Tag Archives for " steps to success "

0 12 Things that Successfully Convert a Great Idea into a Reality

I found this great info graphic to share with you.  I may have to put this into my next book.

Have you had an “aha” moment or a million dollar idea that you wish to build a business with?  This great infographic illustrates 12 things that must have to make that a reality.  The very first thing is to have belief and confidence in your thought as well as actions.  If you don’t believe in yourself or your idea, who else will?

Secondly, build your dream team.  These will be experts or people who have the experience of building a business that can help you with great advice.  I can’t stress the importance of having mentors and coaches to help you along the way.  All twelve of the steps outlined on this infographic are essential.

Additionally, if you wish to excel as an entrepreneur then you should follow the 5 golden rules which include being inquisitive and asking questions, taking massive action on the solutions you identify, setting up targets that are achievable within a given time frame (goals people, this means setting goals), maintaining a pool of creative inner circle and looking after the vision, mission and values of your organization.

Commit to memory each of the ten mistakes this graphic indicates that can shatter your business and end your dream.  Learn them and then do not make any of these blunders!

I hope you enjoy this graphic.  Do you see anything here you may not have known already?

Learn about my new group coaching program, The Monetize Your Passion Blueprint: Empowering Young Entrepreneurs where I train adults who work with teens and young adults to teach them to become entrepreneurs.  Email me at Julia@julianeiman.com to schedule a free call.  The webpage for this program is currently under construction.  The new coaching program is scheduled to being Tuesday, November 5, 2013 and I’m offering a substantial discount for early registration.

0 How to Advertise Your Business with a Limited Budget

Today’s post is by guest blogger

Sara Dugan

As a teen in business you know that you need traffic to your website or shop in order to make a profit. You can get that traffic through word of mouth or direct advertising. For a start up business you need to find advertising that will reach a large audience and fit you budget.

One way you can reach a lot of people and save on your marketing budget is through your local media. You can contact news stations, local radio stations, newspapers and even magazines. For online media connections you can try podcasts and blogs that cater to your target market.

Before contacting anyone you want to be sure you have a media kit ready. A media kit is simply a little packet of information that makes it easier for reporters to write about you.

What should you include in your media kit?

Include your name and contact information as well as your company history, the product you sell, as well as news about current events of note that the media might want to highlight in their piece. Be sure to include a photo of you and your product, your company’s logo and any brochures or catalogs.

Justina of A Bent Piece of Wire shares her experience with contacting and speaking with media to further the reach of her blog.

1. Did you approach media or did media approach you? If you approached them, how did you do that? Phone them, email them, sent a press release etc..

It depends on the situation at hand. When I did a segment on my local news about teen holiday fashion, I contacted them, because I thought it might be something fun. I have been contacted at other times to do interviews and such, by reporters who came across my blog.

You would be surprised at how easy it is to contact local news stations! Most have contact emails or a contact box on their site, which makes it super simple to send them a message. I have also written a few press releases, but these are for when an event or something big is happening, like when I was featured in Teen Vogue. When you’re writing press releases, or even just the emails, it’s good to have someone double check it, just to put some fresh eyes on it.

2. Once media does contact you, how do you prepare for the interview?

I don’t actually do much in the way of preparation. I don’t memorize anything or practice answers, because I feel like that blocks you off from being natural, and turns you into a weirdly stiff automaton. As a teenager, my best bet is to be relaxed and relate-able, which are not the vibes coming off at all if you rehearse every word that comes out of your mouth.

I do consciously attempt to avoid using words like “um” and “and” a lot during interviews. If it’s over the phone or in person, it’s really annoying for the reporter, and if you are on television, it makes you sound like you don’t know what you’re talking about.

3. Any advice you’d give teens wanting to spread the word about their business?

Join sties like Twitter, where you can network with anyone. I’ve made some huge connections in my industry through twitter, from editors, to stylists, to celebrities. Take advantage of the fact that we have the internet, which can take you anywhere, and introduce you to anyone, in seconds.

With a bit of research and work you can take your business further than you ever dreamed. Three things you can do right now are Google a simple press release template, email your local news anchor or call your radio station to add your event to their calendar. Be sure you have your media kit ready and good luck.

