The Gravy Train

Seminar on Profitability on December 15th

2009-12-07T23:38:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone, the Floidster is back for yet another small business seminar on Tuesday, December 15th at 7:00 PM. This seminar is about some best practices on how to increase your business' profitability and maintain it.

If you're a small business owner living in New York City, this event is one you shouldn't miss. The information you can gather from here is priceless, and the investment minimal.

RSVP at http://www.papersnyc.com/classes

Seminar on November 10th

2009-11-07T13:30:00.004-05:00

Yes, it's been literally an eternity since last I posted. Business has been quite busy and many delays are still yet to be overcome!

Anyway, I wanted to jump in and quickly note that I'm running a seminar on how to protect your business on Tuesday, November 10th. If you live in NYC, be sure to attend this seminar. You can RSVP here: www.papersnyc.com/classes Just choose "Protecting Your Business" and sign up!

Explanation for lack of posts

2009-07-19T23:46:00.001-04:00

Hey guys, you're probably wondering why I haven't been posting regularly. That's because the Gravy Train is about to leave the station.

In other words, exciting things are coming soon! So stay tuned! The birth of something great is very close! ;)

Guest column: Dress for Success

2009-07-14T01:28:00.003-04:00

My good friend over at the Biased Cut was generous enough to write a guest column on the importance of keeping a good image. As we all know, especially to entrepreneurs, image alone can sometimes make or break a deal.

Yes, I know I was supposed to post on Sunday...but hey, at least I'm fashionably late, right?

Without further adieu, here begins the guest column. It's a great read:

There are a couple things this post won’t do. First is to discuss how to appropriately dress for an interview. That can be done here. And here, here, and perhaps best of all, here. Second is to preach about (or even presume to know about) the latest fashion trends. For that, go to any one of the infinite fashion blogs in syndication today.

For entrepreneurs, there is a more generalist approach that needs to be taken, one that can be applied to and understood by every demographic in the budding-business world. To the extent that everyone has their own personal style, and every situation is unique, there is no perfect advice for how to truly “dress for success”. Because, as entrepreneurs, you may be meeting with high-powered Wall St. financiers in one hour, then, in the next, pitching to the mechanics at the local repair garage about the benefits of installing a new electric car plug-in station. What it ultimately boils down to is awareness: awareness of audience, awareness of setting, awareness of personal style. And, of course, understanding the affects of dress on each of these.

Nearly everyone appreciates the value of dressing appropriately. But too often entrepreneurs are unsure, or even sorely mistaken, about how to outwardly present themselves. To me, it all starts with observation. Wherever you are, begin to observe the setting around you. Who are these people, and what are they wearing? What does their choice of dress convey? How does each individual fit in with the larger group surrounding them? Training your mind to consciously think of how other people are physically expressing themselves is essential to managing the perceptions your audience makes when subconsciously sizing up you.

First, understand the setting. Clearly, suits are de rigueur in the boardroom (unless it’s your boardroom – then anything goes). But what about that alumni happy hour coming up where you hope to score potential customers? Or maybe you’re canvassing neighborhoods this weekend, and don’t know how professional to look?

Next, think about the audience. This often runs in parallel to the setting, but not always. Just because you’re going to a manufacturing plant doesn’t mean you won’t be meeting with senior level management. Also, understand the other person’s dress style, and consider shifting your own style tendencies a little closer to theirs. It helps to build comfort in a relationship. But maintain the integrity of your own image – who would you trust more to fix your computer, Bill Gates dressed as Bill Gates, or Bill Gates dressed as David Beckham?

Finally, think about yourself. What do you want to convey? What is the purpose of this meeting, presentation, conversation? What fits me well (figuratively and literally), and what styles / clothing should I avoid?

Unfortunately there is no universal piece of advice for each and every situation. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a personal wardrobe specialist (or a significant other that makes these hard decisions for you), you’re going to have to use your best judgment. And the only way to build that judgment is to educate yourself. Begin by observing. Learn what works, and what doesn’t work. If you want to become more ambitious, start reading up on the latest fashion. Whether you want to simply improve your corporate wardrobe or you’re seeking to spot the next best trend there are resources out there.

As entrepreneurs, you don’t need to be reminded again of the importance of first impressions in marketing. So be sure to put lots of thought into each and every one of yours. Be yourself, and don’t be afraid to be different, but in the business of sales, you MUST be aware of what image you portraying.

*************************************************************************************
Post courtesy of the Biased Cut

Always set concrete deadlines

2009-07-05T13:14:00.003-04:00

“I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” - Douglas Adams (British comic)

The term "deadline" has always been a grim term. We've all had to deal with them, whether it was back in our school days or at work. I mean heck, it's even got "dead" in it. However, many of us take a deadline's importance for granted in our general lives. Without deadlines, business as we know it wouldn't function properly.

Deadlines are an extension of the simple universal law that dictates that everything that has a beginning must have an end. We deal with deadlines all the time, which is why we take them for granted when we need them for ourselves. The fact is, whenever we are given a predetermined deadline, we work harder to make sure all the work is completed by that date.

Imagine, if you will, that you knew you were going to die in 6 months. I am willing to bet good money that 99% of us would try even harder to live life to the fullest before our "deadline" approaches. The problem is, all of us don't know when our own "deadline" looms, and so we become complacent and comfortable. When it comes to our own lives, most of us don't set deadlines for our goals and/or dreams. As such, we find ourselves drifting from day to day, month to month, constantly deferring what we need to do until "later." However, there's only so much time you can use to defer something until it becomes too late.

It is the ability to predetermine an end that separates successful people from the rest. Any entrepreneur who planned for their business seriously has made religious use of deadlines (i.e. a launch date). Any goals you've set for yourself must be specific not only in nature/amount but also specific in terms of a timeframe.

Here are some tips in setting deadlines:

Make them specific. In other words, don't put down "a month" Make it "July 31, 2009"

Don't be generous in the timeframe, but be realistic too. Don't give yourself too much time to achieve your goals. Saying that you'll, for example, travel to Europe within 10 years is MUCH too generous. To borrow a term from the "4-Hour Workweek" you should set impossible deadlines. Reason for this is that you will work that much harder to make sure your goal is achieved.

Set a deadline for each critical task that needs to be done to achieve your goal. Every journey has its milestones. That's how you keep progress, pace and most of all...motivation.

Deadlines can be used for all aspects of your life. Use them religiously. In fact, use them on your loved ones...and you'll get your grilled cheese sandwich sooner than you thought! How it's delivered to you though...well...that's up to you ;)

Getting burnt out is temporary

2009-06-28T19:22:00.009-04:00

"Successful people are successful because they form the habits of doing those things that failures don't like to do." - Albert Gray (one of those habits is perseverance)

Otherwise little Joey here is going to stomp you out like a used cigarette. Capish?

Anyone who works hard for a living will always experience the dreaded phrase we call "burn out" It is when you are always tired, hate what you're doing and wish you could just retreat to a tropical island and never have to worry about anything. There are those who keep persevering, and then there are those who simply give up.

The old belief is that "Quitting never gets you ahead in life." I don't mean to shock you, but that phrase can be WRONG. We've been programmed to automatically assume a negative connotation with the word "quit" Sometimes, you need to quit something to get ahead.

For example, to quit wasting time definitely gets you ahead. Quitting smoking saves you money. Quitting telling dumb jokes saves your reputation. It's not necessarily a question of WHEN to quit, it's a question of WHAT to quit. Once you know what to quit...then you know when to quit (which is usually between Right Now and Immediately)

To avoid burning out, or to recover from burn out, you need to define what to quit. A lot of times, it's the little things that break the camel's back. So...what are some things you can quit to improve your experience?

Quit doing things that do not directly contribute to the completion of your primary task or make you any money. Activity does not necessarily equal productivity. Do NOT work for the sake of work.

Quit getting distracted. This means constantly checking email, responding to unimportant messages, or taking social calls during times you should be productive. Productivity relies on momentum. Distractions only hamper your momentum.

Quit sacrificing personal time to work. When you're tired, stressed and/or unhappy, you are less productive. Be resolute in making sure you get some time to spend for yourself (and your family...if applicable). This one of the biggest mistakes people do, and why they get burnt out quickly. As the old saying goes, "When something's important, you MAKE THE TIME."

And lets say you did all that, and you still feel burnt out...then you should reconsider what you're doing entirely. It may be as simple as your job/business just isn't fulfilling to you. In that case, you should move on to something else that's more fulfilling, even if it means earning less money. You don't need to be rich to be happy. You need to be fulfilled to be happy.

If any of you have read the book "The 4-Hour Workweek" by Tim Ferriss, you will find that these concepts are quite similar. For those of you who haven't read the book, I HIGHLY recommend you buy it. It is extremely useful.

Be a "dad" to your business

2009-06-21T11:15:00.006-04:00

I wonder what the card would have said...

Yes, in case you were wondering, this is a Fathers Day themed post today. First off, I want to wish everyone a Happy Fathers Day. I would also like to make a quick T-shirt recommendation for the future:

Because everyone's celebrating their fathers (or at least pretending to ;) ), I will keep this post quite short.

The reason I say you should be a "dad" to your business is that, in a lot of ways, your business is like your child. The younger your child is, the more attention you need to give it to make sure it grows up to be healthy and independent. As such, when you have an embryonic small business, you need to be there for it all the time until it can "walk" by itself.

As a "dad" you want to ensure that your business grows up with your values, but with the ability to be independent. A lot of entrepreneurs sometimes hit a plateau or wall in their growth because they get so consumed in their business, that they cannot start new businesses or just grow their current business beyond tiny increments. (See: "Don't be a helicopter entrepreneur")

At times, just like a child, sometimes you will need to stomp your foot and make tough decisions for your business (i.e. cutting employees, services, etc.). For entrepreneurs, "tough love" is sometimes a necessity to ensure your business' survival.

When you small business grows up to be healthy and strong, make sure to buy yourself a crappy T-shirt ;) Oh, and I know we have women in the audience here. You can be "dads" too, just PLEASE don't overdo it ;)

Happy Fathers Day!

Get out of your comfort zone

2009-06-16T22:30:00.006-04:00

Sorry, I found this picture to be too funny to not use, even though it's totally irrelevant.

On the subject of gold chains and mohawks, I pity the foo' who does the same things over and over and expecting different results.

If you look at any successful entrpreneur, they all have many things in common fundamentally. One of those things was the sheer determination to do things that most people would be uncomfortable or afraid to do. It is precisely because they do what most don't that leads to their inevitable success. Of course, that's not to say that these people never fail. In fact, all successful entrepreneurs will fail AT LEAST several times before finally succeeding.

Failure is uncomfortable. No one likes to fail. Many people will refer to the quote, "Play with fire and you get burned." Well...so what if you get burned a little? You become all the wiser. It is the fact that you made a mistake or failed that teaches you to appreciate not only what you have, but to appreciate what you're aspiring for.

When you can bring yourself to do things that most people won't (within reason of course...I'm not saying go walk naked out on the streets...) you will find that there's very little competition on the other side of the fence. If being an entrepreneur was easy, don't you think everyone would be one then?

I know I used this quote in a previous post, but it begs to be repeated. A successful entrepreneur once told me, "You know why people never get ahead in life? It's not because they set the bar too high. It's because they set the bar too low, and they keep jumping over it each and every time in a ritual of sheer habit."

As an entrepreneur, you will be faced with many unknowns. You will have to become something you've never been educated or trained to do. You will learn as you go, and you WILL make mistakes along the way. However, don't let it get to you, it's just part of the process of being successful. Starting something is always the hardest thing to do.

Take running for example. When you first start your run, your muscles burn and you're practically wheezing...because you've went from a state of comfort and low activity to a state of motion. However, you find that after the first 10-15 minutes, your body adapts to being in a state of motion...your breathing slows down and your muscles stop burning. It is a simple example, yes, but it is true of any endeavor in life. It will always be difficult at first to get out of your comfort zone...but when you do (and persevere), you will go far.

And with that, I shall leave you with a wonderful quote by Mark Twain:

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect."

Ok, seriously. New Post on Tuesday (6/16)

2009-06-16T01:22:00.001-04:00

Through ice and hellfire, I WILL have a new post up, even if it means staying up until 3 AM Tuesday NIGHT (and no...that doesn't mean 2 hours from now...for you wise-cracks out there) to do it. Stay tuned.

