I had a very interesting conversation with one of my mastermind groups this morning.

I asked them,

“If you hired a coach today, what’s the number one thing you would work on?”

I’ll share the results (and why I asked the question) in a later post, but first…

how would you answer this question?

******

I would love to hear from you! You can leave a comment by clicking on the word “comments” below the post headline.

No related posts.

1. George Burns

“Don’t stay in bed, unless you can make money in bed.”

2. Lilly Tomlin

“The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.”

3. Charles Dickens

“Few great men would have got past personnel.”

4. Charles Simic

“Inside my empty bottle I was constructing a lighthouse while all the others were making ships.”

5. Alan Greenspan

“I have found no greater satisfaction than achieving success through honest dealing and strict adherence to the view that, for you to gain, those you deal with should gain as well.”

6. Tom Peters

“The best kept secret in the global economy today is this: When your service is AWESOME you get so stinking rich you have to buy new bags to carry all the money home.”

7. Sam Walton

“The key to success is to get out into the store and listen to what the associates have to say. It’s terribly important for everyone to get involved. Our best ideas come from clerks and stock boys.”

8. Vince Lombardi

“People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.”

9. Bill Gates

“You’re most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”

10. Albert Einstein

“The significant problems we face today cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”

11. Peter Drucker

“So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work.”

12. Cynthia Heimel

“When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap.”

*********

Related posts:

1. 30 Tips to Becoming a Great Leader
2. Neverware: A Great Story of a Young Entrepreneur

You can create an idea out of nothing.

You can spread or share that idea using tools your parents didn’t have. For free. Easily. Networking and connecting with others in and outside your field is an accepted practice.

Your grandparents wanted the big brands. Your friends and connections want you. Your idea. Your solution.

Products and services are easy to launch. Social media has made this a foregone conclusion.

Do you have something that soothes others pain? Makes life easier? You can test the value and viability by simply asking… and you can ask hundreds. Before you invest the big bucks bringing it to market.

You can start a business selling things or services people normally buy. Target markets can be reached easily. Prospects, customers, mentors and inspiration are at your fingertips. New technologies are tools your grandparents, and even your parents, didn’t have.

You don’t need to rely on luck.

So my question to you is,

Why wouldn’t you test your idea for a business?

You might discover your biggest challenge is in meeting demand. Nice huh?

One last thought …. have a price and ask for it.

Yes, it really can be this simple.

What’s stopping you? (This is not a rhetorical question.)

Related posts:

1. If Your Kid Started a New Business, What Would It Be?
2. 331 Business Ideas: Start With Your Passion and Your Skills

If you are thinking of starting your own business, start with something you are passionate about or already skilled at. Find something you love doing so much that you want to make a career of it. You can start part time and learn to grow your business as you earn.

Business ideas can be a dime a dozen, but finding a business idea that you are passionate about can be trickier.

Take a look at this list and see what resonates with you. If you look at something and say, “I love doing this!” or, you see a business idea and think, “Wow, I’m really, really good at doing this!” make a note of it.

Here are a couple of things to think about as you read this list:

• Is there a demand for this product or service in my community? Online?
• Who is my competition?
• What sources could I use to research this business idea?
• Do I know of people who could be on my team?
• Do I know of any entrepreneurs or successful businesspeople that could mentor me in this industry?
• Can I see myself making money in this business?
• Can my product or service be sold at a price that will cover my costs and expenses and generate a profit?
• What training, certification or special licensing will this business require?
• How much time can I devote today to getting started?

Some of these ideas can be combined into a single great business idea. The key here is to find something you are passionate about or already skilled at so you can start quickly.

After you identify some really good business ideas from the list below, your next step is to answer the questions above for each idea you wrote down. Do some research online, through local advertising, your local community and any trade publications you can find.

While most of these business ideas can be done part time, most can be turned into full-time businesses with employees.

331 Businesses Ideas:

Advertising:

Craig’s list ads, Flyers, Brochures, Videos, PowerPoint Presentations

Audio:

Podcasts, Professional Recordings, Voice Overs, Relaxation Recordings, Podcasts & Video File Storage, DVD & Audio Cassette Scripts

Beauty:

Massage, Waxing, Wedding Hair Styling, Hair Extensions, Weight Loss Programs, Nutrition & Healthy Menus, Eyelash Extensions, Manicure Pedicure Parties, Wedding Makeup, Barber, Laser Hair Removal, Makeovers

Coaching:

Emotional Freedom Technique, Life, Job Skills, Relationships, Finance, Business, Psychology, Etiquette, Pregnancy, Team Building

Computer:

Virus Repair, Software Training, Senior Training, Systems Set Up (Mailing Lists, Databases, Bookkeeping), Data Entry, Online Bill Paying, Budgeting, Web Design, SEO, Mobile Phone Training, Installation

Consultant:

Franchise, Health Care, Image, Marketing, Environmental, Green Living, Safety, Auditing, Renovations, Business, Career, Human Resources, Communications, Social Media

Crafts:

