How To Start And Grow A Successful Business - Turn Your Passion Into Profits

By Krisz Rokk

More than 60 percent of businesses close doors within the first year of starting operations because of a number of constraints. For you to start a business and succeed, you need to have a lot of determination, resilience, self-discipline and focus. Businesses such as Apple were able to succeed because their founders had adequate focus and inner drive to take the business to the next level.

Here are eight key things you should know to start and grow a successful business:

1. Follow Your Inner Passion

As a matter of fact, achieving success in life is not a prerequisite for those who want to be happy. However, happiness is mandatory if success is to be achieved. Success is achieved by those who love what they are doing. It is advisable for anyone who wants to start a business to select something that he or she loves the most, but this should be something that has a market. If you choose something that can't sell, there is high probability that your efforts will never pay off.

2. Work on Your Commercial Enterprise

There is an old saying that says that you drive your business or it will drive thee. This is a popular saying by Benjamin Franklin who achieved success as an investor and writer. Start by finding your passion and there after developing a clear and well-detailed business plan. Also, a well-developed strategy is a key recipe for success in every business.

You don't have to do things your own way. Well, this may bring you success, but it's not always the case. You can learn a few methods of running a business from successful entrepreneurs, especially those who are famed for developing efficient business systems.

3. Define Your Business Goals And Objectives

The life of a man will only have meaning when he or she is striving for his goals and reaching out. When you have goals, you will know where you are coming from and where to go. It is good to know that any entrepreneur will achieve his or her goals when there is persistence, proper resource allocation and focus. Clarity is power and when used in defining your business goals, success is inevitable. Whenever something comes your way, you will still be able to stand strong and focus on achieving the goals that you have set. You will never be swayed aside when you have clearly defined goals and objectives.

It is of great importance to know what you want to achieve after a day, week or a month. After you've drafted your goals, you should monitor your results.

4. Don't Give Up

Every business has challenges that are unique to it. You should learn from past business trends and put in place the right measures that would enable you take your business to the next level.

Challenges will only be overcome when they are precisely known. Know about the possible source of the hurdle your business is going through and find a perfect solution. Know that most of the challenges faced by commercial entities can be overcome by not quitting.

Know where your business is and where it is going. You should never give up regardless of the circumstances you are facing.

5. Take Action

Taking action is one of the keys to success in business. However, you should always know that action might at times bring painful results. Action combined with good business strategies often yield great results. Steve Jobs once said that we tend to attract different types of people and there is not a need for a person to wait for up to ten years for someone else to take a huge risk on her or him.

6. Focus

Your capital, thoughts and energies should be focused on growing the business. You can get the money you badly need when you focus your money and time on your business.

7. Review Your Budget Regularly

You will need to know if you are moving towards the right direction or not through comparing your actual results with the planned ones. You can put in place the right strategies to reverse unfavorable variants while adding more resources to help increase favorable variants in the revenue centers. This is a sure method of moving your business to the next level.

8. Business is a Life long Learning Process

Apply the lessons that you have learned in the process. Let there be gradual improvement and within no time, your commercial enterprise will be running efficiently.

And if you are interested in finding out more about powerful marketing strategies that will lift your business to the next level, I invite you to visit my blog at http://strengthinbusiness.com/.

Another tip for you! Get instant access to your *free* E-Book on Marketing Strategy Secrets.

Best 5 Ways To Keep Your Employees Highly Motivated

By Sule Yesufu

When you talk of motivating employees, many business managers always avert their minds to good pay and more pay to keep employees happy. Many usually focus so much on this aspect that they at times ignore the fact that their workers are human beings after all with all the complexities that go with being human. Employee motivation surprisingly is a mystery for many business managers in this age and time. The surprises do not end there. Some managers even go as far as not taking any other reasons into account when the financial fortunes of the business are dwindling. For that reason alone, they make the decision to lay off workers. These managers ignore the fact that some workers may even be prepared to work for little or no pay for sometime if they are sufficiently motivated some other ways. This is because not all employees respond to the same motivations. As human beings, we all differ particularly in our likes and dislikes, passions, interests and desires. To succeed as a business manager therefore, you must learn how to identify what motivates each employee. That is the knowledge which will enable you to manage your employees to fulfill the objectives of the business as well as the individual objectives of the employees. That by all accounts can not be a very easy task because of the complexity of human nature. That is why these five ways to motivate workers come in very handy most of the time.