...YES, I know it's technically Tuesday. ;)

-Floid

Apologize for the delay

2009-06-08T21:37:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone, the next post on the blog will be next Sunday, June 14th. Business demands my time, so I need to give it the proper attention before it kicks and screams ;)

Be a relationship builder, not a client controller

2009-06-03T18:43:00.006-04:00

Alec Baldwin's character in "Glengarry Glen Ross" was definitely a client controller with his "brass balls"

If you were to ask any successful entrepreneur on what sustains his/her business, most (not necessarily all) will tell you it is repeat business and referrals. Entrepreneurs are not just leaders, but they all have to be salesmen at heart. When you go out there to get business and promote yourself, you are a salesman for your own company.

There are two kinds of salesmen out there. The first type are called "client controllers" These salesmen are true hustlers. They will use pressure tactics, and every trick in the book to "beat you into submission" and get you to sign on the dotted line, regardless if the sale is even beneficial to you or not. To them, ABC (Always Be Closing) is a religion for them, and they are its fanatics. These salesmen are good at getting customers quickly, but rely on a steady stream of new business. Depending on what kind of person you are and what you sell, this is not necessarily sustainable nor recommended.

The other type are known as "relationship builders" These salesmen, although not necessarily as aggressive as "client controllers" are even more effective in the long run. These types of salesmen do not necessarily "sell" you, they get you to "want" or "need" something. They do what is best for the client, even if it means sacrificing a juicy payment or sometimes even an entire sale. These salesmen delay gratification to reap the long term benefits. To many people, salesmen that actually have their best interests at heart are rare. However, many customers appreciate honest salesmen. It is the old phrase, "If you do good by me, I'll do good by you."

As a relationship builder, you will find that your customers will be more loyal to you, and they will be more than happy to give you referrals. In business, referrals are your lifeblood. When you have a referral, it makes selling MUCH easier. Don't be afraid to take the high road, even if it costs you profit. I cover this in my previous post "Be selfishly honest"

So what are key things you should do to be a "relationship builder"? Here are some key ones:

Develop a strong rapport with your customer through sharing things in common (i.e. both of you love baseball, etc.) and some humor

Take the time to really understand what your customer needs and show the customer how you can address their need with your product/service. Fulfill their needs, not your paycheck.

Always maintain regular contact with your customer. Send them a birthday card, or just check in on them to see how they're doing. This is a great opportunity to sell further to them, or just simply get more referrals.

ALWAYS ask for referrals. Be sure you treat those referrals with the same professionalism and attentiveness as with your original customer. It'll make your customer look good in front of the people he/she knows.

As an entrepreneur and a salesman, just be genuine, go the extra mile and most of all, always put your customer's needs first.

Always see your customers' perspective

2009-05-31T17:38:00.007-04:00

"Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?" - George Carlin

Perspective is a tricky thing. How you view something can either be similar or vastly different than how someone else views it. When it comes to business, perspective is everything. Successful businesses go to great lengths to ensure not only getting their branding right, but also develop and perfect ways to make things better for the customer.

To be successful in business, you have to be able to consider the perspective of others, and not just your own internal perspective (whether it is your company's or just yourself). I've touched upon this concept here and there in my previous posts, but I want to reiterate just how important this principle is.

Normally, every thing in existence will have its proponent and its critic. However, there is an issue of concern if something has way more critics than proponents. It is extremely vital to always be collecting feedback from external parties, whether it be friends, family or complete strangers (such as customers). What may seem "easy" "useful" or "affordable" to you, may not necessarily apply to others.

Failing to understand the perspective of your customers can cost you dearly. Therefore, there are two useful exercises you should do. This applies to whether you have a business already or you are planning to start one:

Exercise 1: Ask yourself 50 negative questions (i.e. "Why should I care about xyz product/service?") and then answer them. Don't worry if you can't reach 50, just try your hardest to get close to that number. The reason for that is that it will force your mind to think from an outside perspective. You may find this exercise a bit sobering, but it will save you later.

Exercise 2: Get your friends and even strangers to test out your product/service and collect their feedback. Make sure they give you HONEST feedback and have them elaborate on their feedback. For example, if someone says, "I think xyz is great." Ask them why. Why do they find it great? You need to understand exactly what you do well, and what you don't do well. Most likely, feedback will end up clumping into a handful of similar issues. People simply have different ways of expressing their thoughts. It's up to you to interpret feedback into coherent themes that you can act upon.

We've all seen businesses who have terrible customer service and/or weak value propositions. Usually, those businesses either suffer greatly or collapse completely. You won't share their fate if you always do your best to understand your customers' perspective. Whether someone loves or hates your business...they'll always be willing to give you a piece of their mind. Use that to your advantage. Most importantly of all, always be critical of yourself.

Don't be a cog in "The Machine"

2009-05-27T16:20:00.005-04:00

One of the reasons Pink Floyd is a legendary band was that a good deal of their songs were powerful social commentaries that caused you to really think.

One of their songs, "Welcome to the Machine" although originally written as a criticism of the soullessness of the music industry, is also, I believe, a reflection of society as a whole. Like I mentioned in previous posts, society is crucial to maintain order. However, in order to maintain order, things must be predictable and controllable.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying you should go out, grab a bazooka and fight "the establishment." What I am saying though is that you should NEVER let ANYONE tell you how to live your life. To be an entrepreneur, you need to be prepared to go against the grain of society. You need to be independent. It's your life, not anyone else's.

With that, I present to you Pink Floyd's "Welcome to the Machine." It is a very powerful song, indeed. For those of you viewing this post on Facebook, you will have to go onto my blog directly (http://gogravytrain.blogspot.com/) to view the video.

Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
Where have you been?
It's alright we know where you've been.
You've been in the pipeline, filling in time,
Provided with toys and 'Scouting for Boys'.
You bought a guitar to punish your ma,
And you didn't like school, and you
know you're nobody's fool,
So welcome to the machine.

Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
What did you dream?
It's alright we told you what to dream.
You dreamed of a big star,
He played a mean guitar,
He always ate in the Steak Bar.
He loved to drive in his Jaguar.
So welcome to the Machine.

Memorial Day: Never Forget

2009-05-25T11:45:00.003-04:00

I, and many of you, have either friends or family in the military that are currently fighting in Iraq & Afghanistan or will be deployed soon. Never forget that each and every one of them is a hero. Anyone who volunteers to put their life on the line for the defense of his people is a hero. Movies, and even the media sometimes, cause us to forget that soldiers are normal people just like us.

These men and women face fear and danger very few of us will ever comprehend. To quote William Sherman, "War is hell." Without them, our way of life as we know it today would not exist. The best way to honor these men and women is to help build the country that they sacrificed themselves to defend.

Start a business, do volunteer work, better your community, do whatever you can do to help make your country better. Every little thing counts. As you look back upon the triumphs of your life, never forget those who made it possible for you.

Always set goals

2009-05-24T12:40:00.005-04:00

There's no journey without some sort of destination.

...at least that's what I keep telling myself ;)

But in all seriousness, as a future or current entrepreneur, you must get in the habit of setting goals for yourself. If you read the success stories of great entrepreneurs (both small and big), one of the key secrets to their success is that they set goals for themselves. In a way, we all set goals for ourselves, at least internally. However, that is not always enough. Often times, the goals we set for ourselves are not high enough either.

I was once told by a successful entrepreneur, "You know why people never get ahead in life? It's not because they don't set goals. It's because they set the bar too low, and they just keep jumping over it time and time again."

To really harness the power of goal-setting, you need to make your goals a realistic challenge to achieve. It's the same concept in sports or martial arts. If you want to get better, you need to challenge yourself and never be afraid of failure. Often times, you need to pit yourself against people who are "out of your league." It's the sincere effort in conquering that goal that makes you stronger.

Make sure that your goal is specific (put a number to it) and that it is within a self-imposed deadline. For example, "My goal is to make $100,000 a month by the end of 2009." Your brain, believe it or not, will subconsciously do whatever it takes to achieve that goal, as long as you are sincere and focused. WRITE your goal down and place it where you can see it everyday.

Well, off to my journey. I knew I should have made a left turn at Albuquerque...

Just as a reminder, the new blog update days are Sunday & Wednesday. See you then!

The first step is always the hardest

2009-05-21T23:10:00.004-04:00

Floid Factoid: A plane or shuttle burns the most fuel during take off.

If you ask any serious entrepreneur what were some of the most difficult times of his/her venture, it'll usually be "the start-up phase" It can also happen to be the most fun, but it all depends on your mindset and your determination.

From what I've garnered from personal experience and the experience of others, most people become intimidated by the often daunting task of starting a new business. As you may have read in my previous posts, it takes iron determination, a good deal of homework and a passion for what you do. If you were to survey salesmen or entrepreneurs, most of them fail/drop-out in the beginning stages (1st year usually) of their endeavors. Out of those who make it past the initial stages (after 1-2 years or so), very few end up dropping out in the mid to late term. That is why entrepreneurs are a minority. If it was easy, then everyone would be doing it, right? However, that is why the rewards are so great.

Newton's Law of Inertia applies to people too. Objects that are stationary remain stationary, and objects in motion stay in motion unless an external force interferes. When you first start a business, you're going from a stationary state to a state of motion. However, the greatest amount of force exerted is in the initial acceleration phase. As the factoid above mentions, a plane/shuttle burns the most fuel on take-off in order to overcome friction and gravity. If you're in a state of motion, momentum will keep you going. In fact, with momentum, things get a lot easier.

As a future or a current entrepreneur, don't let the daunting tasks in the beginning deter you. Yes, you will have to work hard. Yes, you will have to make sacrifices. Most importantly, you will have to venture into the unknown. However, keep in mind that for every day you work hard now, that is one more day you have earned for yourself in living the life you want in the future. You are making an investment in the present to generate a great return in the future.

Just keep pushing forward. Eventually, momentum will take over.

Whew, looks like I JUST made the post right before 12:00 AM ;) By the way, I'm changing my blog update days to every Sunday and Wednesday. The next blog post will be on Sunday, May 24th.

"Out For Lunch - Be Back Thursday"

2009-05-19T19:06:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone,

I know today's update day, but I have a mountain of work to take care of...so stay tuned for a new blog post on Thursday!

-Floid

Be different, but be useful

2009-05-16T13:46:00.005-04:00

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” -Albert Einstein

Word...

By Einstein's definition, most people are insane. But then again, society teaches us that if enough people believe or do the same thing, it is "normal" That sounds pretty insane to me. I've always believed that the true measure of one's intellgience and character is being able to understand and rise above our basic instincts and "machine-like" responses.

It's one thing to be different just for difference's sake, it's quite another to be different to get what you want. Being different just simply to be different means you're still a conformist. You just simply conform to the other side of the fence in society.

Lets take music for an example. Death Metal is VERY different than anything else...yet it's probably one of the most unpopular forms of music...mostly because it's just a lot of throat growling, very angry and unintelligible lyrics. It's one thing if you truly like the music, it's quite another when you listen to it...just simply so you can be "badass" or to fit in with a crowd.

And that brings us to entrepreneurs...I've seen some aspiring entreprenerus come up with some seriously wacky business ideas and totally "avant-garde" marketing ideas. Then when you ask them, "So uhh...why are you doing this?" Not a single answer that comes out of them is even remotely based on fact.

In their machinations, they were conditioned to believe that being different automatically equals being successful or useful. They were doing what they were doing, just for the sake of being different and "cool" when fundamentally, they were "useless." It's like a bent fork...sure it's different, but you'd sooner throw it in a trash can, or show a silly picture of it to your friends before actually using it.

It is very important to ask yourself a key question before you start a "different" or "unique" business or a project:

"Why hasn't anyone, or very few people, done this before?"

Again, just like a bent fork, it could simply be that that the idea may actually be of very little use or value to people. However, if the facts support the potential usefulness of your product/service, and you're simply a first/early mover...then go for it.

As an entrepreneur, you can't be different JUST for the sake of being different...because you only end up being the same as everyone else. As I've stated time and time again in this blog, you need to provide value to people.

The moral of this story? Be different, but be useful.

I shall leave you with a HILARIOUS clip to drive the point home ;)

Business is nothing personal...

2009-05-12T12:57:00.006-04:00

"Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate...leads to suffering!" -Yoda (no...not KERMIT!)

Emotions...most illogical...

Ok, nerd hour has officially ended. By the way, Star Trek was an awesome movie.

Emotion is a double edged sword. Emotions can be a great source of strength when they are used positively. Note that I didn't say "positive" emotions...because whether an emotion is positive or negative depends on the context of the situation. For example, a "negative" emotion like Anger can actually be very helpful in certain situations, especially when that energy is channeled into a positive thing. On the other hand, emotions can be a fatal weakness as well.