Knitted Goods, Jewelry, Custom Floral Design, Framing, Mosaic Furniture & Countertops, Pottery & Ceramics, Hair Accessories, Designer Scarves, Footwear & Hats, Homemade Handbags & Laptop Carriers, Origami Flower Bouquets, Stained Glass Windows, Party Favors, Paintings & Prints, Homemade Cards & Invitations, Natural Soaps & Candles, Candle Stick Holders, Designer Rubber Stamps, Homemade Paper, Silk Flowers, Gift Baskets, Baby Blankets, Stuffed Animals, Calligraphy, Woodwork, Scrapbooks

Custom Sewing:

Alterations, Costumes, Pillows, Animal Clothing, Pet Beds, Curtains & Drapes, Table Coverings

Entertainer:

Magician, Singing Telegrams, Fortune Teller, Agent, Singer, Songwriter, Dancer

Financial:

Bookkeeping, Tax Preparation, Credit Repair, Hard Money Lender, Accounting & Bookkeeping Software Training, Debt Consolidation, Credit Score Enhancement, Loan Modification

Fitness:

Personal Trainer, Senior Fitness Programs, Physical Trainer (Weights, Boxing, Spinning, Exercise, Sports)

Household:

Maid Services, Nanny, Laundress, Party Planning, Food Shopping, Meal Prep, Seniors Helper, Elder Caregiver, Organizing, Personal Assistant, Gift Shopping, Baby Sitting, & Childcare, Carpet Cleaning, Garage Sale Planning, Junk Removal, Furniture Assembly, Custom Closets

Interior Decoration:

Feng Shui, Color Consulting, Design

Landscape & Garden:

Design, Sprinkler System Winterization, Snow Blowing, Fence & Deck Building, Tree Trimming & Removal, Yard Cleaning, Grounds Maintenance, Pool Service & Cleaning, Garbage Removal, Large Item Hauling, Pest Control, Custom Built Cedar & Ceramic Planters

Lessons:

Musical Instrument, Foreign language, Bicycle Repair, Furniture Repair, Household Maintenance, Voice & Singing, Acting, Flying, Driving, Arts, Crafts, Bookkeeping, Computer, Dance, Billiards, Poker, Golf, Auto Repair, Martial Arts, Yoga, Ebay Selling, Scuba, Sports, Horsemanship, Sewing, Grammar, Traveling, Cooking, Reading, Parenting, Home School Curriculum

Marine:

Boat Refinishing, Marine Salvage, Winterizing Boats & Jet Skis, Boat Moving & Delivery, Sailor, Cruises, Lessons, Parties, Dive Trips

Musician:

Parties, Weddings, Bar/t Mitzvahs, Parties, Digital DJ, Special Events, Hold Music, Jingles, Ringtones, Music Arrangements

Painting:

Face painting, Special Effects, Murals, Children’s Rooms, Faux Finishes

Party Planning:

Casino Parties, Poker Tournaments, Fundraisers, Corporate Parties, Surprise Birthday Parties, Children’s Parties, Private Parties, Rental Props, Pony Rides, Magic Shows, Carnival Games, Beer & Wine Tasting

Pets:

Sitting, Walking, Training, Portraits, Poop Scooper, Dog Wash, Kennel, Mobile Grooming, Breeding, Headstones & Funerals, Pet Finder, Specialized Food, Gifts, Toys, Apparel, Doors & Gates, Houses, Furniture, Supplements & Vitamins, Travel Arrangements, Aquarium Maintenance, Spiritual Energy Healer

Photography:

Engagement Photos, Bands, Seniors, Family, Holiday, Maternity, Babies, Products, Social Media, Dating Sites, Journalistic, Candid, Pets

Psychic Phone Readings

Radio Talk Show Host:

Interviews, Products, Guests & Experts

Real Estate:

Photographer, Make Ready Specialist, Professional Staging, Property Management, Chattel Appraiser

Skilled trade:

Carpenter, Handyman, Renovations, Repairs, Installation, Painting, Home Media Centers, Snow Removal, Window Washing, Moving, Security System Install, Piano Tuning, Equipment Leasing, Chimney Sweep

Speaker:

You could speak as an expert on literally anything –  any item on this list

Travel:

Tours, Limousine, Trip Planning, Personal Driver, Party Van, Shuttle Service, Travel Tips & Secrets, Carpool Service, Grocery Delivery, Errand Running

Tutoring:

Homework Helper, Math, Science, Accounting, English, Test Preparation

Video Production:

Corporate Orientation, Safety, Sales & Training, Executive Video Statements, Product & Customer Testimonials, Tributes, Social Media, Seminars and Company Events, Videos, YouTube Promotions, Music, Bands, Automotive, How To DVDs

Websites:

WordPress Site Designer, Personal Blogs, Travel Blogs, Sales Pages, Product Sales

Wedding/Event Planning:

Chef, Servers, Catering, Set Up/Decorating, Bartenders, Tent Rentals, Mobile DJ, Karaoke, Videographer, Strippers

Writing:

Blog Posts, Web Content, Press Releases, Business Plans, White Papers, Brochures, Social Media Ads, Online Ads, Dating Ads, Trade Booth Packages, Digital Books, Editing, Research Papers, Resumes, Online Profiles, Thesis & Dissertation Editing, Translation, Transcription, SEO Writer, Comedy, Obituaries, Business Emails & Memos, Admissions Essays, Grants, Food

Your turn! What business ideas can you add to the list? Please leave a comment below!

