How to Become an Expert Entrepreneur ... 10,000 hours?

Focus: The Hidden Driver of Success, by Daniel Goleman

What He Says: Golemen, well known for his 1995 book Emotional Intelligence, debunks the 10,000 hour myth made popular by Malcolm Gladwell. Goleman cites the original psychologist who came up with the concept as stating that 10,000 hours alone is not enough to make you an expert.

The way in which you approach the 10,000 hours is what makes the difference.

If you practice something mindlessly for 10,000 hours, continually repeating your mistakes, you will not become better. You must apply your full focus to the effort.

What This Means For You: All human beings must continually fight our natural instinct to become "good enough" in exchange for becoming great. We see this frequently in the small business space. Entrepreneurs start out with a lot of energy and fire, but it seems like once they reach a certain level of achievement, they level off and stay at relative equilibrium.

Here are some concepts from this book to help you overcome this natural instinct and become great:

Push Beyond Your Comfort Zone: The best athletes, entrepreneurs, and executives continually recognize their limits and then overcome them through focused training.

Practice Deliberately: It's not enough to show up every day for work and just do your best. You must deliberately practice whatever it is you want to be great at doing. That means repeating difficult tasks on a consistent basis even when you don't want to do it.

Concentrate Fully: Put your full energy into the activity at which you want to excel. How many times have you seen people putting in 10,000 hours jogging on a treadmill who never achieve any new fitness accomplishments because they are distracted by the latest magazine? They are putting in the time, but without concentrated effort, they will never progress.

Get Feedback: It's very hard to become truly great without an external adviser to help you see your weaknesses and improve your strengths. You would never expect someone to get to the Olympics without coaching, but many entrepreneurs try to reach the top without any.

Rest & Recover: The greatest athletes never push their bodies beyond its limits. They recognize that they must balance their energy throughout the days, weeks and months. If you are truly concentrating on your goal, you will need to take time to balance that concentration with rest and recovery.

Virginia Ginsburg is founder and chief consultant at Swell Strategies. She is passionate about supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs in starting and running successful enterprises. An avid reader, in this blog she reviews books and articles and relates specific learning points back to entrepreneurial businesses.

Do You Have to be a Jerk to Succeed?

Why So Many Tech Founders Who Are Jerks Become Insanely Rich And Successful, by Alyson Shontell, Business Insider  

What She Says: Those in the know just can't help but notice that many of the top execs in Silicon Valley - and elsewhere - are arrogant at best; jerks at worst. In fact, the list of top Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who are also jerks is long.

But some venture capitalists are bucking the trend and implementing a "no asshole policy." The sad thing is that they recognize that making the personal choice not to work with jerks may negatively impact their ability to invest in the companies with the biggest pay-offs.

What This Means For You: I think the trend towards jerks in leadership positions is powerfully reflected in the business media, and I do think there are some aspects of massive success that are somehow linked to being a jerk. But that doesn't mean that people who are not jerks aren't successful.

What you may need to decide is whether you are willing to sacrifice being a good person - and being around good people - in exchange for massive amounts of money.   

Not to get too heavy, but what is your soul, your "goodness" worth? 

For me personally, I have instituted a "no assholes" policy. So if you're an entrepreneur who wants to make money but not be a jerk, then I'd like to get to know you!

Virginia Ginsburg is founder and chief consultant at Swell Strategies. She is passionate about supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs in starting and running successful enterprises. An avid reader, in this blog she reviews books and articles and relates specific learning points back to entrepreneurial businesses.

How Big is Your Mountain?

Human nature is not unlike water; it will seek the path of least resistance downhill.

When you are setting goals for your business, for yourself, and for your employees, you always need to keep this in mind: how big is your mountain? How distant and complex is the path downhill?

Sometimes I see entrepreneurs hold back from their true vision. They are afraid to make it too big because then failure will feel worse. But that's not true. Failure from great heights feels better than the knowledge that you never even tried.

If you want to build something big and beautiful, then make sure you envision craggy peaks, great heights, and majestic, awe-inspiring beauty. Sure, when things get overwhelming, focus in on small sections, but don't use that as an excuse to miss out on the excitement and energy you get from creating a massive, worthwhile vision. 

If you do this, you will notice that the water will meander, and it will even have to fall sometimes to overcome the massiveness of your mountain, but, surprisingly, such activities only add to the overall impact of your final achievement. Also, remember that streams can be diverted and redirected - no matter how big your mountain, you can always change the path of the details.

Virginia Ginsburg is founder and chief consultant at Swell Strategies. She is passionate about supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs in starting and running successful enterprises. An avid reader, in this blog she reviews books and articles and relates specific learning points back to entrepreneurial businesses.

