If you are like me, I have always know that I one day, I would work for my own company. Entrepreneurs are born with it in their blood. The thing is, more often then not, students are left out of the loop. You see, as children, entrepreneurs are encouraged to dream - kids can be anything they want. But by the time they hit their teens it becomes painfully apparent that they are either going to give up those dreams and settle into the 9 to 5 grind or wait until they have some post secondary education before they can really get moving with their entrepreneurial ambitions.
I don't know why this happens. I went through it myself. I think that anybody with entrepreneurial drive should be taken seriously. Students are no exception. I was in university when I started my first serious venture. I met with fierce resistance from friends and family alike. Why jeopardize school for a pipe dream? Get your degree first then you can do what ever you want. You need a degree to succeed at anything these days. While I will be the first to admit that there is a value in a degree, I will also be the first to offer that a degree is no longer the meal ticket it once was. I will also hazard that a degree can pigeon hole people into certain fields. This happens because once you get your degree, you work in that field and more often then not you stay there. I say get your degree, get your education, get schooled - but do it for yourself and write your own meal ticket.
Starting a business as a student was the most challenging thing I have ever done. I was forced to learn a wide spectrum of skills from technology to banking. I the learning curve was steep and at time costly. But I always new I was working toward my own ticket. I guess my point is that starting a student business was the single greatest learning event of my life.
There is a misconception that I'd like to touch on. Student business tend to be thought as glorified lemonade stands. It not true. Student business have changed the world. Microsoft was born out of a dorm room as was Google and Dell. They are household names. The point is that if you have the entrepreneurial bug, you act on it. Fight and claw to get your idea off the ground. It is a chance for you to write your own ticket. There is no feeling on earth like seeing someone buy your product, or seeing people come to your website. Be smart. You are an entrepreneur. You inherently think outside the box. When you meet resistance, work around it. Use the doubt of others to drive you forward. There is no better reward then to prove them wrong.
I wish you the best of luck.
Sunday, October 23, 2016
5 Things You Must Do To Fail in Business
No doubt that most entrepreneurs want to succeed in business and I wont argue that failing is on the top of the do list for anyone. Here are five things you must do to fail in business.
1 You must want to become an overnight success. Isn't it great to hear about some new product becoming an instant hit? Realistically, most overnight success stories take a lot more than one night of work. Think of any popular brand and think how long it took to create it. Even though things can happen quickly online, it takes a lot of testing and trying of what works for your business.
2 You must do it all alone. It takes a team effort to make any business successful. Even if you are the only member of your business, be ready to listen to what others have to say, and keep an open mind.
3 You must be convinced there is nothing new to learn. Even if you are an expert in your area, you will find that succeeding means learning. It is impossible to grow your business without a commitment to learning and improving your skills.
4 If you think you have to be the cheapest to be the successful, you might be surprised. Price is not the only factor when it comes to making an online purchase. Actually, pricing a product at the right price is an art form. The right price is more important than the lowest price.
5 Never forgive yourself for failing. Even the greatest business will have its ups-and-downs. You are going to have difficulties, and you are going to be making mistakes. It is OK to make mistakes. It is not OK, however, to keep repeating the same mistakes. The biggest difference between successful businesses and failed businesses is that successful businesses will learn from their mistakes and use it for improving.
Remember to do the above if you must fail in business.
1 You must want to become an overnight success. Isn't it great to hear about some new product becoming an instant hit? Realistically, most overnight success stories take a lot more than one night of work. Think of any popular brand and think how long it took to create it. Even though things can happen quickly online, it takes a lot of testing and trying of what works for your business.
2 You must do it all alone. It takes a team effort to make any business successful. Even if you are the only member of your business, be ready to listen to what others have to say, and keep an open mind.
3 You must be convinced there is nothing new to learn. Even if you are an expert in your area, you will find that succeeding means learning. It is impossible to grow your business without a commitment to learning and improving your skills.
4 If you think you have to be the cheapest to be the successful, you might be surprised. Price is not the only factor when it comes to making an online purchase. Actually, pricing a product at the right price is an art form. The right price is more important than the lowest price.
5 Never forgive yourself for failing. Even the greatest business will have its ups-and-downs. You are going to have difficulties, and you are going to be making mistakes. It is OK to make mistakes. It is not OK, however, to keep repeating the same mistakes. The biggest difference between successful businesses and failed businesses is that successful businesses will learn from their mistakes and use it for improving.
Remember to do the above if you must fail in business.
