How often when you work on a great idea does it seem to collide with impossibility? Often its at this point we become discourage and quit. Its at this point you need to keep going.
Many entrepreneurs only see the obstacles at this juncture. They lose sight of their original vision.
More people give up and quit at this point. They give into the discouragement created by those obstacles. Unaware a breakthrough lay over the horizon. The vehicle of persistence drives thought those barriers to make your idea a reality.
The dictionary defines persistent as: to continue firmly or obstinately. Persistence is a state of mind.
“Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless…. Reverses should be an incentive to great accomplishment. Results? Why, man, I have gotten lots of results! If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is just one more step forward…. There are no rules here, we’re just trying to accomplish something.” ~Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison had boasted he would invent a safe, mild, and inexpensive electric light. After spending $40,000, and performing 1200 experiments, he succeeded.
What if he quit at 1199? We would all be sitting in the dark!
You’ll have obstacles before you can have success. Even the dictionary puts the word obstacle before success.
Obstacles are there to strengthen you and offer progressive measurement of your growing strength. Discouragement sets in when you misunderstand the purpose of struggles and obstacles. Dwelling on struggles, can cause you to question your goals and the faith to believe in yourself. This leads to self doubt. When you allow self doubt to creep in you become susceptible to the fear of criticism. Criticism will stop you from pursuing your ideas and dreams.
Good news… you can train yourself to develop a persistent mindset. This mindset empowers you to make a conscious decision to stay with it.
According to Napoleon Hill, 8 factors form persistence:
1. Definite goal - know exactly what you want.
2. Desire - you’ve got to want it with all your being
3. Self-reliance - the certainty you can carry out your plan
4. Definite plans- written out and organized plan
5. Accurate knowledge - your plan is based on experience or observation.
6. Cooperation - being with others who will help you develop persistence.
7. Will power - develop a habit of concentrating your thoughts on acquiring your goals.
8. Habit - persistence is a direct result of making it a habit.
4 Steps on Developing Persistence
1. Have a definite purpose backed up with a strong desire to obtain it. Write it down.
2. How will you make it happen? Write a plan of action and what you need to make it a reality.
3. Reject all negativity and discouraging influences. Watch what you say to yourself. Self-talk can be the most damaging.
4. Develop a group of people who will encourage you but also hold you accountable to follow through on your actions.
Winston Churchill uttered this immortal words over 60 years ago that are still applicable today: “Never give in–never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yielded to force; never yielded to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
Believe in yourself. Believe in your goals. Stay focused. Never change your goal-just your plans, replace the plan if necessary, but not your goal.
Persistence must become a way of life if you want to succeed. By learning to overcome problems and barriers, you can become a tremendous person
In today’s challenging economic environment, more and more people are in fear of losing employment. Well, using free classifieds as a way to find jobs could be one way to ease those fears. It’s an unfortunate fact that the jobs market across many zones and regions is in a state of flux, to say the least. Whole industries - like auto manufacturing, to use one notable example - are undergoing great stress and a vast change in their compositions.
This is why the wise person will have an “escape route” or “escape plan” set up, just in case he or she one day is on the receiving end of a pink slip or layoff notice. And this is where free classifieds (or extremely low-cost classifieds) can make up a valuable part of a dedicated job seeker’s arsenal or tool kit.
The trap people who are laid off fall into is that they don’t take the time to investigate the many job aids which exist to help out. Most large employers and plenty of governmental entities have divisions or offices set up to help with outplacement, job retraining or job-hunting activities. Many times, a new job can quickly be found.
Even today, old-style paper and ink newspapers can also be a benefit to a job-hunter or somebody looking to increase the possibility of income growth. They’re a way of highlighting one’s self to the rest of the world, and many papers offer free or really cheap basic ads, just to help out. And don’t be afraid of new social networking opportunities. They, too, can be a job-finding aid.
No matter where or when, there are job opportunities out there. The trick for people is in realizing they can do more than just one little thing. An assembly line person, for example, is able to work hard for long stretches. If he or she gains a little training in another area, that penchant for hard work becomes extremely attractive to any employer.