01. Job Satisfaction. When workers are satisfied and happy with the job they do, they tend to work harder and are generally more productive. So, when the work environment is conducive enough, it attracts and keeps talented and dedicated employees. With job satisfaction, many employers are usually motivated to show up regularly with the commitment to perform at optimal level all the time. Happy employees translate to happy customers most of the time and that is very good for the fortunes of the business.

02. Sincere Appreciation. There is hardly any human craving that is stronger than the need to be appreciated. Managers who know how to appreciate and commend their employees in a very sincere manner usually get a lot of mileage from it as a motivating tool. In fact, the ability to recognize the positive behaviors and achievements of their employees is one of the strongest points of successful business managers. Little things really count for much in appreciating employees. Top on the list is personal attention which may be through one-on-one compliments, hand-written notes and some pep talk along the line. In fact, any way no matter how little a manager can use to make an employee feel useful and important no matter their stations in the business is very helpful here.

03. Genuine Recognition. An overwhelming number of people will do to for recognition exactly what they will do for money if not more. Managers who know this simple fact always have a way with their employees and many use the tool as a secret weapon for employee motivation. Many employees genuinely crave to get their names on the company's "roll-of-honor." Even if such names are placed on the notice board, in the newsletter, or for periodic citation and receipt of a plaque or certificate, a lot of good is done on employee emotions. Successful business managers always look for ways to increase employee motivation by recognizing excellence in the workplace. Some of these ways could just be simple, inexpensive, yet highly effective methods of employee motivation that many managers at times ignore.

04. Leadership Inspiration. It is human nature for everyone to look up to someone else particularly the person who leads. That is the reason why in a business environment, inspiration largely comes from management. The way the business manager carries on her business usually provides very important clues for the workers. If the leader is unconcerned and unmotivated, it runs down the line. Every manager who can lead with a mission, a vision and palpable zeal motivates workers along as well. This is because many workers are always very proud to be part of an organization they perceive is going somewhere and it stands for something they value and cherish.

05. Employee Compensation Pattern. Most employees are motivated by money. That is the singular reason why many work for a paycheck all their lives. Motivating workers with money is a very tricky business because of the vicissitudes of business life. Even though everyone needs money for their basic needs, when money is the sole motivator, disillusionment sets in by far too quickly when there is a down-turn in company fortunes. It is tricky because no company is immune from poor showing once in a while. At such down-turns, the only workers you can count on are those not motivated by money alone. These are the only ones you can rely on during bad times. That is why a combination of all five ways to motivate workers is highly recommended.

What matters most in employee motivation is the system in place which the workers believe in. Since we are all motivated differently depending on our belief systems and individual natures, a careful use of a combination of these five ways yields the best results. Any system in place in any business outfit must as a matter of course give due recognition to these five ways. That is what guarantees that the business has at least one vital thing to contribute to the motivation of each employee. The bottom line is high productivity and subsequent profits. If well motivated employees are the only ones the company can rely on to generate more profits, all efforts employed to keep them motivated can not but be worthwhile on the long run.

Sule Yesufu, a Certified Speaking Professional, is a Strategic Partner in S D Y Management Consult, a firm of Investment, Small Business and Entrepreneurial Consultants. He is a Published Author and a Newspaper Columnist. An expert in Small Business and Personal Development, he focuses on communicating his ideas and thoughts mostly through his Training Seminars and popular free blog. He offers useful tips on Self-Improvement, Personal Finance, Entrepreneurship, Current News, Politics and Business in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa.

For more tips visit: http://www.sdymanagers.com/apps/blog/

Points To Consider When Selling A Business

By Gomez Rechardio

Selling a business is quite difficult. However, it can be made very easy if you focus on a few basic points. First, defining the nature of the business is the point you have to start from. It is the fundamental step of selling a business. When you are opting for selling a business it is also very important to put some thoughts on the value of the business. It is of utmost importance that you do not go with the words of the broker or salesmen until you actually measure the worth of the business yourself. Therefore, before you take any big step plan as much as you can.

