Gross Profit or Net Profit

In the business world it is important to know the difference between gross profit and net profit. If you are selling products or services, which is most small businesses, you really want to understand how your gross profit and net profit affect your bottom line. Your gross profit is the amount of money you have left after all your expenses relating directly to your product, or your Cost Of Goods Sold (COGS). This is determined by what costs you have that are directly related to your product, for example; if you are producing a product, any cost in manufacturing the product would be a COGS, any specific advertising for that particular product is a COGS. Again Cost of Goods Sold refers to the costs that are directly related to your product. On the other hand you have expenses or as they are also called Overhead. Your overhead expenses are fixed expenses that occur periodically whether you are selling a product or selling ten different products, for instance, your Internet bill is an overhead expense, or your business phone is an overhead expense, or any other office expense incurred. So your gross profit is the amount of money you have left after you factor in all your COGS. Then you deduct your fixed expenses or Overhead expenses from that balance, this is your net profit. SO why is it important to know what your gross and net profit are. Think of it this way, if you have a product that generates a gross profit of 40% and another product that produces a 10% gross profit, which product do you want to sell more of? Exactly, this is why you need to know how to calculate what your gross profit is so you can determine what product or service you want to focus your marketing efforts on. Products that have a lower gross profit are not necessarily all bad, they can help generate some income, but you need to generate the appropriate amount of gross profit to cover your overhead expenses. Your overhead can be calculated based on your COGS. This is important so you know what your gross profit margin or percentage needs to be. If you have an overhead expense of 25% of what your gross COGS is and your gross profit on a particular product is 10% you may want to rethink that product. Now you can see why it is important to understand the difference between the two types of profits. This may seem somewhat technical but it is very important to understand this concept to ensure the profitability of your business.

The Hard Decisions

In today's struggling economy we are faced with some difficult decisions. Some of us may be looking at ways to cut back on expenses, some may be looking at ways to invest money more wisely, and some might even be trying to figure out where that next paycheck is coming from. For small business owners, many are trying to figure out how to just survive. But what we, as small business owners should be looking into is how we can benefit our company during these down times. How to strengthen our businesses and turn a bad economy into an opportunity to grow in other directions, to become more diversified. This will require some difficult decisions though. You may have to explore areas that you know little or nothing about. You may have to spend a little money to find ways to create a path to opportunities in the business world. You may have to become educated in areas that maybe out of your comfort zone. You know that comfort zone where you know the answers to all the questions about your particular niche that your small business is centered around. The intimidating thing is that it is unknown territory, untraveled ground. The good news is this unexplored terrain may hold the future to your prosperous small business success. In addition there are now multiple resources that will enable you to find answers to theses unknown questions of what to do and how to go about this change. Now is the time to make those decisions and take control of this economy instead of letting it control you.

Start Here

If you are just starting to set up a new small business or home based business, one common question comes to mind, What do I do to get started? There are many ways to go about starting your new small business, one important thing to remember is what do you want your business to accomplish and what do you want your new small business to be in five or ten years? By starting with the end result in mind you will give yourself a clearer vision of the path you will need to travel down to reach your goals. By looking forward you give yourself a better probability of success. Statistics show that 80% of all new businesses fail in the first 5 years and that 80% of those remaining fail in the next 5 years which comes out to about 96% of all businesses failing within the first 10 years. This statistic is why your first steps in creating your new small business is so critical. And that you get started down the right path that will lead to your success and prosperity. Many people fail to see the significance of having a clear vision of where you are heading with your small business. This philosophy also holds true for making changes in your personal life and allows you the best chance for prosperity in all aspects of your life.

Networking Successfully

With today's technology it becomes more important to build a network of resources. This can be done in many ways thanks to all the social networking availability with the Internet. One great tool is Twitter. With Twitter you can be introduced to other people involved in your area of business. This allows you access to all types of people who might have something you need or they might be in need of something you have. another great thing about social networks is the opportunity to create a brand name for yourself. You have the chance to promote yourself and your name to a large amount of people. One of the keys to networking successfully, for you and for your business, is to be sure to offer something of value to the people who are following you or who may be listening to what you have to say. One sure way to get people to not listen to you is to be constantly selling them something. Who wants to listen to a salesman 24/7. Having said that, it doesn't mean you can con promote your business, your services, and your products. But you must do it in a way that is appealing to people. How do you accomplish this without overselling. One great way is to offer free information or even free products or services. Something that will be of benefit to the people you are trying to attract. You may ask, why would I want to give my stuff away for free. This is a great way to create a customer base. if you give them something of value, something that will help them in some way, they will be more inclined to come to you for more. This is a way of up selling. You give them an item for free, they take that item and benefit from it, now they want to see if you have more items that will help them. You have just created a return customer, and better yet, you have created word of mouth advertising. Imagine if they take your free gift and tell someone else how much it helped them and pass your name on to another person, maybe two. And they tell the people they know, and before you know it you have a customer following. This is free advertisement and can increase your up sell and back end sales tremendously. So get started with your social networking, just be sure to go about it the correct way and you will surely increase your opportunities.

Strengthen Your Resolve

We live in a society that has a real fascination with exercising. Their are new diets coming out every week to help you lose those few extra pounds. There are new exercise machines being designed all the time to help get you in better shape. But what are we doing to strengthen our resolve to become successful? What exercise programs are we participating in to guarantee our path to prosperity? What daily diets, or habits, are we utilizing to ensure we are headed down the right road to find the success we deserve. If you truly want to become successful in business and even in your personal life you need to work at it everyday. You need to have an exercise program for you to engage in, a specific plan of action to follow to guide you on your path to success and prosperity. Many people underestimate the value of a well thought out, well detailed, and well constructed action plan for their success. IF you want to succeed in business you need to continually work on strengthening your resolve to succeed. If you constantly remind yourself what your success looks like, if you are persistent in what you plan to achieve within your business and personal life, if you relentlessly pursue your dreams and goals, you give yourself the best opportunity to succeed and fulfill all your aspirations of success and prosperity. If you do not take the time to strengthen your resolve or work on your action plan, you will almost certainly guarantee your self to not reach your desired goals. Take the time today to begin your own exercise plan to strengthen your resolve to become the success story you envision.

Reminders

We all have reminders to help us in our daily routines. Some are very obvious, like a day planner to let you know when your next meeting starts. Some not so obvious, like close calls when your driving to remind you to pay better attention. As kids we had our parents to give us reminders, such as brush your teeth twice a day, or do not run out into the street, things like that. When we get older we have other useful tools that help us to remember important things, like a gas gauge alarm that tells you when you are low on gas. But what kind of reminders do you use to keep your goals and dreams at the forefront of your mind. When it comes to personal and business goals many people do not utilize any reminders or tools that will help to ensure they stay on course to achieving their prosperity. Reminders, in business as well as our personal life, help to build up repetition. Repetition helps to build habits, habits are like practice, and practice makes permanent, not perfect but permanent. So if we are trying to improve our current situation, whether it be in our business or personal lives, we want to have good reminders that help lead us to good habits which creates better permanent actions, which in turn allows for us to achieve our goals with greater ease. Now, what kind of reminders can we surround ourselves with that will enable us to reach great heights and secure a positive path to success in both our business and personal arenas. Posting a list of your personal and business goals or dreams in constant view is a great way to remind yourself where you are heading. You can post them above your computer at the place you work, at home on the fridge. You can keep a copy in your day planner, anywhere that will allow your vision of your future to be constantly in front of you to remind you of what your trying to accomplish. The more reminders, reminders of the success you seek for you and your family and your business, that you can surround yourself with the better chance you give yourself to achieve that success. So start reminding yourself what you plan to do to reach the level of success you are after and you guarantee yourself the opportunity to get there.