12 Tips For A Successful File Clean-Out Day
1. Select the day for your "File Clean-Out Day" carefully. Choose a time when office demands are at their lowest.
2. Announce the day well in advance. Make certain that everyone understands they are expected to participate. Designate specific hours for beginning and ending the day.
3. Assign one person as Coordinator. Choose someone who has good rapport with the staff and is good with details.
4. Hire temporary employees to answer the telephones. Instruct staff to notify them if there are specific calls they need to answer. Encourage staff to take only emergency calls.
5. Provide large trash receptacles, trash bags, marking pens and labels. Make arrangements for extra recycling boxes.
6. Notify the building maintenance crew that there will be extra trash on that day. Engage their cooperation to move heavy boxes, trash barrels, etc.
7. Encourage everyone to wear comfortable clothes. Set an example by doing so yourself.
8. Serve a simple quality lunch for everyone. This will encourage communications among staff about what needs to be done.
9. Pass out "What To Do If..." flyers at the beginning of the day. This hand-out should describe the procedure for the day, where to get supplies, and who to contact if there is a problem. Make any existing retention guidelines available to appropriate departments.
10. Encourage the use Post-It® notes on the outside of file cabinets to indicate what further action is required, i.e., "Discuss with...," "Move to...," "Type labels," etc., and follow up to see action is accomplished by agreed upon time.
11. Gather together 30 minutes before the designated ending time. Ask all participants to fill out evaluation forms regarding their experience during the day. Ask questions such as:
A. What questions do you have as a result of cleaning out your files?
B. How much more time do you need to finish this job?
C. How can we improve our next File Clean-Out Day?
12. Discuss the evaluation forms submitted by the participants with the File Clean-Out Day Coordinator, and determine what steps to take next, and when. Communicate the results of this meeting to the staff.
2. Announce the day well in advance. Make certain that everyone understands they are expected to participate. Designate specific hours for beginning and ending the day.
3. Assign one person as Coordinator. Choose someone who has good rapport with the staff and is good with details.
4. Hire temporary employees to answer the telephones. Instruct staff to notify them if there are specific calls they need to answer. Encourage staff to take only emergency calls.
5. Provide large trash receptacles, trash bags, marking pens and labels. Make arrangements for extra recycling boxes.
6. Notify the building maintenance crew that there will be extra trash on that day. Engage their cooperation to move heavy boxes, trash barrels, etc.
7. Encourage everyone to wear comfortable clothes. Set an example by doing so yourself.
8. Serve a simple quality lunch for everyone. This will encourage communications among staff about what needs to be done.
9. Pass out "What To Do If..." flyers at the beginning of the day. This hand-out should describe the procedure for the day, where to get supplies, and who to contact if there is a problem. Make any existing retention guidelines available to appropriate departments.
10. Encourage the use Post-It® notes on the outside of file cabinets to indicate what further action is required, i.e., "Discuss with...," "Move to...," "Type labels," etc., and follow up to see action is accomplished by agreed upon time.
11. Gather together 30 minutes before the designated ending time. Ask all participants to fill out evaluation forms regarding their experience during the day. Ask questions such as:
A. What questions do you have as a result of cleaning out your files?
B. How much more time do you need to finish this job?
C. How can we improve our next File Clean-Out Day?
12. Discuss the evaluation forms submitted by the participants with the File Clean-Out Day Coordinator, and determine what steps to take next, and when. Communicate the results of this meeting to the staff.
Creating a Work Environment That Works
Whether you are working at home, in the office, or in your car -- your ability to produce results with the least amount of stress, is directly affected by your physical environment. A functional desk that is ugly can be as much of a deterrent to productivity as a beautiful desk that is not functional. I have spent over twenty years with people working in their homes, offices and cars. One thing has become vehemently clear. Your desk can be your greatest enemy or your best friend.
Take a good look at your desk. How does it make you feel? Are you comfortable there? Can you do what you need to do there easily? How does it look to other people? Does it reflect the message you want to give to the world about your work and your values?
Analyze the kinds of activities you need or want to do at your desk. If you use a computer, an L-shape desk is usually the best option. Use the short end of the "L" for your computer, and the long end for desk accessories, your telephone, and spreading out papers while you are working.
One of the major detractors to an effective and attractive desk are those pesky scraps of paper, which seem to proliferate in your absence and sometimes in your presence! In my experience, an important component of any desk is space for files. I prefer two file drawers in my desk - one for current projects and another for reference materials I use frequently. If you are an "out of sight, out of mind" person, you may prefer a file holder that sits on top of your desk. You can use Post- it? Flags with colored bars for easy-to-use color-coded labels.
