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Archive for Business – General

Can a REAL Entrepreneur Have a 21-Hour Work Week?

Thursday, January 12th, 2012
Feeling chained to the desk, is it possible for entrepreneurs to have a 21-hour work week?

Feeling chained to the desk, is it possible for entrepreneurs to have a 21-hour work week?

I recently read an eye-opening, unorthodox article from Fast Company discussing the possibility of instating a 21-hour work week instead of 40 hours.
So there’s the REAL entrepreneur’s 70+ hour work week, Tim Ferris’s four-hour work week (outsource everything and sit at home and eat Twinkies), and now we have a proposed 21-hour work week.

The New Economies Foundation (NEF) released a report stating that the 21-hour work week would create more jobs and stop the “unsustainable cycle of rampant consumerism.” They argue that not only is the American society obsessed with work and consumption, but we live to work, work to earn, and earn to consume. It’s like when a 16-year-old kid gets his first job to pay for a car, so he can drive to work to pay for his car; its an endless, antiquated cycle; I agree. Read More→

No More Mr. Nice Guy

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

Do you offer family and friends discounts? Do you have clients who try to twist your arm, play hardball, and try to get great deals? I’m sure you answered “yes”, because every entrepreneur encounters these situations. You know… the family friend who you see once a year who thinks that since he eats your family casserole at the summer picnic, that he’s entitled to a 40% “Family & Friends Discount.” We’ve all run into this situation and it can be tough maintaining your price integrity in the face of their “connection” to you. I recently ran into this with a prospect whom I already knew; I met with him, reviewed what he was looking for on his end, what I had to offer, and my pricing. Read More→

Why are you settling for mediocre?

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

Nothing mediocre...you deserve better.

As I write this there are 16 days left in 2011. How was your year? For me it’s been a very trying year, both business and personal challenges have reared their ugly heads this year and both have been faced and brought under control… thankfully.

All around me I’ve been listening to the media, other business owners, relatives and friends many spewing doom and gloom and casting enough blame for their circumstances on anyone and everyone.

It is at this time of year…every year…that I take time to reflect on the highs and lows of the year past and prepare for what’s ahead in the new year. In doing this exercise, I once again find that if the results sucked there is only ONE person to blame or chastise…ME. In your case…YOU.

Other people can create circumstances and throw challenges in our path Read More→

Christmas 2011 — Birth of a New Tradition

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Support your local Entrepreneur!!

This is a reprint of something a reader sent to me that I think is a GREAT idea that we should all adopt.  I’m in…who’s with me?

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods — merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes there is!

It’s time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper? Read More→

Network Marketing vs. ‘The Pyramid Scheme’

Friday, June 17th, 2011

I’ve recently joined the ranks of an outstanding direct sales/network marketing company, after some serious due diligence, I might add.

The skeptics among you are silently screaming..”what are you thinking, they’re all scams!” I must confess…I’ve been in the network marketing industry on and off for more than 15 years and while some companies have had integrity problems, the business model is more than 100 years old and in fact is something that you’ve also been participating in, week in and week out, whether you know it or not.

When I begin to talk to someone about the business the most common reply is “it’s one of those pyramid schemes…leave me out”. There is a very fundamental difference between network marketing and a pyramid scheme…a huge difference and if you don’t understand them you’re staying away from something that could make you a lot of money and give you great time freedom. Read More→

Everyone in the world has exactly the same numbers to work with, 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week and 8,736 hours in a year.

Interestingly that even though we all start out on equal footing, a few will use their time in ways that advance their careers, improve their personal relationships, improve their health and increase their overall level of success. Yet others will stagnate and complain, distance themselves from others, only communicate via Facebook® and texting, gain a few pounds eating cheese puffs in their pajamas in front of the television, get to the next level of some video game and ultimately fall farther behind the forward moving pack.

Why is that? Read More→