In business, the only room for emotion is when it is used in positive ways. Unfortunately, they are often used in negative ways. A great example is with some of my friends who are small business owners. EVERY business will always have a few clients that are complete divas. Even when there is no problem with your operation, they will find something to complain about.

There is a great quote to remember: "Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level, and then beat you with experience."

In business, there's a concept called "Cost of retaining a customer." There have been many debates on whether or not you should keep a difficult customer. The answer is No. The reason being is that your time and energy can be used to get new, better customers or strengthen the relationship with your good & loyal customers. However, if it comes down to showing the customer the door, do it professionally, and don't get emotional. Remember, business is nothing personal.

A great entrepreneur once told me, "Listen, business is a mix of sport and war. You'll fight many battles, but ultimately, it's just a competition." I advise you to take this to heart. No one is out to destroy you or kill you. People who are serious in business want to cross the finish line. Some play dirty, but those people usually don't last long. When you start taking business personally, you only cripple yourself.

Oh, and an update on that story with the senior staff jumping ship from that company I spoke about in "No One Can Provide For You Except Yourself" (April). Unfortunately, their office is now closing down. However, as a testament to their strength, they aren't taking it personally. In fact, they're having a yard sale next week, which should be pretty fun ;) They'll get far because they know how to channel their energy in positive ways. We can all learn from their admirable example.

Live long and prosper! Till Saturday!

You're more than a Working Class Hero

2009-05-09T12:36:00.003-04:00

"It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe." - Muhammad Ali

Being part of a society is an important thing. It provides the needed cooperation and order to ensure the progress and advancement of a people. However, for something to be orderly, it must be predictable. As such, society has measures, both consciously and unconsciously, to ensure this. It's known by many names..."The System" "The Man" "The Establishment" whatever suits your fancy.

The greatest flaw of "The System" is that you are never taught how to provide for yourself. Every single one of us have had a teacher or a few say "Well, when you get a job..." or something to that extent. I want to be clear, there is nothing wrong with working at a job, as long as you learn everything you can to provide for yourself and then move on.

Don't let "The System" sell you "the ladder". The tool shed is right over there, build one yourself and go as high as you want. Don't let the pebble in your shoe (your doubts) stop you from conquering the mountains.

I want to leave you with a song from the late, great John Lennon titled "Working Class Hero" It is definitely one of his darker works, but it is very true.

As soon as you're born they make you feel small
By giving you no time instead of it all
Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all

A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

They hurt you at home and they hit you at school
They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool
Till you're so f'ing crazy you can't follow their rules

A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

When they've tortured and scared you for twenty odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you can't really function you're so full of fear

A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV
And you think you're so clever and class less and free
But you're still f'ing peasants as far as I can see

A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

There's room at the top they are telling you still
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
If you want to be like the folks on the hill

A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

If you want to be a hero well just follow me
If you want to be a hero well just follow me

The big fish in a fish bowl...

2009-05-05T12:54:00.006-04:00

There was once a tale of a fish who swam the great seas with his school. The fish had a wild imagination, and the wonders of the ocean never ceased to amaze him. He would ask "Why?" everywhere he went. He pictured being a great fish one day. He imagined exploring foreign lands beyond the ocean, he imagined other fish cheering for him and he imagined a life where happiness would never end.

The fish grew stronger and more mature as time passed, and he went from one school of fish to another, until suddenly, a fish came to him and said, "You are indeed a great swimmer, you're very smart, and I could use a bright fish like yourself to help me!" And so the older, bigger fish tested him, he asked him many questions and finally said, "You will be a great fish someday! Come with me."

The fish followed the big fish for a short while, and then saw a beautiful bowl of glass. It shined as bright as the crystal sunlight above. "Inside..." the big fish said "if you do a good job, you will never worry about going hungry...I'll even let you go outside the bowl once or twice every now and then!" The bright young fish agreed. After all, never going hungry? That was generous of the big fish!

As the years passed, the bright young fish became an older, bigger fish...just like the one that approached him so long ago. He went from bowl to bowl...gazing upon the rest of the ocean but never venturing outside. He didn't want to go hungry... Eventually he took in many bright young fish like himself. He would test them, and ask them many questions.

When the fish became old, he decided to retire to the vast oceans once more. Alas, he was too old to swim and explore. As he floated in the middle of the vast ocean, ignored and weary...he looked upon the happy fish that swam freely.

With a heavy heart and a frown on his face, he asked himself a question he used to ask all the time as a young fish:

"....Why?"

Life absorbs the positive energy you put into it

2009-05-02T13:23:00.005-04:00

If life was a box of chocolates, then you'd end up with cavities and diabetes.

Huh? RUH ROH! This is a post on positivity ;)

I like to think of all of our lives as plants. Plants need light and water to grow (for the most part - for you "technical" people). If we assume that "water" is our actions, then the "sunlight" must be our positive thinking. Since the dawn of civilized man, a negative attitude has always been associated with darkness and death. When you think negatively, you are suffocating your own life. A plant withers and dies without light.

What you have to remember is that everything in life is based on your perception. A life worth living is forged through the fires of adversity. You simply can't afford to be negative, because there is no way to avoid challenges and obstacles. We can't avoid, we can only overcome.

Often times, you'll find that bad things might actually be good in the long run. If you look at the success stories of famous entrepreneurs, they all had some sort of negative event happen to them that sparked their entrepreneurial flame. What did they all have in common? A relentless optimism that kept them going. They did not let the fires of adversity consume them. Through their positive thinking, they allowed the fires of adversity to forge them.

Whenever adversity hits you, just remember...it could have been worse. Adversity is a time to learn valuable lessons. It always makes you stronger. It is a fundamental truth of our existence that our life is a manifestation of our mental attitude. Life is what you make of it. Don't turn out the light.

And remember...there is no greater wall than the wall in our minds. Tear it down and let your light shine into your life. Nourish your life with positive energy, and it will grow tall and strong.

Ok, I'm going to go and have some chocolate now.

Just be yourself

2009-04-28T14:20:00.004-04:00

I would make a normal post...but this song conveys what I wanted to say beautifully. Enjoy!

Someone falls to pieces, sleeping all alone
Someone kills the pain, spinning in the silence
To finally drift away

Someone gets excited
In a chapel yard and catches a bouquet
Another lays a dozen, white roses on a grave

Yeah and to be yourself is all that you can do
Hey, to be yourself is all that you can do

Someone finds salvation in everyone, another only pain
Someone tries to hide himself, down inside himself he prays
Someone swears his true love until the end of time
Another runs away, separate or united, healthy or insane

And to be yourself is all that you can do, yeah
(All that you can do)
To be yourself is all that you can do
(All that you can do)

To be yourself is all that you can do
(All that you can do)
Hey, be yourself is all that you can do

Even when you've paid enough
Been pulled apart or been held up
Every single memory of the good or bad
Faces of luck

Don't lose any sleep tonight
I'm sure everything will end up alright
You may win or lose

But to be yourself is all that you can do, yeah
To be yourself is all that you can do

Oh, to be yourself is all that you can do
(All that you can do)
Hey, to be yourself is all that you can do
(All that you can do)

To be yourself is all that you can
Be yourself is all that you can
Be yourself is all that you can do

--Credit given to Audioslave: "Be Yourself"

Prioritizing is essential to success

2009-04-25T13:20:00.006-04:00

CLEARLY, this guy's got his priorities wrong. In fact, I don't even know why this image came up on a Google search for "prioritizing tasks" ;)

"He who takes a minute from me, takes something he can never return." -Anonymous

Whether you own a business already or are in the process of starting one, it is easy to get caught up in A LOT of things. Time is the most valuable resource we have, but it is also the most scarce and most elusive to notice. Like many things, we don't realize its full worth until it's gone.

Money is the lifeblood of every business. However, time equals money. Therefore time equals the lifeblood of the business. Like my math there? ;) This is true whether your business exists or not. Only difference is that in the beginning, that lifeblood is needed for the "embryo" to become a live "child". If you already own a business, then it's to sustain the life and growth of the business.

Often times, when starting a business, new entrepreneurs get caught up in activities and tasks that are not necessarily the most vital. Some entrepreneurs spend way too much time thinking about fancy marketing campaigns or other non-essential "hot air" even before they've fully fleshed out their product or service. BIG mistake. Spending time thinking about bells and whistles will do 1 or 2 things (or a combination of both):

1) Delay your launch
2) Ensure the failure of the business

The most essential tasks that you need to prioritize are those tasks which directly relate to the operation of your business. I'm talking about the skeleton and muscles of the business. The foundation underneath that allows you to earn revenue. Once the core is in place, then you can worry about the skin and make-up.

Pretend that you've already done all your research and your business idea is a great opportunity. In the startup phase, some key tasks you want to prioritize and tackle first are:

Developing a solid plan of how your product/service will make your business money
Ascertaining WHAT suppliers and/or labor you will require and HOW you will get it (and of course, how much it'll cost)
Plan for your business on how you will deal with too little or too much demand

Basically, your priorities should be about PLANNING PLANNING PLANNING. Then execution. Any activity that is not absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt, essential to the launch of your business must be placed in a lower priority. Marketing for example, is one such item that is a lower priority. You can't market what doesn't exist. There will be plenty of time to go out there and market the business once the foundation has been established. There will also be plenty of time to come up with new ways to market the business afterwards.

Before you spend time on a task, always ask yourself, "Does this directly contribute to the launch of the business? Or is this something that can be done after launch?" If the answer is "It can be done after launch" then set it aside and tackle more immediate needs.

Now...for those of us who already own a business, the playing field is a bit different. As a current business owner, your priorities must be towards value-added activities. ALWAYS. For any task you're about to do, you should ask yourself, "Will this activity boost/retain my profit?" If the answer is, "No" or "Not really" then set it aside for now...or don't even bother with it. Your time is limited.

Any task that is required for the maintenance and growth of the "skeleton and muscles" of your business, it must be given highest priority. Notice that I specified "PROFIT" in that question. Boosting revenues is nice, but if you're spending just as much as you're gaining, then you've gained nothing. Lowering costs is good too, but if that lowers your revenue (i.e. because you've cut service, etc.) then the benefit is nill.

You cannot let non value-add activites consume you. (see my post "Don't be a helicopter entrepreneur" on March 31st).

Not convinced? Everyday in the news, you hear about companies going bankrupt. Some are liquidated, others are what they call "restructuring." Restructuring is a HUGE business. Consultants love it. Restructuring is exactly what I just stated above. It is doing what NEEDS to be done. Restructuring efforts prioritize tasks that directly relate to the skeleton and muscles of the business (its core foundations). Bells and whistles like cool marketing, events, or whatnot are CUT until the core of the business is stabilized. It's almost like performing emergency surgery on a dying patient. The first priority is to stop the bleeding, then repair the damage, then give the patient the ability to recover and continue onwards.

Often times, companies enter into bankruptcy because they fail to prioritize correctly. They let cracks in their foundation to fester and grow until the entire house is on the verge of collapse. They keep focusing on trying to sell more and more and come up with crazy marketing campaigns while the core problems (i.e. the quality of their product/service) is deteriorating) is eating them alive. There's just not enough time.

If the lifeblood (time and money) of the business is not being pumped to its "vital organs" it will die. Bankrupt companies are the ones that pumped lifeblood into non-vital areas.

In fact, some companies I've seen were so terrible...I'm convinced all the lifeblood was pumped into their hair or something. "Hey, we're losing millions of dollars, but we're a great company!" Famous last words? Probably.

With that said, I want to leave you with a quote from a philosopher who's name has been lost to time....or maybe it's just me...I don't remember:

"To look outward, you must first look inward. It is the power within that determines what your fate shall be."

Hmm, yeah...actually that is my quote...

Entrepreneurs can be a great force for good

2009-04-21T15:16:00.005-04:00

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." -Edmund Burke

Chuck Norris knows this!

Actually, I want to add to that quote. It also triumphs when good men don't do enough.

People have many different reasons why they become entrepreneurs. However, with great power comes great responsibility as well (I did NOT get that from Spider Man!). There are many people in the world who don't even have the luxury of clean drinking water or clean clothes to wear. As a current or future entrpreneur, you should always be grateful for what you have and the opportunities and education you were given. Gratitude cannot be expressed in words or feelings alone, however, it must be expressed by actions as well.

