Friday 30 May 2014

10 Simple Rules for Successful Business Start


1. Find a niche

For a small business it is best to find a niche . A small company with limited resources can operate efficiently at a niche market. Concentrate your efforts on a fairly narrow proposal. Stick to what you do best, and you will become an expert in this area. Understand that you can not be good in everything. Focusing on a narrow market, you avoid clashes head-on with larger competitors . If your hardware store sells everything from paint to lumber , it can not compete with the large chain stores . However, you can try to limit the range of products , such as paints and varnishes, and become the best retailer in this segment.

2 . Be small but think big

The most frequently asked question from people starting a small business - " How am I going to compete with large companies? ". Small business has inherent advantages over large, including the flexibility to react quickly and being able to provide a more personalized service. Make sure that your business uses a maximum of small business opportunities.

3 . Emphasizes the difference between your product

Show and emphasize the benefits of your product or service to the buyer, highlighting the uniqueness of the solutions to their problems. Avoid simply copying. Simulators rarely succeed in the market. Explore, but do not copy competitors.

4 . Make a great first impression

Strive for accuracy and quality. Do you often get a second chance to make a first impression? This means that you need to have a tidy shop, polite staff and so on. However, if you work at home alone, remember that you are the point of marketing leverage. Everyone with whom you come in contact can be your potential customer or a person who will recommend your services. Make sure you are always presentable, professional and knowledgeable about your business.

5 . Good reputation

Your business is based on reputation. It is extremely important for you to have a good reputation for quality products and excellent service. It is these two things and guarantee success. Always strive for quality.

6. Continuous improvement

Entrepreneurs know that it is impossible to think conservatively when you improve your products and services. You run the risk of falling behind competitors if practice way of thinking " we've always done that way ." Today's business requires new solutions.

7. Listen to your customers

Follow the market: listen and react to customers' needs . They need to feel that they are important, and it really is! When you focus your attention on clients and earn their trust, they will not only recommend you, but will remain loyal to you. Remember that personal recommendation is word of mouth - the cheapest and yet the most effective form of advertising for your business.

8. Plan success

Entrepreneur must understand the power of planning. A good plan will increase the chances of success and can help define the business concept, a rough estimate of the costs, predict sales and control risks. It shows where you are going and how you get there. Doing business without a plan is like riding a car in a foreign country without a map.

9. Innovate

Constantly innovate, come up with technological changes. Use innovation as a springboard to improve products, processes and reputation. They should be used everywhere: in pricing, in promoting products, in service, in distribution and so on. Keep your eyes open for new ways to do familiar activities and apply innovations that can improve product quality and business performance.

10 . Work smart

As an entrepreneur you need to have confidence in yourself inexhaustible perseverance to develop your ideas. Studies have shown that people, successful as entrepreneurs, see and  accept things as they are and take appropriate actions.

10 Advantages of Being a Small Business

source
While small businesses don’t operate on the same scale as big businesses, they have some distinct advantages:
1.  Flexibility:  Small businesses experience less bureaucratic inertia.  This enables them to respond to changes in the market more quickly than big companies that have to jump through their own hoops.  Small businesses can maneuver where big businesses lack the speed.  In a world that is continually speeding up, businesses are facing the challenge of adapting quickly.
2.  Personal:  Small businesses can be personal in ways that big ones cannot.  This allows for more meaningful interactions between businesses and customers.  Big companies spend massive amounts of money trying to create this same level of personal engagement.
3.  Passion:  When a business is a run by a smaller number of people or just one self-employed individual you often see more pure passion.  That passion hasn’t been diluted by large staff and or altered by a compromised vision.
4.  Independence: With less bureaucracy comes more independence.  Small business entrepreneurs are able to exercise with much more independence, which is often part of what got them into running a small business in the first place.
5.  Best in their niche:  It’s hard to please everyone, and where super companies are trying to please the majority a small business can zoom in on a niche and provide them with exactly what they need.
6.  Local Contributions: Small businesses typically circulate more of their revenue back into their local community.  This makes the local economy more resilient, which in turn makes the global economy more resilient.
7.  Diversity:  There are more small businesses than big ones.  This means more competition and more innovation.
8.  Easier Start Up:  It is much lower in cost to start a small business and can be done working part-time hours.
9.  Straight Forward: Small business owners are far more likely to be directly involved with their consumers.  This enables them to be more in tune with their customer’s satisfaction and concerns.
10.  Sustainability: Small businesses are less likely to harm the environment.  They are more likely to be catering to their locale, which means less driving and more walking.  They are more aware and in control of their energy costs and less likely to engage in wasteful practices like leaving lights on.  They often operate from home and therefore don’t use store or office space.
As a small business owner or self-employed individual it is wise to use these advantages to the fullest. As a small business transitioning into a mid to large-sized business it is important to try to maintain the intimacy and advantages of being smaller.

