Here’s the continuation (Part 2 of 2) of how to assess your skill set and whether you are best as an entrepreneur or as an employee…..

You will need an Understanding of Basic Technology or the basic understanding of the process of producing goods and services is a necessary skill. Combined with creative thinking skills entrepreneurs will then have the ability to use that information with purpose and develop a business concept that motivates them.

Lastly, an obvious skill is Basic Accounting and the Ability to Make Financial Decisions. No matter how much you hate it, working with numbers is going to be part of the whole “taking responsibility thing.” Entrepreneurs definitely need to know how to track numbers and then use that information to evaluate the direction their company will move in. If there is a lack of basic accounting knowledge, consider enrolling in some none credit college classes, continuing education classes or, better yet, locate a self-study course. But this is one area that cannot be compromised. It is essential if a reasonable amount of success is to be attained.

Evaluate Your Skills – 10 Questions

1.    Are you able to motivate yourself? Yes      No
2.    Do you like dealing with people? Yes      No
3.    Are you a leader? Yes      No
4.    Are you a “take charge” person? Yes      No
5.    Are you organized? Yes      No
6.    Do you have “stick-to-it”tiveness? Yes      No
7.    Can you make decision without hesitancy? Yes      No
8.    Are you a hard worker? Yes      No
9.    Do you tend to keep good records? Yes      No
10.    Are you trustworthy? Yes      No

Your Score and What They Mean

If you scored “Yes” for at least eight to ten questions, congratulations! You are considered predisposed to running your own business! Get started immediately.

If you scored “Yes” for five to seven questions, then you have some qualities but you must develop a stronger skill set in areas that resulted in  “No” answers.

If you scored “Yes” for less then five questions, don’t consider trying your hand at being an entrepreneur. At least not just yet. It’s just not in you. And don’t consider quitting your job anytime soon, after all, there is nothing wrong with working for someone else. In the meantime, work on your weaknesses if the ‘drive’ is still there and reevaluate in the future.

For those that scored “Yes” for five to ten questions, seriously consider what opportunities present themselves as a possible business model. Once this is established then reach for the stars, pursue your dreams, set goals and achieve them!

After taking this step you will never want to turn back. You will soon reap the rewards of being an entrepreneur and begin to visualize a world of possibilities and opportunities that you may have never dreamed of before. And by using your creative thinking these will be limitless. So enjoy being an entrepreneur!

Until next time,  J.

“Take control of your destiny or someone else will”

This is truly the age of the entrepreneur. (Part 1 of 2) Today there any number of businesses that can be launched with little or no capital. With high-speed Internet access available just about anywhere, more and more home and Internet businesses are springing up. We often hear about highly successful endeavors that spark our internal entrepreneurial spirit. But don’t be too anxious. Do you have skills indiginous to entrepreneurial endeavors. The first step is to make an assessment your skills to identify if you are truly an entrepreneur or better off being an employee!

Numerous studies have been conducted to show that there are crucial differences in the mindsets of entrepreneurs and employees and many claim to have identified a set of common traits and characteristics present in entrepreneurs. Others have focused entirely on characteristics found only in successful entrepreneurs, excluding those who have failed.

Regardless of success or failure, overall, there are common traits present that distinguish entrepreneurs in general from employees. In general these common traits are thought to predispose a person to taking on the challenge of launching their own business. Following are skills commonly accepted.

The Ability To Tell It Like It Is – Although very different in lifestyles, political and religious affiliations, and perspectives on life, those predisposed to entrepreneur-ism are very different in one particular area. Studies have consistently shown that these individuals are much more likely to possess strong opinions and and express those without hesitation. It is the ability that allows them to face challenges despite naysayers.

“I Need To Succeed!” – Channeling these feeling into something positive is a great asset. For instance, these individuals can use that strength to develop a healthy “Need for Achievement”. Psychologists use this term to represent motivation. This “Need for Achievement” is essential if you are to succeed. Starting a new business is always challenging and risky, but the “Need for Achievement” will get you past these initial obstacle and help you not obsess excessively. Instead you will be capable of visualizing ways to take advantage of the things you can control.