Handy Resources

One thing that every internet entrepreneur should have near their computer is a list of shortcuts or helpful hints to make them more productive when they are working on the computer. You should also have a good list of favorites or bookmarked websites. These two tools can help you make your time spent in front of your computer much more efficient. There are many little things you can do with certain computer keys that can help speed up your ability to be productive. Most of us do not have all day to sit at the computer and work on our projects, so it is important to be as efficient as possible. There are some important websites to have handy when working on your projects on the computer. These sites have valuable information and tools that allow you to maximize your efforts while helping you create quality work. The great part about these internet sites is they have Free tools that allow you to streamline your work. Another significant thing to know is the importance of having these tools and how to use them to increase your potential to become more productive while working. Having these lists of computer shortcuts and websites handy will help speed things up for you while you are working on your next great idea. And with the computer key shortcuts and and knowledge of how your computer and the internet work will only aid you in your productivity. It is also important to know what certain terms mean with regard to the internet. And all this information to help you become the most productive you can be, is FREE.

Traffic Links

One problem many internet entrepreneurs encounter is how to drive traffic to their website. One well documented way is to create links to your site. This is helpful to you and your business in many ways. One way is that it allows you to develop many different avenues to bring potential customers to your site. Another way this can be helpful is that it creates multiple links to your site. Why is this a good thing you may ask, well multiple links to your sight makes your site more appealing to the search engines. You do have to be careful on how you link to your sight though. There is a certain method you will want to follow. The thing you will want to keep in mind with linking is to try to keep it one way. Now you can link from one sight to the next and work your way back to the original site but they should not link back and forth to each other directly. This can be accomplished by creating multiple blogs and linking them to each other. Another way is to use affiliate sites to link to your site. The main idea is to generate as many traffic streams to your main site as possible.

Find a Way

It hit me the other day when I was working on my website, and again the next day at my other job. If you can come up with an idea, then there has to be a way to put that idea into action. Where many people fail is that little extra push to take their idea to the next level, from conception to fruition. I was working and had to figure out how to get the end result I was pursuing. I knew where I was starting from and knew where I needed to end up. Now I just had to fill in the middle, the action part of the operation. See sometimes the easy parts are knowing where you are starting from and knowing what the end result will look like. The more difficult portion of the process is getting from point A to point B. This phase of the series of events that need to take place to achieve your goal requires initiative, inventiveness, and persistence. First you need to have the desire to get from point A to point B. Then you need to be willing to think outside of the box, maybe outside your comfort zone or beyond the typical realm of options. And finally you must have the ambition and fortitude to carry out this action plan. You must also be willing to accept the simple fact that it may take several attempts to accomplish your goal. In the process of reaching your ultimate goal you need to keep in mind that you will not always achieve the results you are after the first time around. Do not look at these setbacks as failure but rather as great opportunity to learn something new and to grow your ability of expanding your way of thinking and problem solving. Remember if you can imagine it, it can absolutely be accomplished.

Becoming Independent

Are you in the majority group of people that will become dependent on one of the three F's, Friends, Family , or the Federal Government. Or are you working to be in the minority of the people who are working to become independent. Statistics show that 97% of the population will become dependent when they are older. Are you taking steps today to secure your future prosperity. One significant reason many people become dependent is because they never took the initiative to become independent. How many people do you know that have a plan for their retirement that includes how much money they will need to live the lifestyle that they want to live. If you asked many people who were at or near retirement age if they are living the life they hoped for right now. Do think most of them would say no or not exactly. Now for the hard reality, though it may be difficult to hear, many are living the life they planned for. Whether you plan or do not plan for your retirement you will ultimately live the life you planned for. If you plan to live a life filled with no worry of finances and filled with prosperity, and you take all the necessary steps to ensure you attain that lifestyle you will achieve that lifestyle. But if you talk about your retirement but do not make any plans or take any action to carry out your dreams and goals, you are assured to not achieve your dream life filled with prosperity. So are you planning and executing your plan to become independent or are you failing to plan and failing to take action and setting yourself up to become dependent.

Remove The Limits From Your Success

When you are starting your own business or are reevaluating your current position one thing that is paramount to your success is the limits you put on your possibilities. Most people would say that they would not put any limits on their possibilities but the truth of the matter is that we may be imposing limits without even realizing it. Here is what I am talking about, if your business is dedicated to a certain field or geared toward a specific targeted market, when you look at what you plan to do with your business within those confines might be limiting your opportunities. If you make the decision that this one area you are involved in is where you are going to focus your business on and do not leave the option open, in your plan or in your mind, that you would consider going in another direction in the future, you have limited your opportunities. The best way to avoid this mistake and to have unlimited opportunity for you and your business is to think of as many different things that relate to your original business idea and write them down. For example; if your initial business plan is to sell gardening advice some possible options for you might be, gardening tools, gardening supplies, garden plants, garden accessories (statues or decorative items for the garden). You might consider setting up a joint venture with someone who has products or services that are related to your products. There are a number of ways to find other products and services that are related to your business. The point is that your business needs to be able to evolve as time goes on and more importantly needs to be able to reach out to other potential customers. So keep an open mind when thinking about the possibilities of your business and where you might want to take it in the future.

Prepare For Change

If you have your own business or are starting a new business one thing you will most likely need to prepare for is change. You are going to encounter changes in your industry that will cause you to have to consider changing your direction a little. It may be a downturn in the economy, like we have now, or it may be a change in the supply or demand in the product or service you are providing. Whichever the case you will need to prepare for the possibility of making a change. This does not mean you will have to abandon your current business model, but it will mean you may have to explore an alternative or additional revenue generating option. Here is an example of what I am talking about, let's say you are in construction and your main focus is to provide labor for the construction of new homes and multi-family projects. Now you have been successful with this enterprise for many years, but you see that the amount of work you have is slowly tapering off. Now you will have to look at trying to generate work by supplying labor for other types of construction, such as, siding, roofing, and remodeling. Though these are different from your original model of your main business you are making changes to keep pace with the changes in your industry. And maybe now you start to explore buying and remodeling your own projects, which would help generate your own supply of work for your main business. You see you have not abandoned your original business model and business plan, you have just modified it and adapted it to meet the changes in your industry. This is a critical element in being able to survive in the business environment. If you are not willing to explore other opportunities before you become forced to you are setting yourself up for the probability of failure. This is how successful business owners remain successful. Have you heard the saying It is harder to stay on top than is to get to the top. But if you are prepared for change and have an open mind and do not set limits or boundaries on what direction you will allow your business to go in you guarantee yourself the best chance at lasting success. And long lasting success is what all business owners are trying to accomplish.

How's Your Time Management

How we manage our time tells a lot about our ability to manage our business. There are few different types of categories of people when it comes to time management. One category is the type who spends their time over planning but never really accomplishes much. They have good intentions but can never seem to quite execute their plan, usually because their plan is done in the mind set of I'll get to that just as soon as this or that happens. It becomes more like procrastination than action.
Then there is the type that doesn't really plan at all. They start their day with an idea of what they want to accomplish without any real thought to how long each task will take. Before you know it the day is over half done and they have barely started on their list of things to get done. The make their way through each day with no real direction.
The next type are the ones who plan their day, but do not allow for the X factor and schedule everything with just a little less time than what each task will actually take, hoping that they will make up time along the way. What ends up usually happening is they do not get everything done that they were planning. These are also the ones who will say I just do not have enough time in the day. When in reality there is plenty of time in the day as long as you plan it correctly.
Another type is the ones who plan a full day but allow enough time for each task, and a little down time in between for regrouping and preparation for the next item on the list. This type is also conscious of making use of every possible opportunity to be productive. They make use their down time to learn some new information or think about the next event of the day. They actually plan for how they can be productive during these times. Whether it be listening to educational tapes while driving, or keeping a notepad with them during lunch to write down some notes. The point is that they are always being productive and making the best use of their time. You see we all have the same amount of time in our days. The difference is some are just better at time management than others. So take some time and figure out which category you are in and start working on improving your time management skills.