The reality of the digital millenium is it’s opened up a vast world of online employment opportunities. Vast sums of money are spent, and earned, every day on the Internet. Gaining new training and skills which will allow you to take advantage of this reality will help to gain some of those riches. It may even be in blog hosting or webchat. Who’s to say?
People can also use free classifieds to advertise the new fly fishing blog or website they’ve started. They’ll entice others to come view it and maybe buy fly fishing equipment directly at the website or via a “click-through” to somebody who’s selling it. The point is to not limit one’s self to 20th century realities when it comes to any of this.
There are many different ways we can create job opportunities. Harnessing the power of free ads to seed the job-growing garden can’t be anything but a very helpful activity.
While many fantastic wholesale sources can be found online, there are also a huge number of sites developed specifically to scam sellers looking for a good deal.
So how do you tell whether you are dealing with a real wholesale supplier? First of all:
* A supplier may be selling fakes of big name brands but this doesn’t necessarily mean he is out to scam you. There are many suppliers in China and other countries selling fakes, but as long as you realize what you are buying, that is not a problem in itself.
* The supplier may say they can only accept Western union and wire transfers as payment. These are insecure payment methods, but for Chinese suppliers, these are often the only two options available as credit cards (and therefore Paypal) are almost impossible to get. You should always take the precaution of ordering only a small amount when dealing with a supplier who only takes Western Union and wire transfer for the first time, but many legitimate manufacturers and wholesalers use these methods out of necessity rather than because they are illegitimate.
The Warning Signs
Warning bells should start ringing if you come across any of the following:
* Fake address - either it doesn’t exist or it exists in a poor or residential area.
* No contact details listed on the website.
* When you call, the telephone is answered by an individual who does not identify himself on picking up the phone.
* You are not asked for a business or tax number.
* The company suddenly stop replying to your emails.
* Parts of the text or images on their site are copies from other websites.
* When you place an order, the company claims they do not have any stock, but want to receive the money before ordering any in.
* Your contact becomes shifty when you ask for a product sample
Steps to Protecting Yourself
To find out whether you are dealing with a scammer, try these tips:
* Copy and paste some text into Google. If it is copied from another site, you’ll soon discover it in the search results.
* Check that the website gives a full business name and a registration number. Ring them to verify the phone number given is good, but don’t accept a mobile phone number as enough, all companies should have a land line number.
* As for a photograph of the stock with the company logo in the background. Go to www.coolwhois.com and search for the name of the website. A legitimate company will have been operating for over a year (at least!) and their expiration date will be for several years time. Most legitimate companies reserve their domain names for 3-5 years or more at a time.
* Use secure payment methods such as Escrow, Cod and Paypal Verified whenever possible.
* Ask other sellers what their experiences have been with the company on forums.
When you consider how to go about protecting your LLC, an operating agreement should be near the top of your list, for three critical reasons:
Personal Liability Protection Support
Most people know that a LLC business shields an owner’s individual property from the promises made and the money owed by the owner’s company.
State law makes clear that the owners of an LLC cannot be held personally liable for anything for which the business itself might be obligated.
Challenges to these laws have been mounted. Bypassing the usual protections of an LLC to get directly at an owner is referred to as “piercing the LLC veil.” Someone may ask a court to to hold the owners of the corporation personally liable, and not subject to the usual protections of an LLC.
Piercing the LLC veil can be achieved, if the plaintiff can prove to a court of law that the owner of a limited liability company was using the business as a front for his or her own private interests or just plain ignored the separate legal entity when running the business.
These formalities are most often written up in what is known as an operating agreement. Having an operating agreement is therefore a good practice to protect against these kinds of lawsuits. Ensuring that your limited liability company business follows this operating agreement can avoid future complications.
An operating agreement gives the LLC its own distinct identity, and its own set of procedures and policies. As long as this agreement is followed by the company, it will be difficult impossible to demonstrate that the LLC is not being treated as a separate entity.
Maintaining Good Order in Business Operations
The law allows for an LLC to be established, but establishment does not make the limited liability company complete. The creation and installation of an official set of governance characteristics is necessary.
This is where the operating agreement comes in. The contract lets everyone involved know what conduct is acceptable, what is not acceptable, and what requires approval for smooth operation of the business.