Justina is a 15 year old fashion blogger with a serious vintage addiction from the Land of the Palm Trees (California).

Justina’s URL is: http://www.abentpieceofwire.com

Sara writes about crochet, crafts, and family at http://www.saraduggan.blogspot.com and crochet business blogging at http://www.crochetbusiness.com

2 A 5 Step Blueprint to Change the World’s Economy

Yesterday I was explaining to someone that the global mission of my business not only has the potential to impact youth unemployment; through the ripple effect it has the potential to impact entire communities worldwide.

Whew, that’s a big picture.  It is possible though.  I like to dream big and I believe this can become reality.

Here’s my 5 step blueprint for changing economic reality around the globe:

1. Train and mentor young people to become entrepreneurs.

2. These young entrepreneurs will hire friends and family as their business starts earning money.

3. Friends and family will then be employed and have money to spend in the community.

4.The community will thrive due to this spending, small business will be able to create more jobs and people will have money to spend on the things they need.

5. The outcome is a thriving, healthy community that invests in newer and better resources.

Yes, I know this is a rather simplistic blueprint, but think about it for a few minutes.  Once we fill in the details of all these steps, and while it may not be possible in some areas of the world until their politics change, it is possible and with enough big dreamers taking action, it is doable.

Let me leave you with one such example.  There is a nonprofit called The Kind Fund.  They supply school desks to children in Malawi.  The desks are locally made and the Fund raises money, more and more desks are ordered, the local company that makes them has hired other members of the community to build the desks.  More desks means having to order more wood which creates more work for woodcutters.  Can you see that ripple effect at work here?

What is your world changing idea?

Do you have a clear picture of the areas of your life and business where change is required?  It might be time for a reality check so you can discover those areas where you are incomplete or could improve.  If you are subscribed to my blog, then you already have Julia Neiman’s 2 Step Reality Check to Discover and Overcome the Hurdles That Stand Between You and Your Dreams.  If you don’t have a copy of the Reality Check, simply enter your name and email in the box at the top right side of the page and it will be on it’s way to your inbox in seconds.

28 Learning to Say “No”

I’ve had a long career in social services; services being the keyword here.  I’m used to providing services for people with little or no money and receiving a barely adequate salary for doing so.  I’ve been so conditioned to say yes; to make things happen for people, that when I decided to become an entrepreneur, I had a very difficult time saying no or asking for payment.  In fact, I am still working on asking for money and I am a long way from feeling comfortable saying no, however, I now do both whether I like it or not.

What I came to realize was that if I wanted to be successful in my business, I had to transition from a “yes” mindset to a “no” mindset.  That might seem counterintuitive to some, however, it’s the difference between success and failure for me.  People are always asking me for free advice, or to do this thing or that for them with no expectation of having to pay for my time and services.  If I didn’t take responsibility for transforming that expectation, I would not be able to support myself.

This was brought home to me recently by Adam Urbanski.  I attended his recent Overnight Authority Webinar and he talked about the importance of making this transition to saying no.  He had us figure out how much an hour of our time was worth (my rate used to be $200 an hour for training) then break it down to what that is worth per minute ($3.33).  So you call me and ask me if I can give you 20 minutes of my time to help you with something in your business.  If I do, I have now invested $66.66 in your business and you’ve invested nothing in mine.  You have what you needed, and I have 20 less minutes to invest in my own business.  How is this a formula for success?

That was a huge turning point in my approach to considering what to say yes to and when to say no.  Just this week someone asked me to help co-host an ongoing series of teleseminars about how we can bring transformation to the world to create a more positive situation.  It’s a topic close to my heart and I was tempted to say yes.  However, she intends this to be a “giving” situation with no opportunity for promotion by any of the co-hosts.  Rather than accept right away, which I wanted to do, I asked her for time to consider her request.  I weighed the time commitment required for those calls against what I need to do to in my business right now.  Using my old training rate of $200, I would be investing  between $300 and $400 worth of time into her program each month.  Additionally, this topic was not relevant with my business at this time which is empowering teens and young adults to develop economic self sufficiency by starting their own business.  I could not see any justification for accepting her request, even though it would get my name out to some new people who may or may not take the time to visit my website.  I had to tell her “no.”