Creativity and Analytical Thinking Skills are imperative. All entrepreneurs need to recognize and take ownership of opportunities in their life. This requires creative thinking on your part. If you have very little experience, education or capital you won’t let these hinder you. You will see the possibilities. For instance, an individual will recognize and consider a variety of Internet-based or
Home-based business models. Or explore freelancing work or consulting services related to the profession they that possess experience in or that is related to a lifelong hobby.

Willingness To Take Responsibility is one of the most important skills. Entrepreneurs must be willing to face the fact that they must take responsibility for their life… not someone else. This means avoiding the “blame game” as if it were the plague.

All entrepreneurs need to possess Great Communications and Social Skills or emotional stability and the ability to communicate through verbal and written words. This is necessary if you are to thoroughly understand your clients or customers. You must be able to comfortably converse any variety of people since selling in any form requires little bit of psychology and a lot of personality. This goes hand-in-hand with developing and maintaining personal relationships through cooperation and tactfulness for great customer service.

Come back to see what Part 2 discusses, including  10 questions to evaluate your skills!

Until next time, J.

“Take control of your destiny or someone else will”

I have recently been introduced to Basecamphq.com, and as a project manager who has used a variety of tools, I’ve got to tell you – I LOVE this site, so wanted to share it with you!  (No it’s not a typo – the “hq” does belong.)

If you are working with a team and particularly if you’re collaborating with a team remotely, this is probably one of the easiest systems I’ve seen to stay connected and keep everyone in the loop without getting buried in emails.  I was thrilled when one of the web design teams I’m working with asked me to submit all of my project tasks to them using this site.

Here are some of the basic features on the dashboard:

• An overview of the entire project that you can sort by who is responsible for a task
• A message board, so your questions don’t get stuck under a pile
• To-Do section that you actually enter your project scope in – high level down to specific task detail
• Set up milestones to keep everyone on track with knowing the expectations
• You can set up notifications to be sent to you or anyone on your team when changes/updates have been made to the project
• Web based and can be accessed from anywhere

Although the site is fairly “intuitive”, it does have some great tutorials as well.  Check it out and let me know your thoughts.

Until next time, J.
“Take control of your destiny or someone else will”

If every time you turn around there’s a new technology, a new sales tool, a new program ~ and you just don’t have time to take it all in and digest it ~ you don’t want to miss this!

Really ~ check out how to eliminate information overload once and for all by visiting:  EasyMarketingInfo.com

One of the industries best has outdone himself.  Save time and money by checking this out….you might find that time to play an extra round of golf, or go on a road trip!

Until next time, J.
“Take control of your destiny or someone else will”

I started out the day para-sailing around the Zihuantanejo Bay before sitting down to work a couple of hours.  Clearing your head does wonders to be able to sit and focus.

Below are 6 tips to put into action which will minimize self-sabotaging behaviors:

1.  When setting your goals make them big enough you need to stretch yourself, but not so large you get un-motivated.  If they end up being unrealistic subconsciously you will give up or set yourself up for self-sabotage.

2.  Break big goals down into manageable tasks.  Doing numerous small tasks will result in accomplishing the bigger ones.  You’ve heard before that you can’t eat an elephant in one bite!

3.  Keep your goals simple and revise them as your business and situation changes.

4.  Track your progress so you know what is working and if you are on target.  It’s always easier to reach your goals when you see the end versus zigzagging all over the board.  That can become time consuming, non-productive and expensive.

5.  Celebrate your success.  Allow time to say, yeah I made that happen, now I know I can keep the focus for the next milestone.

6.  Maintain balance in your life.  It’s easy to become a workaholic when you like what you do, but your family won’t appreciate it.  Plus, some of your best ideas will likely come to you when you are relaxed and/or playing.