6 Useful Exercises for Becoming a Great Speaker


1) At home take a frying pan and try for at least 5 minutes to talk about it in beautiful, literary language. In the beginning you may find it difficult however with time will become easier. Gradually increase the time of exercise and try to make it more challenging and complex. These workouts will help you to learn choosing the right words and you will be able to talk an hour about same frying pan, never repeating yourself and using different words each time.

2) Try to exclude from your vocabulary words - parasites , " well ", " general ", " like ", " well, it is", etc. Try to avoid expressing strong emotions while talking. Use simple phrases, do not be in a hurry.

3) Mind the tempo of your speech. Monotonous speech is boring. Pauses and emotions highlight certain points, however use them with care.

4) Use various metaphors, comparisons and sayings to make your speech vivid.And of course, humor. Joke, including at yourself if make sure it is appropriate in this situation and it is useful .

5) In order to train your speech, you need to have a wide circle of friends. In case you don't, listen to radio and watch television to pick up useful words and phrases. You can also try to imitate your favorite TV presenter: repeat his phrases, copy intonation.

6 ) Read a lot: newspapers, magazines, books. A good option to read classics and literature we were asked to read back at school. Necessary to read slowly, thinking about every sentence. This will allow you to learn how to build words into sentences and develop your vocabulary .

Gradually expand your vocabulary and using all this knowledge in a conversation , you'll notice that you have gained power over words, and now they will serve you.

Thursday 29 May 2014

5 Biggest Internet Marketing Mistakes


1. "I have a business idea, will create an expensive, gorgeous website and earn on it!"

Slow down and first test your idea on a simple website. A very good offer for your potential customer will be attractive in a simple cover as well.
If your business idea does not work, and potential customer are not buying... then the amount of money spent on a simple website won't be that big loss for you.

2 . "I want a website like Youtube, Facebook, Google, Amazon! "


This is a list of brands whose development hasn't started in a few minutes and straight after the creation of their website magically millions of visitors began to upload videos, set up profiles , place ads , etc.
Between the business idea and the status of the Internet giant lays a marketing strategy , the development of which required substantial human, time and financial resources. 
Or you still believe in stories like " two students who wrote the Google code on a napkin Stanford cafeteria ?"

3 . " The main thing for the website - it is a beautiful, bright design "

Are you looking to build a website for admiration or for good conversion rate and increased profits? Believe me, if visitors see on your resource detailed description of the product/service, low prices and clear ordering process, they won't really care about the picture in the header .
Or on contrary, in case of unclear information or ordering process, potential customers won't also pay attention to the pictures on the webpage.


4 . "Nobody reads text on the webpage"

Partially true - the descriptions that have no connection with the products you sell or that the user is looking for, are left without reading, however prospects still leave the website without buying.
On the other side a detailed, thorough description of products or services, price, terms of payment and delivery (features reflecting your competitive advantage) - is of great interest to your website visitor and will significantly increase the probability of an order.