Take Time Out

How many of us are working very hard on our future, or at least working hard on figuring out what we need to do for our future? If you want to be successful in business and in life you have to work at it. But you also have to take time out to relax and recharge. Some say if your working a 40 hour a week job and trying to build a home based business in your free time, if there is such a thing, that you should limit the amount of time you spend at the computer to about two to three hours and then take a break. Even if that break is just to get up, stretch your legs, or get something to drink. It is also important to take a break and get out of the house, get some fresh air, or go for a walk outdoors. The fresh air can really make a difference on your productivity. Also it is important to get out and interact with other people, whether that be your significant other, your children, or friends. This too can energize you and give you a boost in your ambition level. You know the saying to much work makes Jack a dull boy, well truth is too much work can make you irritable. It can also be unhealthy to sit at a computer for hours on end and not get up and move around. Your body needs some sort of exercise occasionally and fresh air and the interaction with other people is good for the soul. So as it is true if you want to be successful you need to work at it, it is also true that success is not just financial. Success and prosperity also refer to all aspects of your life, your health, your family, and your friends. So take time out for yourself and you will find the success and prosperity of your life will happen.

Continuing Your Education

Many people believe their education stops after they are finished with school. The truth is our education should always remain a ongoing thing. With today's changing technologies and increasing availability of information it is more important than ever to keep up with the new trends. Imagine using a computer that was made in 1994 in today's world. Or using the same software they had back then. As a matter of fact experts will tell you that you need to update your computer and software about every three years to stay current. It is also important to stay current with the changing advertising markets. Essentially everyone is selling something, whether it be products, services, or information of some type. And now you will want to be marketing your product not only offline but also online as well. Let's look at cell phones. Years ago more people had land lines in their homes than had cell phones. In fact many years ago they were called car phones because you kept them plugged into your car. many types were not even cordless. Now more people have cell phones than land lines. In fact many people have done away with land lines in their homes altogether. Now you can communicate on your cell phone by texting, talking, or even sending pictures. You can even take pictures with your cell phone. And have you seen the new communication technologies that are already out, like Twitter, and Instant Messaging, imagine what is coming next. If you want to be successful in the world economy you will need to be able to communicate with your market, which by the way is global now, not just local. This is why your continued education is so important. Some may say, I will never have a need for that stuff, but think of all the people who said that about computers about 15-20 years ago. Now look at the technology we have, laptops and Ipods and other devices that help you communicate with the world . It is vital to your success and prosperity that you continue to be educated on what will be critical to you and your business. You do not want to have to play catch up with years of technology. You are the best investment and resource you have. Experts say you should spend 3% of your income on your own education. How much will you contribute to your success in the form of your own education.

Do You Talk About It or Do It

Do you know people who constantly say I should do that or I need to do that, but never actually do what they talk about. The world is filled with people who want to be successful or want to learn something new. But the amount of people who actually work at becoming successful or try something new is much lower. So why is the ratwe of success so low. It comes down to motivation and ambition. If you know someone who really wants to learn something new but they keep coming up with excuses for not doing it. Then they either lack the motivation to take that first step and get started, or they lack the ambition to follow it through to completion, or they really are not that interested in it to begin with. They might be the type of person who talks about the doing to make themselves seem like a doer. Some do not even realize they do that it is just part of their makeup. Then there are those that start something new but either do not follow through to finish it or they are not in it to be successful. This is very true with many new small business owners. And there are two categories for these unsuccessful new business entrepreneurs. category one is the new business owner who is just not exactly sure how to do what is needed for the success of their business, they most likely do not know where to start and so they do not start. This first group is in a very fortunate position because there are now multiple resources to help them and they have the opportunity to become successful. They just need a little help and they will be just fine. The second group is the type that knows what to do and has had the opportunity to have the help they need to become successful but they do not take advantage of these resources that are readily available to them. They do not take action and therefor are destined to not become successful or prosperous. A good leader is not embarrassed that they do not know how to do everything. A great leader is willing to admit they need help in certain areas and they are not too proud to find that help and utilize it to help them become successful. So which type of person are you, a doer or a talker. Stop talking today and start doing something for your tomorrow.

Spend Time on Your Future Not Your Past

We have heard the saying about hindsight being 20/20. And it is alright to look at something and think you could have done it differently. But you really want to avoid spending your time dwelling on things you should have done differently. What you want to focus on is learning from the things you should have done differently and then move on to applying this knowledge to your future. Too many times we tend to look at a situation and say, if only I had done this first, or if only I had known about this before I did this or that, I could have saved myself so much time. The truth is no matter how much we think about the what if's we cannot get the time back. What we can do is to learn what we can and move on. A wise man once said show me someone who does not learn something new everyday and I'll show you someone who is not doing anything. Everyday is a new opportunity to learn and grow and develop our own character and abilities. This is why so many mentors will tell you do not dwell on the past, learn from the past and move on to your future. The problem arises in that when we dwell on the past it is usually in a negative way. It usually revolves around what you could have done differently. And in doing so we fill our thoughts with negative thoughts. One thing all successful people know is no matter how hard you may try you cannot change the past. So why spend your time in the past. The only way to create the future you want for yourself is to work on it everyday. That means doing things today for your future. Being active everyday, learning, adapting, and growing to become the person you want to be. The person who has the ability to attain the dreams and goals that you desire. It means not living in the past but spending your time working on your future.

Find Your Gift

Each of us is born with a unique ability or gift. Something we are naturally great at. Now there are probably many things you are good at, but you want to focus in on what you are great at. Something you would love to do even if you didn't get paid to do it. This is your hidden talent or your gift. Part of understanding your gift is learning how to share it with others. You were not given this gift to keep it all to yourself. This special gift was given to you to share with the world. If you take the time to figure out the best way to share your special gift you will find a way to accomplish your goals and make your dreams come true. This talent that lies within you is what you were meant to do. If you have already figured out what your gift is and are sharing it with others you are definitely on your way to success and prosperity. If you have figured out your gift but have not figured out how to share it with others then you will need to start working on that. One way to figure out how to share it with others is ask yourself how can my gift benefit others, what can I do to enrich other people's lives. When you start focusing in on how you can help others with your gift you are starting the process of fulfilling your destiny which will lead to your own prosperity and success. If you haven't figured out what your gift is start listing all the things you are good at. Then narrow it down to the things you absolutely love. In some cases there can be more than one gift, but there is definitely going to be that one thing that you were meant to do. Some of the other things may be byproducts of your main gift. You may even work on a few different things before figuring out your exact gift. In some cases you may figure out the gift but are not sure how to apply it to helping others. Good news, there are plenty of resources out there that can help with that part of the process. Be sure if you seek outside help that they are interested in helping you help others and not just looking to get rich off you or your gift. SO get started on your gift and your prosperity will soon follow.