Until next time, J.
“Take control of your destiny or someone else will”

I seldom post a full article by someone else, although I will reference them and point them out to you to read.  However, this article by MaryEllen Tribby of WorkingMomsOnly.com is one of the best articles I’ve come across lately on relationship building tips.  What do you think….have anything to add to it?

1. Know something personal about the people you do business with. Some people don’t believe in mixing business with pleasure. But your business should be your pleasure! Think about how much time you spend on your business. It makes it so much nicer to know what’s important to your colleagues. For anyone who has kids, there is nothing more important to them. Make an effort to know their children’s names.

Or if your colleague is an avid golfer or tennis player; ask them how his game is going. This doesn’t have to monopolize the entire conversation. But it is a great way to start off a business lunch or meeting, especially if you have not seen that person in a while.

2. Always be sincere. Has this ever happened to you? You are at a conference, and you meet someone in your industry. You seem to hit it off well and you think this could be a good business connection. Your new business connection even initiates the card exchange and says, “Call me anytime.” You follow up right away with a phone call or email… and nothing happens. After a few weeks of trying, you realize it’s a dead end.

If you have no intention of cultivating a relationship do not give the impression otherwise. It’s really ok not to offer cards at conferences. And if someone asks you if they can call and you know you are not interested – tell them up front. Be polite and respectful but never give the impression that you are going to do something when you know will not.

3. Respond to colleagues in a timely manner. We are all busy. Someone else’s biggest priority is usually not our own. However, if you agree to do something for someone, do it in a timely manner.

Recently a colleague wrote a book and wanted some feedback on his first chapter. Unfortunately, his request went onto my junk email folder. When I saw the request three days later, I immediately sent him an email explaining the situation and told him I would read the chapter right away and send him my comments.

It was 11:00 p.m. when I saw the request, but I still read the chapter and sent off my comments right before midnight. Sure, I would rather have gone to bed and done it in the morning. But I knew this was important to him. We had been colleagues for ten years. We had worked on multiple projects together, and he never missed a deadline. Sure enough he was online and sent me a big thank you as soon as he received my email.

4. Always arrive on time. Fashionably late does not exist in business. Showing up late for business meetings or lunches lets the other person know you don’t respect their time and that you think your time is more valuable. It also makes one question if the project will get done on time.

5. Never use your children as an excuse. Many times the reason for not finishing a report or being late for a meeting very well may be because one of your children wasn’t feeling well, or they couldn’t find their homework or you forgot to pack school lunches. Regardless of the reason, never walk into a business meeting that you are late for and announce that the dog ate Bobby’s’ homework and you spent the lasthour redoing the assignment. Simply apologize for being tardy, ask what you missed and move on.

There will be times when real emergencies occur. At that point it is perfectly fine to let your colleagues know that you need to leave because your child needs you.

6. Be positive. No one likes to be around cranky people. Beside the fact that cranky people take the fun out of things, it can be draining and counter-productive. A study published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology shows that positive people accomplish more than negative people.

7. Know something about your potential business associate’s company. If you are off to meet with a potential business associate make sure you do your homework. Understand the company’s main function and core competencies. Know how long they have been in business. Have a basic understanding of how you can work together. With the Internet, all of this information is just a keyboard away.

8. Never, ever gossip. Being known as a gossip is the fastest way to destroy a business relationship. Regardless of your skill set, no one will want to work with you. Gossip can destroy careers and takes up valuable time that could be spent on gratifying situations.

9. Give more than you get. Karma does exist. If you are known as the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) type, you need to work to change your image. When you are willing to help others without payback, it comes back to you ten-fold. Don’t get me wrong. We are all running businesses, working towards maintaining a balance life. However, helping a business colleague without the expectation of payback will be far more beneficial to you in the end.

