home-based business you need three key marketing essentials.

Another Entrepreneur “Wakes Up”
Nothing makes me happier than getting emails like this. In fact this is WHY I do what I do. Waking people up to their inner entrepreneur. The purpose of our new marketing system – PRO Elite – is to get the entire PRO community on board to elevate each others’ existence. The story I’m about to share will reveal the best way to get started: get out of your own way, stand on the shoulders of giants, and use the system the way it’s designed.

Never again…Never
As I sat on my front porch this morning, reading the paper and enjoying my first cup of coffee for the day, I could not help but feel a certain sense of gratitude for the freedom I take for granted every day. I have had the privilege of living in this great country for the last 9 years, and even though I am fiercely proud to be Canadian, feelings of patriotism and adoration for my new homeland were overwhelming this morning. After spending the weekend doing the normal “get ready for summer” stuff around the house and enjoying the last three days of family barbecues and abundance – it really hit home.

A profitable market
A profitable market has to be a hungry market. In other words, there must be sufficient demand for the product in place.

Clobbering Overhwhelm in 7 Easy Steps
The good news is you can learn to minimize this paralyzing feeling by facing what's going on and taking action; like a gymnast on a balance beam, taking one step sure step after the other.

Are you in alignment with your business?
For the past three years I have struggled. I mean really struggled. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. I had built a very profitable business before. One that grew quickly and bloomed into a beautiful success. So what was wrong this time?

Using The Power Of The Mind!
What is it that you really want to do with your life? Be very clear on this, something that you truly want, it can be something that is far beyond your reach but you know it is something that you want! Dare to dream!

What to do when Someone says you Suck!
In business, it’s probably inevitable. At some point, you’re going to do something that pisses someone off. That’s just a fact of life.

Business Plans 101: Part 2
A business has a substantially better chance of succeeding if the entrepreneur takes the time to write a business plan. Not only can missteps be avoided, but the process of writing a business plan also allows the entrepreneur the opportunity to think proactively instead of reactively. When dealing with the day-to-day needs of a business the entrepreneur is typically in “firefighter mode,” putting out the fires of the day. Writing a business plan lets the entrepreneur take a step back and think about the business in a “big picture” context. This article continues the discussion of what needs to be included in a business plan, specifically outlining what needs to be included in the financial (or "numbers") portion.

Making Leadership Actionable: What We Are Learning and How We Can Use It
Much of the popular and academic literature on leadership has led to advice about what is required for effective leadership. This advice is usually flawed in that it does not provide guidance for how to learn to effectively apply the advice or because the advice is based on the practices of an individual in a specific context, a context that may or may not apply to the learner’s situation. An approach to leadership development based on seeing leadership as an emergent phenomenon, rather than just something that an individual does, is suggested.

What I learnt From One Of The UK’s Best Selling Business Authors
A few months ago, I embarked on a new project, The Great Successful People Package to interview numerous top successful individuals, in order to pick their brains on what made them a success and what important points they had learnt over the years. I did this with the goal of sharing their advice and proven ideas with others. I have choosen from hundreds of ideas, this one because it was simple and it worked for me!

Why Buy an Existing Business or Franchise
Why buy an established business or franchise rather than start from scratch? There are many advantages for an entrepreneur. First of all, there is a savings in time, energy, and money when buying an existing business or a franchise. The lengthy process of researching and creating business plans and models has already been done for you. Usually when individuals decide to sell a business they prepare a business plan or offering summary for you. Also, if there is financing needed for your purchase, it is not as difficult to obtain since a lenders are more likely to finance a business with a proven track record.

Boomer Entrepreneurs: 3 Ways "Baby Eyes" Can Improve Your Home-Based Business
For boomer entrepreneurs to stay alive and be profitable in today's competitive business environment, you need to keep your "baby eyes" wide open. This means having an open mind, and willingness to consider anything from different angles that affects your home-based business. Discover three ways "baby eyes" can help to improve your home-based business.

Strategic Planning: Key Reasons Why Strategic Planning Is A Must
You're a busy entrepreneur and small business owner. You have heard a lot about strategic planning, but figure it's for big business. Besides you just don't have the time and/or resources to spend on planning. You have a business to run and right now things are going okay. So why must you have a strategic plan?

Selling with Humor (and a Sorry Butt)
Obviously you have to be careful with humor in sales. But sometimes a sorry butt can be your best friend.

Why Follow Up Is Vital
The problem with small business is not the amount of new possible business – its arrogance. Anyone can begin a business. There is a low barrier of entry, but not everyone can stay. It takes quite a bit of marketing to remain visible in very competitive markets; it also takes the ability to ask for the order. Yet most important is the consistent and relentless ability to be service oriented. After all the failure to follow up differentiates you from everyone else.

How To Succeed In Business
The problem with small business is not the amount of new possible business – its arrogance. Anyone can begin a business. There is a low barrier of entry, but not everyone can stay. It takes quite a bit of marketing to remain visible in very competitive markets; it also takes the ability to ask for the order. Yet most important is the consistent and relentless ability to be service oriented. After all the failure to follow up differentiates you from everyone else.

Sample Term Sheet
If the venture capitalists are interested, they will very quickly come up with a draft term sheet for you which gives an overview of the conditions under which they would make an investment in your company. (see next page for a sample term sheet).

Meeting With The Venture Capitalist
Meetings with venture capitalists are also referred to as “the dog & pony show.” It provides the first opportunity for investors to meet the management of your company face to face and assess the people behind the business. You could have a brilliant business plan backed by poor management. This will only become apparent to the venture capitalist in the meeting.

Venture Capital - Preparing The Plan
Make it so that your mother or grandmother can understand it. Entrepreneurs too often fill their business plans with of acronyms, tech terms, and buzz words. Intermediaries can usually tell after the first paragraph how difficult it will be to raise capital for your business. Condense what you do and what you want into a statement that you can make very promptly in seconds or minutes. If you cannot communicate quickly, you will lose the investor’s interest.

How Leaders Improve Performance
To improve business performance, leaders need to pay attention to both developing their leadership skills and developing the organisation. This article explores how these are inter-related and provides an integral understanding of what affects the performance of an organisation. Questions are provided to help illuminate the readers capability as they explore the 4 quadrants of the leadership and organisational development landscape, together with an excerise to help develop their awareness and skill.

3 Tips to Equalize Cash Flow to Client Flow
Too many entrepreneurs start their ventures with little or no capital. They set deadlines that are impossible to meet because that is when they are running out of money. They forget to test their target audience with their offer to see if they really want it. Then they are surprised when the market resists. Frustrated, baffled and burned out, you wonder if you should just go get a job again.

Why Owning a Franchise is a Better Way to Business Success
Franchising has many benefits over stand-alone businesses, including training, support and purchasing. It's a great way for people who are not great risk-takers can own their own business. And it's a proven strategy that usually works better than going out on your own

Low Cost Web Hosting
As entrepreneurs, we all have to be wary of our bottom line. By and large, I am of the belief that it’s never smart to spend more than you’re bringing in. That being said, however, there comes a time, especially during our startup days, when it’s time to take a risk, to spend a little extra money in the hopes that it will bring you a bigger return. Here, especially, I am talking about low cost web hosting.

