How My Procrastination Fight Turned into a Business Idea

I'm a lazy person. I'm a very lazy one. Not that I try to postpone stuff.. or maybe I do? Well I caught myself once on the idea that I'm quite lazy to do sports. I thought I definitely need to do something about that because my office based job doesn't really help a lot in terms of exercising physically. 

Next thing I've done was buying a gym membership. happily enough I was going there for couple of months on a regular basis... and then.. I caught myself on the fact that each time I was tired after work of I saw the weather was not really nice and rainy (those who live in Ireland know what I mean ;)) I was just NOT going to the gym.

fair enough.. maybe gym doesn't motivate me a lot and I need to do some other sports activity like jogging. I've done that couple of times and the same weather issue stopped me again (or was it not?)

I was drinking my evening tea and a genius idea (!OMG those ideas are visiting me quite often) came to my mind. I know how I can push myself to do sports without finding any reasons to stay home or not to go etc. I need to be a trainer or instructor myself and being a very responsible person by nature  that was something very much suitable for me.

Next step was to find out which sport I was to practice. So here I have started all types of sports that were quite interesting at least to try: yoga normal and hot was too much slow and no action (not that I'm too much into action but I was falling asleep), zumba was interesting but kind of seemed to me just dancing (though I like Latin american dancing), then just fitness instructor didn't really worked well for me as well and then I went to a Pilates class with one of my friends (was actually her idea to bring me there). That was nice with a kind of "doing nothing" and feeling everything after the class which was cool and quite relaxing exercises and stretching.. so I saw a lot of benefits it that.

After choosing Pilates I went to look for becoming an instructor. I have made some search over web and found a studio where I can do the workshops and certification with exams as well. Half year later I have become a certified Pilates instructor Mat 1 from Balanced Body University. Well.. was quite challenging as being not a native speaker to learn a lot of new words and terms and then take an exam using them all, perform a class which I had designed on my own and lots of stuff. But I loved it! It was fun and very interesting. Luckily enough I was invited by that studio to work for them as a part time instructor. I'm really thankful I got this offer because without having any hours of teaching classes (basically that's your CV and experience in the filed) you are more likely to not get the gob. Fair enough because everyone want a qualified instructor who knows all the exercises by heart, self confident and does those exercises perfectly as well as explanations to them. Unfortunately straight after education like in any field you don't have all the above and therefore it's difficult to find the job straight away. But I was lucky there and here I'm - the Pilates Teacher.

I still remember my first class where I was standing in front of 20 people I've never seen in my life and I need to show how cool I was as a Pilates instructor and how well I can explain everything and do exercises myself. That was challenging! However it worked and I loved it even after several classes. And I was happily teaching for a couple of years which actually helped me a lot to fight my procrastination just because being a teacher is a responsibility and you must come because your customers will be there and if you just don't come it will damage your image as a teacher. That was a perfect motivation for me including on top a lot of positive feedback from customers!

Couple of years later I decided to start my own studio and that was really great. I have learnt a lot already and even created my own sequence of exercises and stretching, learned how to teach the group of different levels and a lot of other useful things. On top of that I wanted to keep on going and I loved the idea of my own startup.

This is the way I have turned my procrastination into a business. Have you a similar story or maybe you already have a business idea? ;)

10 Business Secrets for Entrepreneurs

So, you are an entrepreneur and that's super! You are providing something to the world that makes world better or somebody's life more interesting or easier. Welcome to the club! However good to know those simple and important secrets (some of them you have have come across already):

to succeed in business you should to focus on yourself

Focus on client, find your target audience and do all just for it. Manager need to focus on employees so they can do their job efficient. That's actually all true! However it's difficult to focus on your target customer or employees or etc etc if you don't have the right focus of yourself. You need to spend enough time to find yourself and find the balance inside you. If you are not well balanced in your inner world how can you try to balance the outside world? Before you start focusing on your clients and team in a proper way, try to focus on your needs and find the balance in your inner world.

you give up what you have started when the success is @"your door"