10. Just say no. Being a working mom, we try to please everyone. However there are times when saying no to a request in business is better than saying yes. If your plate is full and you know that you will not be able to honor the request in a satisfactory manner, then don’t do it. If you know the outcome will be substandard, you are at risk of hindering your credibility, disappointing your colleagues, and missing deadlines on projects you have already committed to.

By saying no, your colleagues will actually respect you more for your honesty and commitment to finishing what you already started.

Make it your goal this year to work on this vital business building skill. Improving your relationships with business partners, colleagues, and all those you work with will bring many benefits.

This weeks ABC is M for Magnetic Sponsoring – If you haven’t heard of Mike Dillard, an MLM trainer and direct marketing specialist, it’s time you check his stuff out.  His courses have shown thousands how to beat the odds in network marketing while growing a business with integrity.  He develops and tests products that are educational and timely, plus he is incredibly generous with sharing his knowledge with others.  Take a look at www.AttractMagneticLeads.com

Come back next week for more ABC’s of Online Marketing!

I wanted to remind you about a brand new complimentary call that Ali Brown is hosting that will help your small business get off to a spectacular start for the new year.  (I’m a big fan of Ali’s and strongly suggest that you consider following her as one of your “teachers” as well.)

It’s called, “Your 11 Best No-Cost to Low-Cost Marketing & Business Strategies for 2010!” and it happens Wednesday, January 6 at 8pm Eastern.

(In a hurry? Sign up for this complimentary call now at
http://www.HowToLiveAbundantly.com)

Both Ali and her award winning guest marketer Lorrie (of Red Hot Copy) have been watching what’s changed in marketing and online businesses during the past few years, and after much discussion, they want to share their recommendations with YOU.

On this call you’ll discover:

• how to best leverage social media applications such as Facebook and Twitter for business results (without wasting all day online)

• the online system you’re likely already using that you are NOT maximizing to your advantage — and how to do so at no additional cost

• how to plug your marketing money leaks and make full use of all the opportunities you’re missing online and offline to get more leads and sales

• teleseminars vs. webinars vs. podcasts: which pull BEST right now and why

• today’s NEW protocols for scoring the best joint ventures and affiliate relationships you’ve ever had

• best lead-generation (list-building) practices for 2010 specifically for highest-quality leads

Again, learn more and register for this complimentary preview call on January 6 at
http://www.HowToLiveAbundantly.com

Don’t miss out on this powerful one-time call that is sure to help you clarify and simplify your marketing strategies for the best results in 2010!

See you on the call!
Until next time, J.

“Take control of your destiny or someone else will”

P.S. – Feel free to forward this email to your friends and associates

Meditation became part of many lifestyle choices and a source of a lot of conversation as far back as the 60s for baby boomers when there was a big interest in eastern religions and things that were exotic and new.  But while many of the flash in the pan interests in exotic religions during that time frame faded away in the progressive life style of baby boomers, meditation itself has endured and become a common practice and resource that has benefited numerous practitioners in every decade of their lives.  If you’ve never tried meditating before, why not consider incorporating it into your daily practices for 60 days and see if you notice any differences in how you feel and think, you may find yourself having a richer life for doing so.

There is a good reason meditation has endured and even grown in popularity far beyond any religious context.  People seem to be under even more pressure as the economy is changing and many are looking for an alternative way to release stress.  Meditation has tremendous benefits for virtually every aspect of life and those who integrate it into their daily lifestyles can experience those benefits almost as soon as they start.  You don’t have to be a guru at meditation to realize benefits from the very first time to give it a try.  Some of those benefits include…

• Meditation is calming.  Because the act of meditation calls for you to quiet your thoughts and to still your mind and focus it, that sense of your soul being in turmoil eases and you are able to see a solution more clearly because your emotions are not clouding the issue.

• Meditation helps you focus and concentrate.  The great thing about meditation is that the effects of meditation continue past those few moments when you are actually meditating.  Those few moments of calm create an atmosphere of focus and clarity of thought that goes on throughout your day helping you focus your mind and more easily concentrate when you need to.