Two Ways for Entrepreneurs to Manage Risk and Avoid Losing Their Shirts
One habit that separates successful entrepreneurs from unsuccessful ones is managing risk. This article suggests two important tactics that every entrepreneur should lock in place in order to avoid losing their shirts.

Why Freelance is a Term Every Business Owner Should Know
This article is primarily for start-up companies who are not sure whether or not a freelance writer or designer is right for them. The article outlines the benefits so that each entrepreneur can make the decision that works best for their specific company.

Resilience, Resilience, Resilience
This article gives an overview of the importance of resilience, and how to develop it. For coaches, it suggests ways to help clients develop resilience.

Do You Think Like an Entrepreneur?
As a business and marketing trainer to hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs and someone who has a proven track record of growing successful businesses from scratch since the 1980s, including Six Elements (a home staging & interior redesign firm), I developed the following simple quiz to help others gauge their ability to think like an entrepreneur.

Web Domain Name
There are a million mistakes every entrepreneur can make along the road to success, but one of the first is when it comes to choosing a web domain name. If you’re an entrepreneur and you’ve realized the importance of having a website and getting your company’s presence online, then you’ve taken the first step. Kudos! But how do you go about finding the best URL for you, the one that will pay off the most for your company in the long run? Here’s how.

"The Future . . ." is 'Sole' Sista Tosin Dekalu, Lawyer Turned Shoe Cobbler
As part of our pre-event coverage for "The Future Awards . . ." 2008, we selected some nominees we thought you would find interesting and will feature them until the event date scheduled for January 13th, 2008. We begin with a beautiful woman we think you will find quite interesting! Former Lawyer turned Shoe Cobbler,Tosin Dekalu, is one of "The Future Awards . . ." 2008 nominee. A graduate of the University of Westminster, London, Dekalu relocated to Nigeria in 2001 and shocked most when she quit the practice of law to open a shoe repair company! Today, her reputable shoe company provides shoe repairs for individuals and has expanded its services to include repairs of other accesories such as bags, suitcases and more; gaining clientele from numerous organizations including hotels. Shall we meet Ms. Dekalu?

More On Business Manners From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
Business manners are essential to build relationships in today’s business world. People, who present themselves very favorably, will maximize their business potential. I must tell you that I remain very passionate about business manners and believe very strongly in the results that follow the use of good business manners. In my own efforts for continuous improvement in business manners, I recently did some research that resulted in me finding a great resource - a quiz to establish your Business Etiquette Quotient. he quiz was developed by Lydia Ramsey, a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author.

Business Lessons Learned From Brett Favre
Success is success, whether you've built a multi-billion dollar company, written a dozen best-selling novels or are a famous quarterback. Many of the same mindset and principles are the same no matter how the success manifests itself.

How Pablo Picasso Dealt With The Price Objection
Everyone in sales fears hearing the price objection, yet very few salespeople prepare how to deal with it.

Lessons from a Root Canal
Look at your business, sales, and marketing plans often, to avoid the pain that comes from the alternative. You are in business to make money, don’t ignore the signs that can really hurt you in the long run.

The Art of Good Conversation
Do you struggle with conversation? Do you get nervous or do you have a loss for words? Read this article for great tips on how to carry a good conversation.

Website Templates Streamlining an Online Business Image
Looks mean everything, especially in business, and this includes online businesses. Product quality and selection, along with great customer service are at the core of every successful business, but if the outer shell isn’t appealing, shoppers are not as likely to take notice...

How to Create Your Personal Work Life Balance Plan
Creating a Work Life Balance Plan is not hard but there are some crucial issues to explore. In essence, you need to 'Plan your work and plan your play'. You may also need to deal with conflicting demands on your time and energy. Here is how to get started.

Persistence The Key To Success
It takes more than good looks, "smarts", contacts and a great idea to be a business success, it takes persistence.

The importance of networking
This morning at 7.30am the Kenya ICT Board (www.ict.go.ke) held an open forum for the Kenya BPO & Contact Centre Society an umbrella organisation for all things outsourcing. I was to make a short presentation on some of the work we are doing on their portal, but I arrived a few minutes late so I wasn't slotted in, even though I was disappointed having worked on the powerpoint the previous night I opted to stay and hear what was to be said.

Dreams Come True Series I: Passion Ignites Your Higher Purpose
Many of us had inspiring dreams as we were growing up. Often we abandoned these precious dreams, leaving them sadly behind. Some of us are living those dreams, yet still desire to accomplish special goals that express our unique talents. As years go by, we know that our skills can be used for benefiting others, and for creating a world filled with art, beauty, love, inspiration, passion and compassion.

Are You A Winner?
Do you know exactly what a winner is? Do you take responsibility for your actions? When the going gets rough? Do you get going?

Boomer Entrepreneurs: 4 Secret Motivators That Drive Your Customers To The "Buy Now" Button
How do you attract customers to your home-based business ? As a savvy boomer entrepreneur, do you understand the "hot buttons" that motivate them to click the "buy now" button on your website? Discover four secrets that work like magic.

6 Step Formula to Creating Your Own Coaching Sales Copy
Creating copy for your website, blog and marketing materials does not need to be hard! Even a 12 year old can do it! These six steps can take you from "clueless" to a writing/copy machine. Don't wait - get started now!

Free Money From Uncle Sam!
Do you know the tax advantages that running a home based business can give you? Do you know that your subscription to your internet provider is a tax deduction? How about your membership to your online courses you have been taking all year?

What I Learned in Becoming Entrepreneur
What I learned as I transitioned from being an employee to being a business owner and the roll 9/11 had in helping with this transition.

4 Important Lessons Every Boomer Entrepreneur Can Learn From Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs has been hailed as an American genius who has changed our world forever. It’s easy to be in total awe of his brilliant and creative mind. What are some important lessons boomer entrepreneurs, not ready for retirement, can learn from his genius? Learn four:

The Ultimate FaceBook Training!
Did you know that there is a way that you can recruit without spending a dime. Have you ever tried to use facebook to recruit others into your business? This will take some time, so you must be patient. But over time you can build yourself a great business using these tactics.

Ideas and Innovation-The Engine and the Fuel of Entrepreneurship
Ideas and innovation are essential building blocks for a successful entrepreneurial or business start-up. Ideas are the engins and innovation the fuel. Capture seven ways you and your organization can encourage more and better ideas and innovation.

Smart Women And The 4 Entrepreneurial Phases
This article is about the journey that entrepreneurs take when they first start a business and the phases they need to go through in order to reach their highest goals. There are different skill sets needed at certain phases to make the business a success.

10 Lessons From Starting a Business
Everyone needs a little guidance sometimes. In this article, Elizabeth Hodgson shares her experiences while starting a business and gives readers a few key lessons she learned on her entrepreneurial journey.