There are thousands of people looking for an existing business to buy as it takes lesser work to establish them. So if you are determined about selling you business than you should probably contact a broker or a sales agent. They will be able to provide you with expert advices. There are a lot of companies out there that can help you with your effort. Also, you should take the help of the internet and online services.

As you make that final decision of putting up your business for sale, you should keep some small but significant things in mind such as:

• Making a detailed estimation of the value of your business

• Advertising your business using flyers, newspaper and popular websites

• Not spending too much on the advertising

• Researching on brokers and companies who specialize on selling businesses. Talking to other people who have successfully sold their business will help to find the right broker as well.

• Make an effort to sell the business discreetly.

One quick search on the internet will give you detailed information on how many businesses are there for sale, their types and overall values. You can make your business very attractive to the potential buyers by listing every angles and corners of your business. The more detailed the information, the more satisfied the buyer will be.

It is very obvious that potential buyers would question you about various issues about your business. So it is important that you prepare yourself well. If you can answer everything confidently and with full disclosure the buyer would not have any hesitation. One pause during your answers might make him doubt your business. If you cannot prepare the information yourself then take help from your broker as they are expert in this sort of things. You must remember to emphasize on the positives of the business. Your cash flow statements, liability statements, equity statements, balance sheets, asset list with appropriate depreciation rate and the future growth of the establishment must be well recorded.

The best way to prop up your business for sale is to go online and place your establishment's name on a sales listing. And in case you want to buy a new business afterwards, it will also give you the opportunity to look up other businesses that are for sale.

Top Ten Most Profound Influential Speakers In My Life 2012

By Kellie Frazier

This year's pick for The Top Ten Most Profound Influential Speakers in My Life are those who engaged and connected with their audiences while delivering value, inspiration or motivation. After listening to hundreds of speakers this year, I've chosen those that I feel did their best to combine both logic and compassion as they speak. Although they are numbered, my list is not in any particular order. Each speaker is equally and vitally as important to our world as they are to me personally.

If you are a speaker just starting out, or are a veteran speaker who needs an inspired boost, watch and learn. They each figured out where the gap is in their niche, where the pain of their audience is, and stepped in to fill it. This one aspect is the breath of your audience's listening experience, and is deep and fully engaging. This is also what drives them to engage with you.

A special thanks to each speaker, who made my Top Ten list this year, for contributing their time, energy and devoting their life to making the world a better place.

1. Bo Eason - A former NFL Star, Broadway Playwright, Actor and Expert Storyteller is one speaker you MUST hear. Totally intense and funny, Bo will have you laughing one minute and listening to your own heart pound the next. He might use a bit of profanity, but you'll rarely notice it because you'll be so gripped by his action-packed stories. Ask me how I know.

2. Pat Fortin Mussieux - Speaking to women solopreneurs who want to create and manage the marketing and sales aspect of business, Pat has both her mindset and her marketing skills down. As an Author, radio host and speaker, she is fun, funny and ready to draw in a crowd. What I love about her is her rags to riches story and her down to earth approach of sharing it while inspiring you to get out of your seat and just go do it!

3. Max Simon - Founder of Big Vision Business and an excellent speaker for spiritual visionaries, Max grew up surrounded by conscious business leaders and made his global impact at The Chopra Center. He is uniquely known as the 'barefoot presenter' in some circles and brings a tasteful sense of humor into each of his talks. Spiritual and intelligent, Max changes the lives of entrepreneurs everywhere.

4. Lisa Nichols - The founder of Motivating the Masses and CEO of Motivating the Teen Spirit, Lisa impacts the lives of those listening. She is a dynamic speaker with an extraordinary story and a tremendous ability to touch people's hearts and souls. She is funny, and spiritual, and has mastered moving the audience through both laughter and tears.

