For Business SUCCESS... Listen To The Voices of Experience

Discover the pitfalls of owning your own business BEFORE... [you make a BAD choice!]

It's really BIG dollars rather than dimes... at least that's my experience over many years. Thousands can be GONE quickly if you fail to plan and work your plan toward success. That said, the first step - baby size - should be at the 'feet' of one who has been there... done it!!

Invincible, right? If anyone can do it, I can!! Looking back over many years - 40 plus - it's written all over the decisions made during my early attempts at starting a new business. Yes, I spent most of my career as an entrepreneur, owning or co-owning a business. Sometimes for the 'right' reasons, at other times it turned 'south' and belly-up.

At the time it didn't seem like much... my first venture out of business college. 'Excited' to say the least. 21 years old, eager, energized, 'ready to roll' was more like it. NOTHING could go wrong, but it surely did. Somebody [I won't call any names] sold us a bill of goods. Just beware, everyone is NOT truthful or trustworthy in business.

You need to know... that goes for Internet gurus too. Lots of hype but not much substance is often the case. Unfortunately, distance keeps you at arms-length long after your money is gone. It's different when you have no personal [in the flesh] contact... you're usually thousands of miles apart and most often it's NO answer when you call.

Just be careful or your funds can/will be depleted in a flash. Been there - done that, too.

On the contrary, there is that 1% +/- group of Internet gurus as honest and trustworthy as you'll find anywhere. It's like ALL business dealings with homeowners - business owners - it pays to KNOW the reputation of the person and source in advance of spending your cash.

ONE MORE TIME --

Lots of stuff happened... for 5 great years, I had a wonderful BOSS who was supportive to the utmost. Held an Administrative Executive spot on the management team; super staff personnel; private office; in the days when a good cigar was A-OK [those were the days!] Today, it's beyond belief but times do change, sometimes for a cleaner office environment.

Anyway, the spark ignited again... about 6 months later, it was NOT called the 'spark', but the 'torch' or a "call to disaster" - the beginning of a sad downhill slide without a parachute. This time I had a bride and 2 sons who required food and shelter... an added challenge for sure. We made it, but certainly not on easy street as we had planned earlier.

WHAT'S THE POINT?

NOT having a REALLY good reason to start a business should be warning enough - DON'T do it!! Unfortunately, some of us think owning a business is the only way to hit the BIG time... fast cars, big houses, big income. For us it did turn out OK in the end, but many of our challenges could have been missed simply by being more patient and having a mentor team prior to our stepping off into deep water to sink or swim.

Statistics? About 90% of business 'starts' end in failure. Why? Either it's a lack of financial support; no business knowledge; no skills or talent; and you can add your own list to mine. Doesn't really matter except when it's YOUR money; your time; your family; your future; just another statistic.

My pre-retirement business venture lasted 25 years and I highly recommend the entrepreneurial lifestyle... however, ONLY if you can discover something that you'll enjoy and love doing everyday rather than thinking it's all about making lots of money. The money will come if you're doing what God has intended for you to do.

In closing, you may enjoy reading a letter recently received from Ken McArthur, an internet friend of mine who discovered an exceptional insight about business owners from Mark Joyner, likely the most successful internet guru of the decade.

To give you some idea about Mark and his expertise... other executives pay him $2,000 an hour to consult with them on how to grow their business.

Here's the link to Ken's letter: http://www.learningfolder.com/mark3.htm that I wanted to share with you for your perusal.

Don Monteith writes from experiences learned in the staffing business during his 32 years as a business owner. You'll want to check out his career path website with lots of FREE ideas to discover your dream job or new business venture.

http://www.Career-Coaching-Central.com

---

Applying The Daffodil Theory into Business Practice

At times all of us need a bit of inspiration... Read More

The Entrepreneurial Difference

Who would ever have imagined that going door-to-door in my... Read More

Cross Polination of Innovations in the Cleaning Industry

According to the latest edition of Pool and Spa news;... Read More

Vendor Relations

Communication is the key to vendor relations. In your small... Read More

How To Get More Clients and Customers; Dont Sell Be of Service

Whether you are just starting your business or focusing on... Read More

How to Be an Entrepreneur and Keep Your Sanity

Define for yourself what an Entrepreneur is:What makes you think... Read More

10 Essential Tips for Starting Entrepreneurs - Ignore these at your Peril!

1. Do What You LOVE: If you've chosen your business... Read More

Build Your Own Board Of Experts

The most successful entrepreneurs rely on their advisory boards to... Read More

Hurricane Katrina, Death, and a Different Type of Entrepreneurship

I've seen terrible images today on the television and internet-bodies... Read More

The Desire For Money, Do You Have Business Sense?

For those of us who grew up with parents who... Read More

Entrepreneurship as Your Passion

Entrepreneurship has been my passion for as long as I... Read More

Financial Issues in Business Startup

A primary inhibitor of business start-up is that few people... Read More

Raising Entrepreneurs: What to Do When Your Kid is Born to Think Differently

Adolescence brings with it many challenges ? for both parents... Read More

Your Company Needs A Mission Statement; Make It Count

Does anyone remember that book "Built to Last" done y... Read More

Message to Prospective Franchisees for Franchisors

Many franchise companies fail to send the proper message to... Read More

5 Tips to Step Boldly into the World & Set Yourself Apart from Others

"Real champions believe in themselves even when no one else... Read More

Oil Change Guys History; Part IV

One trait of franchisors and something you will find in... Read More

Starting Your Business: It All Boils Down To Making Money and Saving Money

Bootstrapping in the context of business start-ups refers to the... Read More

Find Out If You WILL Be Successful As a Franchisee?

Will I be successful as a franchisee?One of the soundest... Read More

Traits and Skills of Successful Internet Entrepreneurs

There are certain traits and skills that many successful online... Read More

Franchise Business and Franchise Businesses

Franchise business is being part of a successfully proven business... Read More

Financing Your Business

Anyone who is serious about making some money is already... Read More

Work On, Not In Your Business

Are you busy? Everyone's busy! Ask anyone they'll tell you... Read More

Solo Mojo for Solo Entrepreneurs --- Where?s Your Juice?

I recently read a magazine article about Andrew, a 42-year... Read More

Franchises - Emotional Fulfillment - Control Your Destiny

Does A Franchise Meet Your Needs?When you think of becoming... Read More

Business Planning Overview

The successful entrepreneur is generally more inclined, once a business... Read More

10 Tips for Would-be Entrepreneurs

Every evening as the sun sets beyond the mangroves that... Read More

Its Good to Know Your Banker

Recently my bank opened a new branch that is a... Read More

Used-Book Case Study

Dwight Payne and Gary Heap reside in Santa Barbara, CA,... Read More

What It Takes To be An Entrepreneur Series: Action

Many people have the professed desire to be their own... Read More

Executive Suites - A Way To Save Cash

Cash is one of the most important resources to a... Read More

Making the Financial Transition

Making the financial transition from paid employment to earning a... Read More

Getting Rich Isnt a Bad Idea

You've seen plenty of articles claiming to offer you the... Read More