Making Contacts

How many of you go to your bank on a regular basis? How about the local Convenient Store, or some other local business? Do the cashiers know you by name? Do you greet any of them by name? When you call a place of business on a regular basis do you ask the receptionist how they are doing? As you are taking steps to start a new business, grow your existing business, or improve your personal life, one important part of your journey should be developing contacts. A good way to start working on this is to greet everyone you see or talk to on a regular basis with a warm hello and ask how they are. And when you ask how they are, be sincere. And wish them a good day when you part company. People like to feel appreciated and that you take an interest in them. Too many times in today's fast paced world we fail to slow things down and ask people how they are doing. You will be surprised at the reaction you will get from others. The funny thing is you will catch most people off guard. They will stop mid-sentence to answer your question. And people will be happy to see you or enjoy talking with you on the phone.. And you might even be the reason they have a good day. Imagine having that affect on someone's day. If you start to focus more on other people and less on yourself you will become more relaxed and have a more positive outlook. Many people walk around with a What is in it for me attitude. And people are sometimes shocked when you ask them how they are doing. If you asked most people would say they would prefer a friendly customer service rep over one who is short and quick to get on to the next person. Well the same goes for the people who serve us on a regular basis. If you work on this approach and take the time to show compassion for others in any setting or environment you will find it becomes almost second nature to relate to everyone in a friendly manner. This in turn makes it easier to have more confidence and be relaxed when talking to business people whom you may be trying to network with. So start trying to develop a more friendly approach to meeting and interacting with people. Because the reality is wouldn't you rather do business with someone who is personable. Then you should become the type of person you would want to work with.

Open the Door

Are you proactive type person or a reactive one? When you get up in the morning do you imagine the possibilities that await you? Or do you look at the day ahead with indifference? Many people go to their jobs everyday not expecting to have an opportunity come along that could significantly change their life. So they make their way through the day one moment at a time waiting for the work day to draw to an end. Not realizing all the opportunities that probably passed them by that day. See, there are any number of different circumstances that can happen to you during your day that could turn into a golden opportunity. It is all in the way you view the things that happen. Think about it like this, each day you travel down the same path as the day before. At the one end of this path is where you started your day. The other end is a doorway that leads right back to where you started. Now it may seem secure for you to stay on this same path you take everyday. You know where you start and you know where you will end up, it's safe. No surprises, no risk, no fear of change, no fear of the unknown, no fear of failure. Now imagine down this hallway are a number of doors. And you really do not know what is behind any of these doors. Would you be willing to open one or all of these doors just to see what is on the other side? To take a chance that there might be a better destination waiting for you than the same path you have been taking. Would you be willing to see what opportunity awaits you beyond that closed door? Some say that when opportunity knocks you should answer, but sometimes you need to open the door and go get that opportunity. Are you going to keep going down that same hallway, that same path you have been taking, hoping oprotunity will come knocking, or will you open a door? Will you open a new door and go get your future?

Oportunities

One comment that I have heard recently is you only get a few opportunities in your lifetime. That is completely faithless and inaccurate. Every situation is an opportunity, depending on how you view it. Many people tend to look at problems or obstacles as potential setbacks, when in reality they are opportunities for you to take advantage of. Let's look at some simple ways situations can be an opportunity or a setback. Someone pulls out in front of you, you swerve and have to take an exit ramp to avoid hitting them. This causes you to take a detour to where you were going which in turn makes you late for your appointment, a set back? How about an opportunity to work on your patience, or gives you a few extra minutes to think about that project you are working on and you get a brilliant idea for a new product, opportunity? You apply for a different job at another place of business but do not get hired, setback-stuck at current job that you don't like and feel you are never going to get out? Take the time to explore something else that you are passionate about, one year later a better job becomes available and you land it, closer to home, better hours, better pay, opportunity?
There are an endless supply of opportunities out there. You just have to look at them the right way and with a positive outlook. Sometimes you might need a little help in figuring out how to make an idea or obstacle become that next great opportunity. Guess what all you have to do is ask for a little help and you are sure to get the help you need to steer you down the right path.

Why Not Now

As we talked about yesterday many people seem unable to imagine a lifestyle filled without worry about finances. Then there are those that will tell you they will work on there future just as soon as they get caught up or get ahead. You know, when you say I just need a little breathing room, I will work on this idea or that project, or If I just had a little more money I would pursue my dreams. Realistically people will always find a reason for not getting started, for not following their dreams, for not Achieving wealth and prosperity. So a better question would be Why Not Now? Everyday can be the day you start to change your world. Everyday can be the day you take control of your life, your business, your future, your prosperity. Think of it this way if you started today where could you be in five years or ten years. Now what if you had started five years ago where would you be today? We you cannot change the past but you can do something about today and the rest of your life. The truth of the matter is there is no reason why you shouldn't start today. Your future is waiting for you to decide what it is going to be. Some may feel they do not have the opportunities that successful people have. It is very important to remember that we all have the same opportunities in life. You just need to know where to start looking, because they are out there. And right now in today's computer and Internet era there is a plethora of opportunity for everyone. The first thing you have to decide is to take action. Get moving forward on finding your path to prosperity. You will never reach your destination if you do not take the first step. Open that door of opportunity and take your first step to your own Path 2 Success.

Why Not You

The other day I asked a young senior in high school if I told her that she could be making 1 million dollars a year in fifteen years would she believe it. She said NO. Then I asked her What if I said you could be making i million dollars a year in fifteen years but it would cost you $100,000 to do it, would you spend the money. Guess what, she said no again. The reason for her responses is simple. Many people cannot fathom themselves making that kind of money. They have difficulty getting their mind around a dollar amount that large. So they cannot imagine that as an annual income. But they can imagine $100,000 which in many cases is two years income or maybe more. And they would be reluctant to spend two years income on something they see as having an unreasonable outcome. There is a common apprehension to envisioning ourselves as earning a million dollars. But instead of saying Not Me, that would be impossible. We should be asking ourselves, Why NOT ME? Are we undeserving? Do we feel we just do not deserve to have that type of income? Are we not as significant as the next person? Couldn't we be responsible in managing that size of an income? So let's not keep traveling down that same path of "Not Me" and start working on our new path. The path that was promised to us. That's right your prosperity was promised to you. All you have to do is step up to the table and accept it. Your best path is waiting for you!

Social Networking

Social networking is the newest Internet marketing tool waiting to be utilized by you. There are many different ways to use these social sites. One simple way is to advertise on them directly. Most likely it would be in the form of a pay per click advertisement. You would pay for each time someone clicked on your add. You will want to be careful with this because you might end up with a bunch of tire kickers and not potential customers. So if you are going to use the pay per click method you will want to do your research and find your target audience. That is the group of consumers that are interested in purchasing your product. It is not the people who are interested in your product, but the ones interested in purchasing it. There is a difference between interested and potential buyers. The ones that are interested in purchasing your product or service will be the ones that can potentially become your clients. So be sure to do some research to find the right demographic for your niche. A good way to research for your demographic is to do testing. Find a social network where you can discuss your type of product, or your product category. Again start by discussing your topic before you try to sell it. When you find a social network where you have found an interest in your product topic then you can place an add and see what kind of a response you get. Test it for a month or so and see if you can get a 1-2% conversion rate on visitors from the people who clicked on your add from that site. If you get a 1-2% conversion then you can consider that successful. If not you can try it a little longer or move onto another social network. There are plenty of them out there so you can keep trying them until you find on that works.

Go Confidently

It is easy to become overwhelmed with all the information that is out there in today's technologies. And it can be intimidating when you look at all there is to learn about modern technology. But the great news is that it is all completely manageable. You have to know that there is nothing that cannot be overcome. Sometimes it may seem like you do not have enough time to get everything done that you have to do. Trust that there is plenty of time to get it all done. It may take a little longer or you might have to work on time management but it can be done. The first thing you need to start with is your state of mind. You have to decide that there is nothing you can't do. You have to sincerely believe that to be true. If you work from that mind set you automatically set yourself up for success. Look back on the times when you thought you would not be able to get a everything ready for your special party, or your presentation for work, or get everything done before you went on vacation. And somehow you got it all worked out. Maybe you got a little help from some friends or delegated some to the work to someone else. However you did it the thing to remember is that you did get it done. In your business and in your personal life there is always a way to accomplish everything that needs to be done. The first step is to not become distracted by allowing yourself to become overwhelmed. Keep your mind focused on completing the tasks and you will figure out a way to get it finished. Approach each new endeavor with a positive and victorious attitude and you will guarantee your success. Be steadfast in your ability to succeed. And remember this "Who of you by worrying can add a single day to your life", and let tomorrow worry about itself.

