If you are looking to become that next successful entrepreneur, consider what other entrepreneurs have found as they worked through their transformation into a successful business person. Not every entrepreneur has used all of the following ideas, but most will acknowledge their importance in getting to where you would like to be in business.

Set goals

This idea may sound a bit obvious but it is ignored quite often in the excitement of getting a business started. You need to have an idea of where you would like to end-up with your business idea. In this way, you can begin to set intermediate goals that will get you to the end goal. Your intermediate goals may start with a daily task list that ends with the successful completion of a more prominent goal a few weeks down the road. As these intermediate goal successes pile up your ultimate goal is one step closer. Baby steps are the words here.

Know your market

Education is power can be taken to heart in building a business. You are sure to attract and recruit good people along the way, but you still need to have a good idea about how things in the market you are tapping work and why. Take classes, talk to others in the field and fall down a few times on your own so you learn the "hard way."

Look through the clutter for good ideas

One of the skills that you will need to learn is how to sift through all the clutter that you will inevitably run into during your busy days. Some people just have the knacks of sorting through the static, but starting out, keep your baby steps in mind and what is needed to meet them. If the clutter is getting in the way of achieving that baby step ignore it, but keep it in mind for future reference.

Build relationships and tap the pain

If people are not helping you along your path they are potential sales. Understanding why these people want to buy your product or service is critical (how will this product make a persons life easier or better?) What pain drives them to need the product or service you are offering? Developing a pain list is a real priority even before you get going.

Taking a leap of faith

When it comes right down to it, you are going to need a bottle of aspirin. At some point every entrepreneur needs to be able to step off the edge and go-for-it. In some instances this may entail money commitment, in others time commitment. At some point all successful business people make that fatal decision of "all or nothing."

Spend wisely

Making the "all or nothing" leap of faith does not mean that successful business people are foolish with their hard earned capital. Every successful entrepreneur has a different perception of how to go about allocating capital, but all indicate that money is not water. If a large capital expenditure is needed they say that they are prepared to make it, but only after prudent research.

Reinvest in yourself

As business begins to take off most successful business people indicate that putting profits back into the business before paying yourself a kings ransom is the way to go. You want to make sure to pay yourself but make sure you pay the company until a fairly stable financial structure has been formed. After this has been achieved, pay yourself a bit better understanding that expansion of the business will also take capital.

Passion, focus and sticking at it

Belief goes a very long way in starting a new business. If you believe in your ideas others will tend to follow. Passion will sustain you as well, during those dark times when more things then you would like aren't going well. Unless you are extremely lucky, the process of getting a business off the ground is tough so you need to be able to stick with it.

Use smart people

Every single successful person in the world today will tell you that having smart people around you is the only way to go when starting and maintaining a new business. In most cases, these same people will also indicate that the people around them are smarter then they are. Remember also that this idea works all along the manufacturing and management spectrum. A shipping clerk will undoubtedly have a few good ideas that you had never thought of. Hiring wisely and being able to listen to those you are paying is a good idea.

Recognize the perception of the customer

Being able to understand the customer is a very important part of starting a new business. You are, after all, selling to them. If you do not recognize their needs how are you to sell to them? Once you recognize these needs working at communicating at their level is important. This takes time, but it is a necessity.

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Take The Entrepreneurial Challenge:

Have you ever wondered if you would make a great entrepreneur? If so, then I want you to take the Entrepreneurial Challenge. In this test you will discover the characteristic that entrepreneurs have that make us successful in life, and remember that most of us started out by just recognizing that we where different or desired a change from the normal boring and unstable lives that we were living.

Take the challenge, but I am warning you if you rank 90-100% on this test and discover that you are a born entrepreneur, you will never be the same again. This awareness of your true calling will change your life forever, and until you do something about it you will crave entrepreneurial freedom even if it is the last thing you do!

Complete The Entrepreneurial Challenge At Your Own Risk

1. Yes or No.

Are you a self starter?

1. Yes or No.

Do you enjoy the feeling of success?

1. Yes or No.

Can you lead others on subjects that you know well?

1. Yes or No.

Can you take charge and be the person who always gets things done?

1. Yes or No.

Do you feel that you are not being challenged enough and/or that you have more to offer?

6. Yes or No.

Do you always wonder if there is more to life than your job, and/or cannot see yourself working as an employee forever?

7. Yes or No.

Do you ever wish that you had more money to spend and/or want to live a better lifestyle?

8. Yes or No.

Can you finish what you have started if you are passionate about the things that you are doing?

9. Yes or No.

Are you a person of your word, and always follow through with what you commit to?

10. Yes or No.

Are you ready for a change and sick and tired of making other people wealthy?

Add up the number of Yes answers in the Entrepreneurial Challenge.

If you have scored less than 5, you are not quite ready to move forward and need some more time to discover your desires.

If you have scored between 6 and 8, but answered Yes on question 10, then you are ready to move forward slowly with proper guidance.

If you have scored 9 or higher than you are ready right now to change your life, get educated on the opportunities that are out there for you, and swiftly begin transforming into an entrepreneur.

Remember that being an entrepreneur is only a decision of character for someone who wants a better life.

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All over the Internet there are entrepreneurs looking to make riches with their own business. While there is tremendous potential to have success online, it is not the type of industry that everyone can succeed with. Here are five qualities of a good entrepreneur.

1. Determination
Running an online business is certainly more difficult than most people understand. Many believe they can get online and start making money instantly. While there are some opportunities that give you the chance to make a few bucks here and there instantly, it takes a great deal of effort and determination to actually start a career online. You have to be willing to devote your time and energy toward the business.

2. Focus
One of the most difficult things to get used to as an Internet newbie is the endless amount of freedom you are given. You have no one to tell you what to do, when to do it by or how to do it. It is up to you to remain focused and put aside the countless distractions you will face from working at home.

