Article - Business Tips Part 3

50. Maintain a support system. Have a master mind group. Use the buddy system. Surround yourself with people who will encourage and challenge you. Be accountable to someone other than yourself. Read positive books. Review past successes.

51. Focus on only a few goals at a time. You can achieve anything you desire, but not EVERYTHING you desire. Concentrate your efforts and your energy on just a few. I might have dozens of goals and projects, but I keep three key goals in the forefront of my mind.

52. To jump forward, one has to use the word BUT cautiously. "But" is a "wall" that nips talents before they can blossom. When one's life is governed by "buts," chances are that his or her talents, gifts and experiences are underutilized. Someone would say, "I would like to write a book, but who would publish it or who will read it?" Or "I would go back to school, but I am old." However, unless we let go of this attitude, we will leave this world with unused skills, probably stressed and disappointed.

53. Understand that your not "jumping" not only hurts you but all those who could benefit from your jumping. If you as a parent or boss go back to school, chances are that your children or employees will emulate your example.

54. To "jump" from your current state that you don't like or wouldn't like to be in five years from now, you only need permission from one person, YOU. Take inventory of what resources (people and material goods) that can help launch your "jump."

55. Think of Noah, the one who built the ark in a desert without clouds in the sky. Faith is a dynamic condition of mind through which desires, plans or goals are translated into tangible results. The first step of putting your faith in action is to determine your desire and purpose and pursue them no matter what obstacles you face.

56. Once you have developed a goal, keep negative thoughts like failure, fear, anger and envy from your mind. Associate with people who will encourage you. Acknowledge that for every step backward, there is one or more forward steps that bring you closer to your goals. Pray and work like you have never done before. Accept the fact that you are only using a portion of your potential at any time, and you could always do better.

57. As you jump by faith toward your determined goal, never let a day pass without doing something related to your goal. Surround yourself with materials that are in tune with the goal you want to achieve, and always remember, the power of belief makes the difference.

58. Remember, when we "jump," we may suffer pain or failure. However, it is a tragedy for one to never live up to his/her potential because he didn't jump. By not jumping, you may avoid pain or the experience of failure. But you won't learn, change, or experience self-love and growth. And the pain that you are stuck in your situation and the regret that you did nothing about it when you could is more scathing. It is only by "jumping" that we liberate ourselves and others to jump higher and further.

59. If you are waiting for inspiration in order to "jump," you are a waiter. St. Augustine said, "God has promised forgiveness for your repentance, but He has not promised tomorrow for your procastination."

60. Become dissatisfied with your current state.
Growth for growth's sake is good. Those who will achieve much are those who say to themselves, "I want to grow. I want to be better. And I am willing to do what it takes to get there. This current state is not enough!" This dissatisfaction will create for you an insatiable drive to do what it takes to get your abilities to the next level.

61. Visualize the benefits of increased abilities.
Put them at the forefront of your mind. This will saturate your mind with the motivation that you will do what it takes to increase your abilities. What good will come out of my increased ability? How will I be better off as well as the others around me? The answers to these questions act as the carrot before the horse, moving you forward.

62. Understand your weaknesses.
If you want to improve, one of the best ways is to start with some area that you aren't particularly good at. This is the "shoring up method." Sometimes it is easier to improve something you aren't good at than something you are. And the gains will still look great for your overall situation! Take some time to consider what areas you are weakest in and focus on them for a while. The results will obviously be much more pronounced than getting better at something you have already somewhat mastered.

63. Attempt greater levels of what you are already good at.
Another tact to take would be to stretch yourself in an area that you already have some skill and ability in. What areas do you excel in? Now understand that when you leave the weaker areas and make extraordinary gains in one area, you will be moving more toward "specialist" rather than "generalist." That is O.K., but needs to fit in with your overall goals.

64. Commit time each day to improvement.
Steady improvement is the way to go. In fact, you may not see improvement for days or weeks. You may feel like you are failing each time. But alas, eventually you will get it and your skill will increase to the next level. The key is day in, day out, spending time working on improving. Even five minutes a day equals a half hour a week, two hours a month. That adds up! Remember, practice, practice, practice.
65. Seek out and spend time with someone who has greater ability than you.

