If you know me, you know I spend a lot of my time preparing, researching, asking questions, reviewing.
What I am doing is preparing for an eventuality, I know this will happen, not sure when, but when the opportunity pops up I want to be ready for it.
Then sure enough when the opportunity comes along I can leap. Should we all be in a constant state of preparation?
Thoughts?
#8 Exercise
Develop a weekly exercise plan, I suggest running (any other simple exercise good), the idea being to not only keep yourself fit but to give you time to detox away from the family, work, clients pressure.
#9 Health is now a top concern
Eat healthy. Huh you ask? Well when you run your own business it is all about you, you need to be physically healthy to do your job well, as when your not well you don’t earn.
#10 Be flexible
Get used to flexibility, running a business is not strictly 9 – 5, for the first 6 months you are likely to have to work up to 80 hours in a week. Hang in there though, it gets better, once your business grows you can decrease this to your comfort level. Mine is about 20 hours a week.
You don’t exist.
Simple as that.
If I google your name or your business what shows up?
If you don’t appear then you don’t exist.
At the very least, get a webpage with your contact details up.
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.
Whilst countries have been negotiating and battling it out for Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) the internet has been sneaking up on us.
It has quietly provided a restriction free global platform (few exceptions in places like China) of knowledge. Free Trade Agreements aside at a local level it is going to have an impact. Someone in India can offer the same service as you cheaper, faster and much more effectively.
Knowledge can flow freely around the world… ie
Local charities now compete with the likes of Kiva for funding.
Admin now has to compete with Virtual Assistants.
Local book store competes with Amazon.
It may not be true for your industry (yet) so look ahead, embrace the change and prepare for it.
If I can’t relate what you’re saying or who you are mentioning to my frame of reference I’m lost.
I do not really care if so and so said that. If I have no idea who they are it doesn’t establish anything for me.
Remember who you are talking to and who or what they relate to.
As if you can make the connection they will get it. Otherwise they are lost.
Just because you’re talking doesn’t mean I’m listening.
It’s easy to make the assumption that people are.
Question it.
Go back and check, is your market really listening? Or just brushing you aside?
This is absolute gold, an incredible succinct video from Jeff Bezos founder of Amazon.com.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hxX_Q5CnaA
In short:
Awesome huh?
Like fridays post – it has been said before…. but if you have an idea sitting in the back of your mind, irritating you – get it started!
What are the next steps? Write them down and TAKE THEM
Why am I bringing this up today? Well this week marks another huge week for me:
If I hadn’t chased ideas and put them into action none of this would be happening, now, today.