Website Design Components
A well designed website will attract your ideal customer and prompt dialogue with your business. The following highlights are key components that you might keep in mind as

The Business Plan As a Thought Process
Write your own business plan to develop the analytical thinking skills necessary to run your business with an intimate understanding of your own business model. Going through the planning process is an invaluable business experience.

Customer Service, the First Step to Satisfaction.
Customer service is not customer, serve us! Hold on to your current customers while filling the pipeline for future sales.

Business Strategies For Sponsoring a Charity Event
Non-profit or a charity event sponsorship is something every size business should have in their marketing tool kit. Here are some helpful strategies.

Are You a Push Leader, Pull Leader, or Both?
What type of leader are you? Are you a "just-get-it-done" leader or do you take "the get-them-to-want-to-do-it" approach. Each leadership style is effective, but it depends on what results you want. Check out this article and let us hear your opinion.

Develop a Marketing Mindset
Having a marketing mindset makes good business sense for an entrepreneur but unfortunately it is not a frequent business practice. Why is it important?

The Salesperson's Nightmare- Your price is too high!
You are going to hear objections during a sales pitch, especially about price, and you've got to be ready to respond to them. Here are 10 ideas for successfully overcoming the dreaded statement "Your price is too high".

Moina Bell Michael
This short article appeared in Mazon Associates, Inc. company newsletter, Building Bridges, for May 2011. It is said that every generation has its war, and Ms. Michael wrote "We Shall Keep the Faith" for all of those wars -- past, present and future.

Charles Richard Drew
This article on Charles Richard Drew appeared in Mazon Associates, Inc. June 2011 company newsletter, Building Bridges, and is based on internet research. His life was shortened at a fairly young age but his legacy still lives.

Respondent Profile : Exploring entrepreneurship in a declining economy
A majority of the 81 entrepreneurs surveyed were males (72%) and operated in the capital city of Maiduguri (52%).

CHOOSING PROFESSIONAL COUNSEL
Finding an attorney for your small business is easy; figure out an area of law you need protection with and set a budget. The lawyer/business owner relationship is a vital one. Spend the necessary time in finding the right attorney for your company. Making the decision to hire a lawyer is a proactive choice as opposed to needing a lawyer when you're in a legal bind.

Findings - Impact Study of the Zakoura Microcredit Program
It must be noted that in general, there were relatively more clients as compared to non-clients who were open and more at ease in answering the questions raised. For example, to a question referring to changes in their income, the proportion of clients who gave no answer was 1.1% as against 9.3 % for non-clients.

Compensation Definitions: More Must Knows For the Entrepreneur
As an entrepreneur you must be a jack of all trades at times. As your business grows, you will need to become at least minimally versed in the area of compensation. After all, paying people is a key to keeping them around. This article will deal with some of the terminology used when describing a compensation program.

Compensation Definitions: Basic Must Knows for the Entrepreneur or Employee
Have you ever been in a staff meeting or other location and had a visit from a Human Resource Professional to discuss Compensation? Or maybe you’ve inquired about salaries or hourly rates – and have you been bombarded with terminology. Here are some basic compensation terms with definitions that will help you sail through those meetings looking like the entrepreneur that you are.

Turn Overwhelm Around With These 10 Tips
Overwhelm is one of the biggest challenges that entrepreneurs experience on a daily basis. The definition of overwhelm, according to The Brainy Dictionary is, "To cover over completely, as by a great wave; to overflow and bury beneath; to engulf; hence, figuratively, to immerse and bear down; to overpower; to crush; to bury; to oppress, etc., overpoweringly." Whew...sound familiar? I’ve been there, too, so I understand -it's not a fun place to be.

Creating The Perfect Holiday PR Pitch: Tapping Into The Billion $ Spending Season
The holiday season represents a huge opportunity when in comes to selling your product or service. According to the National Retail Federation, “in 2010, holiday sales increased 5.2% to $452.9 billion. And that’s just retail. Just about any business or service can utilize the holidays to boost sales. We generally think of the season boosting sales of clothing, jewelry or electronics, which it does, but those are just the obvious ones. If you’re in the FBI or CIA, you might have some trouble developing a holiday pitch, but generally there is going to be a way that you can pitch your business, product or service during the holiday season.

Planning the End at the Beginning
Every business needs an exit strategy. Every business person must think exit strategy every day.

How to Start Small Business- 7 Items to Consider
7 things to consider when planning to start a business. Not the complete list but a good beginning.

Financing Your Startup: Some Essential Tips
Step-by-step hints from experts to assist you....

Time Management
It seems to me that entrepreneurs often have a harder time than others with their time management skills. After all, they’re a creative class who like to concern themselves with great ideas and new innovations. They’re rarely ones for nitpicky details about scheduling, especially when it comes to giving them enough time for themselves. They like to work to all hours of the night getting their baby off the ground and running, and rarely think about the consequences. But as an entrepreneur, if you’re going to succeed, you need to learn how to organize your time effectively. This article will show you how.

Conflict Management
It doesn’t matter what business you’re in or how successfully you think you manage your employees. I guarantee you that at some point in your professional career, you’re going to experience conflict. It might not directly involve you, but if it involves anyone in your company, it’s going to impact you sooner or later. That is why every entrepreneur needs to learn conflict management – and sooner rather than later.

Perfecting Your Pitch: Winning the Hearts and Minds of Investors
The keys to increasing your effectiveness with prospective investors. This article provides a detailed overview of the components of a winning presentation, and it provides tips on what to do, and what not to do, if you want to persuade investors to finance your company.

The Seduction of Technology
Technology is all around us. It has become an everyday part of our life and the seduction of technology is often enough to make us drop thousands of dollars to get the latest and greatest. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on what type of technology is seducing you.

Street Meat Heater: A Simple Solution
Simon Kasiraba is one of many sausage vendors found in the cities and small towns throughout East Africa. He’s the prototypical micro-entrepreneur trying to make a living by supplying a need (food - conveniently available). He’s on AfriGadget because of the simple innovative solution that he employs to keep his food ready to be eaten at all times of the day - which is very important when you’re set up beside a bus stop.

Outsourcing Business Processes to Africa
For those of you who have not known me long, you may not have known me long-but you do know that I am crazy about letting others know why they should be doing business in Africa. But people are imperfect, as I wholeheartedly admit that I am an example of human imperfection. It has occurred to me that sometimes in my zest for talking about Africa’s business environments, I may tend to speak in a very general sense. But maybe if you have been on the receiving end of such a conversation, and you have said to yourself-”what type of business in Africa?” or “Africa, I thought that people only go there to help the needy”.

Incremental or not, what Africa needs is Entrepreneurial Infrastructure
Andrew Mack, Founder and Principal of AMGlobal Consulting, blogs about how "Entrepreneurial Infrastructure" more than "Incremental Infrastructure" is what Africa needs and has shown it wants.

