Tag Archives: #entrepreneurship

How to Change Your Life – part 1

How to change your life

The time is now!                     Image from Wikihow

“What you’re missing is that the path itself changes you.” ― Julien Smith, The Flinch

How to Change Your Life

If you look at an old photo, you know you have changed. Some major changes, others more subtle, but you will have changed. Change will continue – that is part of being alive.

Consciously choosing major life change is different. Moving from what you know and are comfortable with, to something totally or markedly different can be daunting. However, a number of times in the life of every person, this happens.

There are three ways Life Change happens.

1. You can just let life drag you along and accept wherever you end up.

2. You can wait until life’s events force you into taking action, because you cannot remain where you are.

3. The third option, and the best, is to take charge of the change, guide and direct it to achieve exactly what you want from life. When you accept that life change will happen a number of times through life, you think differently about how important this change process is!

What are these Life Change events?

1. Starting school
2. Changing school
3. Graduating from school and entering the workforce
4. Entering and graduating university
5. Each significant relationship beginning (and possibly ending)
6. Marriage
7. Birth of children
8. Changes in residence, either from one home to another, or to a new town, state or country.
9. Health changes
10. Financial changes
11. Career changes
12. Starting a business
13. Retirement
14. Interests and personal goals taking prominence in your life
15. Setting new major goals

These are some of the events that precipitate life changes. We are all in there, a number of times.

How to change your life

Starting school!        Image from Huffington Post

Some changes we have little control over, such as starting or leaving school or university to enter the workforce, health or financial challenges, career changes when employers make decisions for you.

However, there are many changes we CAN take control and ownership of.  Many will pre-empt forced changes that might otherwise occur. For example, if your employer is in trouble financially, deciding to seek a new career early before you are laid off is a better option and one which gives you more time and control over the change, rather than waiting to be given notice! That only provides a fortnight and some severance pay to speed you on your way.

This blog is the first in a series on #HOW TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE and will provide a Step-By-Step guide to making life changes. Each new blog in the series will deal with and guide you through another part of the process. This first blog in the “How To Change Your Life” series is all about the decision to make the change, and your motivation for it.

“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

The motivation to change.

The first step is the realisation you have to make changes. This can be as a result of imposed change, or because you desire better and choose to change.

Your motivation for change is important, in the longer term results you achieve from the change process. If you desire something new or better from your life, that will attract the result of the change towards you far more than something which is just pushing you off your previous path.

If your employer is actually in trouble, you could see it as being forced to change, and go look for another similar job. That is called “AWAY” motivation, just getting away from something you don‘t like, or fear – unemployment in this case.

If you change your attitude towards it, you begin your job search early to look for a new career opportunity of your choosing, seeking the stability, financial rewards, personal challenge and satisfaction that actually makes going to work a pleasure! That is a much more attractive, powerful and inspirational motivator than just looking for any old job that is available.

Knowing what you want.

The next part of the process is in knowing exactly what you want. Without clarity, you can search aimlessly and perhaps miss the perfect opportunity, because you didn’t recognise it.

How do you know what you want?

When you are choosing a new life direction, choose one you are passionate about.

If you don’t know what your passion is, invest in the Business Profits Program.

This PDF download is a simple, powerful and effective planning tool that begins with finding your passion. From there you can build a career, your job, life or even a business if you choose, around that passion.

How to change your life

Passion! Image from “What a Feeling” by Irene Cara

First, find your passion.

“There is no passion to be found playing small–in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”  – Nelson Mandela

The tools in the Business Profits Program will identify what you love about your life, what you are good at, and where you can focus to create a life that you love, doing what you are great at, and where you will be rewarded for it!

If you know someone else who is motivated and wants to learn how to change your life, please tell them about this powerful series. Any period of change is a time when we can use all the support available.

Til next time, fair winds and full sails.
Ray Jamieson

Next time: Acting on your decision to change

“Success is a decision, not a gift.” ― Steve Backley

Related Posts:

Passion

Self Development – Why Bother

 

Success in Business

Success in Bsusiness

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!

Success in Business

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?

Success in Business

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!

Success in Business

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

Relevant Recent Blogs:

A lesson of Life for each of us

Those who can, must!

Perils of Small Business

Best Business Ideas for You

 

“If everything came easy in business everyone would have a business and be millionaires. It takes hard work, consistent effort and courage to keeping fighting the monster of failure.”  ― Delaine Robins

Success in Business

                Set your business on fire with the BUSINESS PROFITS PROGRAM!                       Image from ihatepresentations.com

Best Business Ideas for you

Best Business Ideas.