Why Are Small Business Outsourcing Ideas Essential In Your Business?

Small Business Outsourcing Ideas

Smaller and larger businesses alike have many different needs for specialized services. For example, companies of all sizes will need to perform detailed tasks related to paying government taxes, dealing with human resources issues, exploring legal issues that arise over the course of business operations and more. In larger companies, there are often specialized departments that provide in-house support in these and other areas. Smaller companies, however, cannot afford the overhead associated with having specialized, in-house staff for these and other niche areas. The clear solution for a small business to consider is to outsource these and other tasks to specialty firms.

Reducing Overhead
The key reason that a small business may consider outsourcing is to reduce overhead. Smaller companies must find a way to accomplish the same tasks as a larger company in order to compete in the marketplace and perform basic business operations, but funds are limited. Small business outsourcing provides smaller companies with the ability to eliminate the fixed overhead associated with dedicated in-house staff while providing the same overall end result associated with the use of highly skilled, knowledgeable labor.

Small Business Outsourcing Ideas
Clearly, there are significant benefits associated with small business outsourcing, but business owners should carefully review the different options to find the right solution. There are numerous small business outsourcing ideas that businesses can choose to implement. The needs of the company should be analyzed carefully to determine which of the small business ideas is a best fit for the company. In addition, the business owner should also consider the budget available for these services, as some options will be more costly than others.

Different Solutions
Small business outsourcing does make sense, but companies should review the different solutions available to find the ideal solution for their needs. Small business freelancers may provide part-time or full-time support. However, these are contract workers, so the employer will not be responsible for withholding taxes, offering health insurance and more. In addition, outsourcing can also be accomplished through a private firm. For example, accounting services for the entire company may be contracted out to a third party accounting firm, and the firm will handle all aspects of financial planning, tax preparation and more. Each solution will offer different services and benefits and will also be available to the business owner at a different rate.

Like larger companies, smaller companies also must obtain specialized services to complete certain tasks. In very small companies, there is often a belief that the business owner or one of the few employees in the company must be a jack-of-all-trades who performs all of the specialized tasks related to IT services, accounting services and more. While this is one option, a better option to consider may be to use small business freelancers or outsourcing firms to complete specialized tasks on behalf of the company. The business owner and employees will be able to continue to focus on running and even growing the company while support services are provided to the company through outsourced services. 

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Yes, Entrepreneurs DO Need to Sleep

The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz

What they say: After specializing in helping elite athletes optimize their performance, the authors began applying their fundamental energy equation to 'corporate athletes," who, the say, are under far greater pressure than any athlete.

This is because in sports, athletes focus on their physical health, including watching their diet and balancing their energy through ample rest and recovery. We, on the other hand, behave like we're participating in an endless marathon, and we don't give ourselves the appropriate fuel and rest required to survive, let alone thrive.

Professional athletes spend about 90% of their time training, while they spend only 10% of their time performing. We are typically working in a reverse of that equation. in order to optimize our performance and become "fully engaged," we must pay attention to our energy management.

What this means for you: One of the most prominent entrepreneurial myths today is the idea that entrepreneurs never sleep or rest. They are 'always on," never giving up on their dream. For most of us though, this will lead to burnout. Don't forget that you are a human being, and you need the following to perform at your best:

1. Adequate rest (7-9 hours per night)
2. Good fuel (whole foods)
3. Recovery time (AKA relaxation with no work tasks)
4. Connection with others (this is a requirement for all mentally healthy human beings)
5. A sense of purpose (beyond the day-to-day operations of your business)

The myths of entrepreneurship are pervasive and impossible to achieve unless you are mentally ill (or intent on making yourself so). You need to keep your body and mind healthy in order to make an impact on your business and to provide the world with your greatness.

Virginia Ginsburg is founder and chief consultant at Swell Strategies. She is passionate about supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs in starting and running successful enterprises. An avid reader, in this blog she reviews books and articles and relates specific learning points back to entrepreneurial businesses.

Everything You Need To Know About Outsourcing in a Small Business

Outsourcing in a Small Business

Small businesses today face numerous challenges as they compete in their relative marketplace. Regardless of the nature of your business, you must find a cost-effective solution to compete and level the playing field. Outsourcing in a small business work environment may be easier than you think. With a closer look at the benefits associated with small business outsourcing, you may discover that this is the ideal solution for your company.