3. Excitement
Next on the list for qualities of a good entrepreneur is excitement. The wonderful thing about the Internet is you get to do something you have an interest in and enjoy. Therefore, show it in how you run your business. People are much more willing to listen to you and pursue your business if they see how excited you really are to be running it.

4. Eagerness
Part of determination is being eager to succeed. You have to want to make money online in order to actually succeed. Be willing to do anything and everything you can to generate that first sell and reach your goals. The more eager you are, the harder you will find yourself working to achieve your goals.

5. Patience
When first starting out, there is nothing more difficult than investing a great deal of time and seeing little results. What you have to understand is that it takes time to generate traffic. It takes time to create that first sell. And it certainly takes time to create a regular flow of traffic and customers. Whatever you do, do not give up just because you are not rich after the first month. You have to be patient.

When it comes to having success on the Internet, these are a few qualities of a good entrepreneur. Not everyone has what it takes to make money online and get rich; in fact, not even half of those who try actually succeed. If you want to make it in the Internet industry, you have to possess the true qualities of an Internet marketer.

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Like others in the upper echelons of Internet marketing and affiliate marketing, I'm asked one question by Internet marketing and affiliate marketing 'newbies' more often than any other:

"I can't seem to make money online - What am I doing wrong?"

When my Internet marketing mentoring students ask me that, I can give them a detailed breakdown specific to their online operations - but they're paying top dollars for my time investment, and I only mentor those who already have a viable presence online. So what about those new to Internet marketing - what advice can we offer them?

Time constraints prevent anyone from checking into the current operations of everyone starting out in Internet marketing, and after 11 years of being online full time it's easy to forget how frustrating even the simplest of Internet marketing activities can be to the neophyte.

So in response I put together this list of '21 Internet Marketing Success Steps' to try and help guide both those new to Internet marketing and those with some Internet marketing experience who find their online marketing profits stalled or declining.

Pretty much ALL Internet Marketing success breaks down very similar to:

Basics:

1) Choose affiliate or your own products;
2) Build some type of web presence for it;
3) Get targeted eyeballs to that page or blog post;
4) Start building your list from those targeted visitors;
5) Use every free method to bring more people to the site;
6) Use your list to bring people back to the site and to new sites;

Intermediate:

7) Add related backend offers to your site;
8) Set up an affiliate program and get others pushing your site;
9) Put about 30% of what's coming in back into getting more visitors;
10) Participate in giveaways to build your list and visitor numbers;
11) Find related products for new sites and do 1 - 10 with them too;
12) Attend live IM events, for knowledge but mostly for networking;
13) Convert related PLR resources to unique products to put online;

Advanced:

14) Set up a backend linking all your sites together & automate the processes;
15) Build e-mail e-courses to make available in each niche/area you cover;
16) Outsource much of your visitor acquisition;
17) Do Joint Ventures with other advanced Internet Marketers;
18) Outsource your product creation;
19) Evaluate and improve your automated backend efforts;
20) Speak at industry events & seminars;
21) Give back - mentor others to help them achieve their dreams.

For most people starting out it's safe to assume the following as averages other Internet marketing newbies have achieved...

First sale: 2 - 6 months.
First steady trickle of sales: 4 - 12 months.
Full Time Earnings: 2 - 5 years.

Those Internet marketing timelines can be influenced up or down by the amount of time and money you can put in, your background experience, your focus, and mostly by the amount of concentrated, continual effort you put into following your plan in a tightly-focused manner.

The 3 Biggest Biz-Killers...

1) Lack of focus (too many different, unrelated activities).
2) Giving up too soon (lack of perseverance).
3) Half-hearted effort (It takes a lot of time and/or a lot of money - you have to be willing to invest one or the other (or both) on a constant basis for the first few years at least. Everyone I've met at our level or above has a passionate commitment to their Internet marketing business.)

Do an honest appraisal of your Internet marketing efforts to date. Are you following the above steps in order, or jumping around? Starting at #1, how far into the list can you go, confident you're performing that task diligently?

Re-evaluate your plans based on what that tells you, and use that current limitation as the guide to what you need to learn more about, to focus on more, to put more effort into - and to eliminate anything else you're doing that is straining your focus and your money and time constraints.

Decide what your goals are online. A few extra bucks? A steady inflow to help with the mortgage or to get a new car or a cottage? Enough to do this full time? Or sustaining a level that lets you achieve all your dreams and desires?

Each level is being achieved right now by people online - just know which you're after so you can gauge the amount of time and effort you have to commit to your desired level of Internet marketing success.

Don't be swayed by stories of meteorical rises online - while they do happen, they're extremely rare. Usually they don't make all the details public - I know a lot of 'overnight successes' who spent 3-5 or more years in the trenches first - just no one knows that. And others who put 6 or 7 figures into their Internet marketing businesses before you first heard of them.

And watch out for people who had one or two big launches 3, 5 or 10 years ago and are still teaching that same system - Internet marketing practices change too quickly and too drastically for that info to still be accurate. When evaluating advice you get on Internet marketing, always think to yourself:

"Yes, but what have they done lately?"

If the answer is 'nothing new in the last 6 months', take the advice with a grain of salt and stay focused on your own path, only using the bits from it that fit in with your own Internet marketing strategy.

After all, only YOU know where YOUR biz is right now, and what YOUR end goals are, right?

The best advice I've seen in this biz is to focus on making your first buck. Not a lot, just your first buck. Achieving that shows it can be done. Then focus on making one more. That shows it wasn't a fluke - it can be repeated over and over successfully.

That eliminates one of the biggest stumbling blocks to building your own Internet marketing business by showing that a) it can be done, and b) YOU can do it. Then just use the 21 Internet marketing Success Steps above to build your business by continually repeating that process in larger volume for larger returns, and you're on your way!

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We've all seen the figures. Right now in our country we're facing a 10.2% unemployment rate. That number speaks volumes. What happens when income that you had coming in every week suddenly stops? Sure, we all know we should have saved for such an event, but many Americans are barely getting by. And experts say that the 10.2% is really just the icing on the cake. Many more have faced having their hours cut, having to take more days off, etc. So, what are your options? Can working from home somehow help?