Without one, there will be a lot of uncertainty and potentially business disruption if there are disagreements or confusions.
Other businesses may choose to take their business elsewhere if they are not sure whether an LLC is authorized to treat with them. An operating agreement can dispel any of these uncertainties.
Even more importantly, an operating agreement will help maintain harmony between owners, who will know that the procedures for running the business have been set down on paper.
Posted in Legal | 
Tags: business law, entrepreneurship, Legal, legal agreements, legal forms, limited liability company, llc agreements, Management, operating agreements, Small Business
Part and parcel of the stamp collection hobby is the opportunity to sell. Just like any business venture that involves selling, maximizing profit is, likewise, the objective. Proper and affordable pricing is crucial to creating interest in what you offer. When you arouse a person’s interest, that person may become a potential buyer.
There are several things that you need to consider to maximize the chances of selling a stamp collection. It’s just like selling anything else anywhere, on the internet or in person. Selling stamp collection requires you to be a salesman, to make it as appealing as possible.
The best product still won’t sell if isn’t presented well. The best product will stay still on the shelves if people think they’re not getting their money’s worth. While the general rules apply when it comes to selling remain the same, some things are more specific to selling a stamp collection.
Specifics, by the way, are critical to getting your audience to pay attention. Check out Ebay or Amazon. Look at the descriptions on the items from top sellers. Now, look at some items that are from people who are just starting out on the online selling scene. The main difference, most of the time, is that the people who sell well have descriptions that are well-detailed. They show the customer exactly what the latter wants: car model, age of item, details, other specifics
With regard to selling stamp collection, you need to be as detailed as possible to allow your potential customers to make a full assessment. Allowing them to make that judgment as to whether they are making a worthwhile investment or not may spell the difference between making that sale or losing the customer.
The state and appearance of the stamp collection are of vital importance towards its price valuation. Rare stamps bid higher prices, so much more if they are in mint or near-mint condition. Take good care of your stamp collection by keeping them in binders or clear plastic sheets that can be purchased from many hobby stores at cheap prices. The condition of a stamp collection can make a better impression than flattering descriptions; a good impression can lead to that significant sale.
Make sure to price it not according to the catalog, but for how much it actually sells. Look around the forums and ask other enthusiasts and you can get a good gauge of just how much you can ask with a straight face and without getting laughed at.
Your passion for stamp collection may eventually give you high returns on the time and money you’ve invested in it. By knowing the ways of properly selling a stamp collection, it’s a hobby that is really worth the while.
Posted in Sales |
Tags: arts, hobby, Home Based Business, Online Business, Sales, sell stamp collection, sell stamps, selling stamp collection, selling stamps, Small Business, stamp sales
Whether you are a starting entrepreneur, an established business, or an enterprise with employee benefits, deciding on the correct Web designing company for you is very important.
There are three main reasons why a Web designer is significant. First, your Web designer is largely responsible for your business’ Internet credibility. Secondly, your Web designer is in charge of making your Web site as user-friendly as possible. And thirdly, your Web designer should be able to make your Web site appealing to current and future customers.
Internet credibility is essential to having a successful Web site. Online credibility has many different aspects, but some common downfalls that hurt one’s Internet credibility are broken links, unreadable font, and miss use of colors. Your clientele will question the authenticity of business if your Web site is not presentable so be sure to ask your Web designer how he or she will help create your online credibility.
A user-friendly Web site is absolutely necessary in order to have a successful, productive Web site. After all, most businesses primarily use their Web sites to reach potential customers. If a potential client cannot find his or her way through your company’s Web site, he or she will quickly leave to find an alternative Web site so it is vital that you talk with your Web designing company about they will make your Web site customer-friendly.
Having an appealing Web site is more than just a great layout or stimulating content, it is all the components of a Web site coming together to create a magnificent, eye-pleasing Web site that users will find refreshing and inviting. The best way to see if your Web designer has that special ability to make your Web site appealing, as to see their references. Then, thoroughly explore the referenced Web sites and see if you too feel refreshed and invited. Essentially, you are looking to see if you find his or her work appealing.
So, a Web designing company is so important because much of your company’s Internet credibility is riding on your company’s Web site, and your existing and/or potential customers expect top-notch usability and service.
