Blogging and Entrepreneurs

According to Small Business Trends, even with other social media at your finger tips (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn), blogging still remains an effective business tool for online entrepreneurs. Check out this article with helpful links to a variety of articles on tips and trends for the blogging entrepreneur - http://smallbiztrends.com/2011/07/blogging-for-the-online-entrepreneur.html.

Are You Cut Out To Start Your Own Business? Take this Self-Test Now!

Susan T Spencer is a successful entrepreneur, award winning author of Briefcase Essentials, business lawyer, and former General Manager of the Philadelphia Eagles Football team. Learn more at http://www.briefcaseessentials.com/

Do you have what it takes to start your own business today? Find out by answering Yes or No to the 10 questions below:

1. Passion and Drive
Can you keep your nose to the grindstone for 10-12 hours a day, 7 days a week for the first two years?

2. Diligence
Do you have the ability to research a business opportunity or idea thoroughly and objectively determine which businesses suit your skills?

3. Persistence
Can you take “No” for an answer and keep moving forward without taking that “No” personally?

4. Flexibility
Are you eager to take on new projects that might not be in an area where you excel?

5. Adaptability
Can you change course in mid-stream when someone else shows you a better option?

6. Reaching out For Help
Are you comfortable asking others for help and then accepting it?

7. Discipline
Can you live on a tight budget?

8. Cash Flow Savvy
Do you have the ability to handle your finances by “robbing Peter to pay Paul?”

9. Sense of Humor
Can you laugh at yourself when you make a dumb mistake?

10. Doing Your Homework
Are you one of those students who always made sure they handed in homework assignments on time and complete?

See Success Key Below:
9-10 yes answers: You have passed the first threshold, the heavy lifting lies ahead
7-8 yes answers: Your chances are 20-1 unless you are able to work on the “No’s” by hiring a coach, or other professional advisor to help you improve your apparent weak spots.
1-6 yes answers: Stop dreaming and get a job!

Self-Employment - Alone at Last

Entrepreneurs are a diverse set of individuals, each with a unique story as to why they’ve become self-employed. We’ve had the opportunity to hear some of these stories through our pilot of the Look Before You Leap: Self-Employment Survival Strategies course. Some found the flexibility of self-employment ideal for balancing life commitments or were simply just tired of working for others and wanted to be their own “boss.” Others were unable to find suitable employment or just simply fell into it during career exploration.

Whatever the reason, these individuals now work, for the most part, alone. Although some people develop their business and hire support staff, most are truly going it alone. This presents challenges in regards to skill sets (i.e., you’ve got to be able to do everything from balancing the books to marketing yourself and your product/service), but also to loneliness of working in relative isolation. There isn’t anyone to bounce ideas off of, problem solve with, or to count on during challenging times. Be sure to access the supports you need to be successful – lean on your friends/family, a business partner/associate, an entrepreneurial support group, and/or a career coach/counsellor.

As difficult as it can be working for someone (i.e., a boss) or with someone (i.e., a partner or co-worker), it truly does have advantages not only to product/service quality but also to your morale and productivity. At the end of the day, the advantages and benefits of self-employment (e.g., the freedom to operate your business as you like) may certainly outweigh the drawbacks; however, it’s important to carefully consider: Can you truly work alone?

Is Entrepreneurship The Best Path For You? (Guest Contributor - Doug Barra)

Becoming a successful business owner requires more than just a great idea and the investment required to get you started. There are certain qualities behind every successful entrepreneur. Ask yourself- is entrepreneurship the best path for you? Are you truly ready to become a business owner? Below are some quick questions to ask yourself – to look before you leap if you will. These questions will give you an idea of where you sit right now and tell whether you’re ready to take the next step towards becoming your own boss.

1. What is your previous business experience? The best way to learn is on someone else’s dime. Working in various areas of business, and for various types of businesses can be very helpful in preparing for running your own business. Think about your past employment and how these experiences could help in running your own business.


2. Are you a self-starter? Simply stated, are you motivated and do you have the chops to be your own cheerleader in good times and bad? Can you count on yourself to get the job done, no matter what?


3. Do you thrive on achieving results? Think about how you feel after you’ve completed a task that has been lingering on your “to-do” list for way too long. Are you satisfied? Happy? Proud of yourself? Or do you spend time thinking about all the other things you could have been doing with your time?


4. How good are you at making decisions? As the business owner, staff and customers will be looking to you as the expert. Do you make quick decisions, or do you suffer from ‘Analysis Paralysis’?


5. How well do you relate to other people? This question involves all people you interact with, not just family and friends.


6. What hours do you prefer to work each week? Be honest about your time commitment and availability – is this a side business or something you will be working on full-time? Are you prepared to work long hours in the beginning to get things started? Entrepreneurs rarely work 9-5.


