'Tis the season for kids to head back to school. But children aren't the only ones that need to keep learning. Being teachable and trainable is a must for entrepreneurs. Below are a few things that you can do to make sure that your company makes the grade!
- Take a class.
Are you up to date with the latest information in your field? Perhaps there is a more efficient way to do things that you should be studying. It's important to keep looking for ways to set you apart from your competition and to provide the best products and services possible.
- Join an association, club, or networking group.
There is absolutely nothing like being in the presence of like-minded people who help you to be a better you. Exchange ideas. Start a mastermind group. Partner and host events together. Make sure that you are around those who encourage you to go higher and higher.
-Read. Read. Read.
Some things never change. Reading is still fundamental. There is no point in reinventing the wheel. Everything that you desire to do, someone else has done and succeeded. Read an autobiography to learn how they did it. The entrepreneurial road can get rocky sometimes. Read a self-empowerment book to keep your spirits up. Don't have time to attend a class? Read a how-to book to master a new technique.
Implementing these easy tips will ensure that you reach the next level of business success!
Adrienne Adams a mom of five and president of the It's Not Enough to Dream Women's Small Business Circle. She helps everyday women go from dreaming a dream to creating their futures.
To learn more about how she can help you, visit www.itsnotenoughtodream.com and schedule a membership appointment.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Morning Cup of Inspiration: Moms--- Turn Excuses Into Something You Can Use
I am a wife. I'm also a mother of five. My days are filled with cleaning, running errands, paying bills and driving the children to and from their various extracurricular activities. Evenings will find me doing laundry, cooking, helping with homework, combing hair and preparing to do it all over again the next day.
I know what it's like to be sitting on a vision, and not be able to work toward it because we're bogged down with the responsibilities of everyday life. I've gotten over the hump. You can too. Read on to learn how you can easily turn those excuses into something that you can use.
--I don't have the time.
We choose how we spend our time. We make the time to do daily tasks. It's three times as important that we make the time to do what needs to be done so that we can get ahead.
When I first began to write my business plans into my daily schedule, some things had to go. A few times a week, I wouldn't turn on the television or pick up the phone because I would researching or writing. I did it until it became a habit and now, I have to make myself sit down and watch a television show. Each time that I sat down to work on what is now my completed novel, I would remind myself that I was spending time working on something that would add value to my life and as a result, the lives of my husband and children. It's important that we break out of the day-to-day monotony and make it a point to dedicate time to those things that will enrich our lives.
Positive Affirmation: What I'm spending my time on is positively impacting the lives and future of myself and my family.
--I don't have the money.
"Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that." --Norman Vincent Peale
Where there's a will, there's a way. When we hear entrepreneurial success stories, rarely do we hear about the million dollars that someone had to invest in their business to get it started. Start with what you have where you are and move on faith. My sister and I started working together six years ago in different states, around my hectic mom schedule and her nine-to-five job. We endured through my pregnancies, breastfeeding, my sister's graduation from college and her eventual cross-country move and the death of our mother. My husband used our mortgage money to buy my first shipment of books. I had to get out there and sell like a mad woman to get the money back. There were plenty of times that we had to come out of our own pockets. We've had to pay business and licensing fees, purchase marketing materials and there have been too many miscellaneous expenses to count.
Now, with a book tour under my belt, a flourishing small business circle for women, a magazine that debuts this fall and my sister working next to me in our own office space, I have to say that it was worth every single penny.
Positive Affirmation: I am making an investment in myself, my family, and our future.
--My children will suffer if I have to take time away from them to work on my business.
As a stay at home mom, this is an excuse that I struggled with for a long time. But what I discovered was that many of the things that I'm teaching my children can be demonstrated through my journey of faith and entrepreneurship. They see me living God's purpose for my life and standing on His promises. I don't just tell them they can reach for the stars. They see me reaching and hitting the mark. They are learning about vision, work, goal-setting, marketing, customer service and writing their own paychecks. I'm teaching them that we can work hard and play harder.