In business, every company has liabilities in the form of creditors and assets in the form of debtors. If you are a business owner, your debts are represented in your accounting books as accounts receivables. The total value of your accounts receivables is the total payment you can expect from your debtors. You would have billed each debtor for the amount owed to you. And as long as the debtor has not paid you, the amount in the invoice is recorded under accounts receivables in your books. But even though this figure actually represents current assets to your company, they cannot be used to finance anything. That’s where Invoice Financing comes in.
Invoice financing is also known as invoice factoring. In this form of financing, a company can turn its accounts receivables into cash by selling them to a factoring company. A factoring company is a company that specializes in providing working capital by taking over the unpaid invoices (debts) of any company in exchange for cash. The factoring company usually advances a certain percentage of the total value of the invoices to your company. Industry practice varies from country to country but it would not be unusual to be able to turn 80% of your debts into cash this way.
Once you have engaged such a factoring company, the factoring company now takes over the rights to collect the debt amount from your debtors. From that time onwards, your debtors would be told to make payment to the factoring company instead of your company. This is a win-win situation for you and the factoring company.
What are the advantages of seeking invoice financing for your business? Some of them are:
1. Your business cashflow improves. Instead of waiting the traditional 30, 60, 90 or even more days to be paid according to your credit terms, you can get crucial cash injection into your business through a factoring company within a matter of a few days.
2. Getting approved for invoice factoring is easier than that for traditional financing like bank loans. For a bank loan, you need to provide guarantors, collateral, have a good payment record of previous loans and fulfill many other requirements. But these are not necessary for invoice factoring because your amount of credit is directly associated with your debts. The more debts you have, the greater the amount of financing you are eligible for. Furthermore, you cannot obtain more than the sum total of your debts. Thus there is no ambiguity here. This is the reason why obtaining invoice financing is easier than a bank loans.
3. Invoice factoring is easier than applying for traditional financing like bank loans. For bank loan approval, you need to provide collateral, guarantors, have a track record and fulfill many other requirements. But these are not needed for invoice factoring because your line of credit is directly tied to your debtors. The more debts you have, the greater the amount of financing you can get. Also, you cannot obtain more than the sum total of your debts. So there is no ambiguity for anyone. That’s why obtaining invoice financing is easier than traditional bank loans.
4. Invoice financing is much less tedious and stringent than applying for traditional financing like bank loans. To get a bank loan approved, you need to provide collateral, guarantors, have a track record and fulfill many other requirements. But all these are not required for invoice financing because your line of credit is directly tied to your debtors. The more debts you have, the greater the amount of financing you can get. Additionally, you cannot obtain more than the sum total of your debts. In that sense, there is no ambiguity for any party. That’s why obtaining invoice financing is easier than traditional bank loans.
5. Invoice financing is a good way of raising cash for ongoing minor expenses. Wages, supplies, rental, loans, making daily expenses etc. are part and parcel of any business. Not being able to fulfill these smaller obligations can be a problem for your business.
However, invoice financing is not normally suited for capital expenses such as buying land or heavy machinery. It is better to seek other financing options for these major expenses.
There is no disputing the fact that a virtual phone system can greatly benefit a company of any size. With the combination of affordability, powerful features, and simple implementation, you cannot go wrong by using a virtual phone service. Make sure that you pick the service that is best suited to your needs, as the features of different services can vary widely.
The following are items that you need to look at before you decide on a virtual phone service:
1. Plan minutes - Every virtual phone service plan comes with a given amount of included minutes. Generally there are plans that offer different amounts of included minutes, to suit varying needs. Additional minutes can be purchased, but the cost will varying between services.
2. Minutes rollover to next month - Only certain providers offer the ability to use a previous month’s unused minutes in future month, otherwise known as rollover minutes. With this ability, you can have a slow phone usage month where you don’t use all of the plan minutes and have these unused minutes available in future months where you might use more than the allotted minutes for that month.
3. Full featured voice mail - A virtual phone plan should come with a voice mail system that meets your needs. This includes a separate voice mail box for each extension so that each person, or department, can have their own greeting and inbox. Also, you should be able to be notified via email, text message, or other means when you receive a new message.