Oh! If you haven’t done so already, subscribe by email to bigfishtopdogs.com over on the right sidebar of this blog… you’ll be the first to receive new posts hot off the press.

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1. New Ideas, Innovation and The Entrepreneur… A Practical Article for Breaking the Rules
2. If you want to start a business…

When I was 9 or 10 years old my little sister Bernadette and I ran a lemonade stand… with a twist. OK — I finally give up — would someone help me, help me please? Is it “me and my little sister” or “my little sister and I”? You would never, ever know that my great grandmother, grandmother and mother were all English teachers. (Mom later became a lawyer.) And that I’ve read like one hundred million books or that I’m a professional writer, at least I will be on the day this blog makes some money. If you have a tip on remembering this little grammar rule, please let me know!

So, back to the story. When we were little kids my dad was transferred to a small college town in Northern Colorado. (That very same college where my great grandma, grandma and mother went! And ultimately, me.) Our big old house was across the street from the old campus dorms. We had a huge yard with a canal running through it and college kids walked by all day long.

That’s where we set up our lemonade stand. College kids don’t get homemade cookies so we decided to offer a *free* cookie with every glass of lemonade we sold. We were good cooks. We have 6 kids in our family and almost all of us cook. Soon, our cookies had a reputation and the college students were lining up down the street for more.

But… we weren’t in the cookie business… we were in the lemonade business! Until we got an idea. In order to get a cookie, you had to buy a glass of lemonade. Before we knew it, we were in the really expensive chocolate chip cookie business. It didn’t take long for the college kids (they were in college after all) to figure out that my sister and I wouldn’t budge on this. If you wanted a cookie, you bought some lemonade.

After a while the students started saying, “I’ll take 6 cookies and you can just keep the lemonade.” Our cost of goods dropped drastically and our profits skyrocketed! Here’s the thing. We knew we were being entrepreneurs at the time.

Today, I’ve been wracking my brain and asking my husband if he had any ideas on how this story would play in today’s world.

So, I have a couple of questions for you.

Did you have a business when you were a kid? And, when did you first know that you were an entrepreneur?

Do you know any kids with businesses today? And, while we’re on the topic, I’ve got a great post I wrote (if I don’t say so myself) called If Your Kid Started a New Business, What Would It Be?

Check it out.

You know, these stories can help inspire kids to start a business. Heck, they can inspire adults too! So, please share!

And my other question is, what ideas can we get from the lemonade stand I ran with my sister?

OK, ready? It’s your turn. Let’s hear your stories or ideas in the comments below!

Oh! If you haven’t done so already, subscribe by email to bigfishtopdogs.com over on the right sidebar of this blog… you’ll be the first to receive new posts hot off the press!

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2. Let’s assume for a minute that you’re in business to make money

then start a business.

You do not have to quit your day job overnight. You probably shouldn’t do that.

You can, however, figure how you can make some time available to begin learning how to become an entrepreneur, starting now. If you spend time watching TV, decide which shows you can do without.

If you spend hours going through a ton of email, cancel some of the subscriptions.

If you’re doing work at home or at the office that a personal assistant can do for peanuts, delegate that work.

So, now that you’ve got some time available to you, what’s next? If you do not have the next brilliant new business idea or innovation, you could join a home based business – part time. Why not? My husband and many, many good friends have teamed with network marketing companies for years. Successfully.

Direct sales companies are ideal for part-time work as you transition from your old job to your new business. Entry costs are low. And, you have team and training immediately available to you.

The best way to start a business is to just do it. The skills you’ll learn by doing can be applied to any new business at any later time. So why wait?

If you’re looking for ideas have a look at Evolv Health. There are tons of opportunities out there, we love Evolv, you might like them too.

Your turn! Have you ever thought about being in business for yourself? Are you in business for yourself today? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below.

Oh! If you haven’t done so already, subscribe by email to bigfishtopdogs.com over on the right sidebar of this blog… you’ll be the first to receive new posts hot off the press!

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2. Business people, are you ready to rock your business?

Have you ever asked your son or daughter what kind of business they would start? You’ve probably asked them what they want to be when they grow up, or someone has for sure.

Why not try a new twist on the old, extremely dated, industrial age question? Instead of asking your kids “Who are you going to work for?” why not ask them what they would create? Without limitations?

Interesting, huh?

Here’s what a bunch of really great kids came up with this week — all between the ages of 7 to 11 years old:

Teach adults how to use their “smart” phones. Need I comment here? Do you know how to use all the functions on your iPhone or BlackBerry?