One of the main failures of entrepreneurs is to give up things. The main problem here is that they give up things without knowing that the success was knocking at their door the following day, that they were very close to their success. Majority of the problems start really when you are finishing. Think of a long run or marathon@ start is quite easy and at the end you are nearly dead however the difference between long run and business is that in long run you see where the finish and in business you should feel it and be patient to wait and be persistent (stubborn if you want) to keep on going.

not all the difficulties can be foreseen

We write business plans and try to make market analysis however not all the difficulties can be foreseen. Some of the difficulties that happen can be turned into opportunities. And you need to be ready to maneuver and think according to the circumstances instead of giving up just because things happen not according to the plan.

the worst enemy of your business is you

Majority of the entrepreneurs see their goal to knock down the rivals however they don't notice that the main rival is themselves. They keep themselves busy fighting with rivals instead of focusing on business development and innovative ideas. Be different and focus on your business and yourself and you won't have rivals and be busy with happy and devoted customers.

you can succeed in business even without reaching the final goal

You have started the business and this is your success, you have made first steps and sales and this is a success. All the way consists of small wins. Celebrate each one and keep sailing to the main goal.

real success in business comes slowly however you can always speed up the course of events

Real business values need time to grow like any plant or tree. They can become values overnight, they needs months and years. You can jump over 1 km of distance however you can choose the right way and follow your right way creating great business values. You can learn how to run the distance quicker and master skills over coming problems and yes, you will move quicker and get wiser and learn each time.

business and sales start at the same time

YES! sales starts from the moment you have an idea and try to explain ("sell") it to your friends and family, sales start with company name, website design, product development, concepts design. When we decide to start the business, sales happen to be in every single step of the journey.

motivate yourself and it will be easier to motivate others

People management is a difficult science. Having emotions, people are quite difficult to control however! you probably have noticed that some managers have no problem with it. And the reason why is that they start with themselves! They motivate themselves and this emotional intelligence helps to be a great leadership example for team members.

it's easy to make customer happy if you are happy

Put your time and efforts to create and deliver a great product and you will be happy to serve more and more happy customers instead of resolving complaints.

anyone can achieve success in business

Business is not a gamble. Success is coming after following the plan, calculating risks, responding effectively to problems and working hard. Entrepreneur is a jack of all trades. Only having knowledge in many business aspects can help him to react quickly to the situation and be creative with opportunities. Practicing and "swimming" in the business world can help to gain skills and get education where the gap occurs. No time for games. This is acting and reacting. and lots of self satisfaction for creating something new and good for the world and people!

7 Signs When You Should Understand You are not a Tree

All of us want a great team and decent salary. Job we enjoy and no stress. However not always we have what we dream about. And even in those situations we say: "No, that's fine. Well, not my dream job however it's ok. I can survive still." Nothing bad about feeling comfortable at work. However even imaginable satisfaction can bring to general calming down effect which can be also imaginable.This is where the danger hidden.

Calming down is good however analyzing and taking action is better. So what are the signs when it's time to move? Several psychologists point out main signs about time for moving on. Let's have a look.

• you retain status-quo

if you are working in one company for more than 3 years and you are showing interest in career growth however your position and salary remains stable then it's time to think. Statistics says that even in big multinationals withing 3 years should be already some signs of career progression or salary increase.

• you don't get anything in return

your direct manager doesn't give any feedback on the work you do (which makes it fairly difficult to understand what you are doing right or wrong in your job) or doesn't help to make your career path. good manager will support you in career growth and help with constructive feedback. if you don't have one, try to find another one.

• you don't learn

you don't come across any difficulties in your job? don't need to learn anything new to do it? this is sign for an action. the job should be challenging and you should be constantly well trained and learn something new. if your company doesn't provide you any training opportunities to do your job better this means it's not interested in your career growth.

• someone quits from time to time

is it you or it's reality that other people making changes in Linkedin profiles? You shouldn't quit straight away however have a look on what's going on around.