Best Business Ideas

Day 1 of Life 2!               Image from fffcpas.com

“Screw your career path, live your story.”  Jason Seiden

You would like to start a new business, but are not sure where to begin? So many people claiming to have or offering the ‘best business ideas’ for you. There are so many business opportunities, but either creating a business that suits you, or picking up an idea that could become your business can be a real challenge.

Get the idea wrong and you are a square peg in a round hole – a very bad fit.

Get it right and you are in harmony, and very often, in profit, with the best business ideas!

Getting your business ideas right is critical!

How do you select the best business ideas?

A great question to begin with, before you start looking around for a business, is to ask whether you should actually be in business! Are you an entrepreneur type personality, who can or would enjoy the cut and thrust of running your own solo enterprise, with far-reaching visions, energy and enthusiasm to drive you and a determination to succeed no matter what?

Perhaps you are a person who would work well within a team, conquering the business and corporate world together, each playing to the other’s strengths? You might love the business environment and the opportunities it presents, but would prefer to be part of a team when you tackle the world of business.

This is the crux of it: the best business ideas that suit one person are not the best business ideas that would suit another! Choosing your business approach must be based around your business personality, and knowing whether you are a solo entrepreneurial type or a corporate team player or partnership type is fundamental to the best business ideas turning into successful businesses!

As a first step, take the QUIZ on the Life Change 90 website “Should you be the boss in your own business?”

That will give you indications of how to approach your business venture, whatever it is. Then it is time to look through those best business ideas and choose your opportunity.

Best business ideas

Steve Jobs – the ultimate entrepreneur, founder of Apple.              Image from ndtv.com

Short of a starting point when looking for the best business ideas?

Choosing the best business ideas is important, and tailoring these best business ideas to your own style, personality, resource level and ambitions is critical. There is an old saying “Bite off more than you can chew, and chew like crazy!” (Quote from Joe Joyce)… That’s OK as far as a recipe for stress goes, but it doesn’t always auger well for success. Perhaps a personal audit of what you love to do and what you can do, and monetizing that idea is a better way to create the business you want, from all the best business ideas available.

The Business Profits Program begins right at this point, tailoring your business idea around your likes, loves and abilities. If you looked at a dozen small businesses, all the same type of business, perhaps using a mechanical repair business as an example, you would find every business was different in subtle ways to the other eleven. They began as successful business ideas and let’s face it, auto repairs is a great business to be in – provided you get a few things right, by tailoring it to the person doing the business!

One person may be a lover of American Muscle Cars and specialise in that area – the rumble of huge V8 engines and heavy metal. Another person loves high performance European sports cars, especially Italian cars, and creates a specialist workshop for them. Yet another person could love the hot-rod scene and turn vintage and veteran cars into flaming street hot rods. And there will always be a need for someone to service the family car, for the other folks that just go to work each day and use their cars as personal transport rather than as symbols of a youth that they cannot leave behind. All are very successful business ideas, but each is tailored around the personal likes, loves and resources of the business operator. And that is how you must consider your best business ideas too. They are only ever successful business ideas when they are integrated with the personal interests and passions of the operator.

Best business ideas

American Muscle Cars – a passion for some.                    Image from Autocity.com

Whether you have an idea for a new business, or are actively seeking the best business ideas, it will be well worth your while to look at the Business Profits Program, to put into the worksheet what you have and what you want to create, and see what new and potentially very successful business ideas come up for you. The program looks at what you like to do, or be, what you are good at and what your resources and strengths are, before showing you how to work through them to combine them into one of the successful business ideas you always desired, but were not sure how to create. It’s a powerful start.

Once you have the idea, the next thing is to start designing it around where you really want to go with it, and that will be the subject of a future blog. For now, check out the Business Profits Program and choose from amongst the best business ideas out there, to design your next career move around!

If you know other people either in business, or wishing they were, who might like to review their business ideas or are looking for the best business ideas, send this to them. They will thank you for it!

Til next time, fair winds and full sails.

Ray Jamieson

Love everyone, trust a few, and paddle your own canoe.  Barry Moltz

Other related blogs from Life Change 90:

Life Change 90 Relaunch

RISK

Empowerment through Challenge

Starting a small business

Starting a small business

Amazing Garden – courtesy of gardeninfluence.com

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Starting a small business

Starting a small business has much in common with starting a garden.