Vending machine business – placed at factories and business centers. He’s donating revenue to a Women’s Center.

Computer game creator. I won’t give the name or concept away but it will be “the newest and awesomest game around.”

Children’s party planner – hosting parties for kids up to 8 years old. Donating a large portion of revenue to Haiti.

Online fashion for kids. Clothing and accessories. This adorable 10 year old from Australia “Quite likes spending time with younger children.”

Fitness for kids all around the world. He’s donating some of the revenue to local children’s hospitals after seeing his 6-year-old friend die from cancer.

Video advertising for business owners. He will video interview people “in the real world” about their experience with your business and post it to YouTube.

Using social media in 20 minutes. He’ll help you set up Twitter and Facebook and show you how to advertise your small business on your Facebook page… in 20 minutes.

Breed and raise pheasants & quails. Target market gourmet meat companies and hunting reserves. His 8-year-old sister will be selling designer flip-flops and hair bows online.

When it comes to ideas for new businesses kids can be creative and open-minded. They are incredibly future driven as well. Kids seem to get that a business is not built overnight and that they are building for tomorrow. They have no boundaries to their thought processes. Anything is possible.

Can we take a lesson from these kids?

How about you? Are you ready to believe that anything is possible? Do you realize that just about anything can be turned into a business?

Will you take the challenge and ask your kids what kind of business they would start today? Will you support them in believing they can do it? Intrigued? Leave me a comment or a question below!

Oh! If you haven’t done so already, subscribe by email to bigfishtopdogs.com over on the right sidebar of this blog… you’ll be the first to receive new posts hot off the press!

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Posted by Guest Entrepreneur Gail Hahn

Are you inspired by your work? Are you inspired by how you serve your clients? If not, why not? Inspiration is different than motivation. Both come from within, with the energy and feeling of spirit inside. Inspiration spreads outward, so if your work isn’t inspiring to you, there’s no way others would pay to work with you or want to be around you. If you don’t give a hoot, then neither does your client or colleague. You’re just marking time and time is our life energy. You’re just wasting your life if you’re not doing something that inspires you towards a greater good.

I hear from so many clients that they don’t like their work, but they don’t know what’s wrong. I would ask that you compartmentalize your work into segments dealing with who you’re serving, how you’re serving them, who you’re working for (your boss, your organization, yourself), and what you’re serving.

Sometimes pinpointing that you love your mission, but don’t like the distribution channel, or that you love the actual work, but not the person you’re working for can be tremendously helpful. Perhaps you love or dislike your physical location — or the population you’re serving. If you can figure out how to take the good parts of what you do, the inspirational parts, and separate them out from what is not inspiring you, you’re on the right track.

When you’re feeling inspired, it will resonate with others. Those feelings set off vibrations in others that compel them to work with you or repel them from being around you.

Your clients feel inspired by you when you help them feel successful and fabulous about themselves, their work or their organization. You light them up. When they feel inspired, it activates possibilities and transformation in their lives. If they feel uninspired, they do nothing to uplevel their business or their lives.

Create your work to first inspire you, and then it will inspire others. Power and passion resonate from inspirational people. Mediocrity and busy work resonate from uninspired workers. What are you doing today to inspire yourself, to inspire your team, and to inspire your clients?

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2. What You Think is Right, May Only Be Cultural

Posted by Guest Entrepreneur Gail Hahn

I was on the Ivory Coast of Africa while facilitating team building and communication style workshops with members from 34 different African nations who all worked for the same international organization. Bringing some semblance of order, cultural understanding, corporate culture adherence and just plain getting your point across was no small feat.

The main point was that what we think of as ‘right’ may only be cultural. What we think of as ‘right’ is based on our beliefs and our values. The way we think and behave is based upon what we learned from our parents, society, supervisors and general socialization. We can take this further in business and in life by saying what we think of as the right thing to do may be based upon regional, national, familial, political, gender specific, religious or corporate cultural norms.

We can take this to personal relationships and how we run our families and households, to how we celebrate traditions or how we offer ourselves to the world. We see this play out in corporate culture not only among different nationalities, but in every single individual and the ideologies and work ethics they bring to the workplace. The clash between Baby Boomers, Traditionalists and the New Generation X and Y’s is a classic example of who holds what important and how they get things done.

Blending your personal cultural values with your corporate culture, or even if it’s your personal corporation for entrepreneurs, can be a tricky minefield. When you catch yourself saying “they should” or “he shouldn’t” or “that’s a stupid rule”, you may need to take a fresh perspective on the situation. Whenever you hear the words ‘should’ come out of your mouth, it’s a red flag that you’re in somebody else’s business or placing your way of ‘right’ onto somebody or something else.

Managing the ‘rightness’ of how things are done in your partnership, in your work, with your coach, in your family or in moving through the world takes awareness that your ‘right’ may not be somebody else’s ‘right’.  Seeing the world through a different pair of eyes gives us a new perspective. Even if that someone else is a new and improved you.