• your company is constantly doing restructuring

staff restructuring and constant management changes may be for good or may lead to instability in the company. more important it can be obstacle for your career growth because you will have to prove your professional capabilities and show potential each time for new manager.

• headhunters are after you

if you are getting requests that only mean your position is in a demand in the market. this is a good sign and good sign for your career inside the company and outside of it.

• you have the feeling that the game is over

your inner voice is demanding changes than maybe it's time for them? in any way you spend 40 hours a week at work this time should be useful, comfortable and joyful.

Active Sales and How They Work on Sunday Markets

At least once in your life you should have visited a Sunday market. And you have probably noticed that from some sellers you want to buy more than from others and if you come back to the market you are more likely to look for them again. In the first sight you may think what kind of sales strategy or sales techniques can be used at ordinary Sunday market? Just get a nice place where you are well seen, show your goods and wait for customers. Sure this works however the sellers are not only in the central place or first rows and sometimes we still go and look for them.

There are some stages of a classical sales system:

• Preparation
• Attracting attention
• Making contact
• Presentation
• Offer
• Work with objections
• Conditions negotiation
• Deal support

Let's walk through this classical system of sales using an example of a Sunday market fruits selling.

Preparation

This is the presentation preparation stage. All the fruits are cleaned and polished, organized by size or color or whatever make them look better for the customer. Customer is buying with eyes and the goods should be presented in all the glory. Potential customer must be willing to buy.

Attracting attention

Everything is in use: bright uniform, big hats, funny or loud voice and greetings, funny or bright signs that attract customer attention. Customer needs to pay attention. If he doesn't come to have a closer look or seller doesn't catch his attention then there will be simply no sale.

Making contact

"Hi" and "How are you?". Small talk about nice day and some compliments for the customer. Nothing extra and all nicely framed with some advice what to buy. Here is the contact established.

Presentation

"Have a look at the great fruits I have here! Those are extremely fresh and tasty! I have apples, pears...." and yes, customer is buying with eyes however audio accompanying visual presentation is covering at least 2 types of customers (audials and visuals). As soon as the stopped his glance on one of the fruits the presentation goes even deeper and there you can touch and try the fruits. Presentation keeps on going till customer asks "How much?".

Offer

The offer is prepared in advance "The price is 5 euro/kg" however (if any hesitation noticed) 4 euro/kg just for you (individual approach!).

Working with objections

"Why so expensive?" will ask the customer. "Freshly delivered from the farm, grown by myself, 100% organic" (replies to the questions with objections are ready in advance.)

Conditions negotiation

"OK, 2 kilos for 8 euro" and if he puts a bit more then price is a bit higher. "And here are plums. Want to try?" and sale goes on.

Deal support

"Let me put it for you in a nice bag and here is my flyer and you get discount for next purchase."

So simple and straight forward however something can be learnt from this:

1. Following all the sales stages properly makes sale more effective and increases number of transactions.
2. Customer is buying with eyes. This opportunity should be given.
3. Without attracting customer's attention there's no sale.
4. Minimum of instruments (prepared in advance) should be used for making contact.
5. In the presentation there's no need to have a deep dive in product qualities straight away. Product qualities should be uncovered layer by layer and step by step.
6. Is customer is asking questions, customer has interest.
7. Offer should be made only when customer shows interest.
8. All customer questions should be answered as this increases the level of trust.
9. Negotiate the conditions of the deals in the beginning.
10. No need to sell everything at once. Sell one product and then move to another one.
11. Selling to existing client is easier than to a new one.
12. Deal support and service increases customer satisfaction and loyalty.

And what have you observed at a market?

