September 2022 - Page 2 of 9

Motivation – Developing a Winner’s Mindset

A certain hermit by the name of Manfred once said to me “Son, you can be anything you want to be in this life, you can do anything you want to do, and you can achieve anything you want to achieve, if only you believe.” I had heard these words before, no doubt, but something in the way he said it, the stern voice and sure look in his eye made me wonder does he know something I dont?

I have been wondering ever since and have been trying to live by his words

What is motivation? And what is a winner’s mindset?

I challenge these questions in the article below, but first let’s look at why we should seek to get motivated in the first place:

Health Benefits: Motivated people are usually healthier than ordinary people — they love life and as a result have a reason to stay healthy. They have experienced the highs and lows of life and prefer a healthy balanced lifestyle.

Attraction: Motivated people are magnetic — everybody wants to be around them, who doesn’t want to be around someone who’s always happy whether it rains or shines?

Productivity: Motivated people get things done — they have a can do attitude. They show more anticipation for the day ahead and tackle each task with strong passion and enthusiasm.

Positivity: Motivated people are optimists — they have learnt that optimism opens more doors in life than pessimism does. Their approach to challenges is different and they adapt better to change. They see everything good or bad as an opportunity to learn and grow.

Energy: Motivated people have more energy and require less sleep than ordinary people. This is not due to a caffeine rush or an adrenaline spike but it is a genuine natural excitement and enthusiasm for living.

Being motivated is a choice and an outlook not a situation or position.

Being motivated

One of my favourite quotes by Zig Ziglar is that “You cannot get motivated to succeed if you do not know your motives”, and by Laurence Peter “If you don’t know where you’re going you might end up somewhere else.” These words could be no further from the truth.

Both quotes inspire action, both inspire vision, both inspire goals. It is important to have motives and a clear visual outline of what you want out of life because once you know what you want, you will figure out how to get it.

Knowing your motives allows you to discover your values, your dreams and your passions

Everybody has goals, but not everybody’s goals are the same. There are primarily two reasons people get motivated:

1. It is the desire for gain

2. It is the fear of loss

1. Susan is a wife, a mother, a worker, has a stable job, financial security, a wonderful family, and a great social life -but she has health problems

2. Helen is a single mother, waiter, barely making ends meat – but is in good health

Helen, we presume, could be motivated by the desire for gain in the areas of financial stability, social security, companionship, status, recognition etc, while Susan would be motivated more by the desire to maintain her current lifestyle and thus would look at adopting healthier habits such as getting in shape, eating right, managing her relationships at home, her productivity at work, and her social status.

Both would have motivating factors and thus both would have goals to set and achieve.

Carrots

Goals are carrots, they are stepping stones to achieving dreams, they are checkpoints, milestones, they are the things that bring us closer to success.

To have goals is to have direction and a compass. a road map to a destiny. Goals say ‘In order to get that first succeed at this’ and ‘In order to be that first be this’. Goals are necessary and are the starting point. Once you have clearly defined goals your vision becomes clearer and the action steps to reach it becomes more practical.

If your dream is a higher position at work, you set smaller goals in place that will help you achieve it. You could start by brainstorming and writing down what tasks the job will demand of you and at what capacity, experience, education and skills etc.

Once you have it written down you then select which ones you can do right now and in your present capacity. You could take extra classes, volunteer for work projects to improve product knowledge and gain additional skills.

A goal is a lighthouse, a dock, a checkpoint, something to get to that will allow you to move on successfully to the next, gradually making progress to the bigger objective.

The Winner’s Attitude

Being a winner is not a once off thing. It is a series of habits that will eventually make you a consistent person in every endeavor you make. It is a character trait, winners have a positive attitude, an enthusiastic spirit, and bold self-confidence

I will start this section with a few of my favourite quotes:

“Control your destiny or someone else will” ~ Jack Welch

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

“The way to get started is to stop talking and start doing” ~ Walt Disney

“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle” ~ Abraham Lincoln

“The person who is waiting for something to turn up might start with their shirt sleeves” ~ Garth Henrichs

Success breeds success

When you try something you thought you couldn’t do before and actually do it, the confidence you gain from accomplishing that goal will allow you to go boldly and confidently onto the next. Small goals lead to more small goals and by the time you look back, you have made significant progress toward the top of the staircase.

When you get into the habit of winning you develop a winner’s mindset. A mindset that says I cannot lose, for I will give it my all until I succeed at this. Winners are not born but they are made — through small efforts great things can be accomplished.

Smaller goals

A successful businessman and friend of mine once told me his secret to success: Scoring smaller goals.

It didn’t seem like much at the time but he further went on to say he discovered early that his confidence grew whenever he won or excelled at something. No matter how small it was. This attitude helped him quit smoking, train for and finish a successful marathon, and compete at a local triathlon

He says this attitude helped him every day in winning minor goals and when he beat a challenge or jumped a hurdle or broke his personal best, his confidence soared.

He further went on to say that keeping fit improves his mood, confidence, physical energy, and mental agility – traits he says are vital to his success in business, relationships, family, life, hobbies etc.

And I agree with him, and have since developed this attitude myself

1. Chase Something

Small, big, anything, something you can excel in, something you can win in, something apart from the bigger goal -a hobby perhaps, a sports club, art, photography, learning an instrument, travel. Anything you thought you couldn’t do or were scared to do you should do it. That riff you you’ve always wanted to string? Try it, and see how far you get with it.

The mental focus and dedication that will be required for you to succeed in the task will develop in you an attitude of discipline and the mindset of a champion that says ‘Nothing is impossible’

2. Do not fear failure

Everything in life is a risk

While Henry Ford today is known for his innovative assembly line and American-made cars, he wasn’t always a success. In fact, his early businesses failed him and left him broke five times before he founded the successful Ford Motor Company.

Abraham Lincoln surely goes down in history as one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century, but his life wasn’t always awesome. In his youth he went to war a captain and returned a private (now if you’re not familiar with military ranks, a private is as low as you can get.) He didn’t stop failing there though. Afterwards he started numerous businesses that utterly failed and was defeated in numerous runs for office before he became president.