I didn’t like telling her no, but I have to say, I was proud of myself for making the best decision for my business, at least at this time.  It’s all part of the transition from the mindset of a salaried social services worker to an entrepreneurial mindset.  I’m not about making money, however, money is an essential part of life and there are many things I can make happen in the world if I have money available.   With that in mind, this year is my year to get my program out into the world and bring money into my business.

What things should you say “no” to?

Do you need help figuring out what you need to say no to?  Do you have a clear picture of where you are in the different areas of your life and business?  It might be time for a reality check so you can identify where you need to make changes.  If are subscribed to my blog, then you already have Julia Neiman’s 2 Step Reality Check to Discover and Overcome the Hurdles That Stand Between You and Your Dreams.  If you don’t have a copy of the Reality Check, simply enter your name and email in the box at the top right side of the page and it will be on it’s way to your inbox in seconds.

6 The Six Phases of Business Development

There is a normal progression of six stages that businesses go through while under development.  Understanding these six stages will allow you to be okay with where you are at any given moment.  It can also help you move through potential meltdowns because you’ll know where you are and where you have come from and what is normal in the phase where you are.  Further, it can help you develop the patience required to achieve success.

The six stages are:

Phase 1:  Strategizing.  This is the planning stage.  In this phase you begin to develop a clear vision of what you want your business to be, what your goals are and what you are committed to.  You are creating your business plan and a schedule; you are identifying the actions that you will need to take and creating routines to follow.   This is the phase in which you want to find your mentors and have help that you trust.

Phase 2:  Implementation.  Phase 2 is a busy time.  It’s the phase where you roll up your sleeves, put your head down, shut out the diversions and get to work.  Your focus needs to be on putting your plan into action and working on your goals by following your schedule.

Implementation is where you put it all into action – creating and launching your products, building your list of leads, improving your website and putting your systems and technology into place, mastering social media, networking, joint venture partnerships and so on.

This phase takes an enormous amount of commitment.  It is the phase where you are doing the most work and not earning much, if any income.  This is where you demonstrate how consistent you can be and how committed you are to your dream.  It requires faith in yourself and your business plan and also accountability.  Use those mentors to help you stay on track.

Phase 3:  Momentum.  Momentum is where you are moving forward as a direct result of all your hard work in the previous two phases.  This is a great stage because you start seeing a surge of results with less effort.  By this phase you have customers who are buying your products and services.  You may be getting noticed by your competition and have an opportunity to turn them into allies by joint venturing with them.  Your audience or customer base is growing and you are finally seeing money come into your business.

Phase 4:  Stabilization.  The key to your long-term success is your ability to stabilize your momentum.  In order to hand the pace of your business without breaking down you need the following:

•  Systems

•  Automation

•  Delegation

•  Accountability

In this phase you have effective systems (autoresponder, shopping cart, affiliate program, sales page, etc.) in place for every facet of your business.  You now have paid help to maintain your systems and you can take a breath and review all your plans – business, action, marketing, product creation, etc.

It is not a good idea to try to make major changes during this phase of your business.  This is the time to just let your systems work and make money for you.  You can hurt yourself in this phase if you get bored and try to make changes that aren’t needed.

Reaching this phase can take a year and a half to two years.  Don’t try to rush it to happen faster and you don’t want to push it once you’ve reached it.

Phase 5:  Breakthrough.   This is a very exciting phase to be in.  This is where your business has really taken off and you see the quality and number of your customers increase and they are spending more money with you and buying your high ticket products and services.  This is a busy time and you need to master time management.   You must be very careful when you reach this stage that you maintain your integrity, it’s essential and helped you get here.

It is important to note that you will probably move back to phase 4, stabilization, after you reach breakthrough because it will be necessary to stabilize this new level.  That doesn’t mean you have slipped backwards, it means you have to repeat phase 4 at this new level.  This cycle will continually repeat itself for the life of your business.

