Yesterday Utah’s top entrepreneurs were honored in an event at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City and were give awards by Ernst & Young for the year 2011. I know from personal experience they have been honoring entrepreneurs for over 20 years. KSL News anchor, Bruce Lindsay spoke and said about those award winners, “Entrepreneurs are visionary, they are generous and they are inspired.”
I agree with Mr. Lindsay on all accounts. The Bible states, “Without vision, the people perish.” Where would the world be today if people had no vision? Cooked food would not have happened. The first wheel would not have been invented. Electricity, TV, the phone, the airplane, cars nor computers would have been invented. The list is endless.
You and I do not have to invent the next BIG thing, but if you or I want to become an entrepreneur we must have some vision on how to improve a widget, make life easier or provide a solution for a demand that is not being met.
If you feel you have the vision to become one, a few other important personal characters you must have are passion to become a business owner, a relentless drive to succeed and a willingness to work hard. Then the hardest part seems to be, going out and trying, and then trying again!
If you feel you have the above character traits, there is one other VERY important item a person MUST have before becoming an entrepreneur. It is something you have very little control over, but is essential and it is NOT money.
If you really want to be an owner of your own business, watch for next week’s blog.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Message from Bill Gates
The following story about Bill Gates came out a few years ago. It might or might not be true and does not matter, but it is worth repeating since I believe in its message. Its message is really for all of us and especially for those that feel entitled to other people’s success, time or money.
Bill Gates' Message on Life:
For recent high school and college graduates, here is a list of 11 things
they did not learn in school. In his book, Bill Gates talks about how
feel-good, politically correct teachings created a full generation of
kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in
the real world.
RULE 1......Life is not fair; get used to it.
RULE 2......The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect
you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
RULE 3......You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out of
high school. You won't be a vice president with a car phone until you
earn both.
RULE 4......If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
He doesn't have tenure.
RULE 5......Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your
grandparents had a different word for burger flipping; they called it
opportunity.
RULE 6......If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine
about your mistakes, learn from them.
RULE 7......Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are
now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and
listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain
forest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing"
the closet in your own room.
RULE 8......Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life
has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades; they'll give
you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the
slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
RULE 9......Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers
off, and very few employers are interested in helping you find
yourself. Do that on your own time.
RULE 10.....Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually
have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
RULE 11.....Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
Bill Gates' Message on Life:
For recent high school and college graduates, here is a list of 11 things
they did not learn in school. In his book, Bill Gates talks about how
feel-good, politically correct teachings created a full generation of
kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in
the real world.
RULE 1......Life is not fair; get used to it.
RULE 2......The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect
you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
RULE 3......You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out of
high school. You won't be a vice president with a car phone until you
earn both.
RULE 4......If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
He doesn't have tenure.
RULE 5......Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your
grandparents had a different word for burger flipping; they called it
opportunity.
RULE 6......If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine
about your mistakes, learn from them.
RULE 7......Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are
now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and
listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain
forest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing"
the closet in your own room.
RULE 8......Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life
has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades; they'll give
you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the
slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
RULE 9......Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers
off, and very few employers are interested in helping you find
yourself. Do that on your own time.
RULE 10.....Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually
have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
RULE 11.....Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Get out of your Box!
Too many times we sell ourselves short when it comes to breaking away from the job which holds us hostage. We stay when we should leave…..generally because of pressures from those that have never ventured outside their little box. Most of us have a parent, brother, friend, work associate or banker which tells you that you are making a mistake if you leave the security of your full time job. For their whole life they have worked in their little box, they do not want you to leave for fear you will make them look foolish. Every time you come up with an idea for a business or try to venture out, you hit the same resistance and most people back away to never do anything.
When I started my first franchise business, most of my family thought I was crazy, my coworkers laughed at me when I asked them to become partners with me. When I told my friends I had this idea and asked if they want to be a part of it, they said, “No thanks.” The banker who was helping me with my SBA loan, said he did not think I could pay back the loan and expected to take my home when he foreclosed on me in a year or two.
Thank goodness my wife believed in me. She was the only one to fully support me and my idea. A few years later not only did I pay off the bank loan, I paid off my house.
The resistance we hit every time we try to get out of the box can hold us back from doing great things in life. Pretty soon we quit trying to fly away and when we should explore what the world has there for us. If we keep banging our heads against the discouragement around us, we quit. We give up!
Watch this short video on how to train a flea. There is great meaning with it.
Don’t let others keep you penned in when freedom is so close. So what if you bang your head a few times. If you DON’T listen to those “who have never done it” you will be able to have a better chance of finding success in almost everything you do in life. If you want to be the best dancer in the world, singer, athlete or even entrepreneur, train with those who are successful, not with those who have failed.
When I started my first franchise business, most of my family thought I was crazy, my coworkers laughed at me when I asked them to become partners with me. When I told my friends I had this idea and asked if they want to be a part of it, they said, “No thanks.” The banker who was helping me with my SBA loan, said he did not think I could pay back the loan and expected to take my home when he foreclosed on me in a year or two.
Thank goodness my wife believed in me. She was the only one to fully support me and my idea. A few years later not only did I pay off the bank loan, I paid off my house.
The resistance we hit every time we try to get out of the box can hold us back from doing great things in life. Pretty soon we quit trying to fly away and when we should explore what the world has there for us. If we keep banging our heads against the discouragement around us, we quit. We give up!
Watch this short video on how to train a flea. There is great meaning with it.