5 . "I want to first place in Google for the word "book"," flowers","gifts", etc. - and potential customers will attack the webpage willing to order your products.

Do not be greedy as you need buyers, not visitors. Pick up a list of words and phrases that will attract and lead potential customers to your website and help them in purchasing process. Use key words search and promote your website with their help.

Wednesday 28 May 2014

What is Success?

Love with Hard Work.jpg

50 Marketing Ideas for Your Retail Business


1. Create a calendar for customers with your shop's name and address on it.
2. Print the products you sell or services offered on the back of your business cards.
3. Always carry business cards with you. Give them freely and ask permission to leave them in places your target market may visit.
4. Join a trade association or organization related to your industry.
5. Have a drawing for a product or a gift certificate. Use the entry forms to collect customers' mailing addresses.
6. Develop a brochure of services your shop offers.
7. Conduct monthly clinics about a product or service you offer or schedule semi-annual seminars on related "how-to" information for your industry.
8. Print a tagline for your business on letterhead, fax cover sheets, e-mails and invoices.
9. Develop a website to showcase your products, services and location. Use a memorable URL and include it on all marketing materials.
10. Include customer testimonials in your printed literature.
11. Promote yourself as an expert by writing articles or tips on topics related to your industry.
12. Submit to the local newspaper, trade journal or other publications.
13. Host an after-hours gathering for your employees and their friends/relatives.
14. Provide free t-shirts with your logo to your staff to wear.
15. Send newsworthy press releases as often as needed.
16. Create an annual award and publicize it.
17. Develop your own TV show on your specialty and present it to your local cable station or public broadcasting station.
18. Create a press kit and keep its contents current.
19. Use an answering machine or voice mail system to catch after-hours phone calls. Include basic information in your outgoing messages such as business hours, location, website, etc.
20. Join a Chamber of Commerce where you can network with area business owners.
21. Hold an open house. Invite prominent city officials and the press.
22. Get a memorable local or toll-free phone number.
23. Place ads in publications your market reads. Be sure to reach the non-English speaking market as well.
24. Distribute specialty products such as pens, mouse pads, or mugs with your store's logo.
25. Advertise in creative locations such as park benches, buses, and popular Web sites.
26. Improve your building signage.
27. Get a booth at a trade show or expo attended by your target market.
28. Give a speech or volunteer for a career day at a high school.
29. Sponsor an Adopt-a-Highway area in your community to keep roads litter-free.
30. Donate your product or service to a charity event or auction.
31. Have a Yellow Pages ad listed under your main industry and in related categories.
32. Volunteer your time to a charity or non-profit organization.
33. Create a loyalty program to reward existing customers.
34. Create an opt-in email or print newsletter for your customers. Fill each edition with specials, tips and other timely information.
35. Send hand-written thank you notes to important customers every chance you get.
36. Use brightly colored envelopes and unique stationary when sending direct mail pieces.
37. Show product demos or related videos on a television on the sales floors during store hours.
38. Book a celebrity guest for an event at your store. Use people in your industry or television news anchors or local authors.
39. Create window displays in locations away from your shop. Airports, hospitals, and large office buildings occasionally have display areas they rent to local businesses.
40. Team up with a non-competing business in your area to offer a package promotion.
41. Pick the slowest day of the week to hold a one-day sale.
42. Create a warm, welcoming waiting area for your customers.
43. Provide extra customer service training for your staff.
44. Sign up for a newsletter or join online discussion groups in your industry.
45. If possible, loan your facilities to other groups for a meeting place.
46. Create a unique lapel pin based on the products you sell to wear at meetings.
47. Choose a regular customer to spotlight as a Customer of the Month. Create a brief write up to submit to the local newspaper about the customer and be sure to give he or she a copy of the article as well as have one framed to hang in the store.
48. Pair up slow moving items with related products and repackage as a special buy.
49. Start a blog. Write about your industry or detail in-store happenings.
50. Offer your customers discounts for each referral they provide.
Marketing is most effective if done in coordination with other exposure. Enhance the above efforts with additional signage, newspaper ads, displays and radio ads. Remember to tailor each event for your target audience. If your message isn't being delivered to the right person, it may be a wasted effort.