One of the best things to do to increase your ability is hang out with people who are already more skilled than you. Watching them, studying them, interacting with them, even competing with them will make you better. As in sports, to improve, you play with people better than you, not worse. They will raise you to a new level. Who around you can you get involved to help you with your ability?

66. Take a class or hire a coach.
Go to school my friend. Take a course at a local college or vocational institute. Take a class online. Hire one of the many coaches available today. Pick a specific skill you would like to improve upon and find someone who is a specialist in that area. At the very least, pick up some audio or videotapes to help you grow.

67. Be the tortoise, not the hare. Slow but sure.
Take your time and do it right. Keep going in the right direction. Learn your craft correctly. Don't give up quality for speed. The whole idea of acceleration is this way: Slow start, work up to high speeds, go the distance. Luckily life isn't a sprint but a marathon! Hope these ideas help you as you commit to accelerating your abilities!

68. You can't succeed alone. Every story of success is a story of people working together, each contributing their own unique talents, skill sets and abilities. Do what you do best. And let others fill in the gaps.

69. Perseverance always wins. You can't fail if you don't quit. Find yet another way to make it work. Whatever "it" is for you. As Winston Churchill said in Britain's darkest hour, "Never, never, never give up."

70. Take time from your business every day -- even if it's only 10 or 15 minutes -- to center yourself. Some call it meditation. It'll make you more effective and you'll accomplish much more.

71. If you don't like where you are today, don't expect tomorrow to be any different without change. Change your attitude, your priorities, your activities. Change from being rea-c-tive to being c-rea-tive.

72. You are a product of your thoughts. It's true that "thoughts are things." Whatever you think about most of the time is what you create in your life. Hint: If you want more than you think you have now, don't "ever" give energy to thoughts of lack.

73. You always receive what you give. Consequently, if you want help, be helpful. If you want honest relationships, be truthful. If you want success, help others get what they want. If you want love, be loving. The corollary is that you always find what you're looking for.

74. Life "really" is like a movie. You write the script. You're the star, director and critic. And like a movie, it ends. What's important in life is not just the journey, but the "quality" of the journey. That's why it's important to make "every" day the best it can be, because "now" is all you have.

75. Follow Opportunity Instead of Savoring Security.
This is the hardest one of all. Most of us were brought up to seek out and cling to the security of the 9-5 job. What happens when you mention to your family that you want to leave the security of your pension and go out on your own. They will probably advise you to be sure, to step carefully, to take your time. Some may even advise you against it completely. Are they financially independent? Did they have what it takes to go out on their own? Are they living the life that they want? One way to avoid getting caught up in this security trap is to set a confirmed time that you will leave your job. Real worth and wealth is generated from within you. It comes from being prepared, knowing how to spot, act upon and capitalize from opportunities.

76. Get Things Done
What do you want for your work? You want results. The results of your hard work are everything. You either succeed or fail. You make money or go under. Does this mean you should not get into daily routines? Of course not. As long as your routine is helping you get a profitable result, then they are not considered ruts, but pathways to success. Think of it this way. Efficiency is getting the job done right.
Effectiveness is getting the right job done.

77. Making a Profit, Not a Living.
If you are still an employee, you probably know how much you will be bringing home next week. But with your own business, you have to remember to focus on making a profit and that means high sales and low overhead. No one signs your check now. To survive, you must be focused on how you will make a profit today, tomorrow and next week. You must find ways to keep costs down to the exception of affecting your profit-making capabilities.

78. Look For Opportunity, Not Mistakes.
Success is the result of making good decisions. Good decisions are made from good judgement. Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad decisions. This doesn't mean you should try to make mistakes for experience. The key is to gain experience from the mistakes and success of others. Seek out others in your field. Study and understand why they are succeeding or failing. Don't expect to make all the right decisions and don't let the fear of making mistakes inhibit you from pursuing new opportunities. Those who never make mistakes are probably working for those who weren't afraid of making them.

