Tag Archives: Success

7 Facts of Business Success

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Photo by melanie_hughes on flickr.

 

After over forty years of owning businesses, Bill McBean shares the success factors that propelled his ventures to new heights. Whether turning around underperforming auto dealerships or forming new investing and administrative services companies, Bill has seen what works and what doesn’t. He recently wrote The Facts of Business Life, and I had the opportunity to ask him a few questions about his formula for business success.

Why do most businesses not achieve the level of success that they should?

It’s usually a combination of reasons versus one specific reason. These reasons are, in no particular order: 1) an opportunity with little potential for gross profit and net profit; 2) a lack of knowledge of the important elements, or basic fundamentals which create success; 3) a lack of leadership knowledge of how to move a business “from here to there”; 4) a lack of knowledge of how to compete; 5) a lack of overall business knowledge (not to be confused with industry knowledge).9781118094969 cover.indd

This is not a comprehensive list, but in my opinion from what I have seen they make up the vast majority of business failure or lack of success — and it’s rarely just one of these reasons. Instead it is a combination that can kill or seriously hinder the success of a business.

Your book outlines seven “facts” that successful business owners understand and utilize. We don’t have time to go into all of them, but how did you develop and choose these seven?

Fact 1: If you don’t lead, no one will follow. 
Fact 2: If you don’t control it, you don’t own it. 
Fact 3: Protecting your company’s assets should be your first priority.
Fact 4: Planning is about preparing for the future, not predicting it. 
Fact 5: If you don’t market your business, you won’t have one. 
Fact 6: The marketplace is a war zone. Every company has competitors, and if it doesn’t and it’s successful, it soon will. 
Fact 7: You don’t just have to know the business you’re in; you have to know business.

It probably wouldn’t surprise you if I told you these ‘facts’ chose me rather than me choosing them. By this I mean in all my years of business ownership these 7 facts were the ones which cost me the most money — either in not optimizing an opportunity or by not paying enough attention to a particular fact that ended up taking a big bite out of my wallet.

Are You Living or Existing?

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Photo by ’James Wheeler on flickr.

I met Kimanzi Constable somewhere between the blogging and Twitter worlds and heard his story.  He was stuck in a dead-end job, unhappy, and going through life in a way that was existing, but not thriving.  He decided to do something about it and began to change his life.  As he describes it, he decided to “stop settling, stop making excuses.”

As he began to change his life, he self-published two ebooks, which sold over 80,000 copies.  A short time later, a publisher called and he ended up with a book deal.  He quit his job, becoming a speaker and a coach.  His first published book is Are You Living or Existing? 9 Steps to Change Your Life.

9 Steps to Changing Your Life

  1. Identify Your Dreams
  2. Get Fit
  3. Get Rid of the Negative
  4. Fix Your Money
  5. Nail Down Your Plans
  6. Make the First Moves
  7. Tie Up Loose Ends
  8. Make Radical Changes
  9. Pay it Forward

Why did you write this book?

I wrote this book because for twelve years I had settled and made so many excuses to not live the life I truly wanted to lead. After many struggles and victories and tears I realized a lot of truths that I thought could really help people who were and are in the same position I was in. I wanted to show everyone that anyone can live the life of his or her dreams with the proper plan. I’m living proof; this book is my game plan on paper.

What’s the difference between living and existing?

The difference is realization, attitude and action. You start by realizing that time is one resource we’ll never get back, so we can’t afford to waste it doing things that won’t better our life. Then have the right attitude towards everything you do, viewing opportunities as a blessing and not another task on your to do list. Action means not wasting your life away watching the latest prime time shows. It means getting out and creating amazing experiences. At the end of your life you won’t remember all of the stuff you got or shows you watched. You’ll remember incredible experiences and times you impacted the lives of others.

Describe the moment when you had enough and decided to go for your dreams.

Innate Leadership: It’s Already Inside

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Image courtesy of istockphoto/chromatika

Robert Murray is an author, speaker, executive, chairman, advisor, and associate professor.  His book It’s Already Inside: Nurturing Your Innate Leadership for Business and Life Success is a terrific blend of storytelling, personal experience and wise counsel that will make you laugh, cry and learn.