Tuesday 27 May 2014

4 Super Rules for Permanent Client Attraction


Do More Than Client Expects

If your product is really good then little problems with it will be just a bit of misunderstanding. Customer sees how much you have worked to exceed his expectations and assumes that you will improve. If you create a product just like everybody and nothing more then you do not have enough excuses to close the holes that discovered by your client . And he will stop believing that you are friends .

There are many good examples on the topic: one guy lost an adapter to Bluetooth- mouse produced by Logitech. In response to his request on company's forum, where he can order such adapter, the company just sent him a new one. This created a wave of comments and feedback regarding the case and Logitech's reaction. This is an example of creating customer loyalty.

Another example is the Apple tech support in America - its famous experts (via social media) have a massive knowledge than they need and even more to do their job. They do not have a pleasant female voice however solve problems of their customers really quickly.

Before you start fighting for customer loyalty, create one in your company

As a rule, people serving customers from call centers or from technical support side are rarely valued within the company environment. Make them first and important in the eyes of customers. Give them more authority to solve problems. Building an attitude to those people in the company is seriously important: respect from co-workers and customers will help those people to become more proactive and effective with their job. That will help a lot to build a perfect customer service. Feeling like a part of the same team and experienced for their pride, they will try to do everything make the client happy.

If possible, let your employees use the product they sell and serve. This will help them to give feedback and confirm the benefits of the product.

Have Sense of Humor

Technical support team for online poker Pokerstars once received an e-mail: " Don't you know when Jews celebrate Easter? ". Rather than ignoring a non-poker message company specialist spent a bit of time researching to find an answer to the question. This turned into a very amusing customer conversation thread and created a great feedback from customers and the support team was answering all the e-mails and following all the forum conversations.

Smile

Smile while answering the phone and calling to talk to your customers. Smile can be heard. That is true.

Monday 26 May 2014

Step 30. Free Useful Stuff for Your Business

Starting your own business is a fun and you must enjoy it! Live it and be it. t should be your inspiration and fun. Let's keep it fun! I have gathered here for you some useful and free resources to keep you up and running and have all important things in one place. 


Free Business Cards
You can find quite I see this offer from Vistaprint (www.vistaprint.com). They offer lots of design templates and you. However, take into account they will charge for delivery for majority of the countries.
In case you want to boos your creativity, try to make your own from templates.

Free Business Phone
Being obvious, will offer using google service. You can get a number+set up a voice mail+ divert incoming calls to your mobile. Makes sense saves money, well represents your business and keeps you up and running with low cost call charges from Google.

Free Business E-mail
That's an important feature and somethings that really represents you as a business. You e-mail is a part of your business image and you do need one for your business card. You will have to purchase a domain name (no idea what it is? -> ask me and I will help you out with advice and ideas if there's still no such a post in my blog or google it). Normally a company that hosts your website will offer you an e-mail address or even more than one. That's a nice example and explanation from GoDaddy services (use it and pretty much happy with it, backoffice interface is quite user friendly):


60 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Beginners Make (Experienced Coach Tips)