5. Ross Shafer - A 6-Time Emmy winner for his work in network television for FOX, ABC, NBC, USA, and COMEDY CENTRAL. Ross focuses his energy on studying how successful organizations adapt and innovate while others become lazy and obsolete. He is funny, powerful, not always nice about pin-pointing flaws, but totally engaging with his audiences. His messages focus on evolving innovation and leveraging the public consciousness to influence buying habits.

6. Jeffrey Wright - A Powerful and Influential Speaker who doesn't know how powerful he truly is. Jeffrey is a teacher and a leader that uses wacky experiments to teach children about the universe. Using his own personal story he teaches his students the true meaning of life. Caring for his uniquely-abled son, and sharing their life with audiences around the globe via YouTube, he impacts the lives of teenagers and adults around the world. Totally compassion driven.

7. Steve Bedwell - Motivational and Leadership speaker who leaves his audiences knowing that, "When you change how you see things, you'll see things change." Steve is fun, funny and shares his psychological tactics for skyrocketing results in business and in life. Very engaging.

8. Tony Robbins - Motivational Leader who journey's into movement to change your feelings. The power of celebration is what Tony teaches and lives. No one I know can get a room full of hundreds, or thousands, of people screaming and jumping up and down faster than Tony can. Powerful leader and speaker in the personal development and relationship world. Totally engaging.

9. Vishen Lakhiani - Founder of Mind Valley, a company whose mission is to bring enlightenment and personal growth to the world in a scalable way with hybrid marketing and technology. Vishen is a phenomenal pioneer of innovative traditions in business. That is not an oxymoron. He takes traditional entrepreneurship and adds to it brilliantly, creating new ideas of development and expansion both personally and professionally. Millions of people around the world know the power of this speaker, myself included, and have changed the way I do life as a result.

10. Anjelah Johnson - For a bit of nonconservative F-U-N... speaker, actress, comedian, and former NFL cheerleader Anjelah Johnson created two popular characters on the MADtv television series, the rude and ghetto fabulous Bon Qui Qui, plus a shifty nail salon employee named Tammy. Anjelah is so comfortable playing to her strengths that she has the audiences rolling in the isles within minutes.

So there you have it. If you are a speaker who didn't make my list this year, there is always next year! Let me know when and where you'll be speaking again, or send me a link to your YouTube video, and I'll be sure to check it out.

Build the BEST relationships you can in 2013 and start with my four free ebooks that help you know how to engage your audiences. http://www.Connecting101.org

Kellie Frazier is a Relationship Strategist, Best Selling Contributing Author, Speaker and Coach for Entrepreneurs.

How To Start And Grow A Successful Business - Turn Your Passion Into Profits

By Krisz Rokk

More than 60 percent of businesses close doors within the first year of starting operations because of a number of constraints. For you to start a business and succeed, you need to have a lot of determination, resilience, self-discipline and focus. Businesses such as Apple were able to succeed because their founders had adequate focus and inner drive to take the business to the next level.

Here are eight key things you should know to start and grow a successful business:

1. Follow Your Inner Passion

As a matter of fact, achieving success in life is not a prerequisite for those who want to be happy. However, happiness is mandatory if success is to be achieved. Success is achieved by those who love what they are doing. It is advisable for anyone who wants to start a business to select something that he or she loves the most, but this should be something that has a market. If you choose something that can't sell, there is high probability that your efforts will never pay off.

2. Work on Your Commercial Enterprise

There is an old saying that says that you drive your business or it will drive thee. This is a popular saying by Benjamin Franklin who achieved success as an investor and writer. Start by finding your passion and there after developing a clear and well-detailed business plan. Also, a well-developed strategy is a key recipe for success in every business.

You don't have to do things your own way. Well, this may bring you success, but it's not always the case. You can learn a few methods of running a business from successful entrepreneurs, especially those who are famed for developing efficient business systems.

3. Define Your Business Goals And Objectives

The life of a man will only have meaning when he or she is striving for his goals and reaching out. When you have goals, you will know where you are coming from and where to go. It is good to know that any entrepreneur will achieve his or her goals when there is persistence, proper resource allocation and focus. Clarity is power and when used in defining your business goals, success is inevitable. Whenever something comes your way, you will still be able to stand strong and focus on achieving the goals that you have set. You will never be swayed aside when you have clearly defined goals and objectives.