Going Green and the Entrepreneur
The expectation of businesses by numerous stakeholders - society as a whole, governments, employees, clients and customers - is that they operate in ways that are not harmful to the environment. While that may not be completely possible, there exist many avenues for businesses to reduce their environmental footprint and function in less harmful ways than their predecessors.

Small Business Start Up Loans
If you’re an entrepreneur looking to get some financing for your brilliant new idea for a business, I’ve got some good news and some bad news for you. Since you can’t tell me which you would like to hear first, I’ll start with the bad: finding small business start up loans from governments can be an extremely difficult and competitive process. That’s not to say it can’t be done – thousands of entrepreneurs get them each and every years. It’s just not an easy thing to get.

What Can Be Done in North America to Help Better Support African Entrepreneurship?
The most important support from North America could be training. Due to the difficulties in Africa, it is often found that people are necessity entrepreneurs.

Capitalism is Interpreted too Narrowly
Many of the problems in the world remain unresolved because we continue to interpret capitalism too narrowly. In this narrow interpretation we create a one-dimensional human being to play the role of entrepreneur.

The Cost of Busy
As the old saying goes, “Rome was not built in a day”. Today I ask you, what is one small thing you could do that would help you to immediately begin to build a healthy YOU? Check out this story for more details.

WUSME International Conference 2011: SMEs Regional Development in a Globalized World
Delegates of entrepreneur organizations, among them Ministers, Ambassadors, Chambers of Commerce and private Companies from 23 Countries discussed three days at the WUSME International Conference (24 – 26 November 2011 in Budapest) a “New Architecture for recovering from a financial crises and for enhancing economic development, particularly in less privileged economies.”

Lessons from \'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo\'
The best-selling book "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and its sequels were made into films in Sweden in 2009. Now, the U.S. movie version of the first book, starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara, opens in theaters this December.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
Twin sisters Christa Pitts and Chanda Bell grew up in a house where their mother hid an elf named Fisbee somewhere each night between Thanksgiving and Christmas. A few years ago the sisters suggested they write a book about Fisbee. Every publisher turned them down. "It's been done - it's not practical to package a doll with a book - it's too expensive - no one will buy them." So they knew their idea was stupid and you’ve never heard of Elf on the Shelf.

Slash the Knot: How to Uncover and Overcome Your Biggest Obstacles
What does Alexander the Great have in common with Richard Branson, Michael Dell and Jim Pattison? Alexander the Great lived only 33 years – from 356 to 323 B.C. But in that short time, Alexander forged the greatest contiguous empire the world has ever known, stretching from south-eastern Europe to Egypt, and east as far as India.

Slash the Knot: How to Uncover and Overcome Your Biggest Obstacles
What does Alexander the Great have in common with Richard Branson, Michael Dell and Jim Pattison? Alexander the Great lived only 33 years – from 356 to 323 B.C. But in that short time, Alexander forged the greatest contiguous empire the world has ever known, stretching from south-eastern Europe to Egypt, and east as far as India.

The Leaders Edge How to Transform a Company by Unlocking the Leader
If you take a close look at most entrepreneurs in their first year of business, you’d find an impressive level of passion, commitment and vision. They know what they want and they’re ready to take on the world to get it. A few years later, that fire often begins to wane, and beyond that many entrepreneurs are on a steady path to overwhelm, exhaustion and burnout. If they aren’t being crushed by the demands of the business, they’re struggling to keep up with the brisk level of business and opportunity they’ve created. Although there are those rare few who thrive under this kind of pressure, most business leaders gradually lose their original excitement and momentum.

The Most Important – and Overlooked – Measure of Return on Investment
When ambitious entrepreneurs set their minds to accomplish something, they can summon a tremendous amount of drive, tenacity and commitment to make their vision a reality. And what a vision it is… a luxurious home, expensive cars, fine dining and more. Ah, the trappings of success! But while that internal drive to succeed is crucial to professional success, it can also be an entrepreneur’s downfall. They get so focused on the traditional picture of “success” – the dollar signs – that they forget what really matters. And when that happens, no paycheck is big enough.

8.1 Recommended actions – promotion: Support for Growth-oriented Women Entrepreneurs in Tanzania, 2005
Launch Women entrepreneurs in Tanzania: A woman’s golden hands

8.1 Recommended actions – promotion: Support for Growth-oriented Women Entrepreneurs in Tanzania, 2005
Launch Women entrepreneurs in Tanzania: A woman’s golden hands

6.3 Limitations of Enterprise Survey data for gender analysis: Gender Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness in Africa 2007
Although the Enterprise Survey data are without doubt a rich source of information about enterprises, their activity, and their constraints, they have important limitations for investigating entrepreneurship disaggregated by sex

5.7 Meeting the needs of the entrepreneur: Enterprise solutions to poverty
Simply making finance available in the $10,000 to $500,000 deal size was crucial to attracting the interest of Ugandan and South African SMEs since it had never been available before. But other features were also designed into the model to provide tailor-made support to entrepreneurs.

15.0 What Needs to be Done - Producing Better Research: Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Africa
Most researchers and policy makers have tended to use the information summarized in Table I in an isolated way. Researchers have concentrated either on the entrepreneur (e.g., Frese, 2000), the entrepreneurial firm (Jorgensen, et al., 1986), or the external environment (Buame, 1996). Rarely have they taken a holistic approach to study the combined and interactive effects of the three factors on entrepreneurial success or failure across time and space.

14.0 What Needs to be Done - Producing Useable Knowledge: Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Africa
The way forwarded should be guided by four key strategies. These include generating useable knowledge, producing better research, scaling up, and mainstreaming entrepreneurship. Each is explored below.

13.0 The Entrepreneurial Firm The External Environment: Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Africa
The third category of factors accounting for the success or failure of entrepreneurship is the external environment within which both the entrepreneur and the firm exist and operate.

13.0 The Entrepreneurial Firm The External Environment: Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Africa
The third category of factors accounting for the success or failure of entrepreneurship is the external environment within which both the entrepreneur and the firm exist and operate.

10.0 The Entrepreneurial Firm Networks Clusters and the Octopus: Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Africa
While networks and clusters contribute to business success and continuity, the African entrepreneur experiences difficulties establishing and maintaining effective business networks and clusters (Barr, 1999; Kiggundu, 2001; Ramachandran & Shah, 1999).

10.0 The Entrepreneurial Firm Networks Clusters and the Octopus: Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Africa
While networks and clusters contribute to business success and continuity, the African entrepreneur experiences difficulties establishing and maintaining effective business networks and clusters (Barr, 1999; Kiggundu, 2001; Ramachandran & Shah, 1999).

8.0 The Entrepreneurial Firm: Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Africa
In addition to competencies of the entrepreneur, entrepreneurship requires effective and dynamic organizational arrangements in order to remain successful.

7.0 The African Entrepreneur Entrepreneurial Competencies: Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Africa
Empirical studies linking education and training to entrepreneurial success have had mixed and contradictory results.