First, consider if this is the time to start a home-based business. Perhaps you have been thinking about this for a while and just never had the opportunity. God might just be opening the door for you and telling you the time is right. Explore the options available to you. Remember the key to success: Match your skills, experience and passion with a business that allows you to use these. Do something that you enjoy doing and feel that you can be good at.

Second, think through what can you do to earn a second income. Take into consideration the things that you already have work experience or skills in. What hobbies do you enjoy? Can one of them be turned into a business? For example, look into virtual assisting. If you excel at administrative tasks, web design, bookkeeping, publicity, social networking, etc., this could be a fabulous business for you or a great second income.

Third, honestly evaluate your situation. Make a plan that allows you to work during the time you have available. If you still need to be searching for full-time employment, build that into your schedule. Think through the hours that you will have available each day. If you have small children at home you will need to decide if you will work around their schedule or try to find someone to help care for them. If your children are school-age try to make the most of the hours they are away from home.

Fourth, make task lists for each day or week and work through them to help keep you on track. Distractions abound when you work from home. You will need to be self-motivated and a self-starter. With no boss to keep you accountable and no one to assign tasks, it will all be up to you. For many this spells freedom, but for others it's a struggle. It may help to find some way to reward yourself at the end of the day for a job well done.

All of these options can be useful when trying to build an income from home or begin a home-based businesses. Consider ideas that you have quickly discounted in the past. How about direct sales? Especially with the holidays approaching consider contacting some companies and seeing what they offer. How about an online shop? Remember, this can just be a temporary thing. Yes, you might have to work harder now, but the peace of mind of paying the bills will far outweigh having to put in those extra hours.

Take heart. The unemployment rate will get better and soon be a distant memory. But in the meantime, hopefully these tips will help you make extra money for you and your family.

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As a business owner, I know how frustrating it can be to have a strong desire to run your own successful business, but not know where to start. You might have a picture in your head of working at home on your own schedule and not working the usual nine-to-five like most other Americans. But how do you get there? How can you start a company which will provide enough income where you can quit your current job and focus on your own company? While there is not a simple answer to any of these questions, provided in this article are ideas which can help you think of ideas for a successful business.

The first idea is to look at products around you and think about if any of them can be improved. For example, many people have made millions of dollars by improving every day items which most people do not pay much attention to. For example, look at your common desk items such as scissors, pencils and pens, and the computer mouse. I never thought scissors and pencils could really be improved upon their current designs, but recently I have seen scissors which fit into the palm of your hand and pencils which have finger grips and shapes which mold into the palm of the hand to make writing and cutting paper easier. Computer mice have also undergone much development since their introduction decades ago. Originally mice were just rounded pieces of plastic with an annoying cord attached. Now, mice have shapes which fit nicely into the underside of your hand with rubber grips and use wireless USB ports to eliminate the use of cords. Take a look around; maybe your cooking utensils or your remote controls are not designed with ergonomics in mind.

Another way to start a company is to look at a successful product on the market and create your own version of it. There are thousands of products that are highly profitable and control a large portion of the market, but there is always room for another competitor. Take candles for example, maybe there is a company which is responsible for twenty percent of the market’s sales of candles. Twenty percent could mean that the company sells ten million candles a year. If you have an idea for a different type of candle or even a candle which comes in a unique container, then you could still produce it and make money. If you only sell 10,000 candles a year, then you can still make a nice profit. You may not be able to quit your day job, but you can legitimately say that you have your own successful business. Maybe you only control 0.5 percent of the market, but you are starting to make a name for your company and making money too. Plus, if the larger company notices that you are making a name, maybe they will make an offer to buy your company! The possibilities are limitless.

A third way to start your own business, and perhaps the most interesting, is to think of a way in which your life is lacking, and fix it. To clarify, think of something annoying or difficult in your life that you wish could be different. Maybe you dislike how your universal remote control is extremely confusing or how you can never see where your key inserts into your car door when it is dark outside. If you see these situations as problematic, then you can be assured that thousands if not millions of other people are in the same situation. If everyone is experiencing the problem and there is no current solution available, then you should get to work on it. Try making a remote with the fewest number of buttons possible that people old and young can use. Or create a key with a push button light built into the side so you can see where to put the key late at night. There are millions of simple problems that have simple solutions; all you need to do is think about how your life could be better and you could make millions in the process.

While there are numerous ways to make large sums of money, it is up to you to be creative and do something no one else has done before. Whether you improve on a current product, create a product similar to an existing one, or think of a product to improve your life and lives across the world, there are tons of possibilities waiting on you. If you turn on your television sometime and watch a money channel, chances are you will see success stories of ordinary people who have become millionaires by creating and selling silly products. If these people can make millions off selling such ridiculous products which there was no market for before, then you can too. It does not take overwhelming brains to make tons of money; it just takes a good idea and the desire to never quit until you find success.

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If you brought ten entrepreneurs together to ask them to make a list of the five most important traits of a successful entrepreneur they would probably finish up with eleven lists. Entrepreneurs don’t like predictability and arriving at simplistic answers. However, if you read each of those eleven lists, I think you would find the following traits on a lot of those lists.

1. Vision
One of the first attributes of all successful entrepreneurs is having a clear vision. The evidence of that is easy to see from the most successful companies – Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway, Johnson and Johnson, and so it goes on. If you’re an existing entrepreneur, what made you start the journey of being a business owner? Make sure you haven’t moved away from that. If you have, find it again and re-focus your long term goals.

2. Plan
When was the last time you revisited your business plan, sales and marketing plan, communication plan and productivity plan. Too many plans? Most businesses take seven to 10 years to be “successful.” Success is not an overnight event. It may arrive quickly but it may arrive quickly because of the blood, sweat and tears it took to get there.

3. Keep it real
… and in perspective. It’s not your imagination that sales are down, customers don’t seem as happy as they used to be, employees are worried but as an entrepreneur “keep it real” till the dust settles and you can get back to it.