Billionaire and philanthropist Warren Buffet wasn’t accepted at Harvard University because he was told he just wasn’t smart enough. If he believed them, he would have never been the man he later became to be. His rejection was his fuel for success.

NBA star and basketball legend Michael Jordan was rejected several times from the High school basketball team and was told he just wasn’t good enough. He proved them all wrong and later went to say “I have failed over and over and over in my life and that is why I am successful.”

Winners often go through tough times before they succeed. The idea is not to avoid failure, but it is to keep trying and moving forward and out of your comfort zone to get what you want.

3. Motivate Someone

Speak words of success everyday

When you motivate others you speak positive words, words of success and encouragement. Positive talk in your vocabulary makes you think constantly about what you are saying and you eventually believe it. Spoken words become reality and positive talk leads to positive outcomes. “I have never seen a pessemistic general win a battle” ~ Dwight David Eisenhower

4. Learn From The Best

Legendary boxing champion and social activist Muhammad Ali made the slogan “I am the greatest” his personal brand. Now it’s arguable he wasn’t the greatest boxer in his time but he said it so often that he made us believe him.

He also said “To be a great champion you must believe you are, If you’re not, pretend you are”. and later confessed “I figured that if I said it enough, I’d convince the world that I really was the greatest.” And that he did, and then worked his butt off to make it a reality.

Try to surround yourself around positive people, people who inspire you. Who challenge you. If you cannot then surround yourself with self help and motivational books. If you’re more modern and are on twitter follow thought leaders, motivational people, quotation curators and inspirational individuals. The constant stream of positivity and encouragement will leave you motivated and encouraged everyday.

5. Get Your Mind Right

Winning is a mind-set. Winners constantly share their pearls of wisdom to us but we seldom believe them because somehow, we think their just extraordinary human beings. We forget that they are ordinary people like you and me who worked hard to make their dreams a reality.

If we can look at our past and look at ourselves now, we will realise that nothing can stop us, our limitations are simply illusions, hurdles that must be jumped and conquered. If we can convince ourselves that we were born to win we will eventually win. It is for us to stop doubting ourselves and proceed onwards with our success

The world is our playground. Let’s go score some goals

Top Job-Career Motivation On the Internet

There are several topical issues of life that concerns each and every individual on the face of this planet earth.

For the sake of not wanting to impose too long on your reading time, I will elaborate on just two (2) points of the facts today! Let me break them down a bit:

1) Making a living yes…Always these dead-line bills to be paid, like the mortgage, the rent and all those reoccurring monthly transactions. If these aren’t some of life sure issues to deal with, then count me as ignorant to all facts regarding entire life issues!

Because you and I know quite well as a sure fact that there can be some very tedious frustrating financial dilemmas in meeting the demands of these bills getting paid coming around every month-end

2) Empowered to self-sufficiency

The means to be empowered to fulfill these commitments…The self-sufficiency of having more than enough, to be able to take charge of your monthly commitments without getting into a fluster of running short of finances to complete the demands..

For instance, do you have a job and if you do, is it the kind of job that you’re satisfied with?!

Does this job supply all of your monthly needs whereby you still can remain with left-overs? I assume you understand my term left-overs. I suppose by now you are getting the picture I am trying to paint before your eyes…

Look at a following “left over scenario”…

Imagine having more than enough money ( left overs ) to spend for a good enjoyable week-end starting out with a dinner for two(2) at some very sophisticated top of the line restaurant, preceding a visit to a theater featuring a top comedian act where you are having a good enjoyable laughter getting your mind freed up from the stress of everyday life issues…

Now I can go on and on concerning these issues, but that would not be helping you much right now…I would rather present you with motivational theories that will assist you with profitable benefits as you attempt positively to implement the suggested proposals for the solutions!

As you practically apply these methods, I guarantee you will wholesomely reap the fruitful benefits of a rewarding life!

Pertaining to the issue concerning your job; if it’s not supplying all of your needs, but barely making ends meet, then you’re in a J.O.B situation. ( Just over broke). At this point it is advisable to start considering having to make an urgent change concerning this situation…

This should be a radical change for new positive results to your mind and your way of thinking!

I term it: your decision making towards a one complete mind change settings!!

Look at it this way… It’s what the mind is dwelling on, could be most probably that issue which is holding you back; if there is a doubt in yourself or fear of making certain career changes or if the very idea of achieving real success scares the hell out of you, then these very factors could be the big hinder to your profitable progress in life…

Yes… You read me right; you may or you may not imagine how many a times you were just only one daring bold making decision away from your breakthrough in life?!?

And that all was only because you lacked that one ounce of a courage to make it over to a higher level threshold of the real rewarding life benefits…

So here is where I now enter as a counseling role model in your life today. I will be remodeling my examples and theories to you in an educative fashion that can only raise your expectancy level to a sure possibility in accomplishing a very successful and wealthy life style!

This could be your appointed season to finally settle the score with those hazardous challenges of your mind.

One good word of advice…Don’t run away from your challenges…Actually challenges are stepping stones to your progress in life, they have the ability to make you mentally stronger and stronger…

Challenges can come with a purpose to your life as to aid in propelling you into your successful destiny that may be awaiting you just around the corner…!

Challenges can have the ability in motivating you into a business mind setting, which in turn will most certainly motivate you positively in taking charge of issues pertaining to your daily life habits.

For example…Don’t be surprised when all of a sudden you finally find yourself feeling so very motivated and encouraged as to check into the possibility of your online marketing education which is actually something you have been thinking and even dreaming of some times, but you just lacked the motivation, the courage and the theory factor regarding the entire internet online marketing world.

Especially not forgetting the inclusive business ventures and the continuing innovative objectives of this industry with an objective for enhancing lucrative career activities by a continuous creation of unique and intriguing inventions!

This type of career will most certainly replace you from a just over broke position(J.O.B) to a position of self-sufficiency! Having more than enough!

What It Takes To Achieve Financial Freedom

What does it take to achieve financial independence? Well, the truth is that there are and there have been many ways through which people have achieved financial freedom.