Phase 6:  Mastery.  What started out as simply “your passion” can lead to a successful business that has a life of its own and is no longer dependent on you to be around all the time.   The majority of your business is being handled by others.  You have learned to delegate and be a good manager, empowering others to run things for you.   You become the visionary who oversees the operation, offering guidance when necessary, free to create the next thing, to just work those parts of the business you love most, or simply have more time for the lifestyle you want to lead.

It’s important to understand these six phases of business development so that you can know where you are during the progression of your business.

The Get Stuff Done Tool is still available as a free download.  Leave your name and email address in the box with the red arrow at the top-right hand side of the page and get the free download now.

Have you obtained your copy of 31 Powerful Lessons: Empowering Teens and Young Adults to Develop an Entrepreneur Mindset?  Click here and get your copy now.

8 Build Your Dream Team

Once you have identified your passion and decided on the business you want to build, it is essential to build a dream team.  A dream team is a group of people that will help you make your dreams come true.

You should include at least one mentor on your team who can help support you with guidance and encouragement at various steps along the way in building your business.  That mentor can be a teacher, a local business person, a family friend, an advisor the local Junior Achievement chapter, or a member of your family.

The most important skill that you must develop in order to put your dream team together is the ability to communicate your vision and ask for help.  Here are a couple of steps to help with that:

•   Communicate the vision for your business as clearly and with as much passion as possible.

•   When you ask for help, make a specific request.  The more specific you are, the more likely you will receive the help you are asking for.  On the other hand, if your request is not specific or if you are asking too much and people aren’t clear on what you are asking of them, they will probably refuse your request.

Here’s an example of two ways to make the same request:

1.   Can you pet sit for me?

2.   Can you pet sit my dog this weekend from 5:00 Friday night until  noon on Sunday at my home?  I will pay you $50 plus provide food for your meals?

Which of these examples is more specific?  Which one would you say yes to?  Why?

If people say, “No” to your requests, politely ask them why they can’t help you.  Maybe they need more information.  If you provide more information and they still say no, ask if they know someone who might be able to help you.  Don’t forgot to thank the people for their time.

When deciding on who to approach to be on your dream team, ask yourself these questions:

What friends can help me?

What family members can help me?

What friends of friends can help me?

What friends in my school community can help me?

Who in my local community can help me?

Which associations or organizations can help me?

Who are people I can go to for support?

Who are people I can ask for advice?

Who are people that I don’t know yet who can help me and how can I connect with them?

Next, make a three column chart with these three questions:

What do I need                   Who am I going                  What am I going

help with?                            to ask?                                   to say?

Answer the three questions.  Remember to be as specific as possible.

To help you find the right approach, write a short blurb, what some call an elevator pitch that gets your point across as quickly as possible.  Write your dream in 25 words or less then practice saying it out loud.  Practice it on a friend or family member and ask for feedback.  The more feedback you get, the better your presentation becomes.

“When you begin speaking your dream and enrolling others, your dream can become bigger and take on new forms, and all kids of opportunities will show up.” Marcia Wieder.

46 Can You Just Jump Into Business?

Many people have a tendency to make things a lot harder on themselves than those things need to be.  Are you one of those people?

When I started my business, I just took my life and work experience and merged them, wrote some copy for my website and viola, I was in business.  Okay, there was a bit more involved, like creating visibility.  That was more time consuming than it was difficult.  The difficult part for me was learning how to do all the online technical stuff like getting a Word Press site up and running.  I’ve never actually been a tech person so there was  a steep learning curve.

Learn I did though.  I learned as I moved forward with my business, never letting the fact that I didn’t know how to do something stop me.  I got help.

I’m a big believer in just jumping off the cliff into the abyss of whatever it is I want to do.  It’s scary, but it’s really exhilarating, sort of like skydiving or belaying down the side of a mountain.  (The caption on the picture, in case it’s cut off, says To jump off a cliff, he jumped).

There are certainly different degrees of easy and difficulty in starting a business, depending on what type of business you want.  Turning your hobby into a business is relatively easy.  Here’s a three step plan for becoming  a professional photographer:

Really, that’s good advice.  A teacher in my life used to say that “it’s just as easy to act as if,” meaning that you should just act the part that you want to play as if it’s already a reality and it will become a reality a lot faster.