I recently had the opportunity to ask Bob a few questions about a wide range of topics.

Cultivate Your Inner Leader

Bob, let’s start with the title.  It’s Already Inside gives us a glimpse into your philosophy.  You believe that leadership is innate, that everyone has the DNA to lead.  How did you develop your philosophy?

Good question.  I believe that over the years we have evolved with many characteristics that have helped human beings become who we are (the good and the bad!).  Buried in the soup we call our DNA are so many lessons that have enabled us to grow, innovate and thrive.  Leadership is one of those traits.  Some don’t know it or have had their confidence and competence squelched by the conditioning of their parents, teachers, coaches, society, etc. Cover Final

Leadership is not always about being the loudest, most charismatic or the most extroverted in the room.  Leadership comes in all shapes, sizes and conditions.  There are the traditional leaders that we are used to seeing in business and society. However, there are many leaders that silently toil away in organizations and use their abilities to influence decisions—or those that bolt from the office at 5:00 and go into the community to lead scout groups, volunteer organizations or little league teams.  They are moms and dads that lead their families, their neighborhood and the local school PTA.

Work Harder Than Anyone Else

Terry Fox is the famous one-legged runner who inspired millions.  You grew up with him and watched his struggle against cancer and his response.  Watching him taught you some powerful lessons.  For those of us who only watched or read about him, give us an inside view of what he was like.

Terry was the most determined and dedicated person I have ever met.  His energy was infectious, and he inspired everyone around him to be their best too.  You just couldn’t help digging deeper and working harder from his influence.

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A man who does not think and plan ahead will find trouble right at his door. -Confucius

We’re often temporarily moved and motivated when we hear a story like Terry’s.  But, how do you take Terry’s incredible attitude and let it really grab you and change you for good?  What’s your best advice on cultivating such a daily attitude?

What I learned from Terry is forever imbedded in me as the person and the leader I am today.  However, on those dark and cold days when I wake up with the feeling of, “Oh crap, I just don’t have it in me today,” I think of how Terry dragged himself out of a warm bed every day at 4 in the morning and faced the fight head-on. Then I start moving and I get my head back into the game.

Terry was proof to me that everything in life that you truly want is gained through working harder than anyone else and having the discipline to stay on the road less traveled.

Quotes on Hope

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Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “A leader is a dealer in hope.”  When I think of inspirational leaders, I can honestly say Napoleon was right. We admire people who plant the seeds of hope. We gladly follow the leader who is able to awaken a sense of expectation inside of us. And, whether we lead at home or at work, hope is an essential element of success.

Here are some of my favorite “hope” quotes.

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A leader is a dealer in hope. –Napoleon

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The natural flights of the human mind are not from pleasure to pleasure, but from hope to hope. –Samuel Johnson

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Before you give up hope, turn back and read the attacks that were made upon Lincoln. –Bruce Barton

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Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand. –Thomas Aquinas

Provoking Thoughts With Tremendous Books

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This is a guest post by Aamir Musharraf who leads the “Read to Succeed” program for Tremendous Life Books. He has worked with AOL/Time Warner and Gannett on various literacy programs.

Books have been my greatest mentors. My personal “search for meaning” initiated with Dr. Victor Frankl and culminated with Charlie “Tremendous” Jones.

For more than 50 years, Charlie was on a mission to help people improve their lives through reading. His worlds of wisdom touched my life. Getting people to read quality books that have the power to change lives has become my personal passion. In his book, Life is Tremendous, Charlie wrote that there are three great decisions in life:

3 Great Decisions

  1. Who are you going to live your life with?
  2. What are you going to live your life in?
  3. And what are you going to live your life for?

 

Who are you going to live your life with?

What are you going to live your life in?

And what are you going to live your life for?

 

I was 17 when I decided to settle in America, 27 when I asked a beauty queen doctoral student in Nashville to be my wife (Thank God she agreed!), and 37 when I discovered my calling to promote literacy. I believe that illiteracy is the greatest evil that confronts mankind. It creates darkness from within, a cancer of dis-empowerment, scarcity, despair, and anger. But knowledge overcomes all.Charles Jones 4