Respond Versus React

When we encounter difficulties along our path to success one true test of how we conquer these troubles is whether we respond or react. You may wonder what the difference is and does it really matter. The difference is when you react to something you will be less likely to think about what you are going to do and just do it, you react. But when you respond you give the matter at hand some forethought before carrying out your action. Reacting can be a positive thing in certain circumstances. For example, if you are driving your car and an animal jumps out in front of you and you react by swerving the vehicle and miss the animal and somehow avoid an accident, then that reaction has a positive outcome. On the other hand if your driving your vehicle down the road and someone cuts you off and you react to the situation by becoming very upset and the incident ruins the rest of your day, then that reaction has a negative outcome. The significant difference between the reacting to a situation and responding to it is that if you react it becomes more emotional, but if respond you give yourself the opportunity to decide how the encounter will affect you. Here is I mean, let's look at the driving example from above. Same situation, car cuts you off, but this time you choose to respond by laughing and saying "Wow that person must really be in a hurry, I would rather be behind that driver than have them behind me". You will not give that incident another thought after that. You made the choice to not give someone else power over you and therefore you did not allow someone else to distract you from your goal. You see the difference between reacting and responding is that when you respond you have control over the situation and you get to decide the outcome. But when you react you let your emotions or someone else decide the outcome. And wouldn't you agree that it is easier to achieve our goals when we control the outcome of the situation.

Adjusting Your Path

As you make your way down your new path to success there are always going to be unexpected situations that will arise. You not only have to adapt to the changing circumstances, but you also have to be prepared for them. Your best chance for success is to have a good plan but also to be willing to make changes to your plan as the events dictate. You may need to take a slight detour around the dilemma to ensure yourself the opportunity for success. For example, if you were taking a trip and you encountered road construction you would have a choice to wade through the maze of obstacles to get through it or you could determine a alternate route around the obstacles until you could safely get back on course. In either case you have to decide which scenario will give you the best end result and get you back on track as quickly as possible. Now there will be times when you will have no choice but to wade through the obstacles and solve the problems before you can move forward. So you will have to be ready to make the adjustments needed. The main thing to remember is to keep advancing toward your goals. Do not allow any distractions or obstacles to deter you or derail you on your path to success. In fact you should be thankful for the obstacle because it will give you the opportunity to work on your problem solving skills. Every hardship you encounter, whether it be in your business or in your personal life, should be viewed as an opportunity to grow, become more resilient, and develop your character. If you approach each difficulty with this positive mind set you guarantee yourself success before you even encounter the situation.

Overcome Every Difficulty

One thing that is almost certain when beginning something new, whether it be starting a new business, choosing a different career, or taking your life in a new direction, is that you will encounter obstacles along the way. These are things that will most likely be unexpected. They may catch you unprepared. The best way to handle these situations is to work toward your goals with a prepared state of mind. If your mind is prepared for the unforeseen you stand a better chance of adapting, making needed adjustments, and quickly getting back on course. You may ask how do I prepare for the unexpected, you prepare by having the appropriate state of mind. First, you need to always believe that "Nothing can come before me that I am not equipped to overcome". Notice it does not say prepared but equipped instead. Because there are going to be things that will happen, no matter what you are working on, that you can not anticipate, and thus making it difficult to prepare for. But you can prepare your mind with the realization that nothing will come before you that you can not handle and overcome. With this belief in mind before you encounter any crisis you have already won the battle. If you know anyone who has a tendency to give up in difficult situations they have lost the battle before they even encounter the problem because they do not have a winning mind set. Second, when something unexpected happens embrace it with the idea in mind that "This is a great opportunity for me to learn something new and increase my problem solving skills". You do not always have a choice on what obstacles will come before you, but you absolutely have a choice in how you respond to them. If you have a positive mind set all the time you have a much better opportunity to succeed. So believe in yourself and your ability to succeed.

Get Focused

Getting focused is as simple and complicated as it sounds. Many people think getting focused is fairly simple. Let's look at what getting focused means. The typical consensus is "To concentrate intently on one thing". That doesn't seem to overly difficult. But when it comes to being productive while focusing on something, especially when it relates to the success of your small business or success in all aspects of your personal life, there are some important things to consider. Think of it this way, all the focus in the world is wonderful and can produce great results but what if that focus is on the wrong thing. Here are a few items to consider, call them a checklist. The first thing you start with is a plan. I know it is an old cliche but it is completely true "Fail to plan, Plan to fail". Whatever it is that you are working on, personal growth, starting a new small business, or just some simple projects around the house, if you have a well thought out, well written plan, your chances of success increase by more than 75%. There is a variable to this success ratio, and that is the ability to adapt to the changing situation around you, which we will discuss more in the future. But for now let's concentrate on how to focus successfully on you and what you are working on right now. Ever wonder how some people seem to be so much more productive than others. The main difference is their focus, and their plan of attack for whatever it is they are working on. When starting something new or even starting a new day you will want to establish a good plan of attack. The best way to focus on success for what you are working on is to plan the specific task, as much as possible, from beginning to end. Think of all the pros and cons to your plan, everything that can go right or wrong and come up with adjustments you can make along the way. Once you have a well thought out plan, and here comes the important second part, get completely focused on your plan and get moving toward your goal. Now some people may say they do not know how to develop their own plan, or they just are not sure what to do first. This brings us to a third part of the "Getting Focused". The great news is that there is a multitude of resources to help you navigate through anything you will want to accomplish. All you have to do is find the right resource that fits your needs. So get the help you require, the plan of attack to guarantee success, and get focused on your prosperity!

Locating Your Best Resources

You have decided to take that leap of faith and start your own small business or you have made the choice to change your life and find the prosperity you deserve. But how and do you find the resources you will need to become successful. What specific tools will you need to help you grow your business or change your life into a very prosperous and potentially profitable revenue stream? And once you figure out what you need where do you find them? You will want to establish what you will need first. To do this you will want to make a list of all the things your new business will do, the products or services it will be selling, and how you will market your products. Set your list up into three columns. Put all the above items in one column. Then in the next column put a corresponding item that you will need to do or have to help with the item from column one, for instance if your selling hats you will need to find the product itself. The more items you have in column two the more options you will have later for helping you decide how to implement each step. The third column will be used for the resources for you to choose from to put everything together. Now with column one and two complete you can start searching for the resources to put in column three. The good news is there are many resources out there to choose from, but the hard part may be where to look to find them. You can search for them on Google or find someone to help you look. Find a mentor, someone who has done what you are going to be doing and ask them about there resources. Or begin working with a mentoring or coaching company to get you heading in the right direction. There are a multitude of people who are willing to help all you need to do is ask. There might be a little trial and error in finding the best match for the resource you need and how it best fits your business.