While success in the past might have come from social and political connections for instance, in today’s business environment for instance, success comes from taking advantage of today’s better circumstances; you don’t need to know anybody to excel in business! Let me explain:

The Ease of Starting a Business in Today’s Business Environment

Many things have made starting a business easier than it has ever been; the development of technology is key among these things. More precisely, starting a business is many times easier today than it was 20 years ago because of advancements in communication have made it easier and convenient for businesses to connect and communicate with buyers. The internet has particularly made it easier to access information about anything. This is undeniably important in starting and managing any business.

Technology has had a tremendous positive effect, an effect millions of people are taking full advantage of to start and grow their businesses. Avenues such as mail, text, and instant messaging, video, live streaming, social media, and other budding tools have been among the most fascinating things technology has given the business world, giving it a major face lift.

That’s not all; many aspects of starting and conducting a business have radically changed. For instance, the way businesses engage in transactions and marketing to consumers has taken on a completely new life of its own. One of my friends described technology five years ago; he said, “Technology is support brought to us by nature that we simply can’t refuse. It makes it a lot easier to start a business and feel safe doing it. “

A lot of this fundamental shift in the way we conduct business today goes back to the constant change in technology and the way people go about exchanging money. Below are two of the numerous areas where we have experienced major changes in how we do business.

We shall discuss them in a bit more detail so we can get a glimpse at what tech has changed.

The Internet

Twenty years ago, the widespread public use of the internet was still in its infancy. People were still getting over the wow-factor of building websites, using basic functions of the internet, learning new ideas, acquainting themselves with the use of email, and corporations were really competing to control the online marketplace. Google, Facebook, Amazon, and others emerged as central hubs of contemporary commerce in the digital domain.

Since then, we have seen the coming of age of technologies such as social bookmarking, social networking, search engine optimization, and other types of digital traffic generation. Today, these opportunities exist as a standard basis of operation in an enduring effort to grow sales volume on the internet.

The blogosphere, affiliate programs, and email lists that have auto-responders have come up as equally worthwhile avenues businesses can use to reach out and market to consumers. Currently, the internet has realized profits worth billions from the number of business transactions occurring online.

Modern business owners have a completely new perspective and outlook on marketing to consumers, and one demonstration of this is through the shift from traditional print advertisements and the ongoing efforts to create and develop company websites. The search for new ways to take advantage of the internet to produce new means of tapping into untapped online traffic continues.

POS Systems

A few decades ago, we had very little expertise on mobile payments or any experience with touch-screen product access especially in retail establishments. The emergence of modern point of sale systems (POS) has done a lot in offering modern retailers a great deal of benefit in optimizing their sales volume. By giving clients direct to on-site products and many payment options, POS systems make it cost effective and efficient to run a retail business.

Automation, a method that allows for inventory control measures, has completely revolutionized the current means of tracking and ordering inventory. Other developments such as mobile payments are still spreading fast.

That’s not all; with technology, new types of products have come into existence. Books are no longer the print books we used to have back in the days for instance; there are various digital versions of books (e-books), which are increasingly being consumed daily. This obviously requires a different method of product access and delivery to the customers (all done electronically), a phenomenon that has opened doors for limitless options on what someone can sell. Gone are the days when you could only stock physical goods when running a business- digital goods are taking over and presenting with them new forms of efficiency that allows businesses to run somewhat on autopilot and on minimal costs while targeting customers all over the world. That was unheard of in the past! What’s even more interesting is the way payments are processed; it is just in ways many of us could not fathom a few years ago. You can receive payment from someone living in a different country without having to go to any bank and feel safe that your money is safe. The revolution of payments (which is automated) allows businesses to accept payment for goods and services day in day out from anywhere in the world (it doesn’t matter whether their offices are closed- with a website and payment systems set, everything takes place seamlessly).

We could go on and on about how technology has developed because it evidently has, in hundreds of ways. Technology has made it starting a business a lot easier than it was two decades ago.

For instance, because advances in communication have made it possible for information to travel quicker and more effectively, distance barriers have disappeared and many businesses are wholly exploiting options such as outsourcing overseas. Businesses can now outsource duties like telephone customer service, live chat, blog and article writing, and computer programming, and this is just but one of the numerous aspects of outsourcing. Moreover, businesses can now offer live support through a wide array of digital channels like mobile phones (Skype, WhatsApp etc. ), live chat on their website, phone calls, social media and much more; the options are just limitless on how to reach out to past, current and potential customers to maximize sales and customer experience. Much of this can be done on the move; you don’t need to be seated in an office to offer support; you could be out and about, at home, touring the world, in a different continent etc. , which essentially means you don’t have to babysit the business to make it successful!

Technology has also made it easier to seek help or support. With the internet, the possibility of reaching hundreds of successful entrepreneurs and mentors is now possible through many platforms such as social media. By doing something as simple as typing words on the internet, you can reach many mentors who are willing to help startups in different and unique ways.

Many people out there have taken full advantage of the change we have today and the current opportunities to create wealth from entrepreneurship.

It is your prerogative to take advantage of the current state of affairs – the ease of doing business today; it has not always been like this!

A Stroll Down Memory Lane: The Business Environment of Yester Years

Let us take a trip down history and for comparison purposes, look at the state of doing business in the past.

First, in the past, there was a clear line between professional and private life. There were no phones, fancy tablets on which to check the stock market information at the comfort of your home, or laptops to carry work from your office to your house.

Before the 1990s, it was not easy to run business when you are away from it as we do today thanks to smartphones. Making calls outside payphones at gas stations was the norm and calling your employees or partners each time you had something new was obviously not easy back then.

It was even tougher getting work from different places; this is contrary to the online leads we have today. In 1994, there was a telemarketer. Business leads came through calls and perhaps referrals from a partner. Imagine that! It would take forever to grow, I imagine.

Globalization has also changed the business scene. In the past, only large businesses had the capacity to trade abroad. It was even more difficult to operate a business in more than one country.

In the past, licensing and other regulatory measures were tedious thanks in part to vexatious government bureaucratic tendencies that would make one hate themselves for thinking about starting his/her own business. At least today, governments have changed some policies and adopted others that make it easier to conduct business in multiple countries.

Because of a lack of efficient communication and other technology such as the internet, in the past, it was difficult to access support from experts or contact mentors. In the past, you would have to go through the trouble of meeting someone (usually marred by transport problems) to ask for technical help and guidance.