Like I mentioned in my previous post ("Be Selfishly Honest" - April), it is a fundamental law of our existence that if you give, you shall receive. Whether you call it a blessing, karma, mutual cooperation, etc. the concept is still the same. The world is whatever we make of it. Our entire lives have been shaped by the actions of generations before us, and by our actions, we shall shape the generations after ours. It is our responsibility...no...our RIGHT...to give back to our world and do as much good as possible before our short time on this Earth is over.

There are many people in the world that are good-hearted, but they either don't have the means or the strength to take action. However, as entrepreneurs, we have the means and we have the strength. We can inspire people through leading by example. Heck, we look good doing it too. There's nothing wrong with embracing the practical benefits of doing good. It's in our nature. You did something good, therefore you get rewarded. Nothing wrong with that. I believe that as a society, we've been brainwashed by hypocrites to believe that unless we suffer or be 100% selfless (which is impossible) in our good deeds, then we are being selfish and bad.

There are many promising start-ups out there that are making a real difference in people's lives. Whether it be making $100 laptops (One Laptop Per Child) , micro-lending (Kiva.org), or eco-friendly shoes (Autonomie Project Inc.). There are SO many ways as an entrepreneur that you can make a positive difference in the world. That is the beauty of entrepreneurship, you have the FREEDOM to do whatever you believe in. With that freedom, comes your responsibility to your fellow human beings. As an entrepreneur, you are your brother's keeper. Never forget that.

If you want to improve your communities and the world, you need to start doing something about it.

...or else Chuck'll roundhouse kick you in the face ;)

In a future blog post, I am going to dedicate the entire post to list some great examples of social entrepreneurs and their companies. I'd like for you guys to submit your ideas to me. Email me your submission to floid@gogravytrain.com

You can also contact me on Twitter (user name: GravyFloid). Or just click on the little Twitter button on the right side of the blog.

No one can provide for you except yourself

2009-04-18T15:55:00.006-04:00

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." -Ralph Waldo Emesrson

Ever since we were kids, we were taught to become increasingly self-reliant (...well...most of us anyway). We learned to go potty, tie our own shoes and many other things that for some reason I'm convinced some adults haven't learned properly ;)

Since childhood, we have come so far in our lives. We are able to do things that we couldn't possibly do by ourselves as kids. And you know what? It's exhilirating. As we grew up, our freedoms increased. Why? Because we became more self-reliant. Imagine if you always had to rely on others for even just the basics in life? You'd be a slave to your own inability.

We learn so much and have such a determination to be a unique individual...but why do most of us stop? How come most people have not learned how to provide for themselves without relying on someone else to cut them a pay check? Have our bosses become our new parents?

It is one thing to serve another in order to learn and grow. It is quite another when you serve in order to live.

It's true, you cannot become a great leader until you know what it is to serve another. Unless you apply that knowledge, however, you will become a slave. Just as you gained greater independence from your parents, now you must gain independence from your bosses. Just like most things in this life, self-reliance is earned, not given.

Great leaders are not superhuman. They are people, just like you and me. The only difference between a servant and a leader is that a leader empowers him/herself through action and the application of knowledge. No one has a "master plan" where victory is assured. Leaders are just as uncertain as everyone else. Like anything in life, sometimes you just have to take that leap of faith and hope for the best. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

One key lesson people MUST learn is that in business, nothing is personal. Your boss might be a great person, but don't forget: you're there because you're useful to your boss. You do not owe any further loyalty to your boss beyond doing your job well...nor does your boss owe you any further loyalty than rightfully compensating you for your work.

Adversity is a true test of one's character. I've witnessed and heard many stores of offices where everyone got along like a family. When tough times hit, all loyalty jumped out the window. One story was a boss who jumped ship to another company and left a bunch of good people in the lurch despite having a personal rapport with them. Rather than feeling a sense of loyalty to his employees and trying his hardest to keep the ship afloat and going down with it if necessary (like any true Captain would), he jumped ship. He took a handful of the most senior people who he saw as the most useful to him and left the rest to fend for themselves. Oh well, nothing personal, right?

Think that's pretty bad? Take a recent example in the news. Frank Scudere, a lawyer who survived the Hudson River plane crash, was let go from his job. Even though he almost died trying to do his job, he still got canned. His performance reviews were all very good. He was the model employee by many respects. The day he got laid off, his medical benefits were immediately cut off and was told he had three hours to leave the law firm's offices before security escorts him out. Of course, the business had to lay off people to cut costs. That is understandable. However, notice that even though he was a great guy, ultimately, it didn't mean anything. In fact, he was almost treated like a trespasser on the day of his lay off.

If you think that someone else is going to make you rich or successful, you are WRONG. Only YOU can make you successful. Only YOU can make you happy.

People want you to work for them because you are useful, not because they like you. While it's nice if your boss is taking you wherever he goes, it is in fact a curse. You are destined to be his servant, limited in your freedoms and exposure. Imagine if you worked for someone for most of your life, and then that person leaves? What then? It's just like the child who never learned how to tie his shoes. The child is at the mercy of others. When you rely on the mercy or provisions of others, you are not free, you are a dependent.

Don't stop learning. Your quest for self-reliance is not over. Until you can live a life where your destiny and well-being is entirely driven by you, you will never live the life you always wanted. You will look back, and instead of remembering the triumphant victories of your own efforts, you will remember the time your master gave you a pat on the back when you were forced to miss your child's birthday.

To wrap up, I want to leave you with a poem from Saxon White Kessinger called "Feeling Important?"

Sometimes when you're feeling important,
Sometimes when your ego's in bloom,
Sometime when you take it for granted,
You're the best qualified in the room;
Sometimes when you feel that your going
Would leave an unfillable hole,
Just follow these simple instructions
And see how they humble your soul.

Take a bucket and fill it with water
Put your hand in it up to the wrist,
Pull it out, and the hole that's remaining
Is the measure of how you'll be missed.
You can splash all you want when you enter,
You may stir up the water galore;
But stop, and you'll find that in no time
It looks quite the same as before.
The moral in this quaint example
Is to do just the best that you can;
Be proud of yourself, but remember
There's no indispensable man.

You have to put the SOCIAL in Social Marketing...

2009-04-14T15:44:00.006-04:00

I'm hiring by the way ;)

Social Marketing: It's all the rage these days. For good reason too. It works.

A lot of people do it, but not many realize what they get themselves into though. Social marketing may seem like an innovation or a new concept, however, it is nothing new. Social marketing is merely the successful aspects of traditional marketing. Ever since the dawn of trade and commerce, there has never been anything more effective than the power of the spoken word...when your own customers sell for you without you even trying.

We do it in our everyday lives. We recommend great movies, restaurants or products to our friends. If we're not getting compensated for doing that, then why do we do it? Because when you recommend a good product or service to someone else, it makes you look good. In a way, it is also a way of repaying your "gratitude." Of course, there are those who do it because they want to share more things in common with their friends/loved ones to strengthen the bonds between them. Whatever the reason may be, the result is still the same. The company benefits without having to lift a finger or convince you further.

Effective salesmen and marketers for hundreds of years have known that the key to being successful is to connect with your customers and prospects on a personal level. It is what is known in persuasion science as "Liking" Of course, the most common reaction is "Well, duh!" Unfortunately, it's not that obvious. How many times have you run into terrible salesmen or dreadful marketing attempts? Too many times I bet.

One case in point: Tupperware. We've all heard of it, and they are wildly successful. How do they sell products so well? They hold "Tupperware Parties" all over the world. The company reaches out to existing customers and help them set up a tupperware party at home and invite all their friends to come. These parties would often just be normal get-togethers. House moms would share cooking with each other, socialize and have fun. All the while, the benefits of using tupperware are shown throughout the party in a very casual and personal way. Most customers would probably have done these parties for free, just for the social aspect. However, the company generously compensates them based on how much tupperware is sold after the party. Genius? Yes. New concept? Absolutely not.

The current craze for social marketing is not a revolution by any stretch of the word. If you remember from my previous posts, change is usually incremental. The reason why social marketing is so wildly popular now is because now we have new tools that make it easier than before to connect with people on a personal level. New tools for an age-old concept.

The key to successfully using these tools is to use a little common sense. Often times, I see quite a few people on Twitter, MySpace and Facebook endlessly spam links and sales pitches. I guarantee that the "throw crap on the wall and see what sticks" approach does not work very well. If you want people to be open to your marketing efforts, you need to show them that you are an actual person that talks and listens to them. The most effective people I've seen on Twitter do that, to great effect. They don't just blitz people with useless quotes, dumb links or empty sales pitches. They connect with people, and make an honest effort to be SOCIAL.

That's how you get the word-of-mouth referrals, by connecting with people, not spamming them. Besides, you'll have fun doing it, and meet some really cool people in the process! Some successful salesmen I know have made lasting friendships with people they've sold to in the past.

Of course, remember another principle I've always said in this blog, you need to add value. Tweeting/FB'ing about how you just took a giant dump is not connecting with people. It's true too, people do that...a lot. I saw one guy tweet about that he's currently brushing his teeth. I don't want to even know how he managed that. Others will try the "I'm hanging out with XYZ right now! Fun time!" Seriously? If you're having fun, then why are you on your phone updating others about it? Sounds like you're kinda bored to me ;)

So, what are some tools out there to connect with people on a social level? Well, these are probably obvious, but for references sake, here are some that work well:

Blogging - Remember to try and keep it interesting and relevant to your target market. Try to have some interesting insights that people can learn or respond to!

Forums/Message boards - Hang out in forums that are relevant to your target market.

Facebook/MySpace - Great way to connect with people on a personal level. Try to stick with people that fit your target market.

Twitter - An excellent way to interact with people and promote your business. In my opinion, it's even more effective than Facebook or MySpace due to the sheer ease of following people's Tweets and replying to them. Again, stick to your target market whenever possible.

There are others of course. However, these are some of the most popular ones out there right now.

Remember, the point is to have fun while doing it. Use a little common sense, and you'll get far!

Oh...by the way, I'm compiling a list of "Tweets Gone Wild" (i.e. tweeting while taking a dump). I am accepting submissions and will post the list on this blog when I have enough good ones. You can submit either by messaging me on Twitter, posting a comment here or messaging me on Facebook. For those of you who want to use Facebook, I'm known as "Floid Roflcopter" ;) Otherwise just click the Twitter link on the right side of the blog.

It all starts with KISS'ing...

2009-04-11T14:09:00.011-04:00

I got splinters...

...sometimes you gotta paint the fence for an hour...gents ;)

To start, the term KISS stands for: Keep It Simple, Stupid. I sure as heck didn't mean the band. The term can also stand for Keep It Short and Simple...but that just sounds stupid. If it were up to me, I'd call it KISD - Keep It Simple, Dufus. The power of the word "Dufus" is so vastly underrated. Yes, I know it's also spelled with 2 o's, but that's for dufuses.

Anyways, I digress...

This principle of keeping it simple (dufus) is an essential principle to not only being a successful entrepreneur but as a person in general. That's not to say that anything you do should always appeal to the lowest common denominator. Otherwise you'd never have new and exciting innovations, and comedians would only do fart and dick jokes (which are always funny).

I talk to a lot of aspiring entrepreneurs. They're very ambitious, go-getters and great people in general. However, when they talk about their conceptual businesses with me, I sometimes feel my brain is about to hemorrhage. Heck, I've been guilty of this too in the past. It's natural. Entrepreneurs are people who want to change things, that's in their nature.

However, one must understand that change is incremental. We as human beings build upon an already existing foundation of knowledge and improve upon it. Some may argue, "Oh yeah? What about the internet? That was a revolution!" Not really. The internet has been in existence for DECADES, however, it was used primarily for military and - to a degree - academic purposes. It wasn't until it was commercialized and made much simpler that the masses began to adopt it.

Some of the greatest revolutions in history were YEARS in the making. It wasn't until things got much simpler and people realized "Oh, looks like I need to get outside and protest" or "Looks like I need to pick up my sword/gun and fight." that revolutions actually gained steam and created real change. Back before then, the seeds of those revolutions were complex. They'd start with a few intellectual treatises, debates, etc. Even the beginnings of the world's major monotheistic religions were seen as foreign and complicated concepts to people at first. One God? Heaven? Hell? Resurrection?

Change is similar to a volcano building up magma and pressure before that big eruption.

What can entrepreneurs learn from this? That if you really want your business to shine with flying colors, you need to make it simple and it needs to be an improvement over an existing concept, idea or technology. This doesn't necessarily ALWAYS have to be the case. The point is that you need to be able to serve an undermet need or create a need for your service or product. No matter how "revolutionary" a technology may seem, it is almost always an improvement over an existing technology. Don't be fooled. There are exceptions to everything, true, but we're not in the business of focusing on just exceptions.

