bwagy

I saw a tweet from a fellow business owner a few months back, they had stopped having coffees and networking as they weren’t building any immediate business out of it……. hmmm

Bit stupid to stop networking if you ask me.  Why? Well…

My theory basically is, no matter what you do, every person you meet at some stage in the next 5 years will either have a need for your service or will hold a conversation with someone who needs your service.  So no meeting is wasted! (as long as you impress them enough).

Yes this is a long term view – but successful business is built over the long term.  So don’t fret that every meeting has to turn over dollars; build relationships, think for the long term and it will pay off.

Don’t stop networking because money doesn’t come in straight away, keep at it, it pays off.

“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor…..Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

“If a man does his best, what else is there?” - General George Patton Jr

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. – Confucius

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” - Winston Churchill

What I have is a page filled with some of my favourite quotes, over time I evolve them, add in new ones, keep it growing.  When things are tough I’ll sit down and give it a read.  It really helps… honestly it does.

I have put together a Google Doc to share with you guys, add your own in the comments and I’ll update it.  View the Inspirational Quotes.

What is the true value of time?

I’m not entirely sure to be honest but I think it depends how you measure it (and even then I don’t think it is valued highly enough).

What I do know is, it’s only when you have ‘no time’ that you fully realise your true value of time.

Impatience can be hugely costly… especially when achieving a vision.

Slow down, be patient, as the Mainland Cheese ad says “good things take time”.

Exception to the rule? When you are losing money (ie reactive) – then impatience to fix can be profitable.

#5 What should you charge?
Whatever you were earning per hour in your fixed job, charge three times that (at least) to maintain the same lifestyle in the long run.  If you are charging less you are doing yourself a disservice.

#6 Avoiding Financial Burdens
Get rid of all high level debts, do not go out on your own with huge credit card debt or car loans, try to clear these.  These will just give you un-needed stresses and pressures.

#7 Confronting your fears aka being courageous
Starting a business is super hard, going out on your own is even harder.  Be ready to get comfortable with confronting your fears.

Great little insight shared to me by Binu Paul a colleague of mine, we were talking about business, how you can get a gauge of it, especially when many industries are going through rapid change and what he says is true.

It doesn’t matter what the forecasts say, what’s happening tomorrow, at this point in time what you see is what you have.

(And you can’t really hide from that fact.)

You never know you may just get it.

I am the eldest of five kids, so in our household it was very much first in first served, if you wanted something you had to ask for it.

The analogy draws true for business, you are one of many, first in first served, if you don’t ask someone else will.

You’d be surprised at what happens just by asking, hey can I buy you a coffee? I have some neat ideas I’d like to run past you? or blatant I’d like your business what can I do to get it? Worst case you get a ‘no’.  Best case you get what you want.

So remember sometimes all you have to do is ask.