62 Tools Helping to Sell

1. Website
2. Product portfolio diversification
3. Additional sales (with this product people also bought, product combinations and deals) (packages vip, normal, minimum)
4. Goods that are used for company promo
5. Google Adwords (A / B testing, keywords, budget, cleaning words through metric method prospector, 1000 hand column)
6. Target marketing
7. Sales
8. Landing page
9. Marketing in Facebook selling groups
10. Purchase ads in Facebook groups
11. Purchasing existing and well developed groups and pages in Facebook
12. Contests in FaceBook
13. Instagram
14. Cold calling
15. Newsletters (database generation, email newsletters marketing, affiliates)
16. Coupon sites
17. Client aggregators
18. Torrent sites
19. Teaser networks
20. Segmentation downstream \ sites
21. Backgrounds, headers, all elements of websites testing
22. Price testing
23. Different offers like buy 3 for the price of 2
24. Database generation from lottery
25. Affiliate program
26. Partnership for Cooperation
27. Cost reduction
28. Add wholesale \ retail options
29. Franchise
30. Open an office
31. An article/ interview in a magazine or newspaper
32. Tenders
33. Sales from the stage \ presentation \ exhibition
34. Sales via webinar
35. Dealers, agency sales, realtors.
36. Multilevel sales sale
37. Promoters
38. Scripts for sales representatives
39. SEO-optimization
40. Loyalty program: gift card for each client
41. System of employee motivation (bonuses for certain KPI iprovement, over achievement)
42. Free YouTube Channel
43. Advertising on YouTube
44. Buy now and pay later program
45. Follow up with old customers
46. Recommendations from old customers
47. Participation in exhibitions
48. Maintain and monitor sales funnel to control effect of each action
49. Start Buzzbox (viral service recommendations)
50. Advertisements in magazines or newspapers
51. TV ads
52. Advertising on radio
53. Promotion on the radio in expert format 
54. Write a book
55. Electronic bulletin boards, classifieds
56. Advertising on the screens in the shopping centers, cafes, buses
57. Testers distribution
58. Advertising banners on portals
59. Subscription on your website
60. Guest speaking at conferences
61. Use partnership flyers to combine offer and reach more of target audience
62. Make a free infoproduct

10 Mistakable Points of View When Opening

Probably the person who never thought about opening his own business doesn't exist. At least the time for thinking about this hasn't come for this guy yet :) Everyone makes mistakes so the entrepreneurs beginners. However at least those 10 can be avoided or minimized at the early stage.

Mistake 1. To open a business you need a lot of money

This one is probably the most common thing. If you have a great idea and you are willing to act that won't stop. Why? Because your initial investment is your time and efforts and getting money for implementation is secondary just because you can get in on the go and lots of things are FREE. And you can use a lot of free ways to get your initial funds even without asking investors or funds etc. Also so many grants exist to fund great idea. Research locally! Still questioning yourself how?? ASK ME then I will guide you.

Mistake 2. To open a business you need network of specific people

Similar to previous one. In you haven't started your own business where will the network appear? I'm not talking about family business in this case. As far as you move ahead with your idea and business you will start getting in touch with people and companies you need for your business and it will grow and it all depends on you. Proven fact.

Mistake 3. No clear vision of what you want to do

No idea means no business. You need to understand clearly what you want to sell, produce or supply. It doesn't matter whether your idea is yours and unique or you borrowed/copied it from somebody else. You need to have the idea and understanding what is behind it i.e. steps to take, processes, results to achieve.

Mistake 4. No business plan

Consider business plan as steps to implement your idea. Your idea is an objective in this case and business plan is an action plan. Consider the resources you need to put all on paper. "I have all in my head" - NOT WORKING. Trust me as soon as you start writing you will find out more things to do, actions to take and even new ideas will come.

Mistake 5. Opinion you need specific skills and knowledge to start your business

Sure about that? Have a look in the web and search for article about Steve Jobs or Bill gates. Did you know they haven't finished universities and? Life is the best teacher and believe me that majority of the knowledge you get from universities won't be helpful because life, technology and everything changes so quickly that it can't be implemented in the curriculum same quick and the knowledge you get will prevent you from thinking as you will constantly try to use the templates and frames you have learnt instead of thinking on your own.

Mistake 6. Too much of self confidence

Good and bad. Be careful about this one. Stop thinking you are a super lucky guy and act planning ahead and thinking ahead. Surely mistakes will be made however take them as an experience and try to avoid in the future.