7. How well do you plan and organize? Think about short-term and long-term goal setting. As a business owner, you are responsible for both.


8. Do you have strong motivation and drive? Even on the darkest days, your team will look to your for enthusiasm and motivation. Is this part of your personality?


9. Do you possess the stamina to run a thriving business? Running your own business is a marathon, not a sprint. Think about your ability to accept a learning curve and having patience.


10. Are you committed to building a successful business? Think about your business concept and how you imagine it looking in 10 years – are you committed to all it will take to get to your vision?


11. Does your family support your decision to start a business? Very important thing to think about. The last thing you want to spend time on is convincing family and friends to believe in your dream.


12. How would you rate your sales and marketing skills? When you own your own business, sales and marketing are keys to your success. How comfortable are you at selling your goods or services?


13. How would you rate your accounting and finance skills? Understanding your numbers is essential to starting, growing and sustaining your business. This is a skill you can learn, but it is important to be honest about your skill set before you open your doors.


14. How would you rate your administrative skills? Spelling, grammar, multi-tasking, organization…these are all important skills that you will rely on to grow your business.


15. How would you rate your leadership skills? Think about past experiences where you’ve been responsible for others actions – how did you fare? Did you like being a leader or did you prefer to only be responsible for your own actions?


16. How much capital do you have to invest in a business? Starting a business costs money, be honest with yourself about how much you can initially invest and how long you can wait for a return. Most businesses take 5-7 years to produce a return on investment, is this possible for you?

These questions will help you assess your mind frame and skills before opening your own business. For a detailed, personal report you can visit http://www.actioncoach.com/entrepreneur-test and take the entrepreneur test.

About Doug Barra After a successful career in software development, Doug Barra left corporate America to pursue his passion of helping business owners invest more time working on their business and less time working in their business. As co-owner of ActionCOACH Team Sage, Doug takes a hands-on approach to teaching his clients that the key to business success and growth is not the business or the industry sector; it's the knowledge, mindset and skill of the business owner.

Look Before You Leap Pilot Course (Fully Online) Begins April 6th

We are excited to announce a fully online pilot for Look Before You Leap: Self-Employment Survival Strategies. The 2-week facilitated e-learning course will start April 6th and is offered at a special price of $100.00 (plus HST) – a 70% savings. The cost includes a PDF copy of the newly published workbook, Look Before You Leap: Self-Employment Survival Strategies.

For more details see www.leap.lifestrategies.ca/docs/Look-Before-You-Leap-Course-Outline.pdf or email info@lifestrategies.ca. See our online store to register - select "May 4 pilot project"

Space is limited, so register now to reserve your seat.

Top 10 Success Factors for Entrepreneurs

In reflecting on his own entrepreneurial experiences, Naveen Jain highlights 10 factors leading to entrepreneurial success, namely:

1. Be passionate
2. Maintain focus
3. Work hard
4. Enjoy the journey
5. Trust your gut instinct
6. Be flexible but persistent
7. Rely on your team
8. Focus on execution
9. Have integrity
10. Give back

Read the full article at http://www.bnet.com/blog/entrepreneurs/top-10-success-factors-for-entrepreneurs/1697?promo=857&tag=nl.e857

The Broker and the Board Game: How Small Business owners are finding alternatives to apps and Ipads to increase their Bottomline

Edmonton, AB - Taking a page from family fun nights, Clinton Beck from Beck Gold and Diamond Brokers in Edmonton recently attended a business fun night to increase the bottom line in his business. He had fun and learned a great deal from a night of the board game Leverage with other business owners in the area.

“It was a very interesting game that actually had a lot of strategy.” Says Beck “not only was it a lot of fun, but it gave me some great insight on how fine tuning minor things in my business can lead to big changes in my bottom line. As a business owner often I find myself so busy working in my business that the real running of my business is overlooked. As I was playing the game it made me ask myself some hard questions about areas in my business that could use some fine tuning.”

“Not everything has to be an app and downloadable. Human contact and conversation is a vital component to learning about your business and your competition. This kind of business fun night lets you talk to other people in similar situations and will ultimately help my business out.”
Clinton and several other business owners in the Edmonton area took part in a Leverage business board game night run by Laurie McNaughton and Brad Prince, two business coaches with ActionCOACH. The game of Leverage was developed by ActionCOACH founder Brad Sugars, and is played all around the world.

To speak with Clinton about his business visit: http://www.beckdiamonds.com/

To find out more about ActionCOACH visit: http://www.actioncoachcanada.ca/contact-action or call Brad Prince at 780-231-6373 or Laurie McNaughton at 780-484-6988

To book an interview contact
Rachel Sentes, Publicist
604-366-7846
rachel@gal-fridaypublicity.com