After working with coaches, I am continually gaining new insight and new perspective on how I do my life and my work. I find where I once saw the ‘right’ line, is now a more flexible noodle of a line. It’s softer, more flexible, more gray and movable. I find myself saying, “isn’t that an interesting way to look at things?” much more often. Who is coaching you to take a look at what’s right or what doesn’t work in your life and in your business? Is your ‘right line’ bold, straight and immovable or does it have some play or is it open for discussion?

I invite you to be more open and aware of different ‘rights’ that pop into your life and take a gander, then ask yourself, “who says it’s right?”

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Posted by Theresa Bradley-Banta

I was sitting at a red light this morning doing what I always do at a red light. I was reading bumper stickers, billboards, signs, trying to figure out the vanity license plate in front of me, you know… totally bored, waiting for the light to change. Then I looked at the van sitting beside me.

It was a work van with the tag line, “Where every job is a reference”, printed in large letters on the side panel.

I thought about this for the rest of my drive. What a great line and what a commitment — every job is completed so well that each client of this company is a reference.

These guys are saying that they when they do something you can count on it being done right.

I’d also just read an article titled “Be Your Word”, in other words, know your actions match your words.

I can’t help but feel this is kind of the message of the day.

Steve Jobs says, and it’s a quote I’ve mentioned before,

“If you are not committed to delivering results that are profound, dramatic and superior – NEVER COMPETE!”

And here’s a quote from Tom Peters – a little on the blunt side – from my notable and quotable file:

“The best kept secret in the global economy today is this: When your service is AWESOME you get so stinking rich you have to buy new bags to carry all the money home.”

Hope these guys in the van keep their word and deliver jobs that keep earning them references all day long.

What do you think?

Theresa Bradley-Banta, co-creator of www.bigfishtopdogs.com, is a musician, award winning graphic artist, mentor, coach, blogger, and owner of multiple businesses. You can follow her on twitter @bigfishtopdogs.

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2. The Entrepreneur’s Resume – Why You Should Have One and Some Tips on Creating One

Posted by Theresa Bradley-Banta

I was sitting around talking with a friend the other day. She wants to start a new business so we were listing a bunch of ideas she might pursue. Then I remembered an exercise I did with my husband about four years ago.

It was simple and fun, especially because we did it separately and compared notes after we completed the exercise.

This is an exercise that will help you discover your passions.

Here it is, and have fun!

The “What tasks are you good at and what tasks do you like doing?” Exercise

1. Draw three columns on a piece of paper.
2. Title the columns as follows:
   • Individual Tasks
   • Good At
   • Like Doing
3. Begin by filling out the Individual Tasks column with all of the tasks you are responsible for completing during a daily, weekly and monthly period. Your list should include business and non-business responsibilities. For example, it could include things like planning, writing, accounting, filing and financial analysis along with food shopping & cooking, entertaining, pet care and vehicle maintenance.
4. Now go back through your list and mark each task with a “Y” or an “N” in the Good At column. (Y = Yes, I’m good at doing this, N = No, I’m not good at doing this)
5. Do the same thing for the Like Doing column.

You may be surprised to see what makes the list. You may be even more surprised to discover there are some things you are really good at and that you love doing, things that could be made profitable.

Just about anything can be turned into a business. It really helps to identify your passions and talents before jumping into a new business that you may abandon in 6 months because it simply cannot maintain your interest over the long haul.

And, this exercise may help you get rid of the brain clutter by identifying those jobs that should be delegated to someone else.

Theresa Bradley-Banta, co-creator of www.bigfishtopdogs.com, is a musician, award winning graphic artist, mentor, coach, blogger, and owner of multiple businesses. You can follow her on twitter @bigfishtopdogs.

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Posted by Theresa Bradley-Banta

Entrepreneurs… do you have a resume?

A bio?

A statement of experience and expertise in your given fields?

Why not?

If you are making deals and actively “being an entrepreneur”, you will need to present your resume of expertise to any number of people.

Lenders will ask for it.

Potential partners and investors will want to see it.

The information should be on your website and all other social media sites in which you participate — and it should be consistent and current.

You should be prepared to present this information for any public speaking engagements.

This is the front line information for establishing yourself as an expert in your field(s).

Here’s a tip.

Your resume does not need to look like the typical resume you would use when applying for a W2 job… in fact, it shouldn’t. Resumes are for job hunting. A professional statement of entrepreneurial experience is a profile of who you are as an entrepreneur. You’re not looking for a job… you’re looking to be in the game. By stating your qualifications and expertise in your field or industry you are positioning yourself hands above your competition.

It can be a simple “Statement of Experience” or “Summary of Skills” and should include not only your personal expertise and experience but can, and should, include those of your team members.

Think in terms of what a banker, lender, investor or partner may want to know about you before going into business with you or lending you money for a particular deal.

What makes you the person to invest in on a given deal?

For example, let’s say you are buying a large commercial property.

