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For Everyone Wondering What They Should Do
KevDev
subscriber Posts: 5 Member
Every week someone asks here, "I want to start a business. How do I know which one?"
Check out this 3 minute video from Richard St. John on the TED website. He explains, very quickly, the secrets of success in 8 words.
(You can also download as a podcast or transcript.)
Check out this 3 minute video from Richard St. John on the TED website. He explains, very quickly, the secrets of success in 8 words.
(You can also download as a podcast or transcript.)
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In my way of thinking Success is in and of itself a life experience, not a milestone or finish line to cross. As such, success is multidimensional and people can experience success in some dimensions while not experiencing it in others. For instance, I might experience a great sense of success and accomplishment with my family relationships while I perhaps experience a lessor sense of it in my professional endeavors.
You might to live successfully means that youy have created a life that allows for you to experience success in all areas of life.
Here is the US, we are taught that there is stress, sacrifice, struggle, and perhaps pain associated with accomplishing success. This set of (limiting) beliefs is in fact what keeps people from experienceing success in the truest sense of the word. They tend to look at success as a result of something they DO as opposed to as a way of being.
It has been my experience in 38 years of bulding successful businesses of virtually every imaginable kind, that success, no matter how much money is involved, cannot be experienced if you are not being who you want to be and are not doing what you love to do.
Steve Little
www.blog.championsuccess.com
We are taught
The majority of self-made wealthy people (not inherited or taken over the family business) I`ve met litterally stumbled into their own business or got lucky.
Most : failed at many different jobs and businesses but kept trying.
Network well or just know a lot of people.
can `spot` a good opportunity.
`do` and take risks.
are not the smartest people on the planet but have hired smart people.
are really nice people to be around.
are brutally honest
didn`t follow their passion, but after they made a few bucks, could do what they wanted
Well, that`s some of the list...I`m sure there`s more from my experience in this little corner of the world.
Alot of people will ask the question, whats the best business to start or how can I make alot of money? And the question that I ask them is, do you really know who you are and what you want in life? The most important thing that you must understand before you start a business is that you should know yourself very well and have the right mindset.
Anytime you start a business you will usually work alone and your customers will be use to dealing with you. If you need money to start the business, the investors have to know that it`s something that you`re very passionate about and something you will put 110% into day in and day out. This kind of committment is necessary because when you first start your business you will be putting in tons of hours a day, a week and year. If it`s not a business that you will enjoy, will you stick to it when things get tough and profits are tight. Investors do want their money back plus a profit. Why else would they invest?
You also need more than just determination and a great idea to make a business sucessful and to grow it large enough to eventually cash out and make a profit. YES! when you start a business you should alsways have an exit plan because one day you will want to sell the business in order to pay your investors back and also make a nice profit so that you can retire or pursue new ventures of your own. Nobody wants to work hard at one certain business for the rest of their lives without trying something new. It`s like eating Oatmeal every morning for the rest of your life.
But before you can experience all these great things you first must have the attitude that you will succeed no matter what and will do whatever it takes to make it work. This is where the risk comes in and before you take a risk you must first know how much risk you are willing to take. Some businesses take thousand and even millions to start and sometimes requires to to put something big up for collateral such as your house. If this is too much risk for you, don`t start that kind of business or any kind of business at all if you`re not comfortable. Theres plenty of cheap business you can start without having to go into debt. Again, know yourslef.
Alot of great business ideas fail while alot of not so good idea suceed because of one simple fact. Businesse are made up of dedicated, smart, innovative people who know how to make any kind of business work that they love doing. When the right pitch is made to the right people they are willing to invest. When the right marketing is used towards the right customers money is made. And when the right attitude is applied to hard work and and dedication and the company is sold at the right time to the right people, all that hard work pays off nicely.
Untill then take care of yourselves, have enough balance in your lives, and keep thinking positive.
Andy
Bizenez
www.bizenez.com
contactbizenez@bizenez.com
bizenez6/22/2008 8:08 PM
i don`t know if you guys are familiar with Bob and melinda blanchard, but their website is called live what you love and their philosophy is based partly on their practical experience as people who have started 10 businesses together over the years (some successful, others not) and partly on a real determination to live a happy life.
they are big believers in reacting to the events in your life, and making changes accordingly. they have a very positive approach and I`ve really been enjoying their blog and when i ask questions in the comments they`ve been really kind about responding with advice. i think the blanchards are an excellent resource for anyone who is considering starting a business and needs a positive place to get information and advice! wdarling6/23/2008 12:07 AM
they cover a lot of ground but I one of the most basic things that they do is use this 5 step d.r.e.a.m. method:
D - Decide what you want to change
R- Research the course you want to take
E- Evaluate how feasible your goals are
A - take action
M - Maintain your dream
i know the word "DREAM" might sounds a little cheesy but it`s really been helpful to me to think about these steps.