So hone up on your acting skills and jump off that cliff into whatever business you want.

8 The 7 C’s of Success

Today’s lesson in the Empowering Young Entrepreneurs Series comes from Brian Tracy, one of the world’s leading authorities on personal and business success.

Brian studied top achievers and peak performers for more than 35 years.  He concluded that these men and women are unique and have, in most cases, mastered what he calls the Seven C’s of Success.

Those seven C words are:

Clarity – Eighty percent of success comes from being clear on who you are, what you believe in and what you don’t.

Competence – You can’t climb to the next rung on the ladder until you are excellent at what you do now.

Constraints – Eighty percent of all obstacles to success come from within. Find out what is constraining you or your company and deal with it.

Concentration – The ability to focus on one thing single-mindedly and see it through until it’s done takes more character than anything else.

Creativity – Flood your life with ideas from many sources. Creativity needs to be exercised like a muscle, if you don’t use it you’ll lose it.

Courage – Most in demand and least in supply, courage is the willingness to do the things you know are right.

Continuous learning – Read, at the very least, one book a week on business to keep you miles ahead of the competition. Organize your time so you spend 30 minutes a day exploring e-mail, sending messages, going through websites, because like exercise, it’s the only way you can keep on top of technology. If you get away from it, you’ll lose your edge.

How many of these C words fit you?  How many do you still need to develop?

23 Become An Inspiring Leader

Can you explain to people WHY you do what you do? What moved you to start your business? What makes you get out of bed in the morning?

Author Simon Sinek describes what he calls the Golden Circle of Communication. According to Sinek, communicating the why first is communicating from the inside out and “people don’t buy what you do, they buy WHY you do it.”

He presents this key to becoming an inspiring leader in a Ted Talk which you should listen to, it’s brilliant.

Sinek explains that your best customers and clients buy from you or hire you because they believe what you believe. He reminds us that Martin Luther King didn’t give an “I have a plan speech,” he gave an “I have a dream speech” and within that speech he talked about what he believed.

People didn’t necessarily connect with Martin Luther King the man, they connected with what he believed because it was the same thing that they believed. He believed that people should be treated equally under the law and that was his why.

The why that drives me forward is that I believe that all teens and young adults should have the opportunity to have the life of their dreams regardless of their life experience or current circumstances, and in light of the current economic situation, I believe we need to help them find alternatives to jobs.

Why do you do what you do?

7 Action: The Key To Success

The word action has come up a lot in the past few days so I thought it would be a good idea to look at why action is the key to success.

Adam Urbanski said, “The difference between successful people and the wannabes is simple: successful people do what needs to be done when it needs to be done – regardless of how they feel about it at the moment. The wannabes just complain and come up with all kinds of BS how life should be easy and everything we want should just effortlessly appear for us! Sorry, that’s not the way it works! If you want something – go get it!”

Nothing in business or life gets done unless you take some action.

Most of us know or have at least heard of the law of attraction.  Some people imagine you can just think positively and things will come to you.  This isn’t true.   It’s fantasy.  The law of attraction is not wishful thinking, nor is it just positive thinking.  Making your dreams come true and attracting what you want requires you to put energy into making it happen – taking action.  This is called determination.  Determination is the combination of time, energy and actions.  Without determination nothing happens.

The universe will not give you what you want without you taking some action.  When your action is inspired by your desires and dreams, you are demonstrating that you really want what you say you desire.  This puts you in alignment with the law of attraction and you will begin to see what you want start to come to you.  Action is like searching for buried treasure; you know it is there to find and you are digging with determination to find it.

Actions that are uninspired are time wasters.  Time wasters don’t create an alignment with our dreams and desires which means we aren’t going to get what we say we want.  This form of action leaves you with the wannabes that Adam mentioned.

My spiritual teacher once said that waiting doesn’t mean sitting around waiting for something to happen, it means doing something toward making it happen until it does happen.  So what are you “waiting” for?

“You are never given a dream without the ability to make it come true.  That ability includes your willingness to do what it takes.” Marcia Wieder