  1. Registration of the legal company representation first day of existence.
  2. Immediate transfer of operational management to a different person.
  3. Renting office space in city center.
  4. Spending first income of expensive clothing, car or something else to show off.
  5. Hire a lot of people.
  6. Getting loans from banks hoping to pay them back from potential income.
  7. Relying on inspiration.
  8. Trying to catch up with rivals that are for a number of years on the market.
  9. Do the business only for money purposes or the purpose of getting rich.
  10. Hope for somebody's help.
  11. Manage own business by book advice.
  12. Follow the advice of people who never had their own business.
  13. Hire personal assistant.
  14. Pay for a very expensive website.
  15. Invest a lot of money in traditional advertisement and marketing.
  16. Try to get a lot of sales and income very quickly.
  17. Hope that very soon the business will work on its own and easily bring income.
  18. Avoid working and understanding documents and reports.
  19. Live better than can afford.
  20. Think that business is an easy thing to do.
  21. Invest all the income in hedge funds, Forex etc and hope to get a lot of interest back.
  22. Chase quick money.
  23. Tell everyone about first success.
  24. Spend majority of time planning rather than implementing ideas and plans.
  25. Hope that problems will be solved on their own.
  26. Make everyone a partner.
  27. Count on great income in MLM.
  28. Tr to do everything and straight away.
  29. Invest in expensive equipment.
  30. Take items to sell buying them straight away without negotiating best price.
  31. Think other entrepreneurs are less smart than you are.
  32. Start business selling oil, petrol, sugar, precious metals etc.
  33. Ignore small incomes.
  34. Ignore small expenses.
  35. Start flying business class and using premium services.
  36. Never listen recommendations of experienced businessmen.
  37. Holding meeting in expensive hotels/restaurants, paying for partners and leaving big tips.
  38. Forget family, friends and holidays.
  39. Try to become famous after first year in business.
  40. Employ everyone who wants to join your company especially those who you have sympathy for.
  41. Arrange company bonuses for all employees.
  42. Get mortgage for most expensive house in the area.
  43. Get involved in financial pyramids.
  44. Open several companies at a time.
  45. Buy expensive furniture and wait for visitors to come.
  46. Hope for state or international tender.
  47. Try to find foreign partners or investors.
  48. Trying to run the business being all the time away from business location.
  49. Leave the business and start working again (in case you left job to start business before).
  50. Thinking that partners will do all the job.
  51. Let employees manage company finances.
  52. Sign agreements without reading.
  53. Try to get market share without obvious winning benefits.
  54. Start with big wholesale.
  55. Looking for someone to back you up in case you fail. Think about failing in first place.
  56. Hope on government help in everything.
  57. Start with engaging on selling administrative resources.
  58. Underestimate competitors.
  59. Advertise on first TV Channel.
  60. Get loan for the cost of your house/apartment.


Saturday 24 May 2014

14 Habits Of Exceptionally Likable People

Personal branding through social media may help you build your professional network, but there will never be a replacement for a charismatic personality. 
Napoleon Hill, author of "Think and Grow Rich" — one of the top-selling books of all time — wrote about the habits of the most likable people in his essay "Develop A Pleasing Personality," published in the forthcoming collection "The Science of Success."
He introduced his steps to having a "million-dollar personality" by explaining it was steel magnate Charles M. Schwab's charming demeanor that in the late 19th century elevated him from day laborer to an executive with a $75,000 salary and a frequent million-dollar bonus (astronomical numbers for the time).
Schwab's boss, the legendary industrialist Andrew Carnegie said "the yearly salary was for the work Schwab performed, but the bonus was for what Schwab, with his pleasing personality, could get others to do," Hill writes.
Here are Hill's 14 habits of people who are so likable that others go out of their way to help them:

1. They develop a positive mental attitude and let it be seen and felt by others.

It's often easier to give into cynicism, but those who choose to be positive set themselves up for success and have better reputations.

2. They always speak in a carefully disciplined, friendly tone.

The best communicators speak deliberately and confidently, which gives their voice a pleasing sound.

3. They pay close attention to someone speaking to them.

Using a conversation as an opportunity to lecture someone "may feed the ego, but it never attracts people or makes friends," Hill says.

4. They are able to maintain their composure in all circumstances.

An overreaction to something either positive or negative can give people a poor impression. In the latter case, says Hill, "Remember that silence may be much more effective than your angry words."