Looking at these things, you will undoubtedly agree with me when I say the internet has changed how entrepreneurs start and conduct business.

Nonetheless, things are not perfect, at least not for many people. Here is what I am talking about:

Doing Business Today: Modern Business Challenges

Even with the world having gone through massive changes such as those we have discussed – technology making it easy to start and manage businesses and expert mentors all over the world (often a click away) ready and willing to help – most of us are still not feeling confident or positive enough to start our businesses. For some, it is not a mere lack of confidence; they lack capital while others lack additional financial support from local lenders. They have very good business ideas but cannot implement them simply because they lack the funds to do so. Other people have enough capital but cannot lay out any good business idea.

I have personally met a few who have very good business ideas and the capital to start a business, but they never do so because “they find it difficult to leave their corporate jobs. ” They also claim not to have enough time to start a business from scratch, or merely stick to the “I think it’s too late” platitude.

This means that even with the world having changed, excuses, obstacles, and different kinds of pitfalls continue to exist; however, one thing is for sure, the starting-a-business challenges that may affect you today do not compare to those of starting a business in the past.

Who Wins & Who Loses

The truth is; it is much easier to start and grow a business to unfathomable levels than it is to climb the corporate ladder; there are many startups that are less than 5 years old that are averaging over a million dollars a year with very few employees to support the business. The question is; how long do you think it will take for your 9-5 to pay you a million dollars or even half of it? You decide!

Even with the current opportunities; there will be winners and losers in life. The winners are those that will choose to take the leap of faith and start taking action as far as starting their own businesses goes (you don’t have to quit your day job!) and losers will be those who decide to play safe.

With me acting as your guide through the maze of everything you need to know in respect to starting a successful business, I believe you will see things differently and take full advantage of the currently existing favorable business environment even when it has its fair share of obstacles you will undoubtedly have to tackle.

The solution to every obstacle is often simple. It only requires that you change how we think, and ultimately, how we do things. As entrepreneurs in the pursuit of real financial freedom, we have to realize that we are working in a rat race kind or world; we therefore need to change our way of doing things. It is impossible to imagine the joy that comes with knowing we have escaped the rat race and are making more money, working less hours on our terms, all the while making a difference in people’s lives.

START by changing the thought that working hard at our day jobs – usually in the corporate sector – is all we need to make it in life or is the easier option to achieving our ambitions and financial freedom.

With my little wealth of experience, I have realized that working hard for somebody else is like the proverbial hamster wheel for many people. You work round the clock, and your rewards (compared to your work value), which may be just above peanuts, never seem to be enough and a promotion is never a guarantee.

I can still recall a close friend telling me that after she started thinking about starting a business of her own, she would quickly dismiss the ideas simply because she lacked confidence to pursue that dream.

One day, she went to one of her directors with a load of ideas about how to increase productivity in her company by streamlining the sales department. The director only turned to her and said softly, “the day you become a director of your own company is the day you get to implement this. ” She said that it was in that moment that she decided to start her own company, and she did.

She went into the corporate world because of her high ambition; she also wanted money and respect. She worked her way up only to find out the truth about the ‘glass ceiling. ‘ She was working up to 80 hours per week for peanuts.

Starting your own business is the only guaranteed path to financial freedom. It worked for my lady-friend (she now owns a therapy complex) and it will undoubtedly work for you.

She merely followed simple rules that people who win, or rather, people who make it and become wealthy follow. The people who win at life and business are those that:

1. Desire to start early so that they can gain enough experience and in good time.

2. Have the passion to learn the ins and outs of a business.

3. Are eager fast learners and observers; if they are not fast learners, they are willing to do whatever it takes to learn.

4. Know how to adapt to any given situation because they have their eyes firmly on the prize.

5. Strive to achieve continuous personal development at all levels.

6. Seek mentors and do not necessarily try to reinvent the wheel. They listen to the experts and make good wise decisions based on expert guidance.

7. Seek help of like-minded individuals. In the world of business, no man is an island.

As for the losers, those who lose even with the opportunities that exist today are those:

1. People who are afraid to try new things.

2. People who are lazy, and don’t have sense of personal responsibility.

3. People who are unobservant.

4. Who are close minded

5. Who refuse to learn and read books, attend seminars.

6. Who are too proud because they think they know everything already.

I can sum up the above in this quote:

“To get what you want, you have to deserve what you want. The world is not yet crazy enough place to reward a whole bunch of undeserving people. “

-Charles T. Munger, billionaire business partner of Warren Buffet

It’s Easier Becoming an Infopreneur

Entrepreneurs thrive during periods of rapid change, and we are living in such a time right now. The good news is that the more rapid the change, the greater the opportunities available to entrepreneurs.

The explosion of new technologies make this an unprecedented period in economic history for entrepreneurial opportunities: cheap computers, new software applications and digital networks – namely the Internet – are powerful tools available to everyone who wants to create financial independence and improve his or her lifestyle.

The Money Game

I’ve been a student of business since I began my career as a venture capitalist on Wall Street. Over the years I raised millions of dollars to finance numerous entrepreneurs and start-up companies until I decided to become an entrepreneur myself and financed my own companies in broadcasting, alternative energy, software, and telecommunications. I was the CEO of the company that built the first digital network in Moscow, in 1990, and started one of the first B2B Internet service providers.

It’s from this perspective that I see fantastic new entrepreneurial opportunities unfolding. And nowhere is this more apparent than in the world of communications and information.

Because information and communication are fundamental components of every human interaction and business transaction, each new communication medium – the telegraph, telephone, radio and television — has had a successively greater impact on the world, and created great fortunes for those who rode each wave of change. The Internet will be the most significant wave of all.

The Internet

The Internet now makes it possible to reach almost any person, anywhere in the world, in only a few seconds and for only a few pennies. But what makes it even more significant is that computers can convert all the traditional analog forms of information (sound and voice, printed words, pictures and data) into a common digital medium for transmission over the Internet. This capability is radically changing existing businesses and creating vast new entrepreneurial opportunities.