Take, for example, the huge success of Twitter. 2 years ago, barely anyone heard of Twitter. Now it's all the rage. Why is Twitter successful? First of all, it's really mind-numbingly easy to use. You type in what you're doing (in 140 characters or less) in a nice little text box and press a nice big "UPDATE" button. Want to follow someone? No problem, just press the nice "Follow" button. Everything else is taken care of.

Twitter is just yet another manifestation of the ever growing social networking craze that was made popular by Friendster and then MySpace and Facebook. Twitter's an incremental change, they're not a revolution by any means. Many people STILL wonder, "Why the heck do people want to know what everyone's up to?" Well, because being connected is a social need, and Twitter's meeting that need. We're increasingly living in an age of instant gratification and an ever increasing fear of being lonely.

Lets take another example: Facebook. With MySpace so overwhelmingly popular at the time, how the heck did Facebook blind-side it and actually beat it at its own game? Facebook and MySpace are fundamentally the same. However, Facebook made a number of critical incremental improvements. Facebook kept user profiles very clean and simple. You have no idea how many MySpace profiles I've run into that have almost given me a seizure just by looking at them... Facebook also introduced very nifty features like a news feed, status updates, organized photo albums and other simple things. Facebook is clean, organized, and very easy to use. In fact, it is almost dufus-proof. Any schmuck can start a Facebook profile with ease without having to read the help section or ask someone for help. Same goes for Twitter, any schmuck can do it.

For a more classical example...Henry Ford was one of the pioneers of modern industry because of his invention of the assembly line. By giving each worker a very simple, dufus-proof task for each step of the manufacturing process, he was able to mass produce his cars and offer them to the masses. He kept it simple, real simple. His concepts are STILL used today. The core concept of "Lean Manufacturing" simply means making your manufacturing process dufus-proof and require a minimal amount of thought on the part of the workers. For all you uppity "experts" out there, KISS my ass, it's true ;)

As a current or aspiring entrepreneur, that's what you need to aim to do. You need to try and make all aspects of your product or service dufus-proof and require minimal thought on the part of your customer. People want things yesterday, and if they need to think hard, you've probably lost a good deal of them. If you got this "awesome" website, you better make sure people can use it without much trouble. If you have a great product...well...can someone use it with minimal guidance? Remember my previous blog post ("Size Doesn't Matter" - March) about the vegetable peeler guy? One of the reasons why he was so successful was because he showed people how SIMPLE it was to use his product. Boy, he wasn't kidding.

Before you launch something, take the time to let average joes try using your site/service/product. Then collect their feedback. You want to especially pay attention to their feedback on what they found difficult to understand or hard to use. You want to take that feedback, and make the needed improvements. In fact, KISS doesn't just apply to your customers, it also applies to you. Try to keep your own business as simple as possible to run. Automate where you can, and use COMMON SENSE. Keeping your own operations simple will also help keep your product/service simple for your customers.

Ok, time to press the big orange "Publish Post" button. Hehe, me so smart.

Be "selfishly honest"

2009-04-07T16:38:00.013-04:00

For this blog's more "refined" audience (myself included):

"It is impossible to calculate the moral mischief, if I may so express it, that mental lying has produced in society. When a man has so far corrupted and prostituted the chastity of his mind as to subscribe his professional belief to things he does not believe he has prepared himself for the commission of every other crime." - Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason

For everyone else (myself included):

It sure is!

In fact, I posted up this picture because it brings about a fond memory. Anyone who lives in New York City will almost always see a panhandler on the streets or in the subways. Some are genuine, a lot of them are BS'ers. In fact, some of the younger ones on the street are actually film/acting students (How do I know? Word on da street...nukka.)

It is no mystery that the most successful panhandlers are the ones that earn their money. What I mean by that is that they either A) Seem honest (either they look really beaten up, etc.) B) Are funny or C) Demonstrate a talent of theirs. What do all 3 options have in common with each other? They're honest.

One night, I was walking in the streets of the city with some friends when a funny-looking man with disheveled hair and clothes walked up to us with a toothy smile. He stopped in front of us and said, "Hey brothas, could you care to make a donation to the United *insert N word that ends with "a" and an apostrophe* Pizza Fund?" We laughed of course. I then ask the man, "And what's that for?" Without skipping a beat he said, "It's a donation for pizza and beer, for *insert plural N word* "

I gave him money, and so did my friends. Rather than BS us about coming out of prison or feeding 6 kids, he honestly told us he was going to spend it on pizza and beer. It was a refreshing dose of honesty in a craft that is so often deceitful. Now, I'm not saying I'd have given the guy money if he said "Hey man, can I get money for some blow?" There are exceptions to every rule, of course! Being honest is one thing, being foolish is quite another ;)

So, what lesson can entrepreneurs learn from this? That you need to be "selfishly honest."

The beauty of moral values is that they are not only what make us human and noble, but they are also in our own best interests. Morality is why society is able to exist. If people didn't know right from wrong, you'd have chaos and destruction everywhere. You shouldn't feel bad if an act of kindness was "selfish." And yes, even getting "an emotional high" can be seen as a selfish motive. Whether you're religious or not, it is an undeniable truth that your actions eventually catch up to you. If you've done good things, good things will come to you. It is a simple law that for every action, there is a reaction (but not necessarily equal or opposite, as evidenced in physics!).

There are people out there who have either a persistent (or sporadic) world-view of, "Good people finish last. Only corrupt and ruthless people get ahead in this life." That's a dangerous belief. Subscribing to this belief corrupts you as well. Remember, while it may seem like we live in jungles of metal and stone, it doesn't mean we have to be one of the "apes" in it. Human beings are, by nature, good. That's why we have a natural compass between right and wrong and why we have a natural propensity towards order.

As an entrepreneur, you want to run an honest business. Why? Because people appreciate that. Think of the friendly waiter who doesn't recommend you the most expensive dish for example, but one that is actually cheaper but much better. Because of his honesty, you tip him more. The waiter in that example was selfishly honest. By being good to you, you reciprocate and be good to him. The waiter knows this. Besides, being nice to restaurant staff also ensures that your food doesn't come with any "extras" if you know what I mean...

In psychology, this phenomenon is called the "reciprocation" principle. By making a "sacrifice" or doing someone a favor, it triggers a natural instinct in the other person to repay the "debt" We have a fundamental revulsion to being indebted to someone and seek to repay the debt however we can. That's why even to this day, people who can't pay their debts are punished and looked down upon. In fact, it is no mystery that if you do someone a favor, they usually repay the favor in kind far beyond the actual favor's value. Why do you think we revere heroes so much? Think about that.

So...as an entrepreneur, you want to be honest to your employees and your customers. Care for them, and don't try to BS your services or products! You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time. (That's coming from Honest Abe...or was it also Bill Cosby? JELLO!!!)

If you cannot run a business without resorting to BS, then you should reconsider why you're in business. It is not sustainable. Listen, that's not to say you shouldn't be very enthusiastic and sell your service or proudct like it was the best in the world. However, there's a difference between enticing people and misleading people.

There have been many studies done that show that what people appreciate the most are responsible businesses. Businesses that care for their customers and have strong values. It is because of strong values that these companies provide excellent customer service. You'll find that even if you're not the highest quality or lowest price player out there, you'll still have many loyal customers. Surveys of employees also favor an employer who embraces strong values and honesty. What matters most to us as human beings have always been those things that are intangible.

It is in your best interests to be honest and good. So go ahead, be selfish about it! We are all selfish. It's in our nature. There are REAL benefits to embracing goodness and honesty. That's the beauty of it all! We're not beasts of burden or sacrificial lamb! Even if being good causes you to lose out on something in the short-term, you will gain much more in the long-term. Be good, be patient and always perservere! That is the hallmark of a true entrepreneur.

Oh cool, my pizza and beer are here. Later!

...(just kidding ;) )

Change is earned, not given...

2009-04-04T12:30:00.005-04:00

How else would you change the channel then?

Hold on...let me just recover from temporary blindness...

Ok, I'm fine now.

Change is important. However, many of us fear change...and for good reason too. We don't like to deal with the unknown. The unknown scares us because we have no control over it. Human beings have a natural tendency towards order and predictability. This tendency is both a blessing and a curse.

On one hand, this natural tendency is essential for society to function and guarantee the survival of the human race. You can't get anything done when there's chaos. On the other hand though, it makes us become our own worst enemies. How, you ask? By making us live a life of habit.

Most of us probably do the same things everyday. We wake up in the morning, go to school/work, do what we're told and then go home and maybe watch some TV or go on the computer. On the weekends, we hang out with our friends, talk about things, get wasted and stumble back home to nurse a hangover the next day....only to repeat the cycle again and again.

Rinse and repeat.

Picture a scenario for a moment. Lets say your TV was displaying a channel you didn't like (*COUGH* like the one above *COUGH*) Would you:

A) Change the channel?
B) Sit there, tolerate it and even convince yourself that it's actually good?

Most of you would say you would choose A. Words are nice. However, actions speak louder than words. Most people, through their actions, choose B every single day of their lives.

This brings me to the point. Change is earned, not given.

You can't change the channel unless you take some sort of action. You need to grab that remote control or go up to the TV and press the button. The same goes for life. You cannot change the "channel" of your life unless you get up and take action. The channel isn't going to change itself.

Many people I've talked to say, "Man, if I only had more money" or "I hope XYZ happens to me.." etc. If you want change, you need to act. By taking action, yes, your habits will be disrupted, things will become unpredictable. If history, religion and our lives have taught us something...it is this fundamental law of our existence: Nothing good comes without sacrifice.

I want you to remember this quote: "A courageous person is not a person without fear, it is a person who feels fear but overcomes it."

We're all afraid of things, it's natural. Those stories you read about great leaders? They were scared as hell, but they kept going. We like to remember them as fearless, almost god-like, because we like to revere things that are not like us. On the contrary, these men and women were just like us. We forget that every single one of us is human...and that we're ALL capable of great things.

Only YOU can change the channel. No one else can do it for you. Why? Because then you'll just keep relying on them...and nothing changes. You will not only be a slave to another, but a slave to your own inaction. An orderly, predictable slave. Anyone who tells you they can change you, make you successful, rich or happy is a LIAR. Only YOU can make YOU successful, happy and/or rich.

And I say to you: Get up and change the channel.

Don't be a "helicopter entrepreneur"

2009-03-31T14:59:00.014-04:00

Chim Chim moderating the message boards from wild humans

One of the reasons why small businesses stay small is because their owner(s) don't take the next critical step. It's very common to see "mom and pops" that, for years, never seem to grow. To the entrepreneur, his/her business is like a child. You want to care for it, make sure it grows, and are deathly afraid of hiring babysitters or allowing it to become more independent.

Most people would be inclined to believe that most businesses fail because there wasn't sufficient demand. While that is true, the opposite is also true. Many businesses out there also fail precisely because there was too much demand and they couldn't keep up. When you can't keep up in running the business you will start to bleed customers very fast, until you eventually end up with something not worth doing anymore or get burnt out.

Listen, you can't grow without help...

There's pills for that!

Huh? Who said that? ;)

On a serious note, unless you empower your business to run itself without you having to be there, it will never reach its full potential. The same goes for children. We also talk about and make fun of "helicopter parents" but the problem is real. There are many "helicopter entrepreneurs" out there.

As an entrepreneur, you need to remember this golden rule:

To grow, you need to automate or delegate. Or do both.

To those of you who are familiar with Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, he lays out a very important principle. To be financially successful and independent, you need to be able to generate PASSIVE income, not linear income. Linear income is pretty much working a job. You exchange one hour of your time for a set amount of money. Passive income means you collect money without even doing anything.

The linear income dilemma is not just restricted to people working a job though. Entrepreneurs can also get stuck in this trap. Take, for example, that you own a design business. It's pretty much a 1 or 2-man show. However, in order to earn any money, you yourself are hired out by the hour by your client. If you want to grow your business, then this model is unsustainable. During this time that you're hired out, you cannot take on any additional work, which means in the grand scheme of things, you are LOSING money. If you are handling paperwork or other administrative/non-value add tasks...again...you are LOSING money.

For all of you out there who are or want to become entrepreneurs, I want you to say this affirmation to yourself:

I am an entrepreneur. I am a LEADER. I am NOT a Manager.