Starting a small business

Window Box Garden – courtesy of deborahsilver.com

A garden can be as small as a window box of herbs or colourful flowers, or acres of magnificence such as featured in some of the famous gardens of the world. Louis IV for example. Many acres of magnificent gardens, breathtaking in scope and features, a delight to experience and home to so much life and enterprise.

Starting a small business

Gardens of the Palace of Versailles, in France. This was NO ACCIDENT!        Courtesy of rothseye.org

However, these gardens both have much in common with starting a small business.

Each began with an idea, an inspiration. Someone, at some time, had to have the idea and inspiration to create either the small business, or the garden. Without that initial inspiration, neither is possible.

Starting a small business

What an idea! – image from shopigniter.com

“Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all is a form of planning.” ― Gloria Steinem

In some cases, some people just bought seeds and scattered them. Some people just opened the doors on a business and hoped for the best. Both these strategies grow weeds, and soon fail.

Starting a small business

WEEDS!                   Image from hillconsulting.com

Starting a small business successfully requires the same strategy as starting a garden; you need a plan to work to. The best gardens, like the most successful small businesses, saw life through a very clear plan.

Not every garden was planned initially to look like the final completed picture, just as small businesses grow and evolve into their ultimate operation. Over time, the conditions and circumstances of the garden change, just as the small business environment you work in changes. Both must evolve, adapt and change with the times, so they can not only survive, but thrive!

Gardens are living, breathing organisms, teeming with life and activity. So are the most successful small business. Let’s look at what they have in common.

The initial plan is crucial.

Gardens have a creator. Someone had to start them off, create the idea and concept, mark out the seedbeds and plant the first seed. Someone also had to start the business, have the idea and stock the shelves.

Gardens need the right environment and location, soils and climate. With businesses, you must be where you can make sales and service your clients. Location is everything, whether a home based internet business, a corner store or a major retail outlet or service centre. Your location is just as critical because in the wrong location, all you get for either is a surfeit of weeds.

The climate? The business climate is just as important as the temperature and rainfall expectations for your plants. Some like it hot, others will die there – get it right. The business climate must be right for the business you are operating in that environment. Snowboards don’t sell well on the beachfront!

Choice of soils – just like the foundations of the business – crucial. Are your soils shallow and stony, or rich and deep? What is the foundation of your business? The marketability of your concept and the strategy for implementing it. Fundamentals for each enterprise.

Gardens need supplies of nutrients and water as their life flow. Fertiliser, water at the right time and volume, pruning, harvesting and weeding. Just as businesses do. Marketing, promotions, advertising, management strategy and ongoing training for everyone. Staff numbers and training need to be managed for efficient operation also.

Starting a small business is so much like gardening. You even need bees! Gardens need bees to pollinate flowers, to ensure the survival of the plants in the garden season after season. In starting a small business, you need to ensure you have access to bees also – both worker bees for your internal team and customer bees to ensure that the fruits of your labours multiply as profits, to ensure you are back next season also.

Starting a small business

Busy little bees! – Image from care2.com

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”  ― Abraham Lincoln

There is so much in common with both starting a small business and starting a garden, and knowing this we can plan for success in both, with the crossover of common sense and knowledge required for either enterprise.

Back to the beginning. Neither your garden, nor your business idea have a snowball’s chance in hell of success without their creator knowing and understanding what they are starting, and have a plan for its success. Whether you create your own plan, or get a landscape gardener or an accountant to do it for you, there must be a plan. The great benefit of creating it yourself when starting a small business is that you will get much closer to what you want, what you dreamed of and what you are passionate about.

The challenge is filling in the technical bits, to make sure your plan is complete.

Small business creation and planning is now very easy.

The Business Profits Program provides all the tools you need for starting a small business plan, and much more. It takes your original idea, or prompts you to create one if necessary, locates your resources, skills and capital, then shows you how to combine them into a business model. It asks you how you will define your business, identify your target market, finance your enterprise, produce goods or services, market them to the intended clients and launch your business with a degree of success that even your accountant would be happy to achieve.

However, it doesn’t help with planning a garden. Unless you want to make a business out of your garden. Then it could become the most valuable tool in your garden!

The Business Profits Program: it takes what you already know and have, and turns it into an exciting and profitable business!

It provides the foundations for starting and operating a business, successfully. Take a look – you’ll be glad you did!

If you know some other folks who are either in business or thinking of starting one, please send this article to them. They will thank you, I’m sure.

Til next time, fair winds and full sails.

Ray Jamieson

“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”  ― Warren Buffett

Other related blogs from Life Change 90:

Life Change 90 Relaunch

RISK

Empowerment through Challenge

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