4. People
I would suggest that no entrepreneur has been successful on their own. It would be equally true, that all successful entrepreneurs developed to a very high degree, the ability to communicate and inspire a team that they led. I would suggest this is even truer today because of the many layers to running a successful business. The many layers of legal, accounting, sales, marketing and technology prevent one person from doing them all. However, they do not prevent one person from hiring the brightest and best and building them into a powerful team.

5. No is a word – not a destination
Keep looking for people to buy your product or service. In a challenged economy they will be less and you are going to have to ask more people to get a yes. That’s what sales is all about so keep selling.

And probably the one trait you will see on all the lists is – never give up.

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The economy is in bad shape at the moment. Unemployment is up, the stock market is down and the financial credit crisis and housing markets are in turmoil.

Now the good news.

There are a few different ways for you to make money and the best part about it is that you won't have to do much after the initial set up. This type of income is called passive income. or residual income.

What is passive income? It's income that you earn without have to do anything, or a limited amount, once the initial work is done. It's your money working for you instead of the other way around. Most people think of passive income as in the stock market with your money growing over time without you really doing anything. Interest on any bank accounts or investment vehicle is also considered passive income.

Another type of passive income is owning and operating vending machines. Granted, there is some involvement from you in regards to reloading the machines, but basically you don't have to be involved to have someone buy merchandise and make money from the sale.

Many people looking for passive income are looking toward the internet for ideas. The internet has become such a money maker for so many people. John Chow, Darren Rowse and Courtney Tuttle are just a few that have made their living from passive income in the form of the internet. Building a website around a particular theme where you can get a steady flow of traffic from, can attract companies to advertise on your site. Amazon.com has an affiliate program that you can add on to your site where you can make passive income.

One of the best ways that I've been able to make an income from is real estate. My wife and I have bought several rental properties at a great price that have been bringing in income since day one. At this time we are looking for some more great deals since the housing market has been beaten up and the prices have come down so much more. With a lot of people losing their homes to foreclosure, the need for rental properties have hit an unbelievable level.

So if you're one of the many that are struggling to make ends meet and are not able to get another job or even a decent raise, then you might want to think about passive income.

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Starting the Smartphone and 3G

Smartphones were introduced just a few years ago, and are now considered as a staple device in 3G among individuals from all over the globe. There are several features and applications that you have to know about to invest in the right product. There are so many gadgets now available in stores and web sites. Prices will vary depending on the brand, tools and manufacturer. Here are more details about the smartphone.

Describing the Phone,.. Read more @ http://www.3giphone-aps.com

A smartphone is a mobile phone unit that provides advanced and modern capabilities, usually with PC-like functions. The smartphone has no industry standard definition. For a number of people, a smartphone is a cellular unit that operates a full operating system software, giving a standard platform and interface for developers of applications.

For other people, a smartphone is just a regular cellular phone with very modern features such as the internet, email and ebook reader capacities. There are also other features such as external USB keyboard, a built-in full keyboard and VGA connector. It is simply a small computer with a 3G phone capacity. The rest of the mobile phone market has been outgrown by smartphones. These gadgets have big screens, open operating systems, powerful processors and abundant memories.

Agreements in the Industry

There is truly no real meaning or definition of the smartphone in the industry. The descriptions have changed significantly over time. Smartphones according to a number of experts are a lot different from regular mobile units in a couple of basic ways, namely what these can do and how these are built. Other meanings apply various stresses on the two factors.

As far as smartphones are concerned, it is only a matter of evolving from one phone to the most recent. The real device at a certain period may even become smaller in size, thereby losing its essence or being as a phone. The device might be referred to as integrated. The device may be considered as invisible as possible between the things the consumer has and what he or she wants to do.

The Operating System

A lot of devices that consider smartphones at present use a very identifiable operating system, usually with the capacity to add applications for the purposes of entertainment, enhanced data processing and connectivity. These are significantly better compared to regular phones that only support starter applications such as Java games. The 3G smartphone applications may be enhanced by the creators of the tool, via the network operator or by other software developers from the third party, because the operating system is open.

On the Features @ http://www.3giphone-aps.com

In the case of features, a lot of smartphones back up full featured email capacities having the functionality of a full personal organizer. Other functionalities may involve an added interface like a small QWERTY keyboard, a built-in camera, a D-pad or touch screen, an accelerometer, contact management, the capacity to read business documents in different formats like Microsoft Office and PDF, a touch screen or a D-pad, media software for playing music, viewing video clips and photos, internet browsers and even just safe access to company mail.

A basic feature among many 3G smartphones is a contact list with the ability to keep as many contacts as possible that the memory permits, compared to standard phones with a limit to the highest number of contacts that can be kept.

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If you are about to start off in business you will have no doubt heard these comments:

“So many businesses fail. Why are you doing this?”

“I hear that you need a large amount of money to get a business off the ground these days.”

“Why are you throwing away the security of your job?”

These, and more of the same, are typical of the barriers that so called friends and advisors, put in your way if you are thinking of starting a business. These barriers are built on the back of myths about the pitfalls and challenges which surround running your own business.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some of these myths and reveal them to be exactly that … just myths! Don’t get me wrong, being an entrepreneur can be tough and there are hurdles to cross, but let’s bring some common sense into the debate!

You Don’t Have a Personal Life

Yes you will! It can be hard juggling the responsibilities of running your own business and spending time with the family, but at the end of the day, you are going to have far more flexibility with your personal life, than any employee will ever have. The real issue is, do you have the time management and planning skills to get things done, thereby allowing you time to spend with your family.

You Have To Be Cunning and Ruthless To Be a Successful Entrepreneur

Ok, it may help you in the short term but this is not a sound, long term strategy. To be a successful entrepreneur you need to build relationships with both customers and suppliers who will stick by you during the rough times. Being ruthless over pricing may get you one or two good deals but you are unlikely to build a lasting and profitable relationship. Your aim should be to strike a balance between what you want and what your customer or supplier wants.