I want you to take this to heart. A leader is not a manager. A leader brings people together to work for a common goal. A leader sets a strategy and vision for the rest of the organization. Managers are there to make sure everyone's doing their part. Do you think the Chairman of a large company knows every little thing that's going on in the company? Nope, not even close. All that matters at the end of the day is the results. Same goes for a General of an army. They don't manage their army, that's the job of their subordinates. They LEAD their army. I can go on and on with more practical examples, but I think you get the point.

So...assuming your business is making money and doing relatively well, it is time to start distancing yourself from day-to-day operations to focus on greater value-add activities. Yes, some people may argue that hiring people or buying new technology costs money. True, but losing time costs even more.

What kind of activities are non-value add you ask? Here are some common ones:

Paperwork - Things like order invoices, shipping, correspondence, etc.

Customer service - A lot of times, most situations are easily handled by someone else

Micro-managing employees (also called "firefighting") - Let a manager do that if you really insist on it, you should only worry about the results

Accounting (sorry, but it's true) - The more time you spend counting pennies leaves less time for grabbing more

There are many ways to automate or delegate these activities. In fact, way too many to list. There is an abundance of small business software out there that could help automate everything from shipping labels to automatically keeping track of your financials.

To delegate, you should first hire a manager who can run the day-to-day operations of your business. That manager, if they're smart, will then make recommendations on what additional labor needs to be hired in order to make the operation efficient. Think of a manager as the "babysitter". Even with a babysitter, the child knows who to call daddy/mommy. Same goes for your company, everyone still knows you're the owner and the HMFIC (Head Mo'Fugga In Charge)

If you feel your company is not yet ready for a separate non-owner management team, then at least hire the people you need to take care of the non-value add activites of your business. However, give them sufficient independence so that they can grow, and you can focus on growing the business!

The most important activities you need to do as a leader is to bring in new business and set the overall strategy of your company. Focus on passive income. That's how you grow.

Make it your goal to make the only mention of "helicopter entrepreneur" as a reference to you landing your helicopter on the East Side...in that deluxe apartment in the sky.

The Power of Imagination

2009-03-28T13:30:00.006-04:00

Helix Nebula (sometimes called the "Eye of God")

GOTCHA! SPACE PHOTO!

The human imagination is very powerful. In truth, all of us have the ability to be "mini-creators." Human beings have the power to take something as fleeting and non-existent as a thought and turn it into something that can be felt, seen or heard...almost as if creating something from nothing. Even as you read this blog, you have witnessed the process of creation. I turned my fleeting thoughts into actual text you can read and react to (...and laugh at sometimes ;) ). Who knows what power this creation ultimately has though? But...that is the wonder of creating things...the wonder of a new frontier.

Unfortunately, we are increasingly living in a world where people can't let their imaginations run wild anymore. We're taught from a young age to stop daydreaming, do our work, learn our manners and please everyone. We are not machines.

I repeat: We are not machines.

Imagination is the essence of artists but also the entrepreneur. Most people dream from time to time...but they never create. What separates an entrepreneur from the rest is that he/she takes those dreams and creates a reality out of them. Most people simply "climb the ladder", climbing to heights that have already been predetermined by other people they don't know.

Entrepreneurs build their own ladders, so they can go as high as their dreams can take them.

Look at all the biggest businesses out there. Every single one of them started out as a fleeting, non-existent thought. If nothing was done, they would have never existed...doomed to die with their creator in a graveyard of dead dreams and broken hopes.

So I say to those of you who are entrepreneurs or aspire to be one:

Let your imagination run wild and create something from nothing.

Size doesn't matter...

2009-03-24T16:34:00.006-04:00

Joseph Ades - New York City's "Peeler Man" (RIP Feb 09)

...in most cases anyway, size doesn't matter ;)

In New York City, there was a distinguished English man who, for many years, sold a very simple product: a vegetable peeler. He secured an exclusive distribution agreement with the Swedish company that made them and started to sell their peelers right on the streets. He had no fancy offices, legions of employees nor a big ego. He was a very humble man who knew how to draw a crowd, entertain them and get them to buy his product.

Most would think that this man lived a simple life based on his small cutting board and his very low stool. In reality, the man was a MILLIONAIRE. He lived in an expensive high rise on Park Avenue, was a very distinguished gentleman and a connoisseur of fine arts, wines and music (apparently women too, because he married 4 times). How did he make his fortune? Selling his vegetable peelers.

Most days, he would go to a high-traffic area (i.e. China Town, Times Square, Union Square, etc.) and set up shop. He'd take out his vegetables and start using the peelers. All the while, he'd tell jokes, ask passers-by questions and show how ridiculously easy it was to peel carrots, potatoes and all kinds of vegetables with his peelers. He would sell them for $5 a piece, and often sold out every single time. Even if the weather was cold or hot, he'd be out there (with the exception of snow or rain of course).

He knew how people think, and how to use a crowd to his advantage. When people see a crowd, they stop and look to see what's happening. When people see someone buying, chances are, they're that much more likely to buy too. It's the concept of "Social Proof" where people look to their surroundings to help determine their decision. Some people call it a "herd mentality" as well.

Entrepreneurs can learn from his example. Sometimes, it isn't size that matters. You don't need a giant organization to do what you love or make a good living. You just need a good product or service, motivation, the ability to connect with people and a dream. Remember, at the end of the day, it is how much PROFIT you make that matters. You could be making billions in revenue, but what about if your costs are nearly that high too? Sure, it's good to think big...but it's even better to think smart and simple.

For those who asked him about how he became successful, he had one simple saying:

"Never underestimate the dollar."

He sure didn't.

How to find the right business partner

2009-03-21T14:01:00.008-04:00

An example of a bad partnership....

Mark my words...a space photo is coming! Consider yourself lucky that I considered two galaxies merging to be way too...hmm...well...damnit that was a good picture... oh well.

Depending on what type of person you are and your idea, having a partner or two never hurts. A business partnership is almost like marriage in a lot of ways (not really sure about polygamy though...)

As explained in previous posts, a good buinsess partner brings the following advantages:

Additional skillsets to build a stronger foundation on which ideas can be brainstormed, or an existing idea built upon

Motivation. When you and your partner(s) are responsible to each other, you don't want to let each other down

Work can get done faster by splitting the burden

Additional start-up capital (if needed)

Bigger network of people to contact that could help your idea fly

Camaraderie (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/camaraderie) and lasting friendship(s) which are always good

Of course, as with anything, there are disadvantages to note as well:

If your partner is not trustworthy, he/she can steal your idea, spread it to others or try to steal your hard-earned money from your venture

Disagreements are inevitable, especially among dominant personalities. If you don't have the right partner, disagreements can either slow you down significantly, or grind everything to a screeching halt. Many small businesses fail because of unresolved disagreements between its partners rather than poor planning/execution

Depending on your partner, you will have to compromise. If you are a control freak, this is probably a disadvantage for you then

If you're more of the greedy type...then bad news for you, because you'll have to share your profits with your partner. This shouldn't even be a consideration for you though, because starting a venture shouldn't be for the sake of chasing money

You can maximize your advantages and minimize your disadvantages by taking the time to find the right partner for you. Trust is absolutely essential.

What are some signs you need to look out for in finding a good business partner? Here are some from personal experience and the experience of others:

Is your business partner ambitious? What is his/her plans and goals in life?

This factor is important because you want to find someone who is entrepreneurially-minded like yourself. Someone who is ambitious and entrepreneurial will go the extra mile, work hard and take risks to make the venture a reality. Someone who says, "My plan is to get a good paying job in the next 5 years. Blah blah blah." probably isn't the right kind of ambition you want. People like that are stuck in habit and don't mind being "Just Over Broke" You need someone who wants to take the road less traveled and who is serious. Only someone who is ambitious and entrepreneurial will make the short-term sacrifices needed for long-term gains.

Is your partner open-minded and compromising? Or stubborn and authoritative?

This is essential. Having an open-minded partner who can compromise and not stubbornly stick to one line of thought or ideas will go a long way. The more stubborn your partner, the greater the chance you will get into unresolvable disagreements which can destroy the partnership and the venture. If you happen to be the stubborn one, then it is really important you find someone who can effectively compromise with you, otherwise you're asking for disaster by bringing another stubborn partner along.

Does your partner bring needed skills, fresh ideas or motivation that you need?

Sometimes, people need a partner just for motivation. However, in other cases, if a partner doesn't bring anything to the table that you can already do yourself, then why bring a partner along? That's just redundant. You need someone who can bring fresh ideas or skills to the table, otherwise there's no point in having them as a partner.

Can you trust this person?

Sounds like a loaded question. It is. Trust is the single most important factor in not just business, but life itself. To determine if someone is trustworthy, it'll depend on how you know this person, what others say about this person and what your gut feeling tells you. If I could possibly tell you how to 100% tell if someone is trustworthy, then I'd probably write a book about it and win a Nobel Prize in Psychology.

Is your partner one can short of a six-pack and a total dumbass?

What was that? ;)

Last of all, do you "click" with this person?

What I mean by this is that do you enjoy socializing with your business partner? Can you talk about business, but also able to shoot the breeze and have a good time? Partnering with someone you like only serves to strengthen the partnership.

A good partnership

Ideas are great...but motivation is essential

2009-03-18T12:49:00.008-04:00

HAH! Not a space photo this time! Office Space baby!

...which probably means next post will have a space photo ;)

Anyway, we were discussing before on how to come up with ideas and research promising ones. However, none of this is possible without proper motivation. A lot of people I've talked to have interesting ideas, but sadly, these ideas are buried or constantly pushed aside due to a lack of motivation.

We are, by design, creatures of habit. We prefer predictability and order in all aspects of our lives. Change and the unknown scares us. That's why successful entrepreneurs are a minority. If entrepreneurship was easy, then everyone would be doing it. However, that is why the rewards of entrepreneurship are potentially great, because it is the path less traveled. A job provides that sort of static predictability. You are given work by your boss, and you collect a paycheck either every 2 weeks or a month. However, remember the golden rule: JOB stands for being "Just Over Broke" There's no shortcut or easy way to anywhere worth going.

As mentioned in previous posts, finding an idea that you believe in and/or enjoy is not just essential in your future success, but also essential in your own self-motivation to see it through. However, sometimes that sort of conviction isn't enough. Often times, people simply daydream day after day of how glorious their idea would be, and eventually realize so much time has passed, and nothing happened.

So, what are some tips to get motivated? Here are some that, from my own experience and the experience of others, work:

If you cannot bring yourself to be self-motivated, find a trusted business partner who can share in the burden of bringing the idea to life. If the both of you are responsible to each other, you'll find yourself motivated not to disappoint your partner. Deep down inside, all human beings have a strong sense of loyalty to those they respect (authority figure), like and/or trust. Use that inner instinct to your advantage! Your boss certainly does!

Join a group that's related to what you want to do. Whether it be a group of like-minded entrepreneurs, social activists or whatnot. By surrounding yourself with the right people, you can bring about powerful change within yourself. Machiavelli once said in "The Prince" that "The first method to estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him."

Declare to others of what you intend to do. I know some people where this method was extremely effective in self-motivating themselves. You don't have to tell people what your idea is specifically. Just tell people you're starting a business, and you intend to launch it by so-so date. It's important to give a rough idea of a timeline, because then some people will try and ask you about it later on. No one likes being thought of as a hypocrite or big mouth (well...most people anyway). Use that fear of embarassment...and your ego *COUGH* ;)... to your advantage!

Set a goal and post it up on a wall where you can see it everyday. Let it be a constant reminder that you have something to work for.

Read about success stories of other entrepreneurs. Often times, they are very inspiring. You can also...if you really need to...hire a motivational coach to pump you up and hold you accountable to the goals you set. Mentors are also a great source of inspiration and motivation. Most people do not like to disappoint people they respect.

It's a basic psychological principle that anger is more useful than despair. If you want to improve your life, despair won't get you anywhere. Anger, although usually a negative emotion, is a source of strength and motivation. If needed, put yourself in a kind of mood in where if you had a bazooka, some mo'fugga would say hello to your little friend.

Readthisblogandtalktotheauthorofthisblogformotivation *COUGH* *SNEEZE* ;)

When there's a will, there is a way. Never forget that.

So you've got an idea now, is it worth it?

2009-03-14T15:36:00.007-04:00

Some weird balloon in orbit...

Ok, I told myself, "They're going to start getting tired of these space photos..." Hey! I can't help it! SORRY!

Continuing from the "Eureka!" piece on March 3rd, now you've got a single idea or maybe two good ones that passed your initial questioning process.

Now the real fun begins. Now that you've identified your idea, now you need to quantify it and see if it's actually worth the time and if there's real demand in the market for such a product/service.

