Business Success Strategies Lies That Trap Us

Writen by Michele PW

As a recovering workaholic/perfectionist, not to mention having delusions of superhero syndrome, I'm quite familiar with the lies we tell ourselves.

You know these lies. They're the ones that keep us stuck and away from our dreams. We might not be where we want to be in our business or our lives, but change is hard. It's uncomfortable. Worse, change forces us to face our fears.

So the lies allow us to stay put. Right where we're stuck. They give us a reason NOT to change.

And these lies keep us from having the business and/or life we've always wanted.

So what are these lies? Below are a few of my favorites (although this is by no means an exhaustive list).

1. If I would just work a little harder, I could get everything done. (This lie also has a part 2 -- the guilt that happens when you don't get everything done.)

Working harder isn't the answer. Having a realistic idea of what you can do in a day is.

Unfortunately we're not Superman. We don't have super powers. We're human. And there's only so much we can do in one day by ourselves. (This is also why you want to start creating teams in your business so you CAN get more done in less time. But even if you have a team, there is still only so much you personally can get done.)

2. If I just sacrifice now, I can reap the benefits later.

This is a scary one because there's some truth mixed in here. While it IS true when you're gearing up to launch a big product or a business venture or a big campaign, you may very well have to put in more hours for a brief period of time.

The lie comes in when IT NEVER STOPS.

This week, there's a big project for a client you have to finish up. Next week, you're putting in overtime because an emergency cropped up for a different client. The week after you're working longer because you need to do some marketing to make sure the pipeline stays full. Oh, and don't forget to try and squeeze in time to create a product or to start a second business venture.

You're constantly putting your personal life "on hold" because you know one day it will all come together and you'll be able to sit back and reap the rewards of all the hard work.

But that day never seems to come.

This one is a toughie. I won't deny it. But you need to get it through your head there is a natural rhythm to all businesses.

There are times you need to work like a dog. (And every single successful person I've ever met works like a dog every now and then. The difference is they typically know when to stop.) But, there are also times to sit back and take it easy. Work fewer hours. Enjoy what you've built so far. It doesn't have to be complete in order for you to celebrate it.

And there are your "normal" times -- times when you put in a full week yet you're still able to enjoy your weekends without feeling like you need to squeeze in few extra hours on your business. When even though things are humming and you're busy, you still make time to take that art class or watch your kids play soccer.

You need to still enjoy your life while you're building your business. And you need to know you'll have the energy and passion to put in a few extra hours of work when it's called for. The only way to do that is to make taking time a priority.

3. If you want to be successful, you have to work hard.

This one is about your mindset. Again, it's not an easy one.

I have rubbed shoulders with plenty of very successful people. And there is no question they work very hard. But, like I said earlier, they also know when to stop.

Being successful and working hard are NOT synonymous. Plenty of people work very hard and never see much success. Plenty of people are very successful and also take quite a bit of time off.

You CAN do both. It's very possible. The point is you have to change your mindset. Once you truly believe it's possible, then it will happen.

Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a copywriting, marketing communications and creativity agency. She helps people become more successful at attracting new clients, selling products and services and boosting business. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site www.michelepw.com. Copyright 2006 Michele Pariza Wacek.

Are You An Entrepreneur Or A Intrapreneur From A South African Perspective

Writen by Andrew Smit

A number of people have realised the dream of owning and operating an independent business. These people continue to embark on one of the most exhilarating and one of the most frightening adventures ever known: launching a business. It is never easy, but it can be incredibly rewarding, both financially and emotionally.

Who are these entrepreneurs, and what drives them to work so hard with no guarantee of success? What force lead them them to risk so much and to make so many sacrifices in an attempt to achieve a goal? Why are they willing to give up the security of a "steady pay cheque" working for someone else to become "the last person to be paid" in their own company.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

An entrepreneur is a person who creates a new business in the face of risk and uncertainty for the purpose of achieving profit and growth by identifying opportunities and assembling the necessary resources to capitalise on those opportunities.

Starting and running your own business involves both management and entrepreneurship. When you develop a product, for example an electric rocking chair, you are initiating an innovative change and you are acting as an entrepreneur. However when you start producing this electric rocking chair, you begin to act more like a manager than an entrepreneur, co-ordinating and controlling the business operations.

THE INTRAPRENEUR

An intrapreneur is an entrepreneur who has no need to start his own business but wishes to use his business skills in an existing business. Intrapreneurship involves identifying an opportunity within an existing business and creating a profitable reality for the business from this opportunity. In other words, an intrapreneur is someone who prefers the benefits of an existing business (such as a regular salary and available resources) to the uncertainties of a business of his own.

The role of entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs

An entrepreneur can be described as someone who:

1. starts his/her own business

2. manages his/her own business

3. identifies new products/services or opportunities

4. is creative and innovative

5. organises and controls resources to ensure a profit for the business

6. has the ability and insight to market, produce and finance a service or product

7. who has financial means or who can obtain financing so as to realise the business

8. who is willing to take calculated risks

An intrapreneur can be described as someone who:

1. manages an existing business

2. is appointed by the owner of a business enterprise to manage the business

3. identifies new products/services or opportunities for an existing business

4. is creative and/or innovative with the ability and insight to market, produce and finance a service or product

5. organises and controls resources to ensure a profit for the existing business

6. prefers the benefits of an existing business such as a salary and available resources

http://www.turtleherbestate.co.za where you will find Global solutions and ideas. Turtle Herb Estate Holdings consists of 3 forward thinking entrepreneurs with expertise in marketing & DTP advertising, farming culinary and medicinal herbs, web design and online marketing, horse breeding (sport horses),animal health products, import and export, engineering and industrial design (water solutions), arts and crafts. With a combined wealth of 80 years experience in various lines of business, we embrace a holistic approach to entrepreneurship.