Mistake 7. Listening to other people's advice. Listening too much!

Yes, don't listen. You do something they have never done to be different as they are. You are on your own at the beginning and be ready people won't support in majority of the cases. They don't really care however their nature is something that makes them give you advice and share point of view. Be ready to be against everyone and yes.. when you succeed they will always say that's them who helped. :) Find people who think like you or those who did similar stuff and learn from them. Much more useful as appeared to be in practice.

Mistake 8. Business for two..

When you do that and you trust still make sure to talk over details in advance. Never think best friends remain best friends. You never know. I think friendship or family relationship is a lot more important than business so make sure you avoid all potential problems that may potentially appear by having initial agreement about everything that possible comes to your mind before the big start.

Mistake 9. Leaving things till Monday or best moment

OK. easy here: you will never start if you don't act. Keep on postponing as someone is already implementing your great idea while you are waiting for your best moment and perfect conditions :)

Mistake 10. Not enough time

Oh yes! have you heard about time management and effective usage of your time? Well life is too short to waste unless that is your goal. So in case you want you can find time for things you want to do. Just a quick exercise for you: for 1 week write down everything you do hourly and you will easily find the things you do for which you don't get money. then make a simple calculation by multiplying the number of wasted hours by your average hourly rate and you will see how much money have you wasted. Still no time to start?

The way begins with the first step.

7 Ways to Become a Man of Action

1. Stop waiting for ideal conditions

If you wait until conditions become ideal, you'll probably never start working. Almost always there will be something that will stop you. Either time an appointment is not suitable or market crashed, or excessively large competition in place. In this world there is no perfect time to start a business. You have to act and solve problems. The best time was last year. Second chance is right now.

2. Be a man of action

Train yourself in performing and acting rather than thinking your steps over. Trying to start to do sports? Need to talk to your boss about performance? Do it now. The longer lives an idea in mind, the weaker it becomes. After two or three days, the details begin to blur. A week later you forget your idea. Becoming a man of action, you will be able to do more and stimulate the emergence of fresh ideas.

3. Remember that ideas alone do not bring success

Ideas are important, although they become something substantial only when they are implemented. 1 implemented idea is worth a dozen of the smartest ideas whose owners are waiting for the best time to start. If you have an idea that you really believe in, do something. When you start you won't escape.

4. Use action to frighten your fears

Have you ever noticed that the most difficult part of taking a public speech is actually waiting for your turn? All professional speakers and artists feel the same excitement before performance or speech. As soon as they start talking, excitement disappears. Action is the best way to frighten your fear. The hardest thing to act is to take the first step and do something first time. As you start, you gain confidence, and it becomes easier and easier to keep on going. Eliminate fear by taking action and build on the success of confidence.

5. Start your creativity mechanism automatically

One of the worst misinterpretations of the creative process is that you should start working only when inspiration comes. If you wait until inspiration does not fall on your head you will act fairly infrequently and with long intervals. Instead of waiting for inspiration start working and creativity will come along. If you need to write something then take a pen and start doing that. Your brain will switch on the creativity mechanism as soon as you will start doing something.

6. Live in your present

Focus on what you can do now. Do not worry about what you should have done last week or what you will do tomorrow. The only time that you can change is now. Even if you think about yesterday or tomorrow you can't act in those times.

7. Act immediately

Usually people prefer to have a small talk before business meetings. The same happens to those who work alone. How often do you check your mailbox and Facebook before you start serious work? These distractions will cost you dearly if you do not learn to ignore them and get to work immediately. Starting to work immediately you will find out within yourself fresh sources of productivity see you as a leader and great manager of your own resources.

You need to be a very organized person to get down to business without the help of others, without a command from the above. This is probably why right motivation is the key. In companies managers have to find the right motivation for the employees to start and keep them concentrated on working. Do not miss the wave of your motivation. Acting people are always noticeable either for themselves when they have things done or for the managers in the companies by seeing them as high performers.