While the Internet is affecting every business in every industry, its greatest impact will be on the information industries’ products and services. Think of some of the biggest businesses in the world. Think entertainment (music and movies), think broadcasting (news, information and entertainment), think publishing (books and magazines), and biggest of all, think training and education (books, courses and continuing education).

To see the Internet’s potential impact, let’s look at one small, well-established medium: the book.

Analog Economics

A physical book requires harvesting trees to make paper, onto which a story or information is transferred via a printing press. Then many hands and lots of energy are required to move the book from manufacturing plant to retail store and, finally, to the consumer. This process is resource, labor and capital intensive.

To see how this works in financial terms, let’s consider the author of our book.

In the analog world she writes her book and receives 10 percent of every sale, or $2.50 on each $25 book sale. The publisher retains the remaining $22.50 for manufacturing, distribution and selling expenses. Let’s further assume that her publisher pushes hard and sells 25,000 copies in one year, a decent number in the offline publishing world. Our author would then earn $62,500 ($2.50 x 25,000 copies) for her creative efforts.

Digital Economics

The same book can be produced and packaged in a digital form known as an ‘eBook’, and delivered anywhere in the world in seconds, at 1/100th the cost and with almost no environmental impact.

So let’s assume our author writes that same book, but decides to become an entrepreneur in the digital world by setting up a small Web business and selling her eBook online, over the Internet, to a worldwide market. And for the sake of this example, let’s assume she sells the same number of books at the same price.

Looking at the costs of doing this, over the year she’ll spend about $2,500 to build the Website, $4,000 a month for a half-time Webmaster, $150 per month to host the Website (that sells and collects money 24 hours a day, seven days a week), and an additional $10,000 per month to buy pay-per-click ads on Google to get traffic to her site.

At the end of one year her expenses ($2,500 for construction, $48,000 for the Webmaster, $1,800 for hosting and $120,000 for advertising) would total about $172,300. On the income side, her revenues ($25 per copy x 25,000 copies) would total $625,000. When we subtract her expenses from her revenues, she’s left with $452,700. Cheap digital tools and the Internet’s reach provide her with the leverage to do a little more work…but make a lot more money. She could never enjoy this sort of success in the offline world.

This simple example shows the amazing leverage of becoming an entrepreneur and selling information products in the new digital world. Whereas in the physical world our author earned 10 percent of the revenues ($62,500), in the digital world she earns more like 70 percent ($452,700), or seven times more income.

The New Capital

This new digital world shifts the advantage from those with, or having access to, financial capital, to those with intellectual capital. And that’s exciting.

In the analog world of physical publishing, setting up the systems to manufacture, store, ship, distribute and retail books requires lots of financial capital. Plants and offices have to be built to hold the equipment, people and inventory. Trucks have to be purchased to transport the books to the stores that have to be opened to sell them. As a result, entrepreneurs have had to start almost any venture by first raising a lot of financial capital, commonly known as venture capital.

Again, the Internet changes all this.

In the digital world, the business infrastructure is embedded inside computers and networks, and increasingly intelligent software replaces most of the manual and clerical functions critical to any business. Setting up a digital business requires intellectual capital but relatively little financial capital. Thus the power shifts from the people with the money to the people with the ideas and intellectual horsepower to recognize, harness, and leverage the new information technologies.

The Economic Tsunami

Already we’ve seen 30-year-olds start with little or nothing on the Internet and become multimillionaires (even some billionaires) while large companies run to the courts in an effort to hold back the economic tsunami brought on by these new technologies and quick-witted entrepreneurs.

We first saw the digital world impact the music industry; now it’s affecting Hollywood’s monopoly on film and video distribution, and soon we’ll see it affecting the publishing and education fields. Much faster, lower cost digital systems are replacing traditional, slow physical manufacturing and distribution systems.

As the older physical systems crumble under the economics of the new technologies, countless jobs and careers are being lost in the process. We see long-term employment disappearing; pensions are on the way out; salaries are not what they used to be. And this comes at a time when the cost of living continues to rise. As a result, we all need to begin thinking more about becoming entrepreneurs – to understand and take advantage of these new digital technologies by creating new information products and services that will leverage our skills and expertise.

Traditionally, entrepreneurs have not only had to have the ability to envision something new, they had to raise the capital and build complex organizations to supply their new product or service, and then they required the skills to lead, coordinate and manage them.

Infopreneurs

What makes the Internet and information publishing businesses so exciting is that they don’t require the traditional skills of money raising, organizational development and management to launch and build. This opens the new financial doors to a much larger group of potential entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs capitalizing on the new areas of digital information publishing are becoming known as infopreneurs. They think and work differently.

Infopreneurs are the new entrepreneurs who envision ways to apply new information technologies and systems to satisfy market needs and wants. They can see and create new economic models. They don’t need to raise capital; they create it instead. They don’t manage large organizations; they guide small teams. They don’t work in corporate office complexes, but in bedrooms across America. They don’t have onsite employees, they have contractors spread around cyberspace. And they make a lot of money. This is the new breed.

The businesses they build are also different.

Virtual Businesses

Infopreneurs are creating a whole new category of opportunity known as virtual businesses. Virtual businesses exist almost entirely inside computers and networks. Most of the business functions that are handled by teams of people in the offline world are now embedded in software applications. Virtual businesses are automated collections of hardware and software connected to their customers via digital networks. They operate 24/7, selling and delivering information products to worldwide markets, with minimum human intervention.

Virtual businesses receive their customers over the Internet and respond with automated product presentations and virtual salespeople. Automated eCommerce engines process transactions, and products are shipped and delivered electronically. Software systems provide supervision, control and management.

Virtual businesses exist today that were started on shoestrings. Yet they serve the same number of customers and produce the same level of profits as venture-backed companies launched with millions of dollars and significant investments in plants and equipment. There are virtual businesses run from bedrooms that make more than companies with hundreds of employees. This is truly an entrepreneurial heyday.

Benefits of Becoming an Infopreneur

If you’ve often thought about becoming an entrepreneur, or you’ve looking at your existing economic world quaking and shaking, if you no longer see a bright future in a big organization, if you’re worried about your financial outlook, if you long for something different or more lucrative, consider becoming an infopreneur.

