Your Business Start-up Expert

The Power of the Positive Attitude

I have learned over the years that there is real power in a positive attitude. From what I have seen in my life, focusing on the positive usually pays off. Holding a fierce belief that you can get the loan, you can close the deal, you can get the big client leads to goal-oriented action — which leads to more goal-oriented action — which leads to getting the loan, closing the deal, and getting the big client. Remember that you have to use your optimism or you will lose it. The daily practice of optimistic thinking (backed by hard work) is a practical art.

Successful Business Owner or Successful Actor?

One day while feeling worthless after losing a big account, I began to panic over a sales call I had to make later that day. I felt like such a loser. How could I possibly close the upcoming deal? On the way, I stopped at my parish to help with the arrangements for the christening of one of my seven children.

As I approached the monsignor’s office, I heard him say to someone unseen, “Act as if you have faith, and faith will be given to you.” Boom! It was like one of those profound moments in a movie where the hero gets larger on the screen as his surroundings shrink. This was my epiphany. This was the key to my future success. That simple sentence changed my life.

So even though I didn’t really feel like a winner, I acted like I was the most confident guy in the world. I put back my shoulders, lifted my head, relaxed the worried crease between my eyebrows and strutted down the street to my business appointment. I boldly greeted the prospective clients, joked and chatted and began to give the best sales presentation of my life. Halfway through, I wondered if I was really confident or if I was still just pretending to be confident. I couldn’t tell. Afterwards, as they signed the contract, it struck me that somewhere during the afternoon my confidence had returned full force. Feeling inadequate? Act as if you are outgoing and you will become outgoing. Trust me … it works.

In Order to Succeed

Will Rogers once said … “In order to succeed, you must know what your are doing, like what your are doing, and believe in what you are doing.”

That’s right. No matter who you are — Donald Trump, Richard Branson, or Joe Schmo from down the street — before you start that new business, you need to learn as much as you can about the business you want to get into.

Starting a business can be like peering out the door of the airplane before you jump. It can be scary and you can’t be sure if your parachute will open until your already in the air. Just be aware that bravery and ambition alone aren’t enough to pull you through. Likewise, you cannot launch your dream business without first preparing your course of action. You must do your homework!

Love what you do. Choosing the right field for you is so very vital. Without the passion to see things through during hard times (and there will be hard times!), you’ll never succeed.

No matter what your goal is, make sure your are fired up with passion for it. Remember that you will be spending your days and nights investing in this business. It should be something that fills you with curiosity, joy, and excitement.

So sharpen your pencil and your wits and go learn about your dream, then fall in love with it, and believe with all your heart you can make it work.

“OnThe Tracks” …Ty’s Small Business Blog

How to Guarantee Success

How can I say that? How can we know for sure that we will inevitably succeed? Well, perhaps we don’t always know for sure, but we have to make up our mind to believe it! We can’t afford to risk harboring a doubt. When we allow ourselves to consider the possibility of failure — when we allow ourselves to believe the worst possible outcome — we begin to create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Other people suggest that the best philosophy is to “Hope for the best, but expect the worst.” Why have a contingency plan for failure? Look … there’s no point to denying the possibility of your own success! If you believe in the inevitability of your own success you will make that vision come true! It’s guaranteed!

What Makes a Good Business Idea?

I hear from a lot of people who ask me if I think they have a good business idea. They usually expect me to evaluate the idea in terms of dollar or profit potential, but I don’t. I prefer to evaluate their idea in terms of the person! I always ask them … are you passionate about your business idea?

Here are a few questions to ask yourself before embarking on an entrepreneurial venture: Am I truly interested in this field? Do I daydream about doing the work (instead of just spending the money)? Does this product, service, or activity feel meaningful? Does it benefit humanity? Does it bring me joy?

You know you have passion for something if you would be willing to do it even if you weren’t making any money. If you don’t have passion for your business, re-think it because your nonchalance is a bright red flag signaling “Failure ahead!”

To learn more visit www.boomerbizstartup.com/

Why Relationships Matter

I’m a firm believer in schmoozing … listening to and speaking with others to establish bonds of trust. Early on in my career as an entrepreneur I had a very solid prospect that was getting hit with a crippling rent increase. He felt forced to move his small business out of the area, which meant I could lose his business. But I had spoken with the company’s security guard at each visit so I knew he lived in the neighborhood. I asked him what he knew about the state representative there. He knew that the woman representing that area was devoted to the education of children, but not much more.

For me, it was enough. When I called her and told her that the company was moving to an area with substantially lower taxes and taking its employees with it, she was concerned, of course. When I started talking about the effects of lost property taxes on the school system, I could almost hear her sit up straight.

Before the legislature quit for vacation, she had secured assistance for the company which allowed it to remain. It’s still there today, by the way (although much larger). And they’re still one of my best customers. The lesson is a simple one. I knew the security guard because I always stopped and chatted with him when I called on the company. But by schmoozing – building a bond of trust with the gentleman – he was able to help sort out a thorny problem. That’s schmoozing … you can’t tell when it will pay off, but you can be sure it will.

To learn more visit www.makingsenseofyourbusiness.com

Negating the Negative

It can be rugged starting a small business. All of my life I’ve had to battle against the negative feedback of others. I’ve had to endure people telling me what I could and could not achieve in life. These were not necessarily people who were trying to put me down or discourage me (although I’ve had to deal with a few of those, too). Often they were well-intentioned people who didn’t want to see me fail, or worried that I might waste my time and money.

They were also people who didn’t think creatively. They saw scarcity, rather than abundance, risks instead of opportunity, barriers rather than challenges. Sometimes I’ve allowed this type of limited, negative thinking to influence my decisions. Other times I’ve ignored the naysayers. Occasionally the negative view was correct, and caution was the best course. Usually, though, I found that the negative feedback was wrong. Often it was because the person giving me the advice simply didn’t understand the potential in an opportunity.

Had I listened to the negative feedback, I might never have achieved my best successes.

There’s Never Been a Better Time to Start a Business!

Are you thinking of starting your own business? Perhaps you’re approaching retirement and looking for a way to keep active and supplement your retirement income. Or perhaps you’ve been recently downsized and you’re looking for a way to get back on your feet by working for yourself. Maybe you’ve got an idea that you think you can turn into a great business. If so, you’re in very good company!

If you’re looking for help in getting your business off the ground you’ve come to the right place. As a member of the Virtual Incubator Network I have the resources to help you get your new business off the launching pad in just 12 short weeks. It’s a proven program with a solid track record of success that you can count on.

That’s important in today’s fast-changing world. You have to get off to a strong start to get out in front of the competition and stay ahead. But you can do it and it would be my privilege to lend a hand.

To learn more visit www.boomerbizstartup.com/