The lender will want to know about your previous commercial real estate experience. They will want to know who your property management team is. They will be looking for skills such as previous acquisitions and management of real estate. If you are looking to reposition or renovate the property, the lender will want to see your record with the same type of deal.

And, if you do not have the hands on experience, they will want to know that you have the team members on board who can deliver a successful deal.

It’s not enough to say, “I’ve never done this before.”

Nor should you be expected to have experience in every aspect of your business. This is where your leadership skills and having the right team come in. If you are light on experience, you had better be prepared to say,

“I haven’t done this personally, but this member of my team has.”

I recently spoke with a woman who not only said she had no experience; she actually followed the comment up with a giggle. This was pretty high up on the unbelievable scale.

Be prepared. Get the bones of your resume down. Spend time on it. It speaks for you when you are not there. You can tweak it for a particular deal later. In any market, in any economy, you should be prepared to present on what makes you an expert and be prepared to do so on short notice.

Why not begin compiling a statement today?

Theresa Bradley-Banta, co-creator of www.bigfishtopdogs.com, is a musician, award winning graphic artist, blogger, mentor, and owner of multiple businesses. You can follow her on twitter @bigfishtopdogs.

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Entrepreneurs, are you serious about building multiple businesses?

Our goal is to support our readers and partners in creating explosive growth!

Have you taken a minute to look around this blog?

We are here to help you rock your business and take it to the next level!

What are you waiting for?

Here are some great articles that will get you in action today:

Setting Goals for Entrepreneurs: Three Easy Exercises for the Entrepreneur

Do you want to set goals you can achieve?

How to Start a Mastermind Group

How about setting up a mastermind group for support?

Top 5 Ways to Find a Mentor

5 Top Strategies for Asking Someone to Be Your Mentor

Are you looking for a mentor? You’ve got to read these articles!

How to Give a Great Sales Pitch!

Do you have a big sales pitch coming up? Are you ready?

Books & Reviews

Do you want to read some great entrepreneur books?

There are two types of entrepreneurs… the millionaires and the wannabes

Which one are you?

Five essential steps to quitting your W2 job

Are you finally ready to start a new business?

Be sure to bookmark this site! We will continue to add great content to support you and your business growth!

And, don’t forget to subscribe for your FREE copy of Think & Grow Rich (you’ll find the subscribe form on the right side of this site), and read it!

Thanks for stopping by! Leave us a comment and tell us how we can help!

Richard & Theresa

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Beating the Tax System by Being Your Own Boss: Savvy Business Owner’s Secrets to Keep More of What You Make: 30 Tax Tips in 33 Minutes

Looking for a better way to hold on to more of your money at tax time? If you’ve ever wondered how you can keep more of what you make or had to pay Uncle Sam at tax time, then this teleclass is for you. If you’re an experienced or emerging entrepreneur, or just pondering the jump into starting your own business, then this session is for you. If you’re not sure why you would take on having your own business, or how it would help you at tax time, this course is for you.

Frank Winn and Gail Hahn are both successful, savvy business owners for many, many years and have learned from some of the best tax professionals on how to keep more money in their pockets at tax time by knowing the rules and using them to their advantage. Nope, they’re not tax professionals themselves, just experienced entrepreneurs who have hired the experts and have learned the ropes over the years.

They will reveal 30 tax tips in 33 minutes so you can reap the benefits of knowing some of the ways you can take legal deductions for your legitimate business expenses. We don’t cross the line; we just snuggle up to it. Loopholes were made to jump through and we will reveal to you 30 strategies you can save more on your tax bill. Of course there are about 60,000 pages of tax code – we’re just divulging some of the biggies where you can benefit if you have a business of your own. We’re in it to win it with our own business and we want you to join the entrepreneurial revolution and beat the tax system.

UPDATE:

This call was recorded.
The recording number to access the call is: 218-339-2487, pin 7668800#, they will ask for the recording number: 0408#

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So you have a great team working with you on a project. You’ve put just the right people in place to get the job done. But, have you considered whether or not they are the right people for your project from beginning to end? Are you prepared to make a change mid stream?

This was the conversation I had in a recent phone call with a fellow entrepreneur. You might say it was an “aha” moment for him when I told him we had just fired our property management team because they failed in delivering top performance at the half way point of our project. Where the team originally had skill, as the project changed, this particular team did not have expertise for the next stage of the project.

The lesson? Even when something is seemingly going well with your team, watch it. They may be good at one thing but they may not do something else well and it could be time to replace them with a team that can deliver results.

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Colorado has enacted law (HB 10-1193) to impose sales tax regulations on online retailers. This includes online marketers that make money by referring buyers, as in the case of Amazon, who fired it’s Colorado affiliates in an email dated March 8, 2010 (see our post for the full text of the Amazon email).

Let the finger pointing begin.