How Outsourcing Works

A small business such as yours often must complete various tasks on a regular basis to stay operational. For example, you may be required to set up an IT network for your computer systems, be knowledgeable in government tax changes and more. In some companies, the business owner does tackle these tasks on his or her own. However, becoming knowledgeable and even striving to become an expert in these and other related areas can be time-consuming and challenging. Your main goal should be focused on helping your business grow rather than consuming yourself with the day to day operations for your company. Small business outsourcing is a cost-effective solution because you pay only for the services you use.

Freelancers and Outsourcing Firms

Outsourcing in a small business is actually easier and more cost-effective than some business owners may think. For example, with outsourced services, you will not pay overhead related to providing additional employees with office space and office supplies, and you will not be responsible for their benefits or employer-related taxes. You can choose between working with a private freelancer or an outsourcing firm. The rates charged by these different options can vary, and the skills, level of experience and expertise in niche areas of the field can also vary.

Finding the Right Outsource Services

Because the options for small business outsourcing can vary so significantly from one option to the next, it is imperative that business owners first identify what their specific needs are. For example, do you need to work with a professional who has significant experience in a niche area, or is it better to work with a professional with broad but more generalized experience in a specific field? You may consider obtaining referrals and recommendations from other companies. Certainly, comparing the prices of different outsourcing firms is a necessity, but it is more important to find a company or freelancer who offers the services you need first before comparison shopping to find the lowest rate.

If you run a small business today, you understand how challenging it can be to retain your competitive edge. When you are forced to wear multiple hats and to become a veritable specialist in numerous different niche areas to keep your business running, your attention is diverted away from helping your company to thrive. Instead, your attention is focused on helping it to stay afloat on a daily basis. By outsourcing your various niche tasks to professionals who specialize in these areas, you will be able to concentrate more of your time and energy on growing your business. 

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Tin Can Making Machine for set up Small Business

Tin Can Making Machine is very good option to start a small business at home.

Demand and Market:

The demand of can is found all throughout the year. Jam, jelly, meat, fish, sweets etc. things are sold after packing it with various can. With the Can Making Machine you can make small, big, fat, thin-all sizes can.

How to make can with Tin Can Making Machine:

At first you have to buy laminated tin sheet from the market. It is available in cheap price in the market of Barobazar and Maniktaka in Kolkata. You can make cans of different sizes with adjusting dies. At first cut the tin sheet according to the size of can you want to make. Then put the sheet in the indicated place of machine. Start the machine and the sheet will come out in round shape. Now put the round shaped sheet in the other indicated place of the machine and your cans will be made automatically.

It needs 2 hp motor and 220 volts to operate the machine.

Price of the Tin Can Making Machine:

The price of the Can Making Machine including motor is approximately Rs.80, 000.

The price of the adjusting dies is approximately Rs.5, 000 to ERs.7, 000.

You can find many companies manufacturing a wide range of Can Making Machine. Their machine matches high technology electronic control. 

To read the reviews and buy the Automatic Can Making Machine visit websites

http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/tin-can-making-machine.html

http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/beverage-can-making-machine.html

Where to buy the Tin Can Making Machine:

M/s S Bhanco, 35, Sarat Chandra Dhar Road, Kolkata-90

10 Jan, 14 KK

How to Join the 1%

8 Things Remarkably Successful People Do, by Jeff Haden in Inc. Magazine

What He Says: Jeff has reported on business leaders and ghost-written their biographies. He identified 8 actions that remarkably successful leaders have in common, including the following:

• They Don’t Have an “Out:” having a back-up plan means you don’t have the pressure to succeed
• They Work A Lot: thousands of hours of effort are required - there are no shortcuts
• They Avoid The Crowds: less competition = greater chance for big success
• They Start At the End: they have a plan
• They Sell: they know how to communicate value, negotiate, and maintain confidence

What This Means For You: Jeff’s observations are true of the "remarkable," which I believe constitute the rare top 1% of entrepreneurs who build companies that are of great financial value to others - shareholders, owners and employees. These are the people who have multi-million-dollar buyouts.

But it’s important to remember that 99% of entrepreneurs and small business owners don’t fit the "remarkable" mold that Jeff is describing. I think it's important to know what you really want, and to know the consequences of building the type of company Jeff's model entrepreneurs are building.

Do you want to be in the top 1%?

Know What You Want: Are you building a valuable company that you can sell for millions of dollars (1%), or a job for yourself and a few others (99%)?

If you are building a job for yourself and a few other people, then you can work regular hours and at a normal energetic level. If you are building a valuable company, then you have to work your butt off. Seriously. You need to put in massive quantities of time, at an extremely high energetic cost to you personally, than anyone you know. There will be consequences, but it will lead to success.

If you want to be in the 1% and build a valuable company that you can sell or pass along, then you have to be seriously dedicated to that goal at the exclusion of all others. Remarkable success comes at a remarkable cost. 