4. Virtual auto attendant - Your virtual phone service should be able to automatically answer incoming calls via an auto attendant system. Calls will then be routed to the appropriate person or department, all without your having to lift a finger.
5. Free trial - A good service will allow you to take it for a test spin before you commit to a long-term relationship. By being able to test out a virtual phone service, you are ensured that the provider offers all of the features that you truly need. Think twice before you commit to a service that doesnt let you try before you buy.
Fortunately, you have choices when it comes to picking a virtual phone service. But this means that you need to know what you are looking at when it comes to comparing providers. Find the right service for your situation and you will be extremely happy for many years to come.
Some franchise candidates desire to make their mark by building a franchise business from scratch. Others choose to skip the startup and purchase an up-and-running franchise business.
If you believe you might be part of the latter group, here is some franchise information to examine before you get your heart set on this track:
1. Identifying an existing franchise that is part of a well grounded franchise system, fills your needs, fits your skills, at a price you can afford, in an area where you wish to live can take time. Going concerns that match these criteria dont come along often.
2. You usually need to pay more for a successful existing franchise than you would pay to build the franchise yourself.
3. Whereas franchisors may give you an idea of what it costs to start a franchise in Item 7 of the Franchise Disclosure Document, you often must rely on your own resources to determine the value of an existing franchise. You need to know how to assess the business, or you need skillful advisors who are acquainted with the business category or even with that franchise system.
4. Taking over an existing business can be a little like climbing on a moving train. The train is already going down the tracks. Your task is to figure out how to drive the train before it derails.
If you come over a suitable franchise, there can be several good advantages.
1. A thriving existing business should already have a proven client base you can rely on once you take over.
2. A flourishing existing business should also have a happy group of employees that know how to lead the day-to-day operations of the business.
3. You should be able to assume the existing lease thereby eliminating the need to search space and wait for the build-out to be accomplished.
4. You may step right into a positive cash flow situation.
Over the years I have worked with many people. Most have an opinion in regard to whether it is more advantageous to pay a premium for a successful existing business or build a business from scratch. I can tell you that both approaches have their pluses and minuses. Remember that there are no free rides. If the business is flourishing, sound and profitable, it is going to cost more to purchase and you will experience a smaller upside. Put differently, you are purchasing cash flow at the expense of growth potential.
On the other hand, if you start your own franchised business it might cost less with a smoother learning curve but the ramp up to cash flow break even will take longer.
Which constitutes the right answer? Well that is for you to answer. It you need advice, feel free to contact us at The Educated Franchise.
Whether you are a starting entrepreneur, an established business, or an enterprise with employee benefits, deciding on the correct Web designing company for you is very important.
The Web designing company that you choose plays a large role in creating your Internet credibility, how user-friendly your Web site is and the overall appeal of your company to existing or potential clients. Finding a Web designer who can fully express your company in a successful manor is important.
When you select a Web designer, he or she’s primarily objective should be to give your company the credibility and professionalism that you seek in your day-to-day business operations. Credibility can come in many forms such as a Website’s layout, content, presentability, and resources. Ask your Web designer how he or she will help your company’s credibility in these main areas.
Your Web site’s customer-usability is also very important. Most company’s key reason for having a Web site is to reach out to potential customers. Whether you are using your Web site for existing clients, future clients or both, Web sites are meant to be attractive and user-friendly. If a Web site is lacking either characteristic, then customers will not stay on that Web site for very long, and will move on to a Web site that meets their needs. Ask your Web designer how he or she plans to make your Web site both attractive and user-friendly.
Having an appealing Web site is more than just a great layout or stimulating content, it is all the components of a Web site coming together to create a magnificent, eye-pleasing Web site that users will find refreshing and inviting. The best way to see if your Web designer has that special ability to make your Web site appealing, as to see their references. Then, thoroughly explore the referenced Web sites and see if you too feel refreshed and invited. Essentially, you are looking to see if you find his or her work appealing.
The Web designer that you choose is significant because of the large role the Web designer plays in creating your business’ Internet credibility, a user-friendly site and making the whole Web site tie together in an appealing manor.