Something else they`ve taught me that my parents always tried to but I never really understood it until now is how important it is to look ahead and be proactive about making decisions - big and small. because there are consequences for the actions we take and the actions we don`t take, and ultimately you`re the only one who is responsible for your happiness so if you`re lucky enough to know what you want to do (in my case, be my own boss someday soon!) you should definitely go for it. but not blindly - take the time to really do the research so you can be confident you`re taking the right course to your goal. That`s totally how I ended up here - they suggested I should get involved in small business forums, to help find a community and see what other people like me are up to, how they`re going about starting businesses and also so that I can see I`m not alone in my concerns and fears.
There is also a personal component to what they`re doing, since they are living, breathing examples of what they`re preaching, you know what I mean?
they really are living the dream (as a married couple no less!), and it`s very cool! They spend half the year in the Caribbean and half the year in Vermont. They`re happy people and i believe their willingness to change up their lives to pursue their passions has a lot to do with that. they never say it`s easy, in fact they`re very open about how much work it is to live what you love, but it also seems totally worth it.
anyhow I would like to write more but it`s time to go to bed!wdarling6/23/2008 1:31 AM
1. It all starts with understanding your purpose....why you are here...something bigger than yourself. No matter what you do, you will not utlimately experience it as success unless it is in service of that purpose
2. Know what youy want...REALLY....in life, not just in business. Not what you think you can have...not what you are willing to settle for, what you really and truly, from your very core want. You might be surprised how many people do nto know this.
3. Know where you are (starting from)....talents, interests, experiences, skills...like that.
4. Understand that your experience in life is the result of your subconscioius beliefs...not yuour conscious one. Because they are subconscious, they are by definition, not visible to you. They are only aparent in your experience. If your experience is not as you want it, ask yourself the question "what must I have believed up to this point in time, in order for this to be my experience". THAT will reveal the evidence of a subconscious limiting belief.
5. Clear (elimiante) any subconscious limiting beliefs that keep you from having the success experience you desire.
6. Regularly visualize and imagine your life from the perspective of your wish fufilled. It is critically important that you imagine it with all of thge sensory vividness of the experience fulfilled.
7. Let go, watch, listen, and take action on any and all inspirations you receive (what the Blanchards describe as reacting to events), no matter how big or how small.
Your success is not determined by the things many believe it is. It is not about market trends, great business plans, a magic sales technique, favorable funding or a superior product. These are all elements of your experience of success, but the success itself is not determined through them.
I have been building businesses or virtually all kinds for 38 years and can tell you with catagorical assurance that your success truly does lie 100% within you.
Best of fortunes to one and all,
Your Success Champion,
Steve Little
www.blog.championsuccess.com
zerolimitschamp6/23/2008 3:01 PM
My sister and I have decided to start a clothing line. She is a stay-at-home mom and an incredibly talented seamstress. I am currently employed in a job I love and have an eye for fashion...together I think we can really create something fabulous.
I was cruising around the web and found Bob and Melinda`s blog/website/shop and connected with them immediately. They`re real. All of the ideas in my head have become so much more focused and I have set goals for myself with their model. Who knows, maybe I will be selling my line in their shop someday?!!!
You have probably already seen the article that posted last week. But just in case, check this out:
http://www.startupnation.com/blogs/inde ... up-nation/
I think you will find it encouraging.
Keep learning,
Steve Little
zerolimitschamp6/23/2008 3:01 PM
The key is that the beliefs that manifests your experience are your subconscious beliefs.
It works like this:
Something happened at some time in the past (often when you were very young). and you subconsciously made a decision about it. For (silly) illustration...
You saw someone driving down the road in a Rolls Royce and while you gaulked for father grumbled something derogatory about rich people.
Subconsciously, you decided that being rich was not good.
That subconscious belief is stored as a memory and surreptitiously sabotages your pursuit of wealth for the remainder of your life....at least until you learn of it and clear it.
Obviously, the belief that wealthy people are evil (or whatever) is not true...it is just a belief. A subconscious belief, which may, in fact, be contrary to your conscious desire for wealth and the good life.
There are literally hundreds of techniques for clearing subconscious memory and the limiting beliefs and counter intentions they create.
Science of Getting Rich
The Option Process
Ho Oponopono
The Script
Sedona Method
The Release Technique
This is the essences of the work I do.
All of them follow the basic premise that you can not overpower a subconscious limiting belief with a white-wash positive thinking. Instead, you engage the belief experientially as an observer and make a new decision....in this case perhaps it is something like, rich people contribute tot he opportunity I have to live the life i desire....whatever.
The point is, that when the subconscious memory if clear of the limiting belief, your experience changes. You are able to visualize and (as my good friend Joe Vitale would say) `Nevillize` your desired success and through inspiration step into the flow of abundance and accomplishment unhindered by the saboteur.
To be clear, I am NOT saying all we need to do is clear our subconscious minds and visualize what we want and it shows up.
I AM however saying that, once clear, we can visualize and affirm the success we want and will `receive` inspiration to make decisions and take actions that will cause us to experience the success we desire....and do so `effortlessly`.