It is of great importance to know what you want to achieve after a day, week or a month. After you've drafted your goals, you should monitor your results.

4. Don't Give Up

Every business has challenges that are unique to it. You should learn from past business trends and put in place the right measures that would enable you take your business to the next level.

Challenges will only be overcome when they are precisely known. Know about the possible source of the hurdle your business is going through and find a perfect solution. Know that most of the challenges faced by commercial entities can be overcome by not quitting.

Know where your business is and where it is going. You should never give up regardless of the circumstances you are facing.

5. Take Action

Taking action is one of the keys to success in business. However, you should always know that action might at times bring painful results. Action combined with good business strategies often yield great results. Steve Jobs once said that we tend to attract different types of people and there is not a need for a person to wait for up to ten years for someone else to take a huge risk on her or him.

6. Focus

Your capital, thoughts and energies should be focused on growing the business. You can get the money you badly need when you focus your money and time on your business.

7. Review Your Budget Regularly

You will need to know if you are moving towards the right direction or not through comparing your actual results with the planned ones. You can put in place the right strategies to reverse unfavorable variants while adding more resources to help increase favorable variants in the revenue centers. This is a sure method of moving your business to the next level.

8. Business is a Life long Learning Process

Apply the lessons that you have learned in the process. Let there be gradual improvement and within no time, your commercial enterprise will be running efficiently.

And if you are interested in finding out more about powerful marketing strategies that will lift your business to the next level, I invite you to visit my blog at http://strengthinbusiness.com/.

Another tip for you! Get instant access to your *free* E-Book on Marketing Strategy Secrets.

How To Start And Grow A Successful Business - Turn Your Passion Into Profits

By Krisz Rokk

More than 60 percent of businesses close doors within the first year of starting operations because of a number of constraints. For you to start a business and succeed, you need to have a lot of determination, resilience, self-discipline and focus. Businesses such as Apple were able to succeed because their founders had adequate focus and inner drive to take the business to the next level.

Here are eight key things you should know to start and grow a successful business:

1. Follow Your Inner Passion

As a matter of fact, achieving success in life is not a prerequisite for those who want to be happy. However, happiness is mandatory if success is to be achieved. Success is achieved by those who love what they are doing. It is advisable for anyone who wants to start a business to select something that he or she loves the most, but this should be something that has a market. If you choose something that can't sell, there is high probability that your efforts will never pay off.

2. Work on Your Commercial Enterprise

There is an old saying that says that you drive your business or it will drive thee. This is a popular saying by Benjamin Franklin who achieved success as an investor and writer. Start by finding your passion and there after developing a clear and well-detailed business plan. Also, a well-developed strategy is a key recipe for success in every business.

You don't have to do things your own way. Well, this may bring you success, but it's not always the case. You can learn a few methods of running a business from successful entrepreneurs, especially those who are famed for developing efficient business systems.

3. Define Your Business Goals And Objectives

The life of a man will only have meaning when he or she is striving for his goals and reaching out. When you have goals, you will know where you are coming from and where to go. It is good to know that any entrepreneur will achieve his or her goals when there is persistence, proper resource allocation and focus. Clarity is power and when used in defining your business goals, success is inevitable. Whenever something comes your way, you will still be able to stand strong and focus on achieving the goals that you have set. You will never be swayed aside when you have clearly defined goals and objectives.

It is of great importance to know what you want to achieve after a day, week or a month. After you've drafted your goals, you should monitor your results.

4. Don't Give Up

Every business has challenges that are unique to it. You should learn from past business trends and put in place the right measures that would enable you take your business to the next level.

Challenges will only be overcome when they are precisely known. Know about the possible source of the hurdle your business is going through and find a perfect solution. Know that most of the challenges faced by commercial entities can be overcome by not quitting.

Know where your business is and where it is going. You should never give up regardless of the circumstances you are facing.

5. Take Action

Taking action is one of the keys to success in business. However, you should always know that action might at times bring painful results. Action combined with good business strategies often yield great results. Steve Jobs once said that we tend to attract different types of people and there is not a need for a person to wait for up to ten years for someone else to take a huge risk on her or him.