1.0 What is known and what needs to be done: Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Africa
This article summarizes what is known about entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Africa using three broad categories: The Entrepreneur, The Entrepreneurial Firm, and The External Environment.

Personal Business Coach
It’s never an easy thing to ask for help, especially for entrepreneurs. We want to feel like we’re in complete and total control of our businesses. After all, if we weren’t able to run our businesses by ourselves, then we probably shouldn’t have started them up in the first place, right? Wrong. Even the most successful businessperson needs a little help every now and then. Nobody can grow a strong business all by themselves, and that’s where a personal business coach comes in.

The Heart of Home Business Success
There are many ingredients necessary for home business success, but two critical ones live in the heart of every great entrepreneur.

Build Your Business On Pastrami and Rye
They say the quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Funny, but it seems it's also the quickest way to a genius mind. Here's how one businessman learned how to tie the pleasure of food and sharing into building his business.

Turnkey Business Opportunities Versus Franchises
What Exactly is the Difference Between a Traditional Franchise and a Turnkey Business?

Medical Billing from Home – A Legitimate Business Opportunity?
Are you looking for a home-based business opportunity in which you can not only earn a living but also make a different in the process? If so, consider medical billing.

7 Small Business Marketing Strategies Every Entrepreneur Ought To Know
There are 7 Small Business Marketing Strategies every Entrepreneur ought to know to gain a competitive advantage and economic footing in the marketplace.

7 Costly Small Business Marketing Mistakes to Avoid
Small business marketing is the key to small business success. There are 7 costly small business marketing mistakes that can cause small business failure.

7 Costly Small Business Marketing Mistakes to Avoid
Small business marketing is the key to small business success. There are 7 costly small business marketing mistakes that can cause small business failure.

Entrepreneurship/Business Environment
The key factors you need to remember about entrepreneurship are opportunities, innovation, and growth. An entrepreneur sees opportunities in environmental trends and changes that nobody has seen before and pursues this opportunity ...

Jill Hart Interviews Chris Knight of EzineArticles.com on Article Writing & Marketing (Work at Home Moms Perspective)
Jill Hart interviews Christopher M Knight from Ezine Articles.

5 Essential Habits to Protect Your Most Essential Commodity
A couple of years ago I was at a leadership conference where one of the keynotes, Suzanne de Passe of Motown Productions, talked about protecting the entrepreneurs’ greatest commodity – our energy. Suzanne’s key comment was “how you spend your energy is how you measure your success.”

Become an Entrepreneur of Your Own Home Business
This article talks about what is involved in being an entrepreneur of a home based business. It discusses the characteristics one should possess to be a success business owner.

Flatten Your Learning Curve and Accelerate Your Home Biz Success
You can build a successful home-based business by taking the long road with a step learning curve or a shorter, more scenic route with a flatter, smoother approach. It all depends on how you choose to acquire your business experience.

6 Secrets to Successful Entrepreneurship
6 keys on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Helps for those starting or thinking of staring their own business.

6 Secrets to Successful Entrepreneurship
6 keys on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Helps for those starting or thinking of staring their own business.

Entrepreneur: The Last Free American
Failures and moving on are all part of the path of maturity. It's like trees in the Amazon designed to reach towards the sun's rays and soak up every bit of sunlight they can get. Not all acorns grow to mighty Oaks. The tree that captures the most sunlight, wins. It will be the tallest and the widest. No one said it would be easy.

Pink Slip Billionaires
You gotta love problems for the solutions they inspire. Here are some names you might recognize who were canned, laid off, or otherwise given the boot. They have joined the Pink-Slip Billionaires because instead of finding a new job, they launched their own careers.

High Paying Client Attraction Made Easy
Many entrepreneurs dream of doing what they love and being highly paid for it. Attracting your ideal clients at the fees that you truly desire is not as big of a deal as you might make it out to be. When you are connecting to your potential client’s heart and your ears are wide open, clients will be waiting in line for you.

Writing Phenom David S. Fick Talks with Benin Mwangi! Part One
Recently, I had the pleasure of exchanging dialogue with a world renowned author who has written two popular books about entrepreneurship in Africa. His name is David S. Fick. Because this interview is so detailed and filled to the brim with facts and information, the interview is broken into two parts.

BUILDING A BRAND ©
The article emphasizes the importance of branding for those operating in a small market and how one Nichepreneuer used her industry expertise to create a strong brand for her own business.

Leadership: Seven Rules To Live By
It's inevitable that when managing your small business ,leadership demands a powerful role to play. There are seven leadership rules to live by and reap the rewards from managing your business effectively in the 21st Century.

Leadership: Seven Rules To Live By
It's inevitable that when managing your small business ,leadership demands a powerful role to play. There are seven leadership rules to live by and reap the rewards from managing your business effectively in the 21st Century.

6 Things Solopreneurs Need to Know About Virtual Assistants
Working with a Virtual Assistant (VA) is one of the best things you can do to grow your business. Because there are so many VAs out there, all eager to work with you, it can be difficult to know who to choose. This article suggests some of the attributes you should be looking for in order to work with a GREAT virtual assistant.

What Does It Mean to Work Smart? - Quiz
Have you ever known someone who just seems to "have it all together?" Maybe that someone is you and maybe you could do even better. "Having it all together," is what many perceive as "working smart." But what does it really mean to "work smart?" Is it a mysterious quality that some of us are born with, and the rest without? Or is it a skill set that can be learned and mastered? Most business and relationship experts support that "working smart" is a skill set that enables one to achieve balance in life and be fruitful.

How To Brand Your Home Business Online
Since marketers know that branding yourself as an expert in your field or marketing niche is important, here are a few ideas on how to brand your home business online. Branding is a natural process of business development and there are some good ways to use Social Networking to make it more personal.

Punctures On The Road To Success
Problems with the quick-fix approach - and the teachings of Hang Sen.

The Media Personality and British Entrepreneur, Alan Sugar Started From Meager Beginnings
Sir Alan Sugar is best known for being the host of the British version of America's popular The Apprentice reality television show. However, most of his wealth comes from his founding of Amstrad, a multimillion dollar electronics firm. This is not how Sugar started out in life. In fact, Sugar comes from meager beginnings. Some people wonder how this man became so successful.

Sir Alan Sugar Begins to Build a Dynasty
Sir Alan Sugar did not begin his life on top of the world, he had to push and claw his way there. One of Britain's top businessmen, Sugar started out by selling car antennas, electronics out of the back of a van, but would build one of the largest electronics companies in Great Britain. People sometimes wonder how that business got started.

Lesson #1: Always be Selling
Sir Alan Sugar did not develop his marketing techniques by chance, he began noticing what people needed at an early age. In an interview with the Daily Mail in 2009, Sugar was quoted as saying, “I came from an environment where I had to succeed. Kids today are not as hungry as I was. They don't understand how tough my generation was.”