5. They are patient.

"Remember that proper timing of your words and acts may give you a big advantage over impatient people," Hill writes.

6. They keep an open mind.

Those who close themselves off from certain ideas and associate only with like-minded people are missing out on not only personal growth but also opportunities for advancing their careers.

7. They smile when speaking with others.

Hill says that president Franklin D. Roosevelt's greatest asset was his "million-dollar smile," which allowed people to lower their guards during conversation.

8. They know that not all their thoughts need to be expressed.

The most likable people know that it's not worth offending people by expressing all their thoughts, even if they happen to be true.

9. They don't procrastinate.

Procrastination communicates to people that you're afraid of taking action, Hill says, and are therefore ineffective.

10. They engage in at least one good deed a day.

The best networkers help other people out without expecting anything in return.

11. They find a lesson in failure rather than brood over it.

People admire those who grow from failure rather than wallow in it. "Express your gratitude for having gained a measure of wisdom, which would not have come without defeat," Hill says.

12. They act as if the person they are speaking to is the most important person in the world.

The most likable people use conversations as an opportunity to learn about another person and give them time to talk.

13. They praise others in a genuine way without being excessive.

"Praise the good traits of others, but don't rub it on where it is not deserved or spread it too thickly," Hill says.

14. They have someone they trust point out their flaws.

Successful people don't pretend to be likable; they are likable because they care about their conduct and reputation. Having a confidant who can be completely honest with them allows them to continue growing.


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/habits-of-exceptionally-likable-people-2014-5#ixzz32fTrUQVF