Don’t let others keep you penned in when freedom is so close. So what if you bang your head a few times. If you DON’T listen to those “who have never done it” you will be able to have a better chance of finding success in almost everything you do in life. If you want to be the best dancer in the world, singer, athlete or even entrepreneur, train with those who are successful, not with those who have failed.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Dare mighty things!
Teddy Roosevelt said:
"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered with failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the grey twilight that knows no victory nor defeat."
We can sit back, watch the world go by, grow old and never take a chance in life. When all is said and done, we can look back and wonder if we did our best to make a mark in the world or did we do nothing other than just work and exist. When we die will we have our name erased without anyone knowing we were there?
There is nothing wrong with trying to make a difference. Even if we fail a few times, we have only failed if we quit. Wither it is raising a family or starting a business, we only fail if we do not try.
"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered with failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the grey twilight that knows no victory nor defeat."
We can sit back, watch the world go by, grow old and never take a chance in life. When all is said and done, we can look back and wonder if we did our best to make a mark in the world or did we do nothing other than just work and exist. When we die will we have our name erased without anyone knowing we were there?
There is nothing wrong with trying to make a difference. Even if we fail a few times, we have only failed if we quit. Wither it is raising a family or starting a business, we only fail if we do not try.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Little things are important
Before reading my comments on today’s blog, click on the video and watch it. Follow it’s instructions for it will teach you a valuable lesson. It only takes a minute.
Many times we cannot see the forest because of the trees. There are times when something is right in front of us but because we are asking the wrong question, looking for something which is not there or is there but we are blinded and we could miss out on something very important.
When deciding if our idea or concept can work, many times we can be blinded because of the excitement or blinded because of a preconceived notion. If we get too excited or we believe something which might be untrue, we might miss the gorilla in the room. One of the reasons it is so important to make a written business plan is to look at all the good and bad. Knowing where we are going, how to get there and not taking short cuts is important.
A friend of mine wanted to start a small business very bad. He had a good idea, but he did not follow the plan I had suggested for him. He jumped 4 steps ahead without taking the steps in between. He failed. If he would have done steps 2 and 3 he would probably have succeeded for he had a great idea.
Paying attention to detail, following our plan without skipping ahead, can be the difference between success and failure. Knowing if there is a gorilla in the room or if the color of the drapes is changing could be a game changer.
Many times we cannot see the forest because of the trees. There are times when something is right in front of us but because we are asking the wrong question, looking for something which is not there or is there but we are blinded and we could miss out on something very important.
When deciding if our idea or concept can work, many times we can be blinded because of the excitement or blinded because of a preconceived notion. If we get too excited or we believe something which might be untrue, we might miss the gorilla in the room. One of the reasons it is so important to make a written business plan is to look at all the good and bad. Knowing where we are going, how to get there and not taking short cuts is important.
A friend of mine wanted to start a small business very bad. He had a good idea, but he did not follow the plan I had suggested for him. He jumped 4 steps ahead without taking the steps in between. He failed. If he would have done steps 2 and 3 he would probably have succeeded for he had a great idea.
Paying attention to detail, following our plan without skipping ahead, can be the difference between success and failure. Knowing if there is a gorilla in the room or if the color of the drapes is changing could be a game changer.
Friday, May 13, 2011
A Book and a Thought to change your Life!
There is nothing wrong with the direction you are going, if you like where you are headed. One way or another you’re going to get somewhere. For those with direction, goals and a purpose, have a better chance of ending at a place more desirable than those who don’t.
There have been maybe five books I have read which have made a major impact on my life. All have been self improvement type books with two of them being the most popular books in the World. I won’t be talking about those today, but the one I am talking about can touch people spiritually, physically and financially.
In my opinion “debt” can destroy people, lives, marriages and many times can create unhappiness. Sometimes some debt cannot be avoided, but getting out of debt as soon as possible, not using credit cards and paying cash for items is the smart move.
One of my top five books would be “Total Money Make Over” by Dave Ramsey. This book can change your life if you read and then practice what is taught. In my opinion, everyone should read this book before they get married. It can save a lot of heartache that doesn’t need to be there.
What does this have to do with entrepreneurism? Simply put, if you can’t afford it then you shouldn’t do it. Starting a business should be done in baby steps and a person should NOT put all their eggs in one basket. Walk before you run. Start small and test the market before taking the big leap. Prove the business can work before wasting your money.
Knowing where you want to go financially in your own home or in your own business is very important. What are your goals? How are you going to get there? Know where you are headed, otherwise you might end up in a place you don’t want to be.
Monday, May 2, 2011
You can DO IT!
If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?"
--Hillel the Elder
Don’t wait for someone to show you how to make your first million for it will never happen, just go out and do it. Who has the next great idea? Why not you? Don’t let someone tell you it can’t be done. What do they know? Most people who tell you it can’t be done, have never done it. Those that say it can’t be done do not have the courage it takes to be an entrepreneur, inventor or business owner.
If you don’t have the courage to fail and get back up again, then you should stay in your little office and keep working for others your whole life. There is nothing wrong with that, if that is what’s going to make you happy.
If you only want to become wealthy for yourself, then “who are you?” If you are willing to do it for others as much as for yourself, then you are headed in the right direction.
Boyd K. Packer once said, “Things that don’t change, remain the same.”
You and I can keep doing what we have been doing and we’ll continue being what we have been in the past. If you or I want something different, we must choose a different path otherwise we stay the same.
As Hillel the Elder said, “And if not, when?”
If you decide to change, do your homework, then do it NOW! Don’t let negative people control your life. You can do it!
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