Lesson #2: Negotiate to Make More Sales
Sir Alan Sugar had to learn how to negotiate from an early age. The skills came naturally to him when he was only 12-years-old and working in a bakery on Saturday mornings. Sugar claimed later in his autobiography that those negotiating skills learned in his early jobs made him an “all-rounder” in business.

Lesson #3: Never Expect Your Products to Remain the Market Leader
One thing Sir Alan Sugar learned about business early on was that competitors will do everything they can to steal your ideas and try to improve it or sell it cheaper. He would say in an interview with the New York Times, “If there was a market in mass-produced portable nuclear weapons, we'd market them, too.”

7 Character Traits of an Extraordinary Entrepreneur
Extraordinary entrepreneurs recognize that all things are possible – it’s their attitude towards the goal that has to shift. When you believe you can accomplish anything you “sort” ideas and opportunities differently. Someone who has a limited filter typically rejects 99% of new ideas. Someone who sees everything as a possibility only rejects what isn’t in alignment. Which one are you?

Is Your Ladder on the Wrong Wall?
I had a client named John and he asked me to help him stop feeling overwhelmed so he could put the fun and freedom back into his life. Within our first conversation, John realized… After all of these years of working in his own business he had still managed put his ladder on someone else’s beautiful building! The success he created was the dream of his mentor. When you are crystal-clear about how YOU really want to live and climb your own mountain, you will have an experience of effortless action. It’s almost like you would pay someone else to show up every day and do your work. It’s not a job, it’s an indescribable passion that you are compelled to express. Nothing and no one can stand in your way.

Anna Mary Robertson Moses, aka "Grandma Moses"
Grandma Moses is one of America's iconic artists who began to paint seriously at the age of 76 years. This article on Grandma Moses is based on internet research, and published in Mazon Associates, Inc. company newsletter (Building Bridges) on February 29,2012. I hope you enjoy reading about her life in this short article.

Jack LaLanne
My short article on Jack LaLanne, America's fitness guru, was published in Mazon Associates, Inc. February 2012 company newsletter, Building Bridges. Information for the article was obtained from various internet searches. I hope you enjoy reading about this entrepreneurial icon.

Robert Lee Frost, Farmer Poet
Mazon Associates, Inc. featured the following Robert Frost article in its January 2012 newsletter, Building Bridges. One of his most famous poems, The Road Not Taken, is a touching tribute to entrepreneurs everywhere. I wrote this article based on internet research. I hope you enjoy it.

Nicholas (Nick) James Vujicic, International Motivational Speaker
Upon seeing Nick Vujicic's recent wedding photo yesterday (today is March 2, 2012), reminded me that I had yet to post the article I researched and wrote for Mazon Associates, Inc. April 2011 company newsletter, Building Bridges. So here it is, I hope you are sincerely inspired in reading this young entrepreneur's story.

Charles William (C.W.) Post
One of my coworkers had the opportunity to tour Marjorie Merriweather Post's estate in Washington DC in 2011, which inspired me to research the history of this lady, and write about this in Mazon Associates, Inc. company entrepreneur newsletter for September 2011. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed doing the research and writing!

Quanah Parker
I had the opportunity to visit Fort Parker in Texas several years ago and was quite impressed with its history. I decided to research the internet and write this article about Quanah Parker from an entrepreneural point of view for Mazon Associates, Inc.'s August 2011 newsletter, Building Bridges. I hope you enjoy it!

Bernadine (Bernie) Dutra, OneChild
I researched the internet and wrote the following article for Mazon Associates, Inc.'s July 2011 newsletter, Building Bridges. Bernie Dutra is a beautiful example of what one woman can do for others!

Increase Profit and Save Time with this Simple Business Tool
There are so many marketing channels and sales responsibilities, how can an entrepreneur keep them all straight? Here's a tool that can help: The sales funnel. Most people think of the sales funnel as a concept, but it's really a strategic tool. Keep reading to find out how it can help you increase profit and save time.

The Power Of Telling Your Story
Story telling is a basic part of being an entrepreneur. Every one of us has a unique story to tell, as an entrepreneur your story connects you to your audience and potential clients. The power of telling your story is an essential tool for every entrepreneur. Your own unique stories make you different than any one else. This difference is essential for you to share with others for them to know who you are, what you do and why you do it.

Creating An Entrepreneurship Company
Are you pondering the idea of creating an entrepreneurship company, being ready to dump the 9 to 5 rat race? If so, then you carry the same feelings that 30 million other people do in this country. Many are realizing with a downed economy, low wages, and scarce jobs, that going into business themselves might be their escape out of this web of financial woe. But how does one go about creating an entrepreneurship company, and what can they do to make it profitable in the least amount of time?

Never To Old To Become An Entrepreneur
Regardless of your age, you are never to old to be a successful entrepreneur. This article will show you that your age and wisdom can help you become an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurs Create Extraordinary Lives
Some would say my dad was a hard worker, others would say he was a great business man an entrepreneur and a risk taker. I would say all are true. But what I would say describes my dad the best is his strong unending love for his family and that he, as an entrepreneur created an extraordinary life.

Alliance of One
Companies are changing as the world evolves. The current downturn, or whatever you want to call it, has altered the employment of millions of people. To remain nimble, and to keep fixed costs low, companies of all sizes are employing contractors for projects. In turn, contractors are creating companies of one. Then to be successful, they create alliances of one.

Tips to Write Good Facebook Posts
Facebook has changed the way we communicate and connect with our community. Don’t let new technology deter you. Understand how to use it! Here are nine things you should do to attract the right kind of clients to you.

What Makes a Niche So Important. Overcome Obstacles, Market Your Business & Get More Clients.
Solo business owners struggle with the concept of figuring out their niche. They all want more clients and more money coming in, but there are some glitches to overcome! Here are a few topics I see over and over...

Getting Clear About Money and Pricing - Overcome Self Doubt: Tips to Market and Price Your Services
How do I know how to price my services? Nothing will cause you stress and confusion as the topic of money. These issues can cloud your thinking and make it challenging to come up with correct prices. There are solutions!

For Entrepreneurs fearing Vacation, this works like crazy…
As an Entrepreneur, have you ever put off taking vacation? Are you afraid of losing new clients? Are you afraid of losing revenue? Even if you did take vacation, do you feel guilty? When I first, transitioned from an Employee to an Entrepreneur, my answer to all these questions were "YES". It took a couple of years to understand my emotions and change my mindset. I would make time to accommodate a guest or relatives visiting us, despite my busy schedule of running my home chores and business. When it came to taking a vacation, I felt that only if I had a JOB, I can have the luxury of taking a PAID vacation provided by an employer. In other words, I felt that I never had "permission" to take vacation.

Five Common Mistakes Made by New Small Businesses
Five common mistakes that many small business owners make upon starting their first businesses.

Building the Right Support Team
Outside support is crucial for scaling up your business. But there are good kinds of support and great kinds. Here is how to build the right support for what you need.