6. Focus

Your capital, thoughts and energies should be focused on growing the business. You can get the money you badly need when you focus your money and time on your business.

7. Review Your Budget Regularly

You will need to know if you are moving towards the right direction or not through comparing your actual results with the planned ones. You can put in place the right strategies to reverse unfavorable variants while adding more resources to help increase favorable variants in the revenue centers. This is a sure method of moving your business to the next level.

8. Business is a Life long Learning Process

Apply the lessons that you have learned in the process. Let there be gradual improvement and within no time, your commercial enterprise will be running efficiently.

And if you are interested in finding out more about powerful marketing strategies that will lift your business to the next level, I invite you to visit my blog at http://strengthinbusiness.com/.

Another tip for you! Get instant access to your *free* E-Book on Marketing Strategy Secrets.

Knowledge Is Power? Hogwash!

By Dan J Spiegel

Misconceptions Of Knowledge

During my daily reading of Think & Grow Rich (which is one of the best things anyone can do for themselves), I came across a section that really resonated with me. It addressed knowledge: general vs. specialized.

The beginning of Chapter 5 states, "General knowledge, no matter how great or variety it may be, is of but little use in the accumulation of money. The faculties of the great universities possess, in the aggregate, practically every form of general knowledge known to civilization. Most of the professors have but little money. They specialize in teaching knowledge, but they do not specialize in the organization, of the use of knowledge."

When I read this it was reiterating what I already know, especially as a golf instructor who's business is having specialized knowledge, but it was said in a different way that was very powerful.

In other words, if one never acquires specialized knowledge about anything, it is almost impossible to be rich. If one specializes in industries that are not known for wealth or continuous growth and advancements in technology, they might also be doomed regarding attaining wealth.

When a new student comes to me for golf lessons, they are learning specialized knowledge, as well as, over time, how to apply it. When one seeks change in any part of their life, similar actions are required to achieve any goals they may have regarding that new skill.

Specializing Knowledge Can Be Uncomfortable

Sadly change in and of itself is uncomfortable for most people, so remaining inside their own box of comfortability is the path of least resistance. As a result, no real progress is ever made in their lives in the areas that could provide the most benefit.

What does it take for people to take the leap of being temporarily uncomfortable in order to gain specialized knowledge to change their lives forever? Sometimes it is a traumatic event. Sometimes it is a look in the mirror and the reflection is undesirable. But whatever causes it, it needs to be welcomed. Even forced. We all have our flaws. Most of us are self-aware of these things.

For the most part, going to college fuels our need for general knowledge. Sure we narrow down our focuses on the things we enjoy, but nothing learned ever is more valuable than the actual experience in the work force. Often times college graduates realize what they learned in school was relatively needless in relation to what is quickly learned when they are out in the "real world."

The advancing technology of today and the entire world going online is an amazing shift in mindset for most of us. The 35+ year olds in this world certainly remember a life of no internet or cell phones, but can't imagine life without them now. Money, lifestyle, culture, and KNOWLEDGE have all moved or are moving online.

Become A Leader Through Knowledge

No matter what one enjoys or considers themselves to be an "expert" in, there is still much to learn and ways to get better. Additionally, taking yourself out of your comfort zone to learn how to be a person of influence and a leader online can do wonders for your life and self-esteem.

Imagine a world where everyone gave a noble effort to be helpful and lead others to specific answers on how to do anything. Fix anything. Achieve anything. Some of that is out there. Some of it is incorrect or unreliable. But there is always room for those looking to make a positive difference in this sometimes frightful world.

I and many, many others have found the way to capitalize on their specialized knowledge on a mass scale. It first starts with reading Think & Grow Rich daily. The rest is focusing sharply on becoming a person people look to for specialized advice. There is no limit to what you can achieve in such a scenario, that specialized knowledge created.

Want to become specialized in the online world? Want to turn your passions and interests into things you can market for the betterment of you and your family? Click here to watch a short video and change your life: http://myinternetfortune.com.