100 Best Quotes On Leadership

source
  1. A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. —Lao Tzu
  2. Where there is no vision, the people perish. —Proverbs 29:18
  3. I must follow the people. Am I not their leader? —Benjamin Disraeli
  4. You manage things; you lead people. —Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper
  5. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant. —Max DePree
  6. Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality. —Warren Bennis
  7. Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way. — General George Patton
  8. Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. —Jack Welch
  9. A leader is a dealer in hope. —Napoleon Bonaparte
  10. You don’t need a title to be a leader. –Multiple Attributions
  11. A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. —John Maxwell
  12. My own definition of leadership is this: The capacity and the will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character which inspires confidence. —General Montgomery
  13. Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations. —Peter Drucker
  14. Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has. —Margaret Mead
  15. The nation will find it very hard to look up to the leaders who are keeping their ears to the ground. —Sir Winston Churchill
  16. The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born-that there is a genetic factor to leadership. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born. —Warren Bennis
  17. To command is to serve, nothing more and nothing less. —Andre Malraux
  18. He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander. —Aristotle
  19. Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if you had no title or position. —Brian Tracy
  20. I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers. —Ralph Nader
  21. Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes. —Peter Drucker
  22. Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm. —Publilius Syrus
  23. A great person attracts great people and knows how to hold them together. —Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
  24. The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it. —Theodore Roosevelt
  25. Leadership is influence. —John C. Maxwell
  26. You don’t lead by pointing and telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case. —Ken Kesey
  27. When I give a minister an order, I leave it to him to find the means to carry it out. —Napoleon Bonaparte
  28. Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better. —Harry S. Truman
  29. People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision. —John Maxwell
  30. So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work. —Peter Drucker
  31. The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes. —Tony Blair
  32. The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It’s got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet. —Reverend Theodore Hesburgh
  33. The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority. —Kenneth Blanchard
  34. A good general not only sees the way to victory; he also knows when victory is impossible. —Polybius
  35. A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position. —John Maxwell
  36. A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be. —Rosalynn Carter
  37. The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly. —Jim Rohn
  38. Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish. —Sam Walton
  39. A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent. —Douglas MacArthur
  40. A ruler should be slow to punish and swift to reward. —Ovid
  41. No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it. —Andrew Carnegie
  42. Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. —General Dwight Eisenhower
  43. The leader has to be practical and a realist yet must talk the language of the visionary and the idealist. —Eric Hoffer
  44. Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about the problems. —Brian Tracy
  45. A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd. —Max Lucado
  46. Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. —General George Patton
  47. As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others. —Bill Gates
  48. All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership. —John Kenneth Galbraith
  49. Do what you feel in your heart to be right–for you’ll be criticized anyway. —Eleanor Roosevelt
  50. Don’t necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership. —Donald Rumsfeld
  51. Education is the mother of leadership. —Wendell Willkie
  52. Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out. —Stephen Covey
  53. Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate, and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand. —General Colin Powell
  54. Great leaders are not defined by the absence of weakness, but rather by the presence of clear strengths. —John Zenger
  55. He who has great power should use it lightly. —Seneca
  56. He who has learned how to obey will know how to command. —Solon
  57. I am reminded how hollow the label of leadership sometimes is and how heroic followership can be. —Warren Bennis
  58. I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure, which is: Try to please everybody. —Herbert Swope
  59. If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities. —Maya Angelou
  60. If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing. —Benjamin Franklin
  61. If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. —John Quincy Adams
  62. In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. —Thomas Jefferson
  63. It is absurd that a man should rule others, who cannot rule himself. —Latin Proverb
  64. It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership. —Nelson Mandela
  65. Lead and inspire people. Don’t try to manage and manipulate people. Inventories can be managed but people must be lead. —Ross Perot
  66. Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal. —Vince Lombardi
  67. Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them. —John C. Maxwell
  68. Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. —John F. Kennedy
  69. Leadership cannot just go along to get along. Leadership must meet the moral challenge of the day. —Jesse Jackson
  70. Leadership does not always wear the harness of compromise. —Woodrow Wilson
  71. Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy. —Norman Schwarzkopf
  72. Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership. —Colin Powell
  73. Leadership is the key to 99 percent of all successful efforts. —Erskine Bowles
  74. Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better. —Bill Bradley
  75. Management is about arranging and telling. Leadership is about nurturing and enhancing. —Tom Peters
  76. Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall. —Stephen Covey
  77. Never give an order that can’t be obeyed. —General Douglas MacArthur
  78. No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent. —Abraham Lincoln
  79. What you do has far greater impact than what you say. —Stephen Covey
  80. Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck, leads the flock to fly and follow. —Chinese Proverb
  81. One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency. —Arnold Glasow
  82. The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men, the conviction and the will to carry on. —Walter Lippman
  83. The greatest leaders mobilize others by coalescing people around a shared vision. —Ken Blanchard
  84. The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership. —Harvey Firestone
  85. To do great things is difficult; but to command great things is more difficult. —Friedrich Nietzsche
  86. To have long term success as a coach or in any position of leadership, you have to be obsessed in some way. —Pat Riley
  87. True leadership lies in guiding others to success. In ensuring that everyone is performing at their best, doing the work they are pledged to do and doing it well. —Bill Owens
  88. We live in a society obsessed with public opinion. But leadership has never been about popularity. —Marco Rubio
  89. Whatever you are, be a good one. —Abraham Lincoln
  90. You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do. —Eleanor Roosevelt
  91. A competent leader can get efficient service from poor troops, while on the contrary an incapable leader can demoralize the best of troops. —John J Pershing
  92. A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit. —John Maxwell
  93. There are three essentials to leadership: humility, clarity and courage. —Fuchan Yuan
  94. I am endlessly fascinated that playing football is considered a training ground for leadership, but raising children isn’t. —Dee Dee Myers
  95. A cowardly leader is the most dangerous of men. —Stephen King
  96. My responsibility is getting all my players playing for the name on the front of the jersey, not the one on the back. –Unknown
  97. A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week. –George Patton
  98. The supreme quality of leadership is integrity. –Dwight Eisenhower
  99. You don’t lead by hitting people over the head—that’s assault, not leadership. –Dwight Eisenhower
  100. Earn your leadership every day. –Michael Jordan