Being An Invisible Business Isn't An Option-Gain Huge Visiblity For Your Business
Marketing and Advertising is one way to gain visibility if you have a big budget but what about free publicity through the media, social networking and guest blogging.

Starting A Movement With Your Business, Gimmick or Genuis?
Business is no longer just about selling stuff. Customers want to have meaning behind the brand. Starting a movement with your business isn’t a side thing you do to draw attention, it’s a complete shift in how you interact with your customers and what you give back to your industry & community.

Going Against the Social Crowd IS the Secret to Success
Don't try to be the next Facebook but only better. Be the leader that everyone else tries to mimic. To be a copycat is easy, it takes boldness to invent something that doesn't exist. Being in business sometimes means you forge your own trails instead of following the ones well traveled.

A Stuck Mind Can't Create a Successful Business
If creating a successful business was just about following strategies of other successful entrepreneurs everyone would be millionaires. There's millions of books on business and how to create successful ones so why aren't all businesses successful? It's a lot more about the business owner than just the business. How you think plays a bigger role in your success than you may believe.

Servant Leadership: A Way To Authentic Power and Prosperity
Do you believe you can effortlessly ride the path to prosperity - living in a state of wealth, balance and ease? Over the past few months, I've been actively working on my signature keynote and book, A New Path To Prosperity, which is the first book to explore the psychological and social conditioning that causes destructive leadership behaviors (including CEO greed), while offering 7 concrete practices for transcending strife, and becoming a powerful leader that drives positive change.

Top 5 Ways to Improve Success (as an Entrepreneur)
Many entrepreneurs find out how to be successful the hard way. Through multiple failures of businesses. Eventually, if they keep at it, they succeed. Here are the top five reasons for failures and what to do about them.

Franchise Opportunities for the 50 Plus Entrepreneur
Since there are so many franchise opportunities out there it can be difficult to evaluate them all and decide on the best one for you, especially if you are over the age of 50. Fortunately, there are plenty of franchise opportunities for the 50 plus entrepreneur. Perhaps this brief overview will give you some new business ideas that you could research and pursue!

The Uniform Franchise Offering Circular: What Every Franchisee Needs to Know
After months of careful thought and planning, you are poised to start your own franchise business. You’ve pinpointed your interests, narrowed your industry options, and selected the company that is your perfect match. Now, just weeks away from your own “opening day,” you find yourself handed a document of intimidating size with an equally intimidating title: Uniform Franchise Offering Circular.

Like Books Entrepreneurs Are Always Judged By Their Covers
Entrepreneurship requires not just hard work and knowledge of business but also a number of other things that are many times not considered too important. Grooming yourself to look good is just one of these things that entrepreneurs need to focus on.

INC 500: Top 7 Insights Gained From the Most Successful Entrepreneurs in the US
Imagine … being in one room with the 500 most successful entrepreneurs in the US. This month, I had such an opportunity at the Inc. 500 conference, the ultimate event where Inc. Magazine honors the fastest 500 growing businesses. Read this article and find out my top 7 insights from the best of the best i n the business world.

Dick Clark’s Business Lesson
Memorable account of Dick Clark as a business mentor.

Franchise Opportunities
According to Entrepreneur.com, the Top 10 Franchises for 2007 are as follows: Subway, Dunkin’ Donuts, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, 7Eleven Inc., UPS Store, Domino’s Pizza LLC, Jiffy Lube International Inc., Sonic Drive In Restaurants, McDonald’s, and Papa John’s International Inc. More and more people are choosing to opt into these businesses and set up a shop of their own. But, what is it that makes these ten so successful in expanding their chains? How can you too take advantage of one of the myriad of available franchise opportunities that are out there, and become a success?

The Differences Between a Franchise & Business Opportunity
The Differences Between a Franchise & Business Opportunity. When considering life as an entrepreneur, it is important to understand the differences between a franchise, business opportunity and a start-up business. There are, of course, advantages and disadvantages to each style of business. In this article we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of business opportunities and the difference between a franchise and business opportunity.

The Differences Between a Franchise & Business Opportunity
The Differences Between a Franchise & Business Opportunity. When considering life as an entrepreneur, it is important to understand the differences between a franchise, business opportunity and a start-up business. There are, of course, advantages and disadvantages to each style of business. In this article we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of business opportunities and the difference between a franchise and business opportunity.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Owning a Franchise
When considering life as an entrepreneur, it is important to understand the definitions of a franchise, business opportunity and a start-up business. There are, of course, advantages and disadvantages to each style of business. In this article we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of owning a franchise.

Connecting Business - The Growth of Networking
More and more people are leaving corporate life to set up in business on their own. With the growing number of small businesses setting up, networking is becoming more and more vital. Are you grasping the opportunity with both hands?

Immigrant Entrepreneurs ‘A Real Engine’ for Growth, Study Says
A new study indicates that the growing number of immigrant entrepreneurs in major U.S. cities have been a real engine for economic and job growth in many sectors and are outpacing self-employed native-born Americans.

The Top 10 Entrepreneurial Qualities
It is rare that one has the perfect personality to achieve entrepreneurial success, but don’t fret. We all have the ability to modify our behaviors to narrow the gap. In order to accomplish this, we must first identifies the qualities that the ideal entrepreneur possesses. This article defines the top ten qualities exhibited in the personalities of successful entrepreneurs so we can benchmark who we are and who we need to be.

The Top 10 Entrepreneurial Qualities
It is rare that one has the perfect personality to achieve entrepreneurial success, but don’t fret. We all have the ability to modify our behaviors to narrow the gap. In order to accomplish this, we must first identifies the qualities that the ideal entrepreneur possesses. This article defines the top ten qualities exhibited in the personalities of successful entrepreneurs so we can benchmark who we are and who we need to be.

The Fountainhead Entrepreneur
The classical novel The Fountainhead has many deep dialogues - one in particular takes stabs at the idea of following established "standards" in art. Entrepreneurs should be critical thinkers who challenge the standards and skirt the bounds of creativity. Here is a great lesson from the Fountainhead.

Know Everything About Your Business
Know Everything About Your Business - Whatever business you are in, know everything about it. In the event planning business people think that because they can do a dinner party at home for 10 people they can do a large event for 1,000. Start at the bottom and learn all the rungs of the business.

What's Your IQ (Influence Quotient)?
This article discusses the importance of understanding the principle of influence.

Franchisee Profile Who should and should not buy a franchise
Are you entrepreneurial? If so think twice about buying a franchise. So who should buy a franchise and what are the benefits for the right type of people?

Top Tips For A Company Acquiring Another
Often times a business that is for sale is acquired by a larger complimentary corporate concern instead of an entrepreneur wishing to start out in business. The hurdles involved in the merging of such an organisation can lead to loss of productivity, confusion and can be a destabilizing force for both concerns. This article outlines some of the main issues.

Painting Your Own Rainbow – Creating multiple income streams
Creating multiple income streams - including passive income streams, where you make money while you sleep - is a terrific idea and a creative endeavour.