Becoming an infopreneur offers many significant benefits.

· You get to be your own boss. Working for yourself brings the freedom to work on what you want, when you want.

· You can work anywhere. Since all your activities take place via the Net, you can be anywhere in the world…on the beach in Hawaii, in a mountain cabin in the Alps, or at a Starbucks in Manhattan.

· You don’t need much capital. Info businesses can be launched on a shoestring and throw off capital instead of consuming it. The only significant capital you’ll need is the intellectual capital you create by learning how to exploit these new technologies.

· You can start in your spare time and at your own pace. You can start slowly and maintain your nine-to-five gig while you learn the ropes and develop the confidence and income to make the big leap to independence.

· You don’t need employees. All the specialized talent, skills, and help you’ll require can be hired over the Net, on a contract basis. There’s no overhead or burn rate to keep you up at night. You don’t even need any real management skills.

· You can make a lot of money. I personally know infopreneurs that make millions each year and employ only a few outside contractors. One is making over $8 million, after expenses, with just nine employees. That’s the leverage of virtual companies.

Internet information publishing is the most accessible entrepreneurial opportunity you will see in your lifetime. It’s the easiest, fastest and least risky way to create financial independence, or build a fortune. Best of all, you can do it on your terms, with no venture capitalists or shareholders telling you what to do.

Maybe you should consider becoming an infopreneur.

Start Your Online Store Business In Arizona – How To

It’s been a year now, since I started the online store business with my partners. We have gone through a lot of learn steps. I think it will be useful to put down the processes of starting an online retail business in Arizona. Who knows what will happen tomorrow. I may start a new business again.

These are the brief steps.

Search availability of the new company name at Arizona corporation commission from the link below.
Filing the required documents to register the company as s-corporation. If you prefer to start as LLC, you can do so by choose different corporation type and fee schedule.
Download the filing forms from the link below
- Covert Sheet
- Articles of Incorporation for Domestic Corporations
- Certificate of Disclosure for Business Corporations
- $95 check write to Arizona Corporation Commission
If the document is filed with Expedited process ($60 + $35), it will take about a week to get the Article of corporation document return ($5/each). Otherwise, it will take about 55 days.
Once received the article of corporation, publish the article in 60 days. AZ capital time can complete the whole process for about $91, including mail the published copy to AZ corporation commission. Of course, there are many public newspaper can do it for you. Find the best one for your need.
Once the process is completed, call IRS.gov to get a new EIN (employee Identify Number)
Download and file the 2553 S-corporation election form to form the s-corporation
Apply the Arizona retailer license online at AZTaxes.gov
Apply a new business check account with bank
Apply a new business credit card
Find a good company to buy the startup package (including bylaw, minute book, etc)
Register the desired domain name at Godaddy.com, which contains reasonable price.
Find a good hosting company.
Setup open source shopping cart from Zen-Cart.com. It’s FREE!
Customize the logo and layout
Input the products
Setup Paypal business account and link to the shopping cart (Paypal IPN)
Get a SSL certification either on your own or with your hosting company. Without SSL, Paypal won’t accept your credit card processing request.

The time to complete the entire corporation filing is about a month. Now. It’s up to your to run the business. Few notes to remember.

AZ requires to file the tax return monthly. Fedral requires to file tax return quarterly. Do well research on your product supplier. Many drop ship companies charges your extra amount if want to cancel your relationship with them. Also be aware of where the product was made and shipped. If the product is made in China, most likely you can find different shipper carrier the same product with different brand name. You can bargain the price.

To succeeded as online business, your customer services and quality of your products are both important. Ignore your customer’s feed will cost you a lot more to recover the damage your did.

Moving From Doubt to Self – Esteem As an Entrepreneur

Are you an Entrepreneur who is starting up a new business?

Do you struggle with a persistent sense of self-doubt that you can’t or won’t succeed?

You know you have the knowledge; you know you have the experience; you know you have the ability; yet, on some level you still question your skills and worry about your potential to succeed in a loud and busy entrepreneurial world.

Although these doubts can be confused with low self-esteem, they’re very different in how they factor in to results.

Self-doubt is a normal feeling and tends to creep in when you’re faced with something new or different. Even those who have been in the business long enough to have gathered a reputation of success can have doubts about their abilities to bring their businesses to the next level of success.

Self-esteem comes from knowing and owning your capabilities. It comes from relentlessly using your positive self-talk to brand yourself as a person you can believe in to achieve the outcome you want.

The world of entrepreneurship is all about promotion. It does not matter just how good you are, and whether you are good at what you do, if you are a well-kept secret.

Marketing yourself and your services takes surety and confidence and that is all related to your self-talk.

In the world of entrepreneurship, you have to be ready and willing to put the time and effort behind your ideas. You have to be willing to put yourself out into the world and promote yourself, promote your product, and promote your services.

Yet self-doubt can crush all of that if you focus on your past failures, and compare yourself to other people doing the same thing and give in to those fears. This is when Imposter Syndrome feelings can kick in and take over.

One way to fight self-doubt and let your self-esteem take over is to act. That’s the only way you’ll ever gain the experience you need to reach the goals you’ve set for yourself. You’ll gain confidence as you progress through the smaller goals to reach the larger ones and this will boost your self-esteem and push the self-doubt into the background.

Relying on your self-esteem to push aside your self-doubt when it threatens to paralyze you and ruin your plans for the future is as simple as calling in on past success and accomplishments, along with your mental acumen to get things done. After all, you’ve succeeded with many things in the past and can do it again.

That is why keeping track of success is vital and necessary to propelling achievement. Even calling on successes that you have had in other areas of your life can be helpful, as it reminds you of the mindset habits and steps that you had to have in place in order to get the results you achieved.

If you are able to transfer this process to what you need to do now you have a blueprint at your fingertips that can guide you in your next steps towards success.

Commit to learning, get out of your head and invest in some coaching or mentoring.

Silencing the self-doubt, you may feel when starting a new business venture can be put to rest by taking continuous, focused action; using past success as a validating guideline and blueprint; and investing in continuous learning and support. These simple actions can send you on the way to getting the results you want.

And guess what else it will do?

It will add to and boost your self-esteem.