I truly enjoy the intellectual dialog in this discussion and would welcome the opportunity to discuss this in any level of depth and can be contacted directly via email www.blog.championsuccess.com
I
Chris & Craig -
I appreciate this dialogue.
Chris - to be clear I agree that it is a fallacy to expect a successful outcome (indeed any outcome at all) without action. I am not proposing that.
I am however saying that true success, from the perspective of the reward a person actually experiences from it is not measured in terms of financial results. In my 38 year career building and managing the successful exits of many companies including 6 different tech startups, I earned millions of dollars....but truthfully I did not experience that portion of my career as success. While I had lots of results, what I accomplished was not well aligned with the purpose I am truly committed to accomplishing…with who I am..with my purpose - creating to make others lives better.
I was instead following the circa 1950`s approach to life....sacrifice or defer pursuit your passions now and make `enough` money so you can enjoy them later....problem with this thinking is `later` never happens.
So, in terms of finding the perfect business, what I am advocating is that a person first get focused on the accomplishment of a (life) purpose, then clear the subconscious limiting beliefs that sabotage the achievement of that purpose...and once clear, ACT from inspiration. This, as opposed to following a B-school formula for evaluating market trends and writing (useless) business plans.
So I am all for action and lots of it. I have just come to believe that the action you take should come from inspiration.
Do you see this differently?
Sooo.... on to Craig`s question.
"What would be some specific examples of beliefs that energize someone to find new ideas, then call a halt to the implementation of those ideas?"
How about this one (an excerpt from my forthcoming book)
"From a very young age, I had always wanted to be a well read and recoignized author. I recall when I was in high-school, I was given an assignment to write a fictional short story. I really took to the assignment and wrote a story I was quite proud of. My teacher was so taken by my work he circulated throughout his network of literary experts. One summer day, he called my house and asked my parents if I could join him and a special guest at a luncheon near the school to discuss my story.
When I arrived I was stunned to find myself face to face, right across diner-sized table from my boyhood literary idol Kurt Vonnegut Jr. I was of course, initially speechless. My high school English teacher came to the rescue and got the conversation started by explaining that he was a personal friend of Mr. Vonnegut’s and had shared my story with him while visiting one evening. Vonnegut was so taken by my work he had asked to meet me.
Vonnegut himself told me I was very talented and had a bright future as an author.
What am amazing story, right? Certainly encouraging to a high school kid.
You would think that I would have gone on to become a great fictional author as famous as JRR Tolkein, CS Lewis, or dare I say, Kurt Vonnegut himself. But that is not what happened.
To the contrary, following that lunch meeting I never completed another fictional story. I started a few, but I never finished one. Can you guess why?
Here is why:
Somewhere along the way, in relaying this amazing story to others whose opinion I held in high regard, I `subconsciously` overheard someone say that most writers struggle in poverty for years and years and many never make any substantial sums of money at all.
It was not even a conversation I was in. I do not recall having a single conversation about the financial aspects of being a writer, and yet, my subconscious mind recorded the limiting belief that writers struggle in poverty and do not make any money.
As a result, from that moment on, despite the fact that I began building businesses at age 13 and had started and sold 2 by the time I graduated, whenever I endeavored to find the perfect business for myself, despite the fact that I passionately loved to write, ‘Famous Author’ never emerged as a viable possibility.
Whenever anyone told me I should write, the notion was instantly discarded.
It was literally discounted; blocked by the subconscious limiting belief that I would not make enough money as a writer. Mind you, nobody ever said that to me directly. The notion was a creation of my subconscious mind.
There is no telling where these subconscious limiting beliefs come from. What is important for you to know is that they are not ‘truths’. They are just beliefs. As such, you can change your beliefs and alter your experience.
Maybe you have already experienced this with previous efforts to start a business. Perhaps you have already tried starting your own business and you have not experienced the success you desire.
Maybe you are working long hard hours, doing all the right things, and it seems to no avail.
Maybe you have tried every imaginable goal setting, marketing method plan, and sales plan available to you and the outcome does not change.
The place to look is within your-self. The next exercise will reveal some of the subconscious limiting beliefs you hold to be true by illuminating them through inquiry of the things you have in your life that you do NOT want."
Thank you gents
Steve
One of the biggest problems we have in modern society, I think, is the
decline in separation between thinking and feeling. A hundred years of
"modern education" has refocused people on their feelings, rather than
on the principles of analysis, logic, thought, imagination, and
follow-through.
Craig, Having retired from the public education system (33 years) I couldn`t agree with you more. I taught physics, generally seniors. It was appalling how little ability they had to logically analyze, how to reason or just creatively work out of the box.Reflecting on this, at the INPEX inventors show in Pittsburgh a couple of weeks ago... we were exposed to some 800 inventions. Most all of the inventions that had a major scientific nature came from other countries. The inventions from our country were more of the practical, meeting a need type.