Positive Affirmation: My children don't have to look any further than their own home to find a role model.
Visit www.itsnotenoughtodream.com and schedule a membership appointment to learn more about how you can go from dreaming a dream to creating your future.
I know what it's like to be sitting on a vision, and not be able to work toward it because we're bogged down with the responsibilities of everyday life. I've gotten over the hump. You can too. Read on to learn how you can easily turn those excuses into something that you can use.
--I don't have the time.
We choose how we spend our time. We make the time to do daily tasks. It's three times as important that we make the time to do what needs to be done so that we can get ahead.
When I first began to write my business plans into my daily schedule, some things had to go. A few times a week, I wouldn't turn on the television or pick up the phone because I would researching or writing. I did it until it became a habit and now, I have to make myself sit down and watch a television show. Each time that I sat down to work on what is now my completed novel, I would remind myself that I was spending time working on something that would add value to my life and as a result, the lives of my husband and children. It's important that we break out of the day-to-day monotony and make it a point to dedicate time to those things that will enrich our lives.
Positive Affirmation: What I'm spending my time on is positively impacting the lives and future of myself and my family.
--I don't have the money.
"Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that." --Norman Vincent Peale
Where there's a will, there's a way. When we hear entrepreneurial success stories, rarely do we hear about the million dollars that someone had to invest in their business to get it started. Start with what you have where you are and move on faith. My sister and I started working together six years ago in different states, around my hectic mom schedule and her nine-to-five job. We endured through my pregnancies, breastfeeding, my sister's graduation from college and her eventual cross-country move and the death of our mother. My husband used our mortgage money to buy my first shipment of books. I had to get out there and sell like a mad woman to get the money back. There were plenty of times that we had to come out of our own pockets. We've had to pay business and licensing fees, purchase marketing materials and there have been too many miscellaneous expenses to count.
Now, with a book tour under my belt, a flourishing small business circle for women, a magazine that debuts this fall and my sister working next to me in our own office space, I have to say that it was worth every single penny.
Positive Affirmation: I am making an investment in myself, my family, and our future.
--My children will suffer if I have to take time away from them to work on my business.
As a stay at home mom, this is an excuse that I struggled with for a long time. But what I discovered was that many of the things that I'm teaching my children can be demonstrated through my journey of faith and entrepreneurship. They see me living God's purpose for my life and standing on His promises. I don't just tell them they can reach for the stars. They see me reaching and hitting the mark. They are learning about vision, work, goal-setting, marketing, customer service and writing their own paychecks. I'm teaching them that we can work hard and play harder.
Positive Affirmation: My children don't have to look any further than their own home to find a role model.
Visit www.itsnotenoughtodream.com and schedule a membership appointment to learn more about how you can go from dreaming a dream to creating your future.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Our Vice President Comes Home
Here at the It’s Not Enough to Dream Women’s Small Business Circle, we don’t just talk the talk…we walk the walk.
Listen to this exclusive interview with Bridgette Outten, Vice President of the It’s Not Enough to Dream Women’s Small Business Circle. Hear about how she stepped out on faith, handed in her resignation letter, and is pursuing her passion on her own time.
Click here to listen to the interview.
Visit us at www.itsnotenoughtodream.com to learn more about how you can bring your own vision into existence.
Listen to this exclusive interview with Bridgette Outten, Vice President of the It’s Not Enough to Dream Women’s Small Business Circle. Hear about how she stepped out on faith, handed in her resignation letter, and is pursuing her passion on her own time.
Click here to listen to the interview.
Visit us at www.itsnotenoughtodream.com to learn more about how you can bring your own vision into existence.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Morning Cup of Inspiration: Running the Race
Happy August!
This year is going beautifully. We are truly enjoying our walk of faith.
However, journeys, races, any trip from one place to another for any significant length of time, are not without incident. We get sick. We get tired. Stuff lands in our path and we stumble. Sometimes we fall.
