How To Maintain Competitive Relevance..

One thing which an entrepreneur has to
keep a careful watch is “success”, not just failures.
Please read carefully the below quote from Bill Gates
“Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces
smart people into thinking they can't lose”.
This is very important for an entrepreneur
because, he/she will attain some success on the way, but if they became complacent about it, they will find themselves out of business very soon.
Google is a great story. This was the #1 search engine and they were making millions from the advertisement. But after face book has started,the advertisements are now shared with face book also and hence Google losing some share of their
business. So, an entrepreneur should not rest, even if he attains success and he needs to keep moving. Yes, he can celebrate the success, but he should
not be stuck there for a lot of time. This appears a very tough journey, because you have to keep running even after
success. Whether you accept this or not, this is life and you have to follow its rules. The reason is simple once you succeed, many people will follow your approach and they will be trying to throw you away from competition....So ,always be on the watch out in order not to loose your competitive potency.

What Vision Can Do To Your Future

There is an old story concerning some men who were moving bricks from one point to another. A visitor approached and asked one of them,"What are you doing?"The worker responded that he was moving bricks from one point to the other.The visitor asked the man again and the worker shouted with an angry tone,"Can't you see that am moving bricks from one point to another! Don't you have eyes? ".The visitor left the worker and asked several other workers and to his surprise all of them replied in the same angry and stressed tone.The visitor felt disappointed and upset.After much time, he finally discovered a particular worker who was happy as he went about his business. He asked the man," what are you doing? "and the man replied," we are carrying bricks to build the corner walls.We are building a beautiful church."The visitor became happy and moved on.This story is a good illustration for vision and their power.The workers who shouted with anger,appeared to be stressful because they unaware of why they are carrying such a load of bricks;they did not know the end result of their action.But the worker who was happy knew the end result of his action.He knew how every brick helped the construction of the church; hence he felt that his work was meaningful.

Imagine what it would mean if you had perfect clarity on your life’s purpose.

Related blog. eternalleadership.com/power-of-a-vision

 As an entreprenuer, if you are not driven by vision,you will find yourself moving to different directions wasting alot time, effort, energy & money. The end result is

Frustration.

What is a vision? Vision is a clear picture of the

future you want to be in. The picture should be

detailed and precise.

Have you observed, if you just imagine a car with

some emotion, you will start seeing similar cars in

TV, newspapers and roads? This is exactly the

power of vision. Once you have clear vision, life

will start working towards your advantage.

Mahatma Gandhi had a vision of seeing India

free and this vision inspired millions of people

and finally everything worked towards the success of the vision.

What is stopping you from having a vision?

Take That Bold Step Today

Infuse your life with action. Don't wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen... yourself, right now, right down here on Earth.
-Bradley Whitford

This is the greatest advice I think we can hear as regards our lives .The land is truly green and opportunities abounds everywhere, there is no need to wait for things to get right,no need to wait for the economy to get better because the poor condition of the economy itself is an opportunity to make waves.The time has come for you to go out of your comfort zone,and take that bold step that would unlock the doors of limitless possibilities.Make your contact with mother nature count, make your impact to be felt by both the weak and small. Never allow the void that has been created so far,by just taking that bold step forward......

The Perfect Road Map To Success

The purpose of life is to live for a purpose,and for you to achieve your stated purpose in any endeavor, there are some critical things that needs to be done in order to make an head way in your life......
1. Own your brand

You are your brand, and people respond to it--both good and bad.Make sure your brand projects the person you really are, and own it in every way--in your face-to-face interactions, on paper, and online.

2. Prioritize relationships

Life, career, and business is all about building relationships with others. Find mentors who can show you the ropes and open doors for you, and earn sponsors--higher-ups who will pull you up to the next level--by working hard and working smart. Make building a strong, diverse, and lasting network of relationships a priority in your work and personal life.

3. Declare specific goals

Everyone needs goals in their life,whether it's earning a raise, starting a successful new business, or stressing less over the small stuff. Once you have a goal picked out, declare it to yourself and to others, then work backwards to understand the path you'll need to follow to achieve it.

4. Get more experience

The more experience you have in a particular subject or business area, the more valuable you are to your current employer, and to prospective employers. Keep learning to keep earning.