There are four key areas you need to look at to determine the feasibility of your idea, which I will break down more in detail:

Competition - Is your idea already being done by many competitors? If so, what are their strengths and weaknesses?
Market growth and trends - You need to determine if the pie is growing or shrinking. Also, it is essential to determine key consumer and supply trends to determine if there's demand and needed resources to make your business successful
Suppliers (if applicable) - If you're making a product, are there good suppliers out there? If you're marketing a service, can you find the talent needed?
Economic trends and conditions (to start, in your local area first, unless your idea is international, nationwide, or purely on the internet) - This isn't as important as the other 4, but it's useful in solidifying your approach. This category includes government regulations.

Before we delve into these 4 factors, lets go over a list of reliable free resources you can use to do your research:

Google (of course)
Bureau of Economic Analysis (www.bea.gov) useful for seeing macro-economic trends
Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) could be useful for labor-related research
US Census (www.census.gov) great for demographic information
Major publications (New York Times, Inc Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Crain's)
Trade associations related to the industry you're going into - these guys often provide data and statistics for free (not all of them though)
Trade publications related to the industry you're going into - there are trade publications for literally every industry and subject under the sun. These often have very useful articles and statistics you can use to collect information on the market and your competitors
CALL people up such as industry experts, journalists, etc. and even your competitors! (you just need to be a bit more careful when calling competitors). Usually you can learn A LOT just from talking to people.

Now...here are some PAID resources you can use if you either have the money, or already have access to them through your local library or something.

Factiva/Lexis Nexis - These databases aggregate articles from all major publications nationwide and worldwide)
Marketresearch.com - Often have great market reports with robust statistics and data you can use to determine the market and the strength of your competitors
Business Source Premier (EBSCOHost) - The literal hub of trade magazines and articles - very useful
Dun & Bradstreet - There could be many small businesses in your region that you don't even know about. This database is useful for determining companies' credit ratings and their estimated revenue and employees. Also, a lot of bigger companies conceal the actual number to their corporate headquarters. This database also gives you their direct number in case you want to call them
Trade shows / networking events - Sign up for a bunch and go to them, ESPECIALLY if they're in your area. You can learn A LOT and meet new people who can help you.
Gartner - Only if your venture is IT-focused. These guys are EXPENSIVE though, so try to access them through a library or something.
Author of this blog *COUGH* ;)

Competition

Competition will be one of the most important factors you look into. In order for your new venture to be successful, it must be able to take advantage of the weaknesses of your competitors.

Using your research, you need to be able to answer some key questions about your competitors:

First of all....WHO are your competitors? and WHY? You need to know why, otherwise you might overestimate who your competition truly is. You should only count someone as a competitor if they serve the same demographics and a similar need to your own business.

Let me give a quick example. Lets say, for instance, you're opening up an organic dog food store (I want royalties for that idea if you use it!!! ;) ). As you do your research, you find out that someone else in your area has a store that sells organic food to fish and cats. Is he a competitor? No. Why? Because he doesn't serve the same "demographic" or "needs" as you do. Dogs are not fish or cats, therefore the other store is not competing with you.

Let me give one more quick example to drive the point home. Lets say you're opening up a retirement home for rich, socially inept younger people who don't want to work anymore and who are in their 20's to upper 40's (I REALLY want royalties for that one ;) ). Would you consider a retirement home for the elderly your competitor? No. You don't serve the same demographics or needs as they do. Your demographic is towards younger people. The needs you serve for them are not really health or hospice-related, but rather, probably more for hooking them up with fun activites and new friends.

If your venture is more regionally focused: Who is your competition in your area? and why?

What products/services do they offer, and what is their geographic coverage? (this depends on your idea)

What are their strengths and weaknesses? This is very important because it will determine your angle of attack, if there is one. Your idea must be able to take advantage of your competitors' weaknesses.

Is the market dominated by a few big companies or by many small ones? You can determine this by the market share of your competitors. The more fragmented your market is, the better. It is difficult to enter a consolidated market, and the big guys like to keep it that way. You must understand what kind of barriers to entry you are facing.

What are your competitors currently planning to do? Are there new technologies or product/service lines that they're developing that could threaten your business?

The Market & Trends

Everyone wants a piece of pie. Question is, is there enough pie to satisfy? (hey, that rhymes!). The condition of the market you enter into is essential in determining whether your idea is even worth pursuing.

You need to be able to answer some key questions about your market:

Is it consistently growing or declining? And by how much? Large increases indicate the market is still in its growth stage. Flat growth indicates it is mature, and declines mean the market is dying off. If you enter a mature or declining market, your only chance of being successful is to actually steal market share from your competition, which can be quite difficult. In a growing market however, everyone has room to grow, and there is not yet enough supply to meet demand.

Are there any substitute technologies that might threaten the market? For example, the CD market has been consistently shrinking due to increasing adoption of mp3 players.

What are the consumer trends in your market? Do you see signs of consumers embracing things that are similar to your product/service? Remember, your idea must serve a need or create one. However, you can't do that unless you understand what your future customers are thinking. You need to understand what makes your intended consumers want to buy the products/services in your market. Is it Price? Quality? A mix of both? These things you need to determine.

If you're more regionally focused, then you need to try and figure out the market conditions and trends in your area specifically. For example, you find out that the luxury yacht market is growing overall. However, if you serving somewhere like Mississippi ...chances are you're in for a rude awakening. That area would show a stronger preference towards smaller boats rather than luxury yachts.

Suppliers

Determining the nature of your suppliers and what they charge is essential for when you begin to put everything into numbers. You need to understand this area well in order to accurately predict your costs. You need to answer some key questions:

If you have a product: Are there a few big suppliers or many small ones? This will determine how much leverage and negotiating power you will have with them. What are their prices and lead times? (Lead time refers to how long it takes for them to manufacture and ship the item to you)

How scarce or plentiful is the labor you need? And what is the going market rate for employing them? (you can determine this either by articles or by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) Can you outsource? Sometimes, utilizing a third party is the best way to go, and often more affordable.

If you're providing an outsourced service (i.e. you use another company to serve your customers) - what do they charge? What is their lead time? And what is their quality of service?

What are the different incentives/perks among these suppliers? (i.e. bulk discounts, free shipping, etc.)

WHERE are your suppliers located? (this can apply to both products and services)

Again, this will be essential in determining if you can secure the supplies you need, and also essential for your financial planning. You can't run a business unless you know if you're even making a profit.

Economic Trends & Conditions

Chances are, you will find out more about this subject as you look into the three other categories. Therefore this is the least important of the four. However, it is worth looking into, and you'll want to answer some key questions:

Are there any government regulations in place that could have an adverse or positive effect on your idea? You need to find out about both federal and state regulations. If you're going international, then you should understand any relevant laws of those countries that affect your business. (this is the most important question in this category)

One interesting thing to check is to see if there are any government grants related to assisting in starting a venture like yours. You'd be surprised what regulations are out there that provide incentives for people to start all kinds of businesses.

Has disposable or overall income been on the rise or on the decline for your demographic and geography? What about living costs? (again, this is a plus to have, but not necessarily required)

What is the employment situation for your demographic/geography? The more people that have jobs, the more people that can spend money. (again, this is a plus).

As you do your research, you'll probably come across more questions that what I listed here. Depending on your industry and your idea, there might be specific questions that come up that you will need to answer. Remember, "Luck" is simply when preparation meets opportunity. Do your homework!

And if, from your research, you find out that perhaps your idea isn't as attractive as you thought, SCRAP IT! Base your decisions on facts rather than emotions. If the facts don't support your hypothesis, then it's time to look somewhere else. Many entrepreneurs come up with many ideas that don't fly. The successful ones dump the bad ideas through research, and embrace the good ideas with the proper planning and knowledge. Ultimately though, no matter how many facts you have, you will still need to make a decision based on your gut feeling. Don't get into what some people call, "paralysis through analysis." Get the facts, but then MAKE A CHOICE.

Also, you must remember that it'll eventually come down to numbers if you're planning to start a business with high overhead. If you start a business with very little overhead, then financial projections are not as vital, because you have very little to lose and potentially a lot to gain.

Remember, you can make the numbers say whatever you want. In the end, numbers are there to make sure you're not losing your shirt rather than telling you how rich you're going to be.

If the idea turns out to be good, then the good news is, you have most of the stuff you need to write a solid business plan.

Sorry for the delay!

2009-03-12T17:31:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone. I've been working a lot on the launch of a new website and also hunting for other business opportunities...just in case you think I started to get lazy! ;)

The next post will be about how to research and determine the viability of your idea. It should be posted up by Saturday or so. Stay tuned!

Perseverance

2009-03-06T12:25:00.006-05:00

I wanted to interrupt the flow of the posts for today to bring up a very important topic that any aspiring entrepreneur should always embrace...and that is the topic of perseverance. Starting a business is not easy, neither is keeping it going. If it was easy, then everyone would be doing it. However, that is why successful entrepreneurs reap the rewards, because they take the path less traveled.

I met a blind man on the subway the other day. His name is Bob, and he was born blind. Yet, everyday, he has the courage to get on the crowded New York City subway to get to work. He also has a wife and kids too.

As I helped him get into the train, I looked at the face of this courageous man. I asked him, "How do you do it? Getting around I mean." He turned his head to the source of my voice, smiled and said, "Trial and error. Mostly error though" and laughed.

As we talked, I asked him about how he became blind and what he does. He taught me that you really don't need sight to see. Many people out there look but they don't see. Even this blind man was able to live a normal and happy life. He was able to see the good in his situation and in others.

But what he also demonstrated was something all entrepreneurs need to embrace. Perseverance. Even the most legendary of business leaders like Henry Ford failed multiple times before finally succeeding. Like the blind man, it was trial and error for them. Mostly error though.

Because truly, when you enter that newfound frontier of entrepreneurship, you could have the best plan in the world, but you cannot control everything. Like the blind man, sometimes you just need to feel around to make your way through. No one knows all the answers or the right ways to do things. The key is to do the best you can, and not give up. If the blind man gave up on life, he'd have nothing. He wouldn't have his wife and kids, he wouldn't have his friends. He would be a broken shell of a man, who would receive nothing but the half-hearted pity of others.

This is the same for entrepreneurs as well. If you persevere, good things will come. If you give up, nothing will come to you. You will be destined to work for someone else, always wondering what you could have done.

Before his stop came, I asked the blind man, "What would be the first thing you would do if you had sight again?" He smiled and said, "I'd look at my wife and kids." Just before the train door opened, he leaned over and whispered "And then maybe some Playboy magazine after that" and laughed.

Eureka! How to filter and focus on an idea

2009-03-03T12:47:00.013-05:00

Helix Nebula - Spitzer Telescope

Space...the final fron... woops... wrong topic ;) The reason you see that picture, is because there are MANY ideas out there, but only few end up shining upon greater scrutiny. It is important to focus, otherwise you'll find yourself never getting off the ground.

Here's a real story to illustrate the point. After about 40 minutes or so of brainstorming in dark rooms (they were separate rooms! Sorry ladies), we came up with a list of about 20 ideas for a new business. We were thrilled. It was one of our first times trying the whole dark room thing out, and it worked great. There's just something about a dark and silent room that just triggers your mind to think and be imaginative. Perhaps it's a subconscious desire for the mind to escape what seems to be emptiness and darkness? Who knows.

After our alarm clocks rang, we stepped out and I started to write our ideas down on a big board, while occasionally taking a deep whiff of my marker. There's just something about markers...anyone ever sniff those markers that actually smell like fruit? That was the best invention since the toilet. Yeah... TAKE THAT sliced bread!

Anyways, I digress...

We were pumped up for sure. We then took those 20 ideas, and filtered them down to 5 ideas, based on four criteria: 1) Can it make good money? 2) Is there a demand for it? 3) Is it resistant to economic cycles? 4) Is it fun? Yes...looking back, those exactly weren't the most accurate criteria to use. Each criterion was scored from 1-5, and we took the top 5 average scores.

Thankfully, we had a mentor. A real business veteran who started successful ventures in the past. We met up with him after we came up with our list. We felt like we could take on the world, that we could revolutionize the way things are done. We gloriously presented him the list of our ideas on our fancy little Excel file and proved to him that we knew how to use the =Average(B1:D1) function.

The one thing I remember the most about that meeting was how red his face got with laughter. In fact, it reminded me of a tomato with glasses and thin hair. Of course, I knew him for a while, so he had a license to laugh...for now...