• Meditation reduces stress and mental anxiety.  So often the stress that comes out of problems and difficulties (especially in these tumultuous times) is dominated by emotional reactions even more than by the problem itself.  Meditation clears away the effects of the stress making it easier for you to solve the problem itself.

• Meditation helps reduce physical anxiety.  The process of meditation involves extended periods of quiet deep breathing.  This simple action floods the brain with oxygen and energizes blood flow throughout the body which refreshes tired muscles and causes your entire physical system to relax and release pent up anxiety.

• Meditation helps you sleep and digest your food.  The refreshed blood flow, rich in oxygen that comes from the session of meditation, takes action immediately on the digestive system often reducing or eliminating digestive problems and even easing the symptoms of ulcers.  Because the mind is relaxed and well supplied with vital oxygen and blood flow, sleep comes more easily and is more recuperative.

Some successful role models in all walks of life that come out of the baby boomer generation credit meditation to why they are able to accomplish such great things.  In addition to all of these benefits, meditation is easy to integrate into your lifestyle and you can go at your own pace learning to become better at meditation and grow in your ability to use it.  Take a class, find a book, or a CD that will walk you through the concepts to get you started.

Meditation is profoundly easy to do.  The image of a meditation practitioner in painful “lotus position” going into a virtual trance is the extreme of the discipline.  Because meditation has been adapted so that any of us can benefit from the health benefits it brings, you can begin meditating immediately and see the benefits from the very first session.

Small wonder many baby boomers have continued down through the decades to be enthusiastic proponents of meditation.  And there is no reason baby boomers cannot continue to enjoy the tremendous benefits as they move into their late middle age and retirement years as well.

“Take control of your destiny or someone else will”

Welcome back to the last part of how to start a side business without quitting your day job….

6.    Plan to act.

You now have all of the tools needed to get create a plan of action for your business idea(s). You may have 3 options or more on your list. Continuing with the exercises presented in this article learn more about what’s needed for your business. See what additional skills are needed to get started. Find out what fees and licensing if any are needed to get started with your business. Add additional columns if needed to your checklist so you can visually see the results.

Start a second page to make notes of your plan of action after completing your research. This is where you will list all of your tasks needed to achieve your objectives. You’ll also want to set small milestones for yourself so you can chart your progress.

As you are starting your side business share it with your immediate family as you’ll need their complete support. Only start sharing your plans outside of your immediate family when you are clear on what you want and have mapped out a plan. Most people don’t get started in business because of fears: fear of failure, fear of rejection, and fear of success. Imagine if you shared your excitement about your business idea with someone who was in this category.

They may try to talk you out of it or make you think your idea will not work. There are many multi-million dollar businesses that would have never taken flight had they shared the idea early on. Remember we pay for bottled water when it comes freely out of the faucet. Whoever initiated this business idea could have easily been discouraged because why would people pay for something they can get for free. You get the idea!

Here are the six critical steps to get you on your way to starting a side business without quitting your day job:

• Exercise #1: Create list of things you are passionate about.
• Exercise #2: Determine what time you have available to commit to your business.
• Exercise #3: Determine what funds you have available to invest in your business.
• Exercise #4: Rate your business ideas on a scale 1 to 5 with 5 being the most time needed. And rate your business ideas on a scale 1 to 5 with 5 being the most money needed to start.

• ·  Make a list of skills you need in order to start your business.

·    Exercise #6: Create a plan of action.
Being a business owner is not easy, yet it is most rewarding when you have carefully selected the business that works best for you, your family, and your lifestyle. With these steps you can identify business opportunities that work best for you and allow you to keep your day job. It is possible to start a side business and work full-time. In today’s economy building your nest egg is now up to you and the only way to make it grow the way you want is to start your own business.

I wish you much success in determining what your new venture may be, and if I can be of any assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
“Take control of your destiny or someone else will”