For Freelancing To Equal Freedom Choices Are Required

Writen by Jen Louden

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that 8.5 million people identify themselves as consultants or freelance workers -- and other sources have that number as high as 30 million, and growing. One aspect of freelance work that many people underestimate is the amazing number of things that can surface preventing you from working productively. Another is your own fears, bad habits, and neuroses staring you boldly in the face with fewer people to project blame upon (like your former co-workers, boss, customers).

Almost twenty years ago, when I first started my career as a freelance writer, I was earning very little money as a writer, and when friends would call to chat during my work time or ask me to go for a hike or out to lunch, I would often snap at them, "Don't you take my work seriously? Don't you take ME seriously? If I was working in an office, you wouldn't suggest this..." I honed a thorny edge that ripped at others when they dared call during writing time. Nobody knew why I got so wound up but I knew: even after I was a published author, I didn't take my creative work seriously. It seemed frivolous when compared to friends who made big business deals or cared for their children or took care of sick people. I was slightly ashamed, a bit abashed that I sat around reading and writing personal growth books -- so intangible! So soft. So girly.

I chuckle now when I think of those years, and how I saw my work and my time. Clearly this all happened BL -- Before Lillian, my now pre-teen daughter. Her birth almost instantly taught me that ruthlessly choosing what to do with my time and energy was the only way I would ever survive the near constant crush between wanting and needing to be with her and wanting and needing to be creating and thinking. I've seen the same thing happen with women who care for aging parents or a dying friend -- no time for bulls**t anymore. If I continued to let pleasing others, shoulds, or trying to do too much shape my daily choices, I knew I would spontaneously combust. Poof!

Fierce and focused choosing when it comes to spending our most precious resources -- time and energy -- is perhaps the most essential self-care tool we have. It is certainly why I'm such a fan of my Inner Organizer as a way to become aware of why you are making the choices you are. Because being fierce and focused takes a whole lot of courage, a whole lot of awareness, and a tremendous amount of damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead verve.

However, it can also become too much of a good thing, as in a controlling, over-scheduled, things-have-to-go-my-way attitude that can obliterate intimate relationships, cut off spontaneous aliveness, and sever you from grace. Too much fierceness can become a way to hide from life and all it's endless permutations and surprises, and you can become a dour pursed mouth control freak who hides behind self-importance. If you say yes only on your terms, life stops inviting you to play.

What does healthy, open, soft fierce choosing look like? How do you walk the edge between standing up for your life and opening to life?

Remember it's all about choice. This morning I was in my driveway holding the three blue plastic recycle bins when my neighbor drove by and stopped to chat. As the conversation went on, I found myself becoming angry that he didn't realize I was holding these bins and they were heavy. It was only when the conversation was finished and I was in the garage putting the bins away that it hit me: I had the choice to put them down! Silly story, but how often do we forget: we can always, always, always choose.

Practice mindful listening or what I'm now calling intuitive organizing. Pause when someone asks you to do anything, take a breath into your center, and ask, "Is this how I choose to spend my time?" Listen for what your body says, your gut. The answer may be no, but you realize you are fulfilling a larger commitment -- for example, I'm not so keen on driving on field trips but it fulfills my larger commitment to being a mom who is connected to all aspects of her daughter's life.

Acknowledging that to choose mindfully and honestly how you spend your time means you must fundamentally value yourself -- or why not give yourself away? It is an act of gorgeous self-love to choose how you spend your time.

It often isn't just about saying no to things you don't want to do -- this seems to get a whole lot easier after 35 or 40 anyway. No, the real rub is saying no to the things you do want to do but recognize you don't have the energy or time for, or that the time is not right. This is not easy for anyone but if you keep saying yes to everything and everyone, you will become unavailable to who and what needs you the most. You cannot answer the call to express your gifts without practicing discernment.

Mindful choosing does not feed self-importance, which pops up in comments like, "I am just too busy" or "I could never take a day off during the week." (I'm ashamed to say I used to think this way and it was most obnoxious.) Mindful choosing feeds awareness and compassion, as in "I love that you offered and I am choosing to spend my time on my garden this weekend."

Watch for denial and shadow comforts when it comes to choosing and managing time and energy. When we deny our gifts, our power, our life force as a genuine miracle that the world needs, we are a lot more comfortable playing another round of computer solitaire or staying on the phone for forty-five minutes gossiping.

What will you choose? The best part of freelancing is the freedom of choice—we just have to remember to exercise it.

Jennifer Louden is a best-selling author of five books, including her classic, The Woman's Comfort Book, and her newest, Comfort Secrets for Busy Women. She's also a creativity and life coach, creator of the Inner Organizer, and a columnist for Body + Soul Magazine. She leads retreats on self-care and creativity around the country. Hear her live on Martha Stewart Living Radio, Sirius Channel 112 every Sunday at 8 am Pacific, 11 am Eastern. Visit her world at: http://www.comfortqueen.com and http://www.jenniferlouden.com.