Determining Your Path

Possibly one of the most difficult decisions to make when you are first getting started is "What are the best resources to use to help me obtain my success?". Here are a few things to consider in making this very important decision. You are going to want to ask yourself what is the best way that you learn. Are you a visual learner, do you learn better by watching a video or having someone show you how to do it? Are you more a verbal learner, is it easier to have someone explain it to you and give you the opportunity to ask questions? Are you a book learner, do you comprehend it better if you can read it from a book or other educational format? Or do you learn better from multiple types of coaching? These are very important when deciding how you are going to educate yourself on how to create a successful business. If you learn the best from working directly with someone then you will want to avoid a program that has no interaction, but only gives you the educational materials and tells you to read this and then apply what you have read. However if you excel at learning from written instructions with just needing very limited interaction with a coach maybe even in the form of e-mail or a phone call, then you would not want to spend the extra money for a more personalized coaching program. So be sure to do a little research into the program you plan to enter into. Make sure the program can answer all your questions and will be structured around your needs.

Not Getting Overwhelmed

As you have probably figured out by now getting started on your new business venture takes a bit of work. When you are looking at the different things you need to do to get started try to keep this in mind, "Everything worth doing takes effort". It is easy to see how the process of starting a business might be a little intimidating or overwhelming. But do not allow yourself to be distressed. If you take it one step at a time and focus on one aspect of your business at a time, the process can be quite exciting and inspiring. You will empower yourself with each new bit of knowledge you acquire and each area you begin to master. And I assure you, you will master them. There are many things you can do to not become overwhelmed or sidetracked. The main one is to stay focused on one item at a time all the while keeping that end goal in mind. This way as you complete one task after another you will see yourself getting closer and closer to fulfilling your dreams. Another important way to reduce the stress is to continually seek assistance in areas that may be new to you or that require more explanation for you to master, Remember there is always someone out there who has already accomplished what you are working on so be sure to use their expertise and knowledge to assist you. Getting advice from professionals is a great way to speed up your learning process, and it gives you the opportunity to build a network of resources. Having a strong network of resources is a great advantage for growing a strong and respected business. In addition you will open the door to other possibilities for doing Joint Ventures within your resource group. So take a deep breath and remember there is nothing that will present itself to you that you are not equipped to handle and overcome.

Finding Partners

One thing people get concerned about when first starting out is how do I find customers. One good way to get traffic is to work with someone who already has a list. You want to find a business that has something in common with your product or service. Your business and your potential partner's business should compliment each other. Now, since they already have a list you will need to bring something to the deal that will make it appealing to them. After all they are the ones with the potential customers. If you are just starting out you could try some business people that you know. Offer to meet with them or take them out to lunch. Before you meet take the time to put together a great presentation. Have a good plan for how you will put the whole partnership together. Also it is critical that you have a list of all the benefits they will receive if they join you in this partnership. They should feel like they are getting more out of the deal than you, that they will not have to do anything and yet will benefit from the joint venture. You might need to consult someone on how to put this plan together to make it more appealing. Another way to find a joint venture partner is to research your product or service, either online or offline. Do some investigating and find a few companies that have a product that will co mingle with your product or service. Then start contacting them directly, phone is much better than e-mail. Again have a well thought out plan already prepared before you contact them. Keep in mind that you will probably get turned down a few times. Do not get discouraged, simply say "Thank you" and move on to the next one. A good rule in those situations would be to ask, politely, what is holding them back from forming a partnership with you. This will allow you to adapt your method or give you the opportunity to work on your plan to make it more appealing. Most important is to learn from each situation and make adjustments and move on to the next prospect. Persistence is key to your success, especially in the very beginning stages of your new business.

Multiply Your Business

Once you get your business up and going, how do you get it to increase it's potential? You will want to start to diversify a little. A good way to do this is to start promoting other merchandise or services that are related to what your initial products are. This can be accomplished in a multiple of different ways. One of the best ways, if you do not already have additional products, is through Affiliate Marketing. Affiliate Marketing is where you find a product or service that is made by some other company and you market it and sell it for them, and they pay you a commission. Some companies pay up to 50% and 70% commission rates. There are even a few that will pay 100% with what is called Resell rights. That is where you purchase the resell rights, usually for a small fee, and then you sell it like it was your own. Either one can work very well with not much setup work involved. Then all you have to do is market your new product. And if you already have an established customer base you can market to them. Working as an affiliate is a great way to start to multiply your business. This allows you to create multiple streams of profit generating income. Be sure to take it one project at a time. If you have multiple ideas for ways to expand your business a good rule is to write them down, put together a plan of how to get them started and think of every thing you will have to do to get that idea up and running. Take a look at your plans for each one. Now you can decide which one will be the best one to work on given your current position. You can always work on another one once you have the one you are working on up to a good income generating level. the key is to focus all your efforts on one specific project at a time. Multi-tasking, when it comes to this part of your business is not always a good idea. You will get much better results with just focusing on making one project successful a time. And that will help you multiply your business.

Join Forces & Succeed

There are many ways to help you establish traffic and generate lists. One way is to create partnerships or do joint ventures. Joint Ventures are partnerships with other companies or people who are selling merchandise or services in a related market to what you are in. These partnerships can be very helpful to gaining traffic because now you are using, not only your resources but also, your partner's resources. Now you have increased your potential market base considerably. When deciding who and how to set up this new partnership there are a few very important things to keep in mind. One is that this partner you are wanting to work with has a product or service that compliments your business, not competes with it. Second, and this is crucial to the success of a prosperous Joint Venture, you must be able to offer your new partner a benefit to doing business with you. More importantly you must offer a significant benefit to them that they can offer to their customers. If you do not offer a benefit to this partner what is their motivation to want to do business with you. But if you can offer a great benefit you will have a better opportunity to do more Joint Ventures with them and possible with other businesses that they know. You will build a reputation of being a good partner and be able to attract other potential Joint Ventures.


Find Your "Best Path 2 Success"

Briab K

Traffic and Lists

I would like to discuss both traffic to your business and lists of potential customers. Both are important to the success of your small business. The first thing you need to do is get traffic to your business. Whether it be a bricks and mortar business or a business on the internet or both. You will inevitably have to do some form of advertising to generate traffic. The truth is you will have to do several forms of advertising to become a successful business. It is a good idea to try both online and offline types of advertising. It will take a little time and testing to see which ones work best for your business. From your advertising you will generate traffic. Now once you have started a flow of traffic to your business you will want to start to generate your list of potential customers. This is done through getting there contact information. There are different forms of contact information. There are a few things to consider when deciding which ones you want to try to obtain. The contact information is so you can follow up with them and establish contact. The idea is to establish contact, begin to build a relationship, generate trust, and ultimately have them become a customer. So you will need to decide the best way for you to contact them for your follow up contact. It should either be by phone, regular mail, or e-mail. You will want their name, and what ever contact version you plan to use to contact them with. Don not be overzealous with the amount of contact info you are trying to obtain. You want to be friendly not intrusive. Once you have some form of contact information you can begin to contact them. You are now creating your list. Form this list you are going to generate your customers. That is why it is important to establish trust. You want to develop a life time customer , not just a sale.


Find Your "Best Path 2 Success"

Brian K

Financial Goals

I was talking with someone today and were discussing financial goals. I realized after our conversation that there are many people who really underestimate their earning potential. If I were to ask you what you would consider a successful annual income to be, what would you answer, 100k, 200k, 250k? Many people seem to have trouble really getting beyond that 250k number. What if I told you that in 10 years you could be making 1 million dollars a year would you believe that was possible? Why not? How do you think the millionaires got to where they are? Do you think they just began making a million dollars overnight? In most cases it was an income that they worked up to. It is something they built. So why couldn't you do it? I think most people have a hard time imagining that amount of money. Here is an example of what I mean, let's say you make 100k a year, many people consider that successful. Now, how many years would you have to work to earn 1 million dollars? The answer is simple right, 10 years. In the average career span of say 40 years of working you could earn 4 million dollars. How many of you would say that is successful? Now let's go back to my question about the 1 million dollars a year after 10 years. Now what if I told you that once you were able to make that million dollars a year that you could repeat that every year for the next 25 years if you so choose? Now instead of 4 million after 40 years you have made 25 million plus what ever you made in those first 10 years after a total of 35 years. Would you consider that successful? Imagine what you could do for your life and the life of your kids and even your friends with that accomplishment. So when you are setting your financial goals there are a few things to keep in mind, one, "There are no unreasonable goals, only unreasonable deadlines", and two, do not limit your potential by underestimating your abilities. Here is a great quote that explains why so many people do not reach their full potential. "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure".