When someone wins a race, or arrives at their destination, it doesn't mean that they didn't experience any difficulty. It just means that they rose above it, and conquered it. As you continue on in your entrepreneurial journey, consider implementing these tips to help you to stay on your feet.
- Pace yourself to limit burn out.
When I first started doing my morning runs, I ran like a mad woman and was in pain before I made it halfway around the track. After running one lap, I would have to walk around twice just to catch my breath and wait for some of the cramps in my side to subside. I slowed my pace to a jog and found that I could go around the track five times before I even thought about stopping.
If you exert all of your energy at the beginning of the race, you will probably tire out quickly, quit, and throw your hands up in exasperated exhaustion. Move along at a steady pace. Work towards your goals daily. Consistency is key.
- Focus on small milestones.
My thirty minutes of exercise in the morning just flies by. I never worry about how many laps I have left, or much more ground I have to cover. I focus on the little white lines on the track. I have a different goal after every few steps. Before I know it, I'm finished.
Many of us back away from a task because it looks too large to tackle. It might seem like a long way, and it might be. But there's no fun in focusing on the end. Enjoy the trip. Don't worry too much about ten years from now. Gratefully and joyfully complete the tasks for the day, knowing that each little step is one closer to your destination.
-Run another lap.
It's interesting. After I've been jogging around for so long, it kind of seems like my feet are moving on their own, and I'm able to sprint at the end...running that last lap as fast as I can. It's called a 'second wind,' and www.dictionary.com describes it as a renewed energy or strength to continue an undertaking.
After you've gotten used to the steady trot, and you're experiencing pure joy in just having the opportunity to take the journey, go ahead and let that energy carry you around one more time. Do something extra for someone. Stay a little later. Add another task to your list.
You can do it! Enjoy your faith walk!
Visit www.itsnotenoughtodream.com to learn more about how we encourage women in business and faith!
This year is going beautifully. We are truly enjoying our walk of faith.
However, journeys, races, any trip from one place to another for any significant length of time, are not without incident. We get sick. We get tired. Stuff lands in our path and we stumble. Sometimes we fall.
When someone wins a race, or arrives at their destination, it doesn't mean that they didn't experience any difficulty. It just means that they rose above it, and conquered it. As you continue on in your entrepreneurial journey, consider implementing these tips to help you to stay on your feet.
- Pace yourself to limit burn out.
When I first started doing my morning runs, I ran like a mad woman and was in pain before I made it halfway around the track. After running one lap, I would have to walk around twice just to catch my breath and wait for some of the cramps in my side to subside. I slowed my pace to a jog and found that I could go around the track five times before I even thought about stopping.
If you exert all of your energy at the beginning of the race, you will probably tire out quickly, quit, and throw your hands up in exasperated exhaustion. Move along at a steady pace. Work towards your goals daily. Consistency is key.
- Focus on small milestones.
My thirty minutes of exercise in the morning just flies by. I never worry about how many laps I have left, or much more ground I have to cover. I focus on the little white lines on the track. I have a different goal after every few steps. Before I know it, I'm finished.
Many of us back away from a task because it looks too large to tackle. It might seem like a long way, and it might be. But there's no fun in focusing on the end. Enjoy the trip. Don't worry too much about ten years from now. Gratefully and joyfully complete the tasks for the day, knowing that each little step is one closer to your destination.
-Run another lap.
It's interesting. After I've been jogging around for so long, it kind of seems like my feet are moving on their own, and I'm able to sprint at the end...running that last lap as fast as I can. It's called a 'second wind,' and www.dictionary.com describes it as a renewed energy or strength to continue an undertaking.
After you've gotten used to the steady trot, and you're experiencing pure joy in just having the opportunity to take the journey, go ahead and let that energy carry you around one more time. Do something extra for someone. Stay a little later. Add another task to your list.
You can do it! Enjoy your faith walk!
Visit www.itsnotenoughtodream.com to learn more about how we encourage women in business and faith!
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