You Won’t Have To Work As Hard

Your current job may be stressful and subject you to long hours. The idea of running your own business is appealing because you can slow down and take life at your own pace. To a degree this is true but there’s no getting away from the fact that it will be hard work. Most small businesses don’t achieve profitability until year 3 and so it’s a long slog. Remember, if was easy, everyone would be doing it!

What does make the difference though, is that you are finally doing something you love and so the hours and the struggles don’t seem like hard work at all. So perhaps this myth may be true after all!

You Have To Have an Original Idea

No you don’t. Most businesses are built around a central idea. The difference is usually how it’s delivered. The core products of all fast food places are the same, as are clothes shops, newsagents etc. You can make a decent living effectively copying someone else’s idea but done in a slightly different way. Don’t be put off by the doomsayers who will gleefully point out that “it’s been done before”. Your response should be, ‘Great! That shows the idea works!”

You Will Be Your Own Boss

No way! There’s only one boss in your new business … the customer. They are essential to your success. When you were working for that large, faceless Corporation, the loss of the odd client wasn’t that big a deal - plenty more where they came from.

In your new world you have to do whatever it takes to keep your customers and keep them happy. The customer is the one who calls the tunes. You have to listen and take note, before someone else does. However, at the end of the day, when all their demands are met, then perhaps you can have some time to yourself and enjoy the pleasures of being your own boss after all!

You Need A lot Of Money To Get a Business Off The Ground

Some businesses do need a fair bit of cash to get moving but there are many areas you can go into without the need to invest in a large amount of stock, machinery or equipment. The low-capital businesses involve the use of three very cheap commodities – your brain power, your knowledge and your time.

A business where you sell your expertise, not actual goods, to other people can be cheaply set up and carry high profit margins. All you may need is a PC, a desk and a telephone line. What’s stopping you?

You Only Have To Do What You Want To Do

Unfortunately this myth is wrong. We all have areas or skills in which we excel and it’s this expertise which usually forms the basis of your business. Your dedication to paperwork, bank statements and the VAT man may not be that high, but branching out on your own doesn’t mean you have the choice to avoid these terrible tasks.

Whilst you were able to do this when you were sitting in the big corporate office, you can no longer hide. These tasks have to be done otherwise the deck of cards can start to collapse.

If you do have serious misgivings on certain areas, marketing for example, then consider taking a course to improve your skills. If it’s something you seriously can’t do, then go and find someone to do it for you – don’t hope it will go away because it won’t.

You will have seen that some of the myths not being true is good news and others not so good news! Be sensible in considering the myths which are thrown at you. See it for what they are - comments from people who don’t know what they are talking about!

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If you have entrepreneurial dreams, a business model, and a plan for growth, but you have just started at getting your business of the ground, it can be very intimidating to get your first customers or clients. You may have all kinds of self-doubt questions, but if you believe in your mind that you are successful, you will be. Read on to find out how you can fake it until you make it.

Now, before we go any further, I want to be clear that I am not advocating lying for any reason. I am not saying that you should fleece your customers into believing something that you are not, but you don't always have to reveal the whole truth either. Confidence goes a long way in these new situations. When you are working with your first few clients, NEVER let on that this is your first sale. If you have to practice your speech a thousand times in the mirror before you hit the pavement then do it.

The look of your business is critical as well. It needs to look like the level of the other professionals in your arena. If you have a home-made business image and the customer expects a professional, then you are in trouble. Of course you will make mistakes. If you cannot answer the client's question at that moment, tell them you will find out and then follow up with them. This second follow up will also give you the benefit of an additional contact with the client.

Act as if you are already successful. If the client asks about previous customers tell them that you have a privacy policy where you don't discuss the dealings of another customer with anyone else. Whatever it takes to help them understand that you are a professional and you are serious. Don't just walk in the business and say "thank you so much, you are my very first customer." This is almost a guarantee that they will not do business with you. Be sure of yourself. Imagine in your head that this is the 450th business encounter that you have had.

If you act confident enough and you act as if you know what you are doing, then the customer will believe you. They will probably be relieved that you know more than they do, so you can solve their problem. People like to believe what they want to believe and if they see a successful, confident person come in the room they will just assume that your business is in the same shape.

Joshua Black is an on-line infopreneur, marketing consultant, small business owner and copywriter dedicated to helping the bootstrapping small business owner succeed.

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Action creates opportunities. Have you ever noticed how those who get on in this world, those who seem to fall into the best opportunities, those who always seem to be in the right place at the right time - they are usually the same people who take action? They are not just dreamers, talkers, "wannabies", or observers - they are the movers and shakers and achievers who MAKE THINGS HAPPEN!

They are the entrepreneurs; people who seek out opportunities. They are inquisitive, inquiring, always searching for positive ideas.

The dictionary definition of an entrepreneur implies some form of "daring" activity, but in reality, most successful entrepreneurs prefer to avoid risks. They like to reduce, eliminate, or at least control the risks in any business undertaking. They plan thoughtfully, taking carefully calculated risks as and when required.

Few entrepreneurs would regard themselves as "risk takers." To them -well, they are just doing the obvious. They have the vision, clarity and conviction to take on new challenges. If success means getting involved with unproven ventures or dramatically changing the way things are done - the true entrepreneur will just get on with it and do it.

If they are to succeed, successful entrepreneurs do what is required, and what to them, seems logical. They have done their homework and know they can succeed even if the task is harder than they thought. Results will not necessarily happen over night and successful entrepreneurs will not always expect them to.

The true entrepreneur has the attitude of - it can work, it will work, we can make it work! They have the strength and commitment to overcome obstacles and turn their vision a reality.

Yes, entrepreneurs do take risks, but they are not usually half-witted or stupid. The difference is - successful entrepreneurs think through the possible outcomes and prepare to deal with problems and risks as they happen. They are persistent and work hard to ensure a positive result every time. These people bring about their own good fortune.

