Success in Business

The view from the top! Image from guttz.com.sg

Success in Business

“Wealth is good when it brings joy to others.” ― Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman In The World

It’s what we all want – our business names up in lights, products marching out the door, profits soaring, happy customers, happy staff and regular holidays. Not every business operates this way. In fact, it’s more the exception that the rule. Success in business is not a given, it is always hard earned.

Without meaning to get too Biblical, a Wise Man said, a very long time ago:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” Matthew 7:24

Put simply, your business needs really solid foundations to enable it to withstand the forces of nature that are there to act against it, not only to withstand them, but to prosper despite them.

Looking again at nature, we see trees with deep roots withstand storms, floods and droughts, but trees growing in shallow soil get blown over in the same storm, washed away in that flood, or die of thirst in a drought, just because there is too little soil for decent foundations.

Nature’s blueprints are so powerful to use as an analogy when man is looking to create an enterprise. Leonardo looked at birds when creating his designs for winged flight and look at us now – our aeroplanes have wings! Look at a fighter jet – how much like a diving peregrine falcon is it? There are so many parallels in nature with man’s enterprises, and when it comes to success in business, we should do the same.

Lay solid foundations!

LAY SOLID FOUNDATIONS! Image from sladeresearch.com

How do you lay solid foundations for success in business?

The first step is planning. Before you do anything else, get the business concept and ideas clear. Write, scribble, brainstorm and explore the concept to the nth degree. Then take what you have discovered, critically appraise it and look for the core that you can turn into a success in business. There needs to be a product or service that a suitably large target market wants and is willing to purchase. Your business plan needs to show that for success in business, you can deliver what those target customers want, at a price they are happy with, and with the level of quality and service to ensure they keep coming back for more. Until your business plan can demonstrate this, success in business is only a pipe dream for you – keep working at it until the model is right.

How do you plan properly for success in business?

The Business Profits Program is one way of making sure that all your bases are covered, and that your foundations will be strong. The depth of information you need for a successful business plan, one that will give you those strong foundations, will be found when you work your way methodically through the Business Profits Program. Success in Business is established by having all the bases covered, having as few surprises as possible for your business launch, and contingency plans in place, and that is what will come from your working with the Business profits Program.

Why is success in business important?

Whilst this might seem like a silly question, there is a lot to it! Many businesses puddle along, barely making a profit, but keeping the business owner occupied and paying all their bills. Most of the time. It’s as though they were working for someone else – they don’t care – it’s just a job. And what about their customers? Just as enthusiastic. They come there because they have to, or it’s a habit, not because of the service or quality of the product. Therein lies the problem!

This world demands quality of service. Our exchange with the world, the price we pay for our existence here is that we have to earn it. Without a genuine contribution of focussed energy and effort, don’t expect too much back!

Of course, there ARE those that work incredibly hard and don’t seem to get anywhere. That’s true, especially when those dedicated people are pushing against the wrong door. Often that can be a sign that either the techniques they are using are not suited to what they are doing, or their hearts lie elsewhere, and not in their business.

How do you ensure that your heart IS in your business?

In the same way that an accountant would check your books, you do an audit. The Business Profits Program starts with finding your passion, and then finds your skill sets. Next, it marries them up in all the possible combinations you could have with them.

For example, if your heart was in cooking, you loved great food and seeing people eat well and enjoy your cooking, your passion could be found in knowing you helped people eat and enjoy great food. Your abilities were perhaps as a chef, and as a communicator and teacher, because you loved to spread the word. How can you marry these abilities to take your passion to the world, in a way that made business sense and profits for you, whilst ethically working in your area of passion?

A Passion for your Business? Image from bassendeanmeansbusiness.com.au

Here are some options:
1. Open your own restaurant. (Needs a lot of capital to begin with and a ‘shopfront’)
2. Write and market a cookbook.
3. Create a subscription video series on cooking tips
4. Become a cooking teacher at a school, or start your own cooking class
5. Become employed as a chef
6. Become a food critic
7. Study nutrition and healthy eating
8. Study nutrition and great chefs and design new and innovative dishes and food combinations to write (#2), teach (#3 & #4) or practice (#1 & #5)

Just because you loved cooking. There are many more options, but this shows that you don’t have to limit yourself to a narrow range of options in your specific field!

What if you were a trades person, say a carpenter, who was no longer able to work hands on in your industry? Similar options, possibly even wider choice here:
1. Sales of equipment or products in the industry
2. Teaching carpentry at a school or vocational course
3. Writing about carpentry topics, books and teaching manuals
4. Seminars on industry safety and training in workplace safety
5. Designing new tools and equipment
6. Designing new carpentry/cabinet making products and innovations
7. Research and development in the industry
8. Teaching tradespeople to go from being employees to business owners

The list goes on. Each of these options works with your passion, but can be a business in its own right, working with your resource levels, skills and abilities, tailored around your current situation. Look for that “Sweet Spot” in your life where what you are good at, what you enjoy and what people will pay you for all come together for you!

The Sweet Spot in your SPECIFIC Business! Image from jasonrpeters.com

How do you narrow success in business down to the specifics for you?

The Business Profits Program is the ideal tool to harness your passion and skills into a powerful business module and find your “Sweet Spot”. Download it and start with discovering your passion in life, and then learn how to apply your skills and resources to make your passion your business! Can you imagine how it will feel to be excited about getting out of bed each morning, to charge into a business that thrills you to be there, as well as making the profits and wealth you always dreamed of your way of life? This could be you!

Download the Business Profits Program now, and let’s get started.

If you know other people who either deserve or are seeking a life of passion through their businesses, please pass this message on – they can have it too!

Til next time, fair winds and full sails…

Ray Jamieson