Find Your "Best Path 2 Success"

Brian K

Personal and Business

Many of the topics we have been discussing have been directed toward your small business, or home based business, and how these topics apply in that regard. I would like to point out that many of these same ideas and principles can be applied to your personal life. Take organizing your business files and information. Here is how you can apply this to your personal life. I have recommended that you create some personal goal lists. Now that you have them written down let's organize them onto your computer. As time goes by you will want to revise your lists as you start to achieve many of your goals. You will want to date them and file them so you can look back and see how much you have progressed. You can also use the list creating concept for any part of your personal life that you would like to organize. For some it may be the major tasks you want to accomplish around your home, like home improvement projects or yard projects. You could write out an action plan with deadlines. This will help in motivating you to complete your projects and empower you when the projects are finished. It may sound a little strange but most people really feel a sense of accomplishment when they can cross something off a list. It is probably not necessary to have lists for everything you do, but it can help organize your world a little more. It might make it easier to schedule free time activities or family events or vacations. Again a little planning can really make a difference in reducing stress and anxiety in your life and the lives of those around you. You will find as you start to organize your small business and your life that it becomes much easier to accomplish your dreams and goals. It will give you a much clearer path to your success.


Find Your "Best Path 2 Success"

Brian K

Problem Solving

A necessary trait to have as a leader is to be good at problem solving. You need to be able to look at a problem and come up with a solution. Why might this be helpful as a small business owner even if you are the only person involved in your business? Well a big key to your success is how well you do providing a product or service to your customers. Now we have talked about finding a need and filling it. Here is an area where being a good problem solve will truly benefit you. If you can solve a problem for the consumer you will create a demand for your product. Another thing to think of is in the business world would you rather do business with someone who is great at solving your problem or someone who can not seem to find you the solution you are in need of. Well let's turn that around. Do you think another business owner would want to do business with someone who is a good problem solver or someone who just doesn't seem to have any answers? Exactly, everyone likes to do business with people who are good at problem solving. It instills confidence and a sense of reliability in people and gives credibility to you and your company name. Two very important aspects when building a business. This gives you the testimonial part of your business which is very important. You know the saying "There is no better advertisement than word of mouth". Now you may be wondering how do you get good at problem solving, here are a couple of key things to remember. When you encounter a problem figure out what needs to be done and do it. Here is a proven rule I have used for many years, If you don't know the answer find it, if you need help go get it. What does that mean you ask. We have always used what we call the 5 minute rule. Here is how it works, first always remember there is someone who has done what you are doing and knows how to do it very well, second, if you spend more than 5 minutes trying to figure it out and have not made any progress you should stop and go get that certain someone who has the information you need. Here is the key to making this work efficiently, have that resource already in mind or on standby. In essence, have a backup plan. If you are working on building a website using a certain program it would be helpful to have a resource, that can give you the information you may need, readily available to help if you should encounter a problem. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, having a plan that anticipates potential problems will allow you to become a great problem solver. You will literally teach yourself how to anticipate a problem and in doing so give you the ability to have a solution for that problem before it actually occurs. See you do not necessarily need to have all the answers, you just need to know where to find them. And there is always going to be someone who has done what you are doing or has encountered that problem already. And the even greater part of this is that person who has the information you desire would love to share it with you, all you need to do is ask. So get started anticipating those problems and get on a path to becoming a great problem solver.


Find Your "Best Path 2 Success"

Brian K

What Your Customer Needs

There are a few important things to consider when getting started with your new business. One of them is, if you do not have a specific product to sell already, "What type of merchandise can I sell?" If you do have a specific product, "What is the demand for my product?" Everyone has heard of supply and demand right. Well, if there is not a demand for your product there will not be much need for supply. When choosing a product or service be sure there is a demand for it. Whatever you are going to be marketing should be something that is of interest to you. If possible, something you are passionate about. It is definitely easier to promote something you have an interest in than something you really do not care much about. Another thing to consider when deciding on a product or service is, "How can my product or service benefit my customer?" This will become very key to the growth of your business and your client base. There is a simple yet profound philosophy when it comes to choosing a product or service, also know as a niche market, "Find a need for the consumer and fill it". If there is a need and you can provide for that need and supply a product or service with great benefit to the consumer chances are very strong that your product or service will be easier to market. It will allow you to build a larger customer base that much quicker. So carefully consider what benefits you can provide with what you are selling. Make a detailed list of every benefit you can think of associated with your product. Document this list well because you will use this list when you begin marketing your product. Now start researching your niche market. And remember there many resources to help with every step of this process.


Find Your "Best Path 2 Success"

Brian K

Organizing Your Documents

Once you have begun to take action and start working toward achieving your dreams, you will need to keep everything organized. Many people starting a small business may not fully appreciate the significance of really having your documents organized. Here is something to think about. What if 10 years from now you want to look back at when you first started and compare some data from that time period to your current one. Now think about this, do you think that more of your information, in 10 years, will be stored on your computer or in a filing cabinet. Now don't misunderstand, I still believe it is important to have your documentation on hard copy or some type of back up. But my point here is that, in the future when your business is very successful and has grown quite large and profitable, wouldn't it be efficient to be able to access all your archived data with the click of a button. To be able to pull information up and have it all at your fingertips. This is why it is so important to not only document everything but also to create efficient files and folders on your computer to store this documentation in. There is a little bit of an art to creating this filing system on your computer. The good news is there are resources to help you navigate through this maze. And once you have got the basics down, which doesn't take very long, you will find yourself having fun creating your own versions of a filing system that is tailored for you and your company. Another thing to keep in mind when learning how to create this computer filing system, it is not as important that you know exactly how to do everything perfectly, but more importantly that you know what you can do with your tools. What I mean here is that you will not be able to remember how to do everything, especially when you are first starting out, so what you want to know is what can your tools or systems actually do to help you. You can always write little guides to walk you through the process of each particular application and how it will work for you. Again documenting what you are doing and filing it effectively so you can easily access the needed information later on when you need it. A little organized preparation when you are first starting your business will make running it in the future much smoother and more efficient. And in turn this will allow you to maybe delegate certain activities to other people and free up your time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.


Find Your "Best Path 2 Success"

Brian K

Document Everything

People tend to underestimate the power of documentation. Documenting your business is a key ingredient in achieving success. As a small business owner you will want to keep track of every aspect of your business. From what you spend your money on to how each marketing strategy is performing. In addition it is a good method to help you track your progress. You can document this by charting a course or outlining the steps you are going to take to achieve a certain goal. You should have an outline describing each step and a deadline for completing the task. This is a great way to look at your progress and help you decide where you want to focus your time and energy. Also during your learning process it can be critical to use documentation. One specific thing you will want to document is the dates when you were working on or learning some new information. This will allow you to organize your notes for each category of your training material. This brings us to creating files. The best way to keep yourself organized is to create a filing system. One that works well for your needs and allows you to easily reference any part of your training or business material with ease. You will also want to create files on your computer for each area of your business also. From your training material, to your lists of goals, to your e-mail accounts. The more you organize and document your business the more time it will save you. And this in turn will give you more time to dedicate to growing your business or spending time with family. So you can see why documentation is a key component in the success of your business and an important step toward reaching your goals.