Colorado Republicans are saying “I told you so.” Democrats are blaming Amazon. The following statement comes from a press release on the Governor’s site:

Governor Bill Ritter’s statement on Amazon.com

Gov. Bill Ritter issued the following statement today criticizing Amazon.com’s decision to abruptly end its financial relationship with Amazon Associate businesses in Colorado:

“Amazon has taken a disappointing – and completely unjustified – step of ending its relationship with associates. While Amazon is blaming a new state law for its action, the fact is that Amazon is simply trying to avoid compliance with Colorado law and is unfairly punishing Colorado businesses in the process.

“My office worked closely with Amazon’s affiliates and associates to modify House Bill 1193 to specifically protect small businesses, avoid job losses and provide a fair, level playing field for on-line retailers and Main Street, brick-and-mortar retail shops alike.

“Amazon’s position is unfortunate, and Coloradans certainly deserve better.”

Amazon’s statement in a March 8 email to associates (affiliates):

“The regulations are burdensome and no other state has similar rules…..

“There is a right way for Colorado to pursue its revenue goals, but this new law is a wrong way. As we repeatedly communicated to Colorado legislators, including those who sponsored and supported the new law, we are not opposed to collecting sales tax within a constitutionally-permissible system applied even-handedly. The US Supreme Court has defined what would be constitutional, and if Colorado would repeal the current law or follow the constitutional approach to collection, we would welcome the opportunity to reinstate Colorado-based Associates.”

One thing is certain. This issue is not going away.

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Entrepreneurs know that understanding common negotiation tactics is good business. Having a good understanding of the strategies that can be used by you or on you is necessary to becoming a skilled negotiator.

Negotiation is usually a part of any deal or transaction and it must be a strong part of your game. In this article we present some ideas that will give you an opportunity to look at negotiation in an entirely new way and will give you a better basis for playing the negotiation game. It will help you work on your business psychology and to become a more skilled entrepreneur and negotiator.

Everything’s negotiable

The first rule to negotiation is, always, “everything’s negotiable”. There are many negotiating strategies and tactics, but if you don’t get rule number one, those strategies won’t apply because you will not be doing much, if any, negotiating. You must believe that everything is negotiable. For example, I recently asked my phone company to throw in a couple of free months phone service because I had been a customer for a number of years. They said yes. Had I not asked, I would not have received the bonus months.

In most deals multiple items can and should be negotiated. In a purchase of a mid-size apartment building I negotiated several items before we would close the deal. The seller carried a large, unsecured note on the property, gave us a seller credit for repairs, which bought us a new roof, asphalt and sidewalks, and they accepted a significantly lower purchase price. Whether a deal is small or large, most people and companies are willing to negotiate.

Be willing to walk from the deal

The second rule to negotiation is you must be willing to walk from the deal, and the other party must believe it. That means you need to believe it. If you’re buying a new house, for example, and you’ve completely fallen in love with it, you absolutely must have it, negotiations will not be as successful. If you must have the house or property, use a “partner” as the one who could do without. In this instance you could say, “I doubt my partner will agree to that. He doesn’t really want this particular house that bad. I’ll ask him.” In either case, the other party must know, without a doubt, that you are willing to walk from the deal with zero regrets.

Once you have these two rules down, it is pretty much smooth sailing from here. But, you’ve got to believe rule #1 and rule #2. This is non-negotiable (in spite of rule #1).

Be able to set aside a single issue as you work towards an agreement

Use your people skills, no need to be pushy. Negotiations can and should be about people. Take your time. Find out what motivates the other party through conversation, questions and listening. Ask yourself, “What does each party need to accomplish?” This will give you an opportunity to navigate towards a solution where each party realizes their desired goal (ideally). You might say, “Let’s sit down and talk and see if we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement.”

This is an important strategy to fully understand. Let’s say from our example above, that the seller of the house you looked at had already told you he would accept nothing less than a full price offer. Rather than let this kill the deal, your goal will be to say, “Let’s put that aside and see if we can agree on everything else.” There are still many scenarios where the seller could get his full price but not in the way he might be seeing right now. For example, you could end up negotiating a seller credit for repairs, or the seller could carry back a small second. In both cases, he could still get the full asking price, or close to it, but the actual dollar amounts would be categorized at closing as something other than the purchase price.

You’ll have to do better than that

This is a simple and effective strategy. When the offer is made, you simply reply, “You’ll have to do better than that.” This is particularly effective when the other party clearly realizes that you are not desperate to get the deal done and are, in fact, willing to walk. The key here is to make your statement and then stop talking! Give the other party an opportunity to negotiate against themselves and make a better offer.

The High Low Game

There are many negotiation strategies. Some, such as the High Low game, are old and frankly, unnecessarily confrontational. You start low, the other party starts high, and hopefully, you meet somewhere in the middle. This is generally not an effective strategy. It’s a game where the focus is solely on the money and all other elements of negotiation are set aside. It’s a game of chicken which is time consuming and can even damage the relations between the parties. There may be issues of more significant value to both parties when the simple dollar amounts are removed from the negotiations.