Digital or Physical Business: Which One Is Right for Me?

When looking for new business ideas, the question often comes up whether you should start a physical or digital business. Most people think that a physical business is more legitimate somehow.

However, when you learn that a digital business is just as legitimate and profitable as a physical business, with lower barriers to entry, you may decide that a digital business is just the ticket you need to become a new business owner.

How Much Money Do I Have to Invest?

For a business with physical products or a physical location, it’s more than likely you’re going to need upwards of $100K to even get started. If you’re interested in a specific business, do the research to find out what it would take. But, if you don’t have money in the bank that you can afford to lose, then a physical business may not be the best idea for you.

How Much Time Can I Spend on My Business?

If you need to work a normal full-time job while you’re starting your business because you don’t have savings to live on, then it’s possible that the best choice for you is a digital business. This is because you can start it in your spare time with nothing more than a computer and internet connection.

What Skills Do I Have Right Now That Translate to a Business?

It sounds wonderful to start a food truck or a restaurant but what is the reality of that? Have you ever worked in a restaurant as a manager? If not, your learning curve will be extremely large. Even if you’re currently a chef at a restaurant, making money as an owner is a lot harder than you may think – although of course, it is possible.

If you’ve managed to sock away enough money to live for a couple of years on savings, you may make it work. But what if you instead took those skills and used them to start a digital business? You could start a YouTube channel cooking your favorite meals, teaching others to do it and make just as much money faster with no investment other than time.

Do I Have Technical Skills or Can I Hire People to Help Me?

If you don’t know how to create a website, run social media, or get online, you may have a higher learning curve with a digital business than if you did have those skills. But likewise, you’ll have to learn technology for a physical business – such as a point of sale system, how to pay your taxes online, and so forth.

No matter which you choose, there are technical skills you’re going to need to learn. In both cases, you’ll need to hire people to help but with a digital business, you can often find people to help you less expensively than if they had to come to your shop.

Important Facts about Strategic Planning

Every person has a goal; regardless of what areas of their lives it is being associated. A goal will remain a goal unless it was successfully achieved. Many would ask why some people are successful and some are not. Well, the answer lies on strategic planning.

Strategic planning is the process of developing strategies and defining objectives to reach a particular goal or set of goals. If you labeled your planning as “strategic” then you must expect that it would perfectly operate on a grand scale. It will achieve success in a broader field.

It is very different from “tactical” planning which focuses more on individual detailed tactics of activities. “Long range” planning however projects current programs and activities into a modified outlook of the outside world where it describes the phenomenon that will likely occur.

Strategic planning is creating more desirable results in the future through influencing the external world, and adapting current actions and programs to achieve a more favorable result in the outside environment.

There are different reasons why most people are doing strategic planning.

1. To acquire the capability in obtaining the desired objectives.

2. To fit well on both the organization’s core competencies and resources, and to the external world. Make sure that your plans are appropriate and feasible.

3. To acquire the capability in providing competitive advantage that is sustainable within the organization.

4. To prove that it is flexible, dynamic, and adaptable even to changeable situations.

5. To be sufficient in providing favorable results without cross-subsidization.

These advantages will not be realized without its methodologies. Strategic planning depends on STP (three-step process) process. “S” for situation where it was been thoroughly evaluated, “T” for Target where goals and objectives are defined, and “P” for path where the routes of goals and objectives are clearly mapped.

However another alternative approach can also be used. It is known as the Draw-See-Think-Plan procedures. “Draw” creates the desired image and achievements. “See” evaluates current situation and detects gaps between ideal situation and current situation. “Think” develops specific actions that must be done to bridge the gaps between ideal situation and current situation. “Plan” lists down required resources for the execution of activities.

Strategic planning is also considered a set of creative and logical steps.

1. It clarifies the objectives to be achieved. These objectives are ranked according to the level of its importance. It can either be TRO (Top Rank Objective), 2nd Rank Objective, 3rd Rank Objective and so on. The lower rank objectives answers the “How” question while higher rank objective answers the “why” question. However TRO is exempted because the objective here is defined.

2. It gathers and analyzes the information. It includes internal assessment on resources, and external assessment which include environmental scanning. Morphological analysis is used by both internal and external assessments. SWOT analysis can also be incorporated to assess the aspects of environments and organizations that are essential in achieving the strategic plan objectives.

3. It evaluates objective feasibility in the SWOT view. SWOT is the acronyms which stands fro Strengths, Opportunities, Weaknesses, and Threats.

4. It develops strategy involving SWOT.

5. It develops action programs creating a more attractive strategy.

To summarize everything, strategic planning provides overall strategic direction on the core management of the company. It gives a more specific direction in areas such as marketing strategy, financial strategy, human resource strategy, organizational development strategy, and deployment information technology strategy to achieve success.

How To Enter The Realms Of Entrepreneurship & Start Your Own Business

If you have been thinking of starting your own business but with a little information on how to make the first step, then, you have to take the following into great consideration.

1. Decide what type of business you want to put up. You may ask to some of your successful friends what is a good type of business. Well, they might suggest some, but the right answer is in you. Deciding what type of business you would put up means reflecting deeply the things you want to do and things you are good at. Look ahead and ask yourself these questions: Am I willing to do this business everyday for years? What do I love to do? What are the things that are both profitable, at the same time, things that I find enjoyable? These questions will lead you to specific type of business you want to put up. Take your time.

2. Do research. Once you have determined a particular type of business you want to put up, study its profitability. You simply don’t put up a business you love, don’t you? You still have to think if the business will click. Feasibility study would do the job. In other words, study if the business you are trying to put up will return to you the investment you have given. In here, you have to decide where to put up your business. Remember that a certain type of business would hit big time in one place but not on the other, so make sure that the place you will choose will give you good sales once you have opened.

3. Decide on the name. Create a name that is snappy; the name that will put every element of your business in a nutshell. A name may or may not be short as long as it distinguishable.

4. Decide on the form of business. Form of business means that you will have to choose between, incorporation, partnership, and sole proprietorship. Know the difference between the 3 and what are their advantages and disadvantages to you.

5. The registration. Most businesses must be registered and there are processes to follow. You need to reserve for the business name and registering your business. One state might have different business registration procedure from another. Check the information on the website of your state.