Find Your "Best Path 2 Success"

Brian K

Take Action Today

The very first thing you need to do to get yourself on a path to success is to take action. Whether that action is to make a list of what you need to get yourself started, get a business set up, or contact someone to help you figure out what your first step should be. Again the key here is to Take Action, start moving toward your goal, and get heading down your own path to success. One thing is certain in life, it is guaranteed, "If you do nothing, NOTHING WILL HAPPEN". The only way to achieve your goals is to start taking action toward achieving them. Is it going to be a little intimidating at first, Absolutely, but if you don't get started you will never give yourself the opportunity to finish. And after you get moving it will become less and less intimidating. Then that intimidation will turn into excitement. Remember to take it one step at a time. Focusing on one step at a time will allow you to not become overwhelmed and make it easier to keep your eyes on your goals. A good approach to this is to establish mini goals. Set a goal for each task that you have to accomplish. This will help you build momentum and keep you energized toward reaching your final outcome. Also set realistic deadlines for each mini goal. Write them down and check them off as you complete them. This is a great way to boost motivation and build momentum. Remember each thing you finish or accomplish moves you that much closer to your ultimate success and prosperity. So take action today. Get moving and start building momentum down your own best path to success. And do at least one thing everyday to help move yourself one step closer to your prosperous life.


Find Your "Best Path 2 Success

Brian K

Working Toward Success

A friend of mine asked me once "How did you get to where you are?". I asked him, "What are you willing to do to succeed?". After explaining to him how I achieved success he replied "I am not sure I want to work that hard at it". The simple truth is it takes work to succeed. If someone sold you on the idea that you could have everything you ever wanted and you wouldn't have to work at it they were being very misleading. Now don't get me wrong. You should not have to work yourself crazy to be successful, but it will take work to get a new small business to become successful. And depending on what your view is of success and the level of success you are after will determine the amount of effort you will have to put forth. The great news is with today's technology and resources the process has become much easier and more achievable for anyone willing to put in a little work and some time. Also keep in mind that you do not have to do all the work yourself either. There are numerous companies out there that specialize in every different type of resource you may need and most are fairly inexpensive. With that said the best way to achieve success is through working diligently and efficiently rather than just working really hard. One very important tool you and every other small business will need to be successful in an efficient way is a plan of action. And not just some ideas stored in your mind, but an actual well thought out, well written plan. This is vital to your success. This well written, well thought out plan will guarantee you get on the best path to success. And the great news is there are resources to help you to navigate the most efficient way to strategically create your plan to meet your specific goals. These resources can be tailored to your specific situation to get you started on your Best Path 2 Success. So get started today. Success is waiting for you!

Find Your "Best Path 2 Success"

Brian K

Get Started on Your Vision

I wanted to go a little deeper into the whole creating a vision process. The first thing to do when creating your vision for your future is to create a few different goal lists. Also keep in mind that you will start with rough drafts and fine tune them as you go through this goal setting process. The first list should be goals for you personally such as, purchasing a new vehicle, buying a new house, taking a family vacation. There is no magic number of how many goals to have. But have some fun with it. Include your family. Start with the things you and your family need to make your lives more comfortable, then work into the things you would like to spoil yourselves. Again have fun with the process. Remember to include deadlines. also remember there are no unrealistic goals only unrealistic deadlines. After you have created your personal goals list start a goals list for your business. Be specific. Put down different income deadlines like 6 months, 12 months, 2 years, etc. Also include specifics about what you will be marketing and how much business you will be doing within those same deadlines. Whether it be the amount of gross sales, or number of people you will be working with. Get creative with the process. Then make a list of what your life will be like in 5 years or 10 years. With this list describe where you will be living, what you will do for fun, family vacations, etc. Be sure to have fun and include your family in the process. Now go back through them and fine tune them a little until you feel like you are ready to make a real commitment to go after your goals. Write a final version and place a copy in a few different places around the house and especially in front of where you will be working to achieve those goals. This will help motivate you that much more. As time goes by you will modify these lists as you start to achieve your goals. Now with your printed copies you are ready to start creating your vision. Your vision can be the perfect day in your life. Describe it in detail, making it jump off the page at you. Revisit this vision page every few months and update as desired.


Find Your "Best Path 2 Success

Brian K

Believing is Seeing

Today I want to discuss a little about how to start working on creating a vision for your future. This is an area that seems to be overlooked by many new small business owners. Many teaching or mentoring programs seem to skip right over this very important step in helping you find a guaranteed path to success. Many will give you step by step instructions on what you need to do to be successful marketing your product. But what they may fail to guide you on is the proven key ingredients in developing a long term successful business. One very important beginning step in the process is to create a vision for you and your business. You need to have this vision in mind at all times so can review your progress along the way to see if you are continuing to head in the right direction toward your destination, your vision. Look at it this way, you would not be able to build a house without a picture of what it should look like when you are complete. This complete picture, or vision, of your home allows you to formulate a precise plan of action to achieve the desired outcome. The same holds true for your business and for your life for that matter. Without a complete vision for your life and your business you are guaranteed to struggle with having a clear and concise plan of how to reach your goal. This is why it is vital to your prosperity that you create your vision. this is done through various types of goal setting exercises to to help you develop a complete vision for your future. This is how we get the concept Believing is Seeing. If you know or believe what the end result will be you can more easily achieve it. For example, in sports a golfer, or quarterback, or basketball player, will see the shot or play in his or her mind before he or she does it. They have a vision. With that vision in mind the athlete will believe they can achieve it and then have the confidence to carry out the action. When creating your vision there are a few things to keep in mind; one, you have to truly Believe in your vision, and two, "There are no unrealistic goals, only unrealistic deadlines".


Find Your "Best Path 2 Success"

Brian K

Goal Setting

Let's talk about goal setting. When starting a new business everyone has a list of goals in mind as to what they want to accomplish with their new small business. But what some fail to see is the real importance in goal setting. Now what all successful businesses do with these goals is create a list. A written list. Not just a simple written list, but a well defined list. What do I mean by this. A successful entrepreneur not only writes their goals down, but also organizes them. They will make the list very specific. Not only will the list have what they want to accomplish but also set a deadline for when they want to have that particular goal completed or achieved. This is very empowering to have deadlines. What these deadlines will do for you is motivate you to get them completed before your time frame. These deadlines will also motivate you to get organized and create a plan of how you are going to accomplish these goals. Now comes the part where many small businesses struggle. Creating the plan. The best way to create your plan is to start at the end result or end goal. Now looking at the end result you can make a list working backwards detailing all the steps needed to reach that desired outcome. Once you have a good solid plan in place you are set up to achieve your goal, you are on your best path 2 success.


Find Your "Best Path 2 Success"

Brian K

The IRS and your Business

I read recently that one the fears that new small business and home based businesses have is taxes. It stated that the fear centers on not knowing what the rules are as to filing the tax forms. It goes on to say that the small business and home based business owners are afraid of the risk of getting into trouble with the IRS. Three initials that seem to strike fear into the hearts of most Americans. The truth of the matter is that the IRS is not to be feared. All that you need in regards to the IRS is a little knowledge and a simple understanding of what is required of you. The biggest problem here is finding the information in an easy to understand format and knowing how these rules apply to you. Well contrary to what most people believe there is a fairly simple solution to this dilemma. You just need to know where the resources are to answer your questions. See the thing you want to remember is “It is not about knowing all the answers; it is about knowing where to find them”. If you tried to learn and know all the answers, you would spend all your time searching and learning and not spend any time actually making money. And isn’t the reason you started your business in the first place was to make money and turn a profit?

Find Your "Best Path 2 Success

Brian K