79. Know What People Want Instead of Wanting What You Know.
What it all comes down to. Know the who, what, where and why of your target customers. The success of your business is not the sum total of the knowledge you have gained, it still is and always will be the "sale". Success is determined by what products sell and how well they sell. It isn't what you know that counts, it's what your customers want. If you lose sight of this fact, you are doomed to failure. Never lose sight of the fact that marketing your customers' wants is your number one priority.

80. Keep the Vision Alive.
Never lose sight of your end goal or your dream of success. Where do you want to be in ten years? What do you want to be doing? I know how hard it is trying to get the daily job done sometimes, but keep your vision alive and let it steer you in your search for success. Let it be the drive that keeps you going. Every morning before you start, do something that will bring you a little closer to your dream.

81. Work, Patience and Sacrifice.
Lets face it, if it were easy, everybody would succeed. To succeed, you must dedicate yourself to doing what needs to be done, not working on the clock. You must have the patience and persistence to tough out the hard times, and oh yes, there are hard times. Be prepared to sacrifice your time and too often your social and personal life in the pursuit of success. Nobody said it was an easy road to follow, and if they did.....they were lying!

82. Business
· Always produce a good product.
· Be honest.
· Under-promise and over-deliver.
· Help people and money will come.
· Pay your people well.

83. Identify and implement the technology needed to support your business and its growth. You can't afford to ignore technology. It can reduce manpower needs, increase efficiency, reduce overall costs and create the means to reach new markets, add new products and significantly improve your bottom line. The key is to know the technology that makes a difference for your business and not to take on technology for its own sake.

84. Use the skills and resources of others to open growth opportunities and provide support outside the core mission of your business. The virtual nature of today's business means that you can tap into resources that previously would have to be purchased through capital expenditure, employee commitments or long-term arrangements. What you can't provide through core capabilities can probably be better and more efficiently provided through strategic alliances where each alliance partner realizes a benefit from working together.

85. Operate from a plan based on your business vision. Even though the speed of business will likely continue to grow, having a basic business operating plan and budget as the framework to keep things in focus and on target is more important than ever. At least quarterly, review the results of actions and update your plan. Staying on top of the financial picture, especially cash flow, means problems will be identified early enough that you have time to take corrective action before a crisis occurs.

86. Find the balance between online and offline activities that's right for your business. This includes marketing, public relations, customer service, business development and, of course, e-commerce. You've probably noticed the onslaught this past year of offline marketing to Web sites. Certainly you'll reach a broader market by waging a multimedia campaign, but if your budget is limited, try weighting your efforts in areas that are less expensive (online, public relations, press coverage). Make sure your online and offline messages are consistent.

87. Improve ways to gather customer information for the purpose of personalized marketing and service. The more you know about your customers, the better you can meet their needs. Gathering and using detailed individualized information-- the basis of customer relationship management--has become a specialty industry itself. It covers everything from registering specific page visits on Web sites to tracking frequency of purchases and products purchased. The value of personalization is to retain customers and sell them more while cutting inventory and marketing costs.

88. Think global, even if your business is strictly local. Today, businesses of all sizes across the globe can interact and share information, technology and products. Consider what global trends are affecting availability of resources, increasing or decreasing demand for your product or service and where there's an unfilled need you might be able to meet. Look at the global marketplace for new ways to compete. Seek global alliances that will allow each partner to enter a new market or augment an existing capability.

89. Create an environment where you replicate your passion, caring, and sense of ownership in every employee. Clearly communicating your vision, mission and goals to your staff is your job as leader. But by giving the incentives of ownership and decision-making freedom at every level you can attract and keep the most talented and qualified individuals for each job. By fulfilling a mentor role and instilling this attitude in all staff, the strengths of each individual can be directed toward the benefit of the organization.

90. Make sure you focus on your target market. Advertising is costly and if your trying to sell monkeys to the hospital, it's a waste of money and time.

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