To most entrepreneurs, change means opportunity. Change is inevitable and so the entrepreneur accepts it and get on with it.

To others, change of any kind may seem unnecessary and risky. Most people do not like uncertainty and volatility. They do not like it when someone "rocks the boat" and forces them to think, or do, things differently. It is human nature - we are happy in our comfort zone. We often do not understand why such changes are necessary and so we resist, or avoid, the unfamiliar. We have all done it.

Perhaps that is why there is still a bit of a stigma associated with the word 'entrepreneur.' Ask people in a street what the word entrepreneur means to them and you may get answers like "a bold risk taker", or "a ruthless business person who sets out on their own with the hope of striking it rich." Some people will associate the term with nothing more than "gambling." Others may see an entrepreneur, as someone who has enormous debt, hires lots of employees and constantly burns the midnight oil.

Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!

Entrepreneurship is simply the art and science of starting and managing your own profit-motivated business venture. It is an important and dynamic force in the world economy. Yet oddly enough, it is not generally taught in schools. Since entrepreneurship does not involve working for someone else, it is usually not looked upon as a career option. What a shame!

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One of the most important steps in starting up a business is the incorporation process. Your corporation as an entity receives its legitimacy from the state you incorporate in. The most obvious advantage in forming a corporation is that it shields its owners from personal liability. It guarantees that if something goes wrong in the business, the owners won't be wiped out personally.

There are several options when it comes to incorporating your new business. You will need to know your business objectives in order to determine which one is right for you. Many entrepreneurs rush into this process, incorporate with the least appropriate entity and then regret it later. By reading this guide, you are avoiding this common pitfall.

One reason people do not incorporate is that in order to do so, you must file paperwork with the state. To be an S-Corp, LLC, or a Limited Partnership, you have to file papers. What do you have to do to be a General Partnership? Nothing. All you have to do is pursue a business together. That is the default under the law. If you just start working together to try and create something, you are considered general partners, unless you legally change the status of your business.From a liability standpoint, you are also toast, because you're liable for everything personally. Your personal assets are completely exposed.

Here's the differences between each entity followed by a quick reference table:

C-Corporations:

C-Corps work for that narrow locus of company that Venture Capitalists are interested in. They're interested in high growth, generating cash, and reinvesting it (not distributing it). They're not interested in dividends. They want a high growth rate. They want to sell out, either through a public offer or through an acquisition transaction, earning a high price. This is how they get there: hustle the cash, keep it, grow fast, and use all the cash. This is why VCs almost exclusively invest in C-Corps. You can actually set up a C-Corp and file a form saying that you want to be taxed as an S-Corp (flow-through entity that is taxed once). Later, when you are ready to raise money or bring in new investors, you can change your election to be a C-Corp. It is very hard to do it the other way around.

Limited Liability Company:

LLCs are remarkably flexible. You can do almost anything with them. You can have multiple classes of stock, and multiple classes of interests. You can have foreign investors. You can have an unlimited number of investors. There's almost nothing that an LLC structure won't accommodate. In an LLC, I can do a 90/10 distribution of dividends, and not be tied to the distribution of ownership. It protects your assets like assets like a corporation without the burden of corporate maintenance. With a LLC, you can elect to be taxed as a corporation, or avoid "double taxation" by choosing to be a "pass-through" entity.

S-Corporation:

A S-Corp structure is very limiting. There are limitations on the number of shareholders and on who can be a shareholder. You can only have one class of stock (there are minor exceptions to that). The S-Corps are very, very inflexible, but they are really cheap to setup. With increased flexibility comes complexity. That's why LLCs are much more expensive to set up.

We can map this out very simply. If you know you're not going to have multiple classes of investors, you should go S-Corp just to save money.For example, if you have a situation where two brothers or two sisters starting a business, sometimes an S-Corp is the best bet; nevertheless, they are really inflexible.

Ask a tax person who is used accustomed to figuring out the problems with an S-Corp. He or she will tell you that if you think there is any chance that something will change down the road, you should incorporate as an LLC from the start. It's much harder to fix a problem later than it is to plan for different situations in the beginning.

Doing Business As:

DBA, or Fictitious business name as it is also sometimes called, is another type of organizational arrangement. If you are an individual, you want to do business under your own name, and you don't want to incorporate, you could use a DBA. Local jurisdictions have their own requirements of how to start a DBA. It doesn't really get you very much in the way of liability protection, but it can allow your company to do business as a new name, and open bank accounts with that name.

Furthermore, it sometimes happens that a company is incorporated in one state with a certain name. Then they go into a different state, and that name is already taken. They have to do business under a different name in that state. That is where it is more legitimate to use a DBA.

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It is a fact that 97% of all entrepreneurs fail and nine out of ten businesses fail before reaching the three year mark. What will make you different? What will give you the edge? How will you succeed when those around you fail?

There are five basic steps which will lead you to success.

1. You must have a burning desire to succeed. Decide now to succeed no matter what it takes and your success is inevitable. You must never give up. If your reason for success is big enough it will drive you forward even when everything seems hopeless and you feel like quitting.

2. You must have a plan, not just an idea in your head, a real written step by step plan which details where you are now, where you will be in a year, five years and ten years from now and what steps you will take to get there.

3. You need a mentor. The fastest way to get what you want is to find someone who already has it and copy what they do. Model their thoughts, beliefs, and actions and you will get the same results they have. This is a law of nature. It is called the law of cause and effect. If you do a certain thing, you will get a certain result. If you do exactly what successful people do, you will also be successful.

4. You need a system. All successful businesses use systems that deliver duplicable results. If you get the results you want occasionally but can't duplicate it, you don't have a business. A business must be able to produce the same results over and over, that is what produces continuing profits.

5. You must have a team. Business is a team sport. If you try to do everything yourself, you will fail. No one is good at everything. Develop the talents and strengths that you have. Spend as much time as possible doing the profit producing tasks you are best at. Find others to do the things that you are not good at, and delegate as much as possible.