5. Develop executive presence

There's a reason why top leaders and executives are seen by others to be leaders--they have the kind of executive presence that people who work for them respond to. Work on developing executive presence--being the kind of leader that other people want to follow.

6. Feedback: Ask for it and share it

Feedback is the breakfast of champions. Only through feedback can you improve and get better. If you're not getting feedback, ask for it. If you're getting feedback, use it to change and improve for the better.

THE SECRET WEAPON OF SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS

What’s the one attribute that separates winning entrepreneurs from those that are losing business and customers?

What’s the quality that takes some business owners from unprofitable to healthy profits?

Commitment is the attribute that divides the winners from the losers and keeps some entrepreneurs moving when others stop dead in their tracks.

It’s the characteristic that keeps successful people optimistic in the midst of crushing disappointments. It’s the quality that allows champions to learn from their losses and move on. Commitment keeps victors energized when the newness wears off.

How do you recognize committed business owners from others?

 

1. People who are committed keep their promises. They do what they say, long after the moment they said it in has passed.

2. People who are committed are in for the long haul. They are willing to exchange short-term luxuries for a brighter future.

3. People who are committed have their eye on the finish line, they set attainable goals and get there

4. People who are committed demonstrate a minute-after-minute, day-after-day, month-after-month, and year-after-year attention to ensuring that  tasks are accomplished, because they know that excellence isn’t in the details, it is the details.

5. People who are committed don’t build walls, they learn how to surpass them.
Yet, while most business people agree that commitment is an admirable trait, they may not know exactly what it means to put into action. If you don’t believe this, go online and take a look. You’ll find  many abandoned or poorly maintained websites and blogs all over the place. Then, consider how much time, energy, know-how, and money their owners wasted, because neglected websites and blogs do not generate income!

Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common fate for entrepreneurs – who by their very nature, are generally much more action-oriented than others.

So, why do so many well-intentioned and intelligent small businesspeople lack the commitment needed to grow and maintain a profitable business?

 

If you’re assuming that the answer to this question is that these people don't have solid work ethics, you couldn’t be more wrong. Rather, it’s usually just the opposite. That is, many entrepreneurs become paralyzed because they’re overworked, over committed, and overwhelmed!

For example:

They’re eager to take advantage of new opportunities, so say “yes” to more than they can handle.

They’re reluctant to delegate tasks to employees or outsource work because they’re convinced that their product or service quality will suffer – or it will cost them a fortune.

They grossly underestimated how much time and energy it would take them to run their businesses smoothly.

They fail to document key processes and systems, which makes it very difficult for them to train others to take over.

And the list goes on… Yet, even if you don’t identify with entrepreneurs who suffer from these, your plate is probably still full and you haven’t a clue where you’ll find the time to add more responsibilities to your large to-do lists. All of us have times when we want to shout, “Will somebody please help me?

That’s just the point. Savvy business people know when and how to get help. Once you learn to go with your strengths and delegate the rest you will find yourself more committed, happier and more successful.

 

5 THINGS SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DON'T DO

Successful people don't compromise on their standards. They don't settle for less than what they hope to achieve. And they definitely don't put their lives on autopilot. They believe success only comes from intention and action.

Here are the five things successful people never do:

1. They never let the past dictate their future.

We all have limitations. We all have challenges. We all make mistakes. The key is to not be constrained by those things but to learn from them.

Easier said than done? It all depends on your perspective. Take mistakes: When something goes wrong, turn it into an opportunity to learn something you didn't know--especially about yourself. (And when something goes wrong for someone else, turn it into an opportunity to be gracious and forgiving.)

Where you've been, what you've done--everything in the past is just training.

Successful people believe their past should inform them but should never define them.

2. They never say "yes" when they really mean "no."

Refusing a request from colleagues, customers, or even friends is really hard. But rarely does saying no go over as badly as you expect. Most people will understand, and if they don't, should you care too much about what they think?

When you say no, you only feel bad for a few moments. When you agree to something you really don't want to do, you may feel bad for a long time--or at least as long as it takes you to do what you didn't want to do in the first place.

