Tag Archives: inspire

That Voice In Your Head… Does It Inspire You?

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What are the things that you are telling yourself?  How do you motivate yourself and your business to move forward and accomplish more?  What are your responses to the negativity that will invariably come?

Business success is often determined by mindset, opportunity and determination.  It is therefore critical for business owners to stay motivated and positive… Especially in the face of adversity.  Make sure that your internal voice reflects that.

Because of that, here are some great quotes and images that should frame your thinking and motivate your forward.  You are always worth the effort!

Small Opportunities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do Something Today

 

Be Inspiring!

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It is more and more apparent as each day goes by that things are difficult.  Financial markets are struggling.  People are increasingly more challenged and concerned.  The divide between communities, groups, and organizations is becoming increasingly more contentious and marked.  Now, more than ever, people need to find something to inspire them and lift them.  They need a guidepost that will lead them and uplift them.

Small business owners are in a unique position to be that guide and light.  Most small business owners struggle and grapple with similar concerns.  Because of those similarities, it is beneficial for small business owners to show that people can succeed and overcome adversity.  People need to hear your story.  Know your triumphs.  Take hope from your example.  As a business owner, you need to be inspiring.  This will allow you to make a difference and it will improve your business.

Do it today.