These are my top five keys to success, burning desire, a plan, a mentor, a system and a team. If you have these five things, you will succeed against all odds.

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Lets face it, we all had people around in our lives that have said "I would love to start my own business" but sadly most of them never really follow through or have given up with the idea. If you ever want to start you own business, you absolutely need to have one thing in place: The right mindset! Having the expertise and the know how of whatever your niche might be is not enough for you to be successful in business!

Now, there are different ways for you to develop the right mindset. It can be your determination or your focus on the big picture. It might be your work ethics or your motivation to succeed. All these key attributes are correct in different respect. But the one key attribute that surpass all these is: YOUR TRUE PASSION

What is your passion? Better yet, what does passion means to you? The dictionary defines the word passion as:

"The state of the mind when it is powerfully acted upon and influenced by something external to itself; the state of any particular faculty which, under such conditions, becomes extremely sensitive or uncontrollably excited; any emotion or sentiment (specifically, love or anger) in a state of abnormal or controlling activity; an extreme or inordinate desire; also, the capacity or susceptibility of being so affected; as, to be in a passion; the passions of love, hate, jealously, wrath, ambition, avarice, fear, etc"

With that said, Being able to center your true passion with your true goal in life is your key in setting the right mindset for yourself. Whenever you love what you do for a living, you will never let anything take that focus away. You will keep moving forward and keep fighting for it until eventually accomplish your goal. Combining both your passion and your goal is the most powerful combination to achieve anything you put your mind into.

My true passion is helping people. I am an Entrepreneur to the core. Being able to work for myself and making a positive impact in peoples lives is my goal! The work I put in everyday to whatever projects it may be are all done with my full capacity. I don't consider it work because I enjoy what I do. Internet Marketing, Offline business projects, investing, or whatever new venture I get myself involve in is not work to me because its what I love to do.

Let's look at all the successful entrepreneurs in our age: Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, or Donald Trump. They have enough money to live there lives at least 5 fold! Why are they still working? Money? Money is a factor to some of these successful people but its not there passion. I'm sure they don't mind having it but its not the reason why they keep going to work everyday. They go to work because they are passionate about what they do.

If you haven't done so already, I want you to sit down and write down what you think your true passion might be. To help you out, think of your talents or hobbies. Do you enjoy any of them? Your childhood dreams? What did you want to be? Look deeper to even what you daydream about. When your done putting all these down, say to yourself if you would do any of these if you don't get paid a single cent!

This might take time for some of you but always keep it in mind whenever you feel lost. Watch a movie or read a book. Something in those media sources might spark something inside you. The thing is sometimes we completely miss what we are truly looking for in life.

If you don't know where to start with your business then you know the reason. Find your passion first, then get your mindset right. Remember, if its not something you enjoy doing then you will never achieve the success you've always wanted.

You are the only one who can create your reality. True passion intertwines with success. Follow through with that in mind and you will be rewarded at the end.

If you enjoy this post, please donate what you can to help me keep this blog running smoothly at my site

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Those in corporate management will inevitably be involved to some extent in crisis management. Since that is the case, crisis management education of corporate management is vital. Only those that are adequately trained will have the ability to remain calm and logically handle the necessary tasks in the midst of a crisis.

What Are Crisis Management Tools?

Crisis management tools can include a wide variety of education, software, communication devices, handbooks, and various other necessary items. Let's look at some of the tools that should be considered.

* Education - As mentioned, only those that are properly trained will respond in an appropriate manner during a crisis.

This is why those that will be responsible for leading others must be properly educated. This may involve attending internal or external crisis management seminars, training on appropriate crisis communication devices, software training, and simple leadership training.

* Software - Without exception, crisis management plans involve software of some kind. This may be email software or programs specifically designed for crisis communication that will notify a multitude of people of the impending circumstances with a couple clicks of the mouse.

* Communication Devices - The variety of communication devices that are available today seem to be infinite. These devices are important tools in the midst of a crisis. Cell phones, texting devices, two-way radios, telephones, email, instant messaging, radio and television broadcasts, streaming video and audio communication, and simple sirens are all communication devices that can prove helpful in a crisis.

* Policy - A good crisis management program will always include a written policy. This policy must be clear and should not be over complicated. The policy must detail the other tools that are to be implemented in the case of a crisis.

Because emotions often run high in the middle of a crisis, it is imperative to have a well-written policy that can be easily followed when minds may not be functioning at their optimum.

* People - While there are numerous forms of technology and training that are valuable tools in a crisis, good managers know that the most valuable resource any company has are people. Without people there is no one to educate and no one to use the communication devices available. People are the first thing that should be protected in a crisis and are the most valuable tool to handle any crisis.

The number of tools available for corporate crisis management is growing daily. Those that are used are also constantly being improved. It is important to stay informed of the updates and new items that may be incorporated into your crisis management policy. It is always a good idea to attend professional crisis management training and to enlist the advice of a consultant to review and revise your current policies and programs. This will help to ensure that you are informed of recently released technologies and modern methods that have become available. While all of this is imperative, never lose site of people being your most vital and irreplaceable asset for every aspect of business.

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Perhaps there has been more written about Microsoft Founder, Bill Gates, than just about any other business person in history, and that stands to reason considering what he created and how he brought personal computing into the homes and small businesses of every person in America. The story is truly incredible, but most people do not know the full story, as it spans many decades.

To help you better understand some of it, the years prior to 1993, you might wish to do a little reading. So, let me recommend and interesting book to you, one which I am sure you'll enjoy:

"Gates; How Microsoft Mogul Reinvented an Industry and Made Himself the Greatest Man in America by Stephen Manes and Paul Andrews; Touchstone Books, a Simon Schuster Book Publishing subsidiary; New York, NY 1984. ISBN: 0-671-88074-8.