Do you get lots of phone calls? If so, it is important to develop a systematic way to record all those messages. In our office, we leave an open 6" x 9" spiral-bound notebook by the telephone to jot them down. The top of each page is dated, and we put the initials of the person responsible for responding to the call in the left-hand column. When the action is completed, the initials are crossed out. Any pending issues are flagged with a Post-it? Flag - a different color for each person. The flag dispensers are attached to the side of the telephone.
Do you spend lots of time talking on the telephone? If so, what do you need? Is your source of phone numbers - electronic or paper -- easily accessible? Do have a consistent way to take notes while you are talking? To make filing your telephone notes easier, keep Post-it? 4" x 6" pads nearby. Avoid putting notes from several conversations on the same piece of paper.
The greatest desk in the world will be sabotaged without a comfortable adjustable chair and good lighting. An inspirational piece of art in your natural line of vision can be a real stress reducer too!
Most people want to be able to move around in their work area, so a swivel chair on rollers is a big advantage. If there is carpeting, you will need a chair mat so the chair will roll easily.
Most desks I see are too cluttered - paper that could be filed away if you were confident you could find it when you needed it (we'll talk more about that in future columns!), office supplies you never use, and memorabilia that has been there so long you don't even see it!
Essential desktop supplies for most people include an "In Box" for mail you haven't looked at yet (not a place to put postponed decisions!); an "Out Box" for the things that need to go outside your office, and a "To File Box" for the papers that need to be filed outside the reach of your desk. Caution: Eliminate any container not designated for a specific purpose or it will soon become a catchall for unidentified objects!
My definition of "organized" is very simple:
1) Does it work and
2) Do you like it? If you answer "No" to either of those questions when it comes to your desk, decide now what you can do about it!
Take a good look at your desk. How does it make you feel? Are you comfortable there? Can you do what you need to do there easily? How does it look to other people? Does it reflect the message you want to give to the world about your work and your values?
Analyze the kinds of activities you need or want to do at your desk. If you use a computer, an L-shape desk is usually the best option. Use the short end of the "L" for your computer, and the long end for desk accessories, your telephone, and spreading out papers while you are working.
One of the major detractors to an effective and attractive desk are those pesky scraps of paper, which seem to proliferate in your absence and sometimes in your presence! In my experience, an important component of any desk is space for files. I prefer two file drawers in my desk - one for current projects and another for reference materials I use frequently. If you are an "out of sight, out of mind" person, you may prefer a file holder that sits on top of your desk. You can use Post- it? Flags with colored bars for easy-to-use color-coded labels.
Do you get lots of phone calls? If so, it is important to develop a systematic way to record all those messages. In our office, we leave an open 6" x 9" spiral-bound notebook by the telephone to jot them down. The top of each page is dated, and we put the initials of the person responsible for responding to the call in the left-hand column. When the action is completed, the initials are crossed out. Any pending issues are flagged with a Post-it? Flag - a different color for each person. The flag dispensers are attached to the side of the telephone.
Do you spend lots of time talking on the telephone? If so, what do you need? Is your source of phone numbers - electronic or paper -- easily accessible? Do have a consistent way to take notes while you are talking? To make filing your telephone notes easier, keep Post-it? 4" x 6" pads nearby. Avoid putting notes from several conversations on the same piece of paper.
The greatest desk in the world will be sabotaged without a comfortable adjustable chair and good lighting. An inspirational piece of art in your natural line of vision can be a real stress reducer too!
Most people want to be able to move around in their work area, so a swivel chair on rollers is a big advantage. If there is carpeting, you will need a chair mat so the chair will roll easily.
Most desks I see are too cluttered - paper that could be filed away if you were confident you could find it when you needed it (we'll talk more about that in future columns!), office supplies you never use, and memorabilia that has been there so long you don't even see it!
Essential desktop supplies for most people include an "In Box" for mail you haven't looked at yet (not a place to put postponed decisions!); an "Out Box" for the things that need to go outside your office, and a "To File Box" for the papers that need to be filed outside the reach of your desk. Caution: Eliminate any container not designated for a specific purpose or it will soon become a catchall for unidentified objects!
My definition of "organized" is very simple:
1) Does it work and
2) Do you like it? If you answer "No" to either of those questions when it comes to your desk, decide now what you can do about it!
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