The 80/20 Rule and Listening to Your Inner Procrastinator

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The 80/20 Rule and Listening to Your Inner Procrastinator

Sharing this article. Really nice one. The source is indicated above the picture. I really appreciate thos types of articles and did post similar about fighting procrastination here plus bonus article here.
A decade ago, my friend Bill said, "Perry I've got a million-dollar idea for you. There's just one catch: If you sell a million dollars, you have to give $10,000 to my favorite charity."
"OK Bill, you're on," I said. He insisted I was leaving tons of money on the table by only writing and publishing books. He advised me to expand into business coaching.
I decided he was right. And guess what? I had the hardest time getting myself to actually do it. When I sat down to execute the details, my inner procrastinator said, "Wait a minute, why don't you go get a haircut."
I recognized the inner procrastinator as a signal that I was precisely on the right track. I resolved to finish the project.
That move doubled my income. Bill's favorite charity, an inner city school in Philadelphia, got a check for $10,000.
I'm a passionate advocate of the 80/20 rule, which says 80 percent of your sales come from 20 percent of your customers. It applies to most other aspects of business and life as well, like how you spend your time.
I've discovered that your inner procrastinator -- if you pay close attention to him -- tells you exactly what you should be doing.
The top 20 percent activities that produce 80 percent of your results are the very same things that trigger you to procrastinate -- to delete old emails or water plants instead.Eventually I had to cloister myself in a library with no Internet to craft the marketing for a business move that scared me deep down. Those demons inside my head knew it was a good idea, so I decided to harken unto them.
Whenever my inner procrastinator tells me to check Twitter or iron my shirts, instead of what I've planned, I know I'm on to something good. I switch it around.
It's not that we don't want to work. It's that we're afraid of doing work that will move the needle. Most of us are afraid of success.
Here are tips on how to direct your inner procrastinator to your advantage:
Flip your daily to-do list. You wake up and list the 10 things you need to do today. Odds are, one item is worth 10 times more than the rest. Our natural human tendency is to put it off until later, diverting into mundane tasks like Facebook. We invent devilishly clever reasons not to get that one thing done.
Check your gut and do it. Now. (Or at least after you finish reading this article.)
The 'procrastination demon opportunity detector' works for big-picture projects, too. If you're all-consumed with $10 per hour busy work, you have no time to stop and ask yourself, "What salvo should I launch next week that will double sales next year?"
That question makes you squirm. The more disconcerting, the better. It challenges the status quo. Whatever gives you that queasy, familiar feeling of asking for a big check -- or for dad's car keys at 11 at night -- that plan probably belongs on the top of the stack.
Make constructive use of the time you liberate. I urge entrepreneurs to hire house cleaners and personal assistants to free themselves up from mundane activities. What do you do with the extra two hours a day you free up? You could fritter it away - or go nuclear on your business strategy.
Perfectionism is the root of all evil.  Most of us soothe our anxieties and stay mediocre by perfecting things that don't need to be perfect at all. You spend 15 minutes editing that email before you press send. You clean out your car twice a week.
Most procrastination isn't doing nothing, it's doing what's comfortable and mediocre.
Put 'Do Nothing' on your to-do list. I'm a huge advocate of Sabbath -- taking Saturdays or Sundays off. Instead of wasting time on busy work such as checking email, everyone should create space where they pray or meditate -- or simply do nothing. Your best business ideas will come when you're not working. When you're having fun doing what you enjoy doing, whether it's reading novels or tossing a baseball with your kids, that feeds your creativity.
I learned this the hard way. I spent years with the pedal to the metal, working seven days a week. It got me nowhere because I was not doing what I needed to do most.
Harken unto your "procrastination demon opportunity detector." Choose the thing that makes you most anxious. Then head straight into the wind, because those anxieties are merely birth pangs of a larger success.