6. Get the license and business number. Register for the PST and the GST/HST. All these must be accomplished before you can operate your business. Again, you may want to check on the whole procedure of starting a business on your state.

7. Get you employees ready. Having an employee helping you will certainly give additional boost on your business. It may be the last thing you would think on the early stage of business but it is nice to know that when you have an employee, you know there is someone who can assist you as you go along the way.

8. Get business insurance. A support net would come in handy once you fall from the sky. Research on the types of business insurances that you can get.

9. Get started. Give a good start and keep your name clean. You may want to study more on the principles of entrepreneurship as you go along.

Although all these may sound easy or awfully hard task, you still need to understand how the business world works. Yes, having read this would not mean that you would instantly become a tycoon. These are only your initial steps; somewhat the basic information you need to know when you decide to start a business of your own. To become a successful entrepreneur, you need to dedicate you whole heart and soul to the business you love. Before you know it, you are a growing businessman.

Once you have started, never disregard the chance of failure. And this should not demoralize you. It is just the part of the game. Learn how to adapt to the business and charge all your failures to experience. You will learn as you go along. Successful people never give up. Remember, always head forward but have time to look back, learn from the past and seek out new information to improve your results.

Get started now at: http://www.BusinessGrowthGuru.com where you can claim your FREE copy of Aaron Parsons Best New Book “How To Make A Million Dollars In Your Business In The Next 3 Years Or Less”

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Are You A Natural Entrepreneur?

In recent years I’ve been speaking to business groups across the country and around the world about the concept of The Natural Entrepreneur. I’ve talked to executives at some of the largest corporations, members of trade associations, Chambers of Commerce, growing entrepreneurial companies, universities, churches – you name it.

I’m passionate about this subject because I believe that we are in the midst of an entrepreneurial revolution. There are more people starting businesses than ever before and it’s re-shaping society and culture. But you may ask, like many others, “Andre, what is a Natural Entrepreneur?”

We’ve heard it again and again. “That woman is a natural entrepreneur,” or “That man is a natural entrepreneur.” I’ve even heard, “Andre Taylor is a natural entrepreneur.” But what does that mean? Are we suggesting that this person has the ability to grow a business with little education or preparation? Are we suggesting that the person instinctively knows what moves to make, and those moves are destined for success?

My answer may surprise you. I do, in fact, believe that those ideas are included in the proper definition of The Natural Entrepreneur, but I think most business-builders and “would-be” business-builders do not really understand just how natural it is, can, and should be.

In my work I teach entrepreneurs how to identify and work with their natural instincts. I’ve identified seven. Here they are:

1. Survival – the desire to maintain your existence – to live.

2. Comfort – the desire to live with and experience ease.

3. Territory – the desire to have your own space.

4. Defense – the desire to protect what is yours.

5. Hunt – the desire to seek and capture rewards.

6. Build – the desire to create.

7. Love – the desire to give and receive affection.

I call these seven, your “guiding business instincts,” or sometimes your “success or prosperity instincts.” Looking at the list you’ll see that we all have every one of these instincts. You’re not missing one. However in some of us, one or two are more dominant. That’s where there is tremendous opportunity, if we can pinpoint the big one or two, and leverage these dominant instincts. These instincts may point to strong abilities in selling, marketing, operations, finance or other areas. Your dominant instincts may also help you understand how to do these functions in a unique way.

You see, entrepreneurs have built multi-million dollar enterprises, in fact, billion-dollar enterprises beating the drum with their dominant instinct. Think of people like Donald Trump, Martha Stewart, Sean Combs, and Mark Burnett. You can probably identify that Trump is a builder – literally and figuratively, and Mark Burnett is a survivor – literally and figuratively. You can probably pinpoint the dominant instincts of the others as well.

Here’s the key. Once you know your dominant natural instincts you are halfway to a successful company. Then you must learn to focus on building your talent into an exceptional skill and getting the right people around you to fulfill the other needs of the business. If you’re operating in the right place you can really have an extraordinary business that is both profitable and fulfilling.

So what is a Natural Entrepreneur?

A Natural Entrepreneur serves humanity and themselves engaging in a business reflecting their awareness and alignment with natural instincts, unique talents, and developed skills. You may ask, “How do I serve myself?” The answer is by understanding what’s best for you.

In my Lessons of The Natural Entrepreneur talks and training I emphasize these realities:

-Your personal fulfillment in business is tied directly to your dominant natural instincts – or to put it another way – your “big” needs.

-When you start a business, and as you grow your business, you must be crystal clear about what your dominant instincts or needs are.

-The way you build your business – the choice of products, staff, systems, partners, and personal focus must reflect who you are, what you do best – and who you want to be. The founder or owner must be in the driver’s seat.

-Your level of success or difficulty in growing your business will be directly tied to how well your business plan and execution is linked to your personal needs and your ability to lead a company from this foundation.

-Most entrepreneurs, particularly those that struggle, have not come to grips with these issues.

As entrepreneurs we must know why we are doing what we do, at all times. I am advocating a new approach to business planning – one that incorporates these concepts so that entrepreneurs do not wake up one day frustrated and trapped by their business.

When I coach entrepreneurs I ask:

-Is the momentum of your organization coming from the right place? That means the right priorities. Or, are you just trying to keep up – to keep everything going, and simply meet deadlines?

-As the entrepreneur, are you doing the things that matter most to your business and that enable you to have the most impact?

-Are you getting what you signed up for? Do you enjoy this? Are you making money? Are you satisfying customers? Do you want to keep doing this?

The goal of the entrepreneur is to create a company where his or her personal objectives, focus, and activities fit seamlessly inside the development of the organization. Top performing staff, excellent products, a well-oiled business process and profitability occur as a compliment to the entrepreneur’s proper integration with the business.

There’s so much more that I cover during my seminars and workshops, and in my complete system for entrepreneurs, 81 Lessons of The Natural Entrepreneur, but I hope you can see from this brief article that we all have the potential to build outstanding businesses. The fact is, we all have seven success instincts – built in at birth. That means, whatever our focus in business, we’re all Natural Entrepreneurs.