The first question he asked was, "Guys, do you even have the skill set for these ideas? These are awfully complicated." He was right, we didn't. In fact, one idea we liked a lot would have needed either us or someone else who had deep experience in law enforcement and almost espionage.

Safe to say, ALL the ideas turned out to be just like that nebula above...just floating and as fleeting as gas. Sure, they look nice, but they can't do anything, not like the star in the middle. We hadn't found that shining star in the middle. It was back to the drawing board for us.

So... with that said, how can one go about filtering and focusing on a single idea? Well, there are a number of steps to do this.

1. The first step is to HONESTLY assess yourself and your partner(s) (if applicable):

What skillsets and experience do you have?
How much DISPOSABLE income can you put into a new venture?
Who do you know in your network? Are they trustworthy?
How risk tolerant are you? Although starting a venture is always risky, some ideas are way more riskier than others because of high start-up costs and overhead.
Are you genuinely motivated to start a new venture? You have to have a high level of motivation and will, because starting a venture is not easy, and you need to toughen up to see it through.

2. Once you've identified the base foundation (you and any partners you may have), then you can determine what idea can be built upon that foundation. Like in the previous step, for each idea, you want to ask and answer the following questions:

Do I actually have the needed skills to execute on this idea? If not, can I find someone trustworthy who does?

Trustworthiness is extremely important. Knowledge is power, and power is used. If you are clueless about an idea, then a lot will rest upon the shoulders of the person who has a clue. That gives them a lot of leverage over you...so you need to make sure you bring unique skills that the other person lacks to compensate. You also need to trust that person, otherwise you may find yourself left behind.

What kind of need does this idea meet? What value do you provide? If your only answer is, "well, I think people will find this to be pretty cool." Don't waste your time. It has to bring some sort of value to people.

If a need is met, then there will be demand for it. How much demand, however, will be determined in the next phase. Right now, this is just initial vetting.

Can I actually secure the resources to execute this idea?

I have a personal preference to try and stick with ideas with relatively low start-up costs and overhead. However, there are many successful entrepreneurs who start ventures with high costs and succeed. You just need to be realistic on how much money you can actually secure for yourself and WHERE you're going to get it.

Where will the money from this venture be earned?

Notice that I didn't say "how much" money yet. That comes later. Right now, this is an initial idea vetting phase. What you need to answer in this stage is basically: Do you know how you will earn money from this?

If you can positively answer ALL the questions for any particular idea (i.e. "Yes, I have the skills for this idea" or "Yes, I can find someone, and I can secure the resources" etc.) Then it has some real potential.

Chances are, by putting all the inital ideas through this questioning process, you will end up with very few left or even just one idea. If you end up with none, then don't worry! Just go back to the drawing board. There's nothing wrong with that, it's all part of the process.

Once you've focused on one or two ideas, you're still not ready to execute on it. The next phase now is to do your homework. Now that you've identified the idea, now you need to quantify it through market research to determine its actual feasibility based on FACTS rather than assumptions.

Stay tuned for next episode. We'll discuss how to do homework on your idea to determine - factually - if it's feasible and worth the effort.

How to find inspiration for your future venture

2009-03-01T13:30:00.007-05:00

Artist: Bruce Clarke

"Whether you believe you can do something or not, you are right." - Henry Ford

As you may have read in the post before, one of the first steps you need to do before starting a business is to think about what interests you first.

The next few posts are going to expand on each and every step. Today starts with finding inspiration. There are a number of ways to do this:

1. One of the best ways I've found is to learn from the example of entrepreneurs who have already made it. Publications like Inc. Magazine are a great source of success stories. In fact, these success stores can often trigger a creative spark and allow you to think of a great idea you never thought of before.

2. Talk to people! Whether it be friends, co-workers or people you meet at networking events or parties. Often times, people are glad to give you ideas...usually because they don't want to do it themselves! Obviously, I'm not saying you should steal ideas from others, that's not cool. Make sure you're not stealing an idea that someone is already working on. Although we live in a jungle, that doesn't mean you have to be one of the apes in it.

3. Sit in silence and just let your imagination run wild. You'll be surprised what your mind can conjure up when you allow yourself to silence your thoughts and distance yourself from un-needed distractions. When you put yourself in the right mindset, you'll find that ideas will come to you rather than the other way around.

4. Closely observe your surroundings. Usually in the chaos of everyday life, we forget to just step back, take a deep breath and notice what's going on around us. You may overhear your friends or even complete strangers say golden things like "God, I wish xyz could be done better" or whatever. Not only that, you may find how things could be done better in the very industry that you work in (if you work at a job).

5. Learn new skills. By expanding your capabilities and horizons, you will most likely develop a great idea....or finally be able to execute on an idea you already had.

6. Approach someone you know who has a great idea and offer to help. You don't always have to be the one who thinks of the idea. If you think an an idea is great, be part of its success! It's much like someone who becomes an entrepreneur through franchising. You don't have to be a grand visionary, you just need to have the determination. Like Edison once said, it's 99% perspiration, 1% inspiration.

7. Keep reading this blog...unless of course my mentioning of taking a dump in your boss' top drawer didn't already give you a business idea related to human resource counseling or waste management ;)

Stay tuned for the next episode. We'll discuss how to organize your ideas and focus on the best one.

Laid off? Time to embrace your inner fire

2009-02-28T12:07:00.007-05:00

Yep, my good friend and a great human being officially became a statistic. Half of his office was laid off yesterday, almost suddenly. The people that were laid off were all good people, with two of them being veterans in the company.

It comes to show you, that ultimately, there is no such thing as job security. The days of working for a single company for your entire career and then retiring are long gone.

Job security is a contradiction. It is also an admission of surrender...the surrender of your freedom. Think about it, you are working in an "office" everyday. You take orders, and if you don't do what you're told, you are punished. Who would want to live life being dependent on "the man?"

Of course, I'm sure my friend is only one of the many who've gotten laid off in recent months. The economy has not being doing well at all (to use a gross understatement). However, what most people don't realize is that an economic downturn presents new opportunities, much like a booming economy. You just have to look in different places now. While the opportunities in a downturn aren't as forgiving towards "irrational exuberance" or as "sexy" as opportunities in a booming economy, they're still pretty attractive.

So, if you've been laid off, this is now your chance to take your destiny by the reins, and forge your own path as a self-employed, independent person. Besides, look on the bright side, now you can actually get some sleep. Also, now that you're laid off, you've just gained another valuable resource to start your business: Time.

So...you've been laid off...now what? Well, here are some things you can do to start awakening that inner fire of entrepreneurship:

First, think of the things you LIKE to do. Do you have a hobby? Or perhaps a couple of interests or what not? Did you encounter something that you found really fascinating or cool?

The first step is very important. Many studies have shown that successful entrepreneurs are the ones who do what they believe in or love to do. If you're just starting a business with no goal in mind but to make money, chances are you will fail. You have to believe that your business makes a positive impact to the community, or it is something that you genuinely enjoy doing.

Second, take all those ideas and experiences and go sit in a dark and quiet room (try to find one). While in there, brainstorm how these thoughts can be turned into businesses, and make a nice long list for yourself. My trick is to bring my cell phone into the room so I can light it up and actually see where I'm writing :)

Once your list has been completed, try to talk to some people, or even try to find a partner for your entrepreneurial endeavor. In fact, you can also try to find a partner before you even do the second step of brainstorming. With other people, get their feedback on what they think. What you want to do is try to determine the initial feasibility for your idea. Remember, try not to get excited about ideas that are beyond you or your partner(s)' skillsets...unless you can easily source that expertise somewhere.

After you've filtered your ideas and came up with one or two solid ones, then you need to do some homework. You need to find out the following things:

What is your value proposition? To do that, you need to identify the need. Is there a need (or can you create a need) that your product/service can cater to? If not, then don't bother. Remember, when you enter into an industry, you need to bring value-add, otherwise there's no reason for people to use you over others.
Who is your target market? This can be a demographic or a particular characteristic of people. (e.g. females ages 18-24 or a category such as blue collar workers, etc.). This will determine HOW you will market your business.
Where would you earn your money? And how much money do you REALISTICALLY think you will earn? This is very important. Although successful entrepreneurs don't start businesses for the sake of money, they do, however, know where to earn their money to be able to grow and sustain their business.
Who's your competition? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
What is the state of the market now? (is it growing? shrinking?)
Is the market dominated by a few big players? Unless your idea is revolutionary and feasible, it is usually not a good idea to enter into a very consolidated sector.
Are there any imminent substitutes that could threaten your service/product?
What resources do you have at your disposal as start-up capital? In these economic times, it is usually more prudent to NOT dip into your savings unless your research has been very favorable to your idea. Even in that case, you will want to seek investor funding. Given the conditions of the economy, getting credit from banks is even harder now. Not only that, most banks require new companies to sign a personal indemnity agreement which pretty much holds you personally liable for the debt, rather than your company. You will want to find an Angel Investor or Venture Capitalists. However, you must be careful, because the usual way they give you funding is by buying equity in your company. In that case, you do not want to relinquish too much control. Also, if you seek investor funding, you MUST have a formal business plan written up.
Will your company have high or low overhead? The best thing to do in difficult economic times is to try to keep overhead as low as possible. Having low overhead also means you need less start-up capital, and you can achieve a faster time-to-market.
What is your timeline for starting up and breaking even?
What will you do with your eventual F-U money? (optional...but perhaps required for some of you ;) )

While this isn't an exhaustive list, this is a good overview of what you have to do to start up. Remember, planning is very important. Do not rush in based on emotions only. Collect the facts, then make your decision.

As a future entrepreneur, if you focus on achieving your dreams and goals, the money will come. It's the same for when you attract a potential mate. When you're focused on improving yourself and living life to the fullest, someone will come to you. Usually it's when you're activtely looking for that potential mate that you never find one. The same goes for money. If you actively look for money, you'll never get it. Money is a by-product of your own self-empowerment.

Just another day...

2009-02-24T17:40:00.003-05:00

So I've been talking with people who are stressed out about their jobs. I ask them about what stresses them out, and it's usually boils down to the following reasons:

-I never have time for myself
-I don't like what I do
-I'm bored
-I don't make enough money
-I don't like the people I work with

I had a great conversation one time with a successful entrepreneur. He sat me down and shot me a piercing gaze with his dark eyes. He said, "Do you know what a job stands for?"

I was a bit nervous, but replied, "Uhh, not really." He grinned a bit and said, "Having a job stands for being Just Over Broke."

I thought about that for a while, and I completely agreed. How much different is having a job compared to being broke? In both cases, you don't have the money to do what you truly want to do in life. The only difference is, with a job, you can feed and shelter yourself and get wasted on the weekends with your friends, which puts you at just over broke.

But the key question is...why do most people put up with that? Is it because of fear? Complacency? My gut tells me that most people know the answer but they bury it and set it aside.

So I ask people, "So...you hate your job...have you been thinking of any ideas or whatever?"

Most people at that point say "Yeah, I had some ideas floating around." So then I ask them about their ideas. Most people have great ideas, but they just can't execute on them.

"That's a great idea" I say with a smile, "You gonna do it?"

The usual replies come down to a set of disturbingly common reasons why they wouldn't:

-I don't have enough time to do it
-I'm too lazy (followed by a nervous laugh)
-I'm gonna wait and see, the economy sucks right now
-I don't think I have the ability to do it
-I can't find people who are good enough for it
-I don't have money
-I need a better idea...something revolutionary (yeah...good luck with that, just keep it simple!!)

The worst part is when you're discussing these things in a group, and you have other people who sympathize with those excuses...and give advice on top of it!!! What does the frog in the well know of the ocean?

If something's important, a person has got to take a risk and make the time for it. After all, who wants to retire and still be just over broke?

Hey everyone

2009-02-21T16:55:00.003-05:00

So...this is my first post on a blog. I held out for the longest time writing a blog, but just like that 50 cent bag of Doritos in that same old deli you pass by everyday, you eventually can't resist.

I know I'm not the only one out there who constantly thinks about how dumb it is to work for someone else. A lot of people think that running the usual rat race is the easy way, but if you think about it, it's actually harder. Think of all the late nights you work, and the incessant urge to take a steamy, 7-11 slurpy-like dump in the top drawer of your boss' desk (don't act like you never thought about THAT one...yes...that includes the ladies).

This blog is going to be about the adventures of people (yeah..including me) who want to become entrepreneurs. It will be a symphony of fire, ice, Krispy Kreme donuts and steamy dumps as we talk about our triumphs, our failures and most importantly the fun we had from the experience of it all.

Check back often...and remember...you love this blog...frequently.

-Floyd