Virginia Ginsburg is founder and chief consultant at Swell Strategies. She is passionate about supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs in starting and running successful enterprises. An avid reader, in this blog she reviews books and articles and relates specific learning points back to entrepreneurial businesses.
 

4 Awesome Tips For How to Brand Your Small Business Effectively

How to brand your small business

Do you know how to brand your small business?  Branding a small business can be a challenge.  Two of those challenges are know-how and lack of money.  Below are some great ways to brand a small business successfully.

Identify Your “Pivot Point” – Most business owners never think through the true value proposition of their small business.  They tend to confuse what they do with why they are doing it.  The secret is that no one wants to buy your service or product – they want to buy what the service or product does for them.  Are you selling expensive cars or status and exclusivity?  Are you selling homes or giving the sense of independence?  Find the “it” behind your business.  What is the reason for your company’s being?  To know how to build your business, take the time to think about the key attributes of your small business and then you can build brand identity.

Brainstorm Ideas – Once you know the true benefit of your business, you can begin generating ideas.  Begin by thinking of phrases and names that will give you a business theme.  The name doesn’t have to be descriptive, but it should be engaging, capture the core of the brand’s key attribute and have the consumer begging to know more.  Feel free to use made up names, metaphors, positive connotation words and more.  Buy magazines that fit in with your own brand message and look for headlines, phrases and words that might spark ideas.  Always keep the company pivot point as the main focus.

Narrow Your List – Let all these ideas simmer in your mind overnight.  The next day or so, start gleaming on your list.  Keep only the ideas that allow your company lots of room to grow.  Experiment a bit with matching tag lines.  When you pair a company name with a tag line, it might sound great when you hear it.  Look around for some matching domain names, and see if any competitors are using something similar.  Here are more tips for choosing a business name and creating a small business website.

Select a Winner – If you found a name that sounds good and the domain is available, it’s probably a winner.  It’s always wise to hire a trademark attorney to make sure you don’t have problems.  Next, you want to move on to the logo design.  There are plenty of good logo designers out there that will do a good job for you.

Finally, you are ready to launch the new brand.  Start spreading the message about your brand by being consistent.  Have the same look and feel on your blog, website, and social media accounts.  By consistently giving the same look, you will own your own place in the business industry.

Now, you can say that you know how to brand your small business.  When you dedicate time, attention and commitment to branding your company, you will build a small business that keeps your customers coming back for more.  

Did you find these tips helpful?  If so, please leave a comment and share this article.

How To Create A Small Business Logo Your Customers Will Love

How do you create a logo for your small business? For many small business owners, this is an early question. If you have ever asked this question, you may also be wondering why should you have a logo, how can you create one, and how can you create a great logo on a modest budget. 

Why You Should I Have a Logo? 

Any small business should have a logo. It shows that your business is a serious venture and not a fly-by-night small business that will cave in a matter of months or days. A great small business logo effectively conveys a sense of what your business is about. Part of owning a small business is the feeling you get when you go to your website and see your logo. The pride you feel when you hand your first business card to someone and it has your logo on it.

How Can I Create a Logo?

Creating a logo for your small business is much easier than you might think. There are several ways to create your logo. When you're looking to design small business logo, graphic designers are one option. The other option is to create the logo entirely by yourself. This might be helpful if you have experience and interest in either doing artwork or working on Photoshop. 

Get 3 logo designs in just 3 business days. Make unlimited revisions until you're 100% satisfied. Use code d93kl2jx to get 50% off! Just $149!

A logo, by definition, could technically even be painted if you wished. Really a lot depends on what you want from your logo. Some companies specifically want a logo that exudes style, while other companies want a logo that is more practical--choosing functionality over form, so to speak. You might have a friend who does graphic design--or know someone on one of your social media networks that either is an artist or may know someone that would create your logo for a reduced price. The Internet is teeming with young artists who will gladly do artwork at a discount just to secure some business. So, for someone looking for a good logo design, there are many options available. 

How Can I Create a Great Logo on a Modest Budget? 

When looking at design, small business logo graphic designers might be your best option, especially if you or someone close to you can't make the design. You might consider holding a contest at 99 Designs, a website where you hold a contest to choose the best design among several artists who will enter the contest on a freelance basis. You definitely have to have some kind of a budget in order to hold a contest, but it might be worth your while if you're having a hard time trying to find someone to design your logo for a reduced price or free. 

Hopefully now you understand why your business should have a logo, how you can create a great logo, and how you can create a super logo on a modest budget that won't break your piggy bank!

What did you think of these suggestions?  Do you have any other ideas for how to create logos while saving money?