Five Steps to Entrepreneurial Success - Personality Matters!
Bill Wagner, owner and CEO of Accord Management Systems, Inc., has been at the forefront of entrepreneurial practice and research for the past twenty years. His recently published book, The Entrepreneur Next Door, defines the personality traits that affect entrepreneurial success and explains how to manage the gap between who we are and who we need to be to get the job done. Bill is heavily involved in the franchise community, helping both franchisors and franchisees alike to “get the right people on the bus!”

The Entrepreneurs' Daily Task List
Determining what needs to get done on a daily basis, and then doing it, is a motivational issue for many entrepreneurs, experienced or otherwise.

What is a Small Business Administration (SBA) Loan?
As a new entrepreneur looking for capital, one of your first options for a loan will be a SBA-backed loan. SBA loan applications are made through a bank. The SBA guarantees a loan to the bank, so in case the borrower defaults, the bank is guaranteed a portion of the loan by the SBA. (You are still liable for the loan, so your obligation does not go away) This makes it easier for banks to lend to budding entrepreneurs, but it does not mean that the bank can lend indiscriminately. The bank will analyze the application to protect its interest as well as the SBA’s.

Why Setting Financial Goal For a New Entrepreneur Can Feel Scary
As entrepreneurs, we get paid for results, solving problems and our creativity. This fact reinforced my fear of not achieving the goal. Over a period of time, I discovered that it is OK to set a financial goal, but constantly keep these two things in mind while pursuing your financial goal: 1. Be emotionally detached from the financial goal/money itself. 2. Be inspired and give focused attention and energy to “WHY” you set the financial goal and WHAT you want to do with the money.

Never Ask This Question In An Unexpected Event
How do you react to an unexpected event? When something goes wrong OR something that has been working very well is not working NOW, do you say to yourself: Oh! My God,why me? How can I complete this task without this thing working? OR This is happening for a reason. What is it that I need to learn NOW or What is it that I can do now with the gifts I have?

Timing
With time so valuable, we should be very clear about how we spend it, and whom we spend it with.

WouldBe Entrepreneurs Need a Job Description
Wanting to be an entrepreneur and being one is separated by a huge commitment and lots of work. You can’t afford not to have your targets clear and your actions organized. In short, you need a job description. Here’s a guide to channel your thinking and actions.

WouldBe Entrepreneurs Need a Job Description
Wanting to be an entrepreneur and being one is separated by a huge commitment and lots of work. You can’t afford not to have your targets clear and your actions organized. In short, you need a job description. Here’s a guide to channel your thinking and actions.

Five Attributes of Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs have personality traits that make them ideal people to work for themselves. These same traits, while helpful as an entrepreneur can be irritating and dangerous for normal on-the-job relationships with bosses, managers, and supervisors.

Publicity Headlines and Results are Two Different Things
Some people are publicity hogs. They just know that if the word gets out about them, their services, or their company, then they will magically have more sales than they can handle. It doesn't always work that way.

The Benefits of Making Your Banker Your Friend
While every business has a bank, few have a banker. That's because bankers are too often seen as obstacles standing between an entrepreneur and the bank's vault.

Do You Have What It Takes?
Learn the characteristics and habits of creative, successful entrepreneurs.

Access Your Unrealized Leadership Potential
So how does a leader raise consciousness, and move to higher levels of self actualization? Based on my research and personal experience, the steps can be aggregated into three non-linear practices.

Other entrepreneur Related Articles

Entrepreneurs the 4 key cornerstones to success
The article is written for start-up entrepreneurs who are serious about making “success” their only option. Leaving behind the security and benefits of working as an employee, discover what makes the difference between a successful entrepreneur and a struggling entrepreneur who continues thinking and acting as an employee (entrepreneur).

Business Plans 101: Part 2
A business has a substantially better chance of succeeding if the entrepreneur takes the time to write a business plan. Not only can missteps be avoided, but the process of writing a business plan also allows the entrepreneur the opportunity to think proactively instead of reactively. When dealing with the day-to-day needs of a business the entrepreneur is typically in “firefighter mode,” putting out the fires of the day. Writing a business plan lets the entrepreneur take a step back and think about the business in a “big picture” context. This article continues the discussion of what needs to be included in a business plan, specifically outlining what needs to be included in the financial (or "numbers") portion.

What it takes to be an Entrepreneur
What is an entrepreneur? Are you one? Do you fit the mold? The word “Entrepreneur” comes from the French word entreprendre (to undertake) + eur (-or). Thus, an entrepreneur is one who undertakes, or an undertaker. (Not in the funeral director sense.) One who undertakes to organize an enterprise. Just because you started a business or own a store doesn’t mean you’re a true entrepreneur.

Starting a business…Look before you leap...no really!
Are you a "forced entrepreneur?" Just in case you were wondering, a "forced entrepreneur" is someone that's been happily working in Corporate America until that pink slip arrived. So you're highly skilled, highly motivated and thought you would easily get a job somewhere else...but you're not sure that's what you want to do? Perhaps becoming an entrepreneur is where you would really like to go but are not sure where to start. This article helps address that dilemma for you.

The Spirit of Expansion
What exactly is an entrepreneur and how does it relate to small business expansion? There are many differing views on what makes someone worthy of this title. Investorwords defines entrepreneur as “an individual who starts his/her own business.” In a general sense, the word applies to any person starting a new project or trying a new opportunity. However, this definition leaves out other essential characteristics of an entrepreneur.

How To Become An Entrepreneur From An Employee
Becoming an entrepreneur involves a lot of hard work and passion. If you have the burning desire to become an entrepreneur and plan every step before you make the shift, you will be able to handle the challenging life of an entrepreneur and never regret giving up the comparatively easy life of an employee.

What is an entrepreneur?
Do you ever wonder what an entrepreneur is? Do you wonder what the difference is between an entrepreneur and a businessman? If so here is an account of what sort of person an entrepreneur is and what motivates him or her to succeed.

The spirit of the entrepreneur
The entrepreneur is definitely a person walks down the road that is less travelled. An entrepreneur calculates the risk, then makes a decision based on the facts that are presented. They also no that with risk, comes great reward. The entrepreneur believes in him or herself, and seek the ultimate goal, and that is freedom.

Inspirational Leaders Are True Professionals
I've mentioned before that there are two types of person, the Victim and the Entrepreneur. The Victim blames everyone but himself for anything that goes wrong, yet relies on others to take care of him... the Entrepreneur relies on herself and expects to take care of business. It should be obvious that only the Entrepreneur in each of us is capable of true professionalism.

Defining the Entrepreneur
How do you define an entrepreneur? Some would say that an entrepreneur is a well financed businessperson, who launches a new business with $20M in venture capital funding. Others would say an entrepreneur is anyone with a great idea and a folding table, a cell phone, and a computer in their garage! Both descriptions might be correct, but that does not really get to the heart of the matter of what truly defines the entrepreneur. This article examines three of the key elements that truly define the true entrepreneur in todays business climate!

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