Gates' story is a cool one from the time he was a boy playing with computers and his days in college. The early years in Albuquerque and the deal with IBM; indeed, there is so much to this story that you are going to have opened your horizon and your mind to exactly what this phenomenal person has given to the human race. And remember this book was written in 1994, before all his foundation work, or his real success. Of course, all that is another chapter for another book.

After reading this book, I recommend Business at The Speed of Thought, which will really help you get to know Bill Gates, his vision, leadership and our future, thanks to his hard work. Think on this.

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Bill gates- the man who introduced the world to Microsoft is the one of the best known entrepreneurs of the world. More than Microsoft, Bill gates is better known for his money. The man held the title of the 'richest person in the world' for 15 years in a row. Even as of February 2008, bill stood to be the third richest person in the world.

At Microsoft, Bill gates worked as a CEO and a chief software architect. To date, Bill is the largest individual shareholder with more than 8 percent of the common stock. The business entrepreneur gave away the position of the CEO in January 2000. However, he continued to act as a non executive chairman for the company. He held part time responsibilities with Microsoft and took over full time work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in June 2006.

If Bill Gates knew how to earn money, he also knew how to use that money well. The man opted for a philanthropist character and donated huge sums of money. He gave away money to various charitable and research organizations.

Bill's successful stint as a businessman earned him worldwide recognition. He was recognized as one of the most influential people of the twentieth century by the Times magazine. He was also recognized as the most influential people for the year 2004, 2005 and 2006. He also stood at the eighth rank in the 'Heroes of our time' in the year 2006.

If business entrepreneurs have to look up to some one then it has to be Bill Gates undoubtedly.

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Whether you love or hate Bill Gates...he sure hit the nail on the head when he recently gave a speech at a high school graduation.

Here Are 11 Job Advice Rules Your Teens Are NOT Learning in School:

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Life is especially not fair at work. Some work harder than others for less pay...some work less for more pay.

Rule 2: The world doesn't care about your self-esteem.

Neither does your boss. He wants the job to get done - and done well.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. Or become a vice president out of college.

If you don't believe me, just ask any recent graduate.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Or obnoxious co-workers you're stuck working with 8 hours a day.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping; they called it opportunity.

I think every teen should be required to work at a fast food restaurant. They'll learn the meaning of hard work and be motivated to further their education!

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault. So don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

The best thing you can do for your kids is let them make their own mistakes. And not make excuses for them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now.

They got that way from paying your bills, doing your laundry, and listening to you talk about how cool you are.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT.

In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

There's no extra credit at work if you screw something up. And if you don't do your job - you'll be fired.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and
few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

There's no spring break either. You'll be lucky if you get 2 weeks of paid vacation.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and to to jobs.

And you won't be able to surf the internet or listen to your iPod either.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Your boss doesn't care if you were popular in high school. No one does.

If you agree with these rules...pass it on. If you can read these rules...THANK a teacher!

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One of the qualities you need is persistence. Although money making systems do give you the ability to pocket your profit in a very short time frame, you do have to be able to keep working the system. Some systems require a lot of initial persistence and then you are able to sit back and maintain your system. Do you have what it takes to do this?

Along with persistence is the intense time and energy are required in the beginning. Excitement over your plan should provide the initial energy to implement your plan. The intensity is something you either have or you do not have. Look at other activities in your life. Are you a fast starter? Do you get so excited that it is hard to keep quiet about what you are doing? Not that being quiet about what you are doing is a requirement, but you will want to be able to get through the initial start up first!

Probably one of the most important qualities is to be able to ignore the naysayers. Friends and relatives at times will be quick to tell you what will and will not work. Although everyone has people they consult for good advice sometimes you just have to trust your gut. The ability to hear, use, or ignore advice when working on your goals is paramount to your success. Some of those people will be people in your own family.

Another surprise it that you need to be able to follow directions. Many money making systems have taken a long time to develop. The reason for this is the testing that the owner has done. The owner has tested every possible part of the system before making it available to you. At least initially when you do not know enough you need to be able to follow the directions you are given, in detail.

Although this sounds like a lot of work you can have fun while you are doing it. It is exhilarating to work with a system that others have used and you to meet with success. It is also fun to be able to keep your mouth shut while others are trying to convince you that your system will not work. Initially you will be working with secrets that people with a huge amount of experience have described. It will be important to not give those secrets away.

The ability to be self motivated goes along with persistence and at times ignoring people. Self motivation to keep going, when you have real doubts, is a true test of your character. Think about times when you were not sure about what you were doing. What did you say to yourself or who did you go to when trying to get past that point? Most people do not have the ability to figure out what to do. Do you?

Part of that self motivation is the correct mindset. The correct positive mindset to use a money making system is critical. It is a core belief that you can do whatever you put your mind to doing. It is the certainty that if other people have been able to make money in a business venture or online marketing business, there is no reason you can not do it too.

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Starting a business for many entrepreneurs has proven to be difficult due to lack of capital and fear that the venture may not succeed. There are some tips, which can help investors to have a fruitful venture. One of them is that do not follow fashion trends, instead do a business that you enjoy. Your idea should also be unique where this will make an expert in that particular field.

One should have perseverance, since the first time one engages in business it is hard and there are ups and downs. You need to keep trying even when it fails until when you will succeed. You also need to have a research on that particular venture that you are willing to undertake because it is necessary to have that kind of information. You ought to have a business plan or else your venture will not be successful.

It is also important to note that if you have a day job, you should just keep it until the enterprise has paid off. In case the business fails, this will act as a shield. It also depends on how hardworking that entrepreneur is. It is also advisable to undertake all positions in the venture for example the managerial, secretary and even the accountant posts. When it comes to loans, most money laundering institutions will decline giving you help financially, so you need to be able to provide for your financial needs. You also need to save as much as you can so that when you approach a bank they can be able to cater for your needs.

Being an entrepreneur also comes with privileges. One is entitled to enjoy all the profits generated from the firm. Concerning decision making in the venture, you are the one who decides on what to happen. Finally, take heart and pursue your dream and you will be successful.

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