Remarkably successful people practice saying no. They've gotten really good at saying no. They know that lets them focus on doing what they really need to do: for themselves and for other people.

3. They never interrupt.

When you interrupt someone, what you're really saying is, "I'm not thinking about what you are saying. I'm thinking about what I want to say ... and what I want to say is so important you need to hear it now."

Want better professional relationships? Want better personal relationships? Listen, truly listen, to what other people say. Then ask questions to make sure you understand.

Remarkably successful people already know what they think--they want to learn from what everyone else thinks.

4. They're never late (without an incredibly good reason).

I know. You're overwhelmed. So you're always running behind. It stresses you out like crazy.

And it makes other people resent you like crazy. Whenever you're late, other people rightly assume you feel your time is more important than theirs. (Which, of course, kills your chance of building an outstanding personal or professional relationship.)

Although you may believe you can't help it, being late is a choice. Youallow yourself to be late.

Remarkably successful people start the day a little day earlier. They arrive early to their first scheduled event. They don't worry that they'll waste time--they plan ahead and bring along whatever they need to use any "early" time to get a few simple things done.

Then they feel a lot less stressed and as a result are more insightful, more creative, more decisive, and simply more "on" in everything they do.

5. They're never afraid to do the things that matter.

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," is true, but in some ways a better quote might be, "The only thing we have to fear is ourselves."

Why? We're all afraid. We're scared of what might or might not happen. We're scared of what we can't change. We're scared of what we won't be able to do. We're scared of how others might perceive us.

And that makes us hesitate, wait for the right moment, decide we need to think a little longer or do some more research or explore a few more alternatives, and days, weeks, months, and even years pass us by.

And so do our dreams.

Don't let your fears hold you back. Whatever you've been planning, whatever you've imagined, whatever you've dreamed of, get started on it today. If you want to start a business, take the first step. If you want to change careers, take the first step. If you want to expand or enter a new market or design new products or services, take the first step.
Successful people put their fears aside and get started.

Successful people are often afraid, but they're most likely to do something about their fears.

10 WAYS TO PREDICT YOUR SUCCESS

Succe ss is defined in all kinds of ways.

You may want to be ri ch, famous or simply

leave a positive mark on the world.

The only definition that matters is your own.

Here are some signs that you have what

it takes to be highly su ccessful:

1. You crave knowledge

You love to learn in one format or another.

It could be books, audiobooks, podcasts or videos,

but the point is: you crave knowledge

2. You’re planning ahead

You may be saving for retirement or

investing in your education.

In one way or another, you’re planning ahead.

You may not feel wealthy right now,

but you are well on your way to creating a

legacy by making those small contributions.

3. You wake up early

You may not feel like you’re conquering

the world when you slowly roll out of bed,

but simply getting up early aligns your habits

with many of the most successful people in the world.

You understand the value of the early hours

and you use them to your advantage.

4. You make friends easily

Success can’t be measured merely in terms of money.

Many of the richest people in the world are often

the most unhappy. Having friends and family

that love you sets you apart from some of the

people that you may think you want to be like.

5. You have good character

You understand how important it is to treat

others with respect. Having good character

and integrity sets you apart from others,

whether you realize it or not.

People do notice and it will take you far.

6. You have a burning desire to help people

Many great business ideas started as

a desire to help others. If you hold on to that desire,

it will take you far. Want to start your own business?

Think about how you could best serve others

and start doing it. Your desire to help and serve people

will serve you well in the end.

7. You’ve failed and you’ve kept going

If you want to succeed, you have to be willing to fail a lot.

If you’re not where you want to be right now,

it may simply be because you haven’t failed enough…yet.

8. You have self-discipline and self-control

Think of all the areas in your life that you

practice self-discipline and self-control.

Don’t be so hard on yourself,

you may have more than you think.

9. You’re always getting better

You may not feel like it, but you are always getting

better. If you don’t feel like you’re improving,

 just measure your progress backwards.

Think about where you were a year ago or two or five.

I bet you’re farther along than you thought.

10. You have a giving heart

Giving is one of the foundations of healthy finances

and a healthy life. It’s not about who you’re giving to.

If you’re giving at all, you’re on the right track.