When to quit

If the other party refuses to negotiate further, and you have not reached an acceptable deal, always remember you can walk away and come back later. You could offer to resubmit an offer in a week, or a month. This accomplishes a number of things. It reinforces rule #2 (you are willing to walk from the deal), it provides a break from negotiations and gives both parties an opportunity to think about what they’ve brought to the table so far, and it allows for some distance, helping you to reevaluate your desire to see the deal through to completion.

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I just had a bizarre, and unfortunately all too typical, phone call with a commercial broker. The conversation was rife with things unsaid and hidden between the lines. First of all, I was returning his call because he said he might have a buyer interested in our apartment building (not for sale). Instead of beginning the call with a discussion of his “buyer”, what he’s really doing is calling to pitch me a property being sold by the guys we bought our other building from (been there, seen it, and no, you’re not getting a commission if I’m interested). And, he withholds that bit of info from me (until I asked outright).

Then, and again sooooo typical, he sort of non-nonchalantly asks (he wasn’t subtle at all actually), “Are you the one handling your real estate or is it your husband?”. Do you think for one minute he would have asked my husband that? You know what guys? If you can’t work with women and you’re gonna be a sleaze, don’t call.

On a more positive note…

Let’s be clear here, the guy was a bit of a weasel… but I didn’t tell him that. The fact is, you want to get calls from brokers (or anyone, in any industry, who has their ear to ground), the more the better. These are the guys that are actively in the market, and frankly, they’re gossips to beat all gossips. Nurturing these relationships is to your advantage. These are the guys that can bring deals before they reach the market. You don’t have to hang out with them, the point is, if you aren’t making these connections, making phone calls, getting to know the people in your industry, you’re missing a great deal.

Theresa Bradley-Banta, co-creator of Big Fish Tops Dogs, is a musician, award winning graphic artist, mentor, entrepreneur, blogger and owner of multiple businesses. You can follow her on twitter @bigfishtopdogs

Killer deal: One half-hour free consulting on networking and building a team in your industry. Contact Theresa Bradley-Banta by email to set up phone conference. Offer expires 3/7/10.

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How many times have you decided to begin a new business venture only to see it fade away because your first step was to learn and know every possible thing there was to know? Ever hear of analysis paralysis? We wrote recently about individuals who possess an ability to move from inquiry to decision almost without warning. Here’s the next item in our top ten qualities of an entrepreneur… this quality definitely qualifies as a mindset more than anything.

Entrepreneurs are risk takers

This may be the most misunderstood quality of an entrepreneur. Surely it doesn’t mean a new business venture is doomed to fail or has a likelihood of failing. So what is risk? We believe it can best be summarized by saying that an entrepreneur begins a venture without all the resources being lined up.

Rather than spending their time dreaming about success they lay out a studied course of action, they organize their resources, and distribute the tasks over a network of team with a firm belief in their ability to bounce back if they encounter failure on any particular course of action. A course can always be corrected ‘mid flight’.

If an entrepreneur were to study every potential eventuality to any course of action they’d be sitting at their drawing board in perpetuity…. and never taking action.

Success becomes far more meaningful when it comes at the cost of a surprise education, detours taken, and small setbacks overcome. Bravo!

Theresa Bradley-Banta, co-creator of Big Fish Tops Dogs, is a musician, award winning graphic artist, mentor, entrepreneur, blogger and owner of multiple businesses. You can follow her on twitter @bigfishtopdogs

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It’s almost March 2010… how are you doing on those resolutions you set two months ago? Maybe you shouldn’t have called them resolutions — how about, “things I’m going to do differently”, or gulp, “goals”?

For this post, let’s call them goals and let’s assume they’re going to be fun. And then you think, “Hey why not? They didn’t work out too well when they weren’t fun”. So, think about it differently… what if they helped you be better at something you already loved doing? What if they made your relationships better? What if someone else benefited, rather than you?

Goals do not have to be the same old, same old and they definitely don’t have to be what everyone else is doing. Let’s see… how about you’re going to gain weight, start working more hours and stop exercising completely? All joking aside, everyone has those weight goals, those exercise goals, etc. — year in year out — and they’ve become almost a caricature of themselves, ergo, the goals you’ll never succeed at.

I’ve been setting goals for over a decade and I have 100’s of friends who set goals. My results are not always stellar: I’ve been wildly successful, I’ve missed the boat entirely and fallen flat on my face, and I’ve had successes in between — but, through all of this, I have never stopped setting goals. And, I’ve become more creative.

Set goals under categories: money, business, lifestyle, entertainment, dreams, travel, education, books to read, charitable contributions, volunteering, eliminating stress, family pleasures… the list is fluid.

Do you believe you would be more likely to continue setting goals if you enjoyed the process of achieving them? It’s OK to start over. There’s no rule you must start on January 1st and then all bets are off after that, win or lose. Start small. Write it down. The act of enjoying it, documenting it and achieving it will set you up for loftier goals later.

Theresa Bradley-Banta, co-creator of Big Fish Tops Dogs, is a musician, award winning graphic artist, mentor, entrepreneur, blogger and owner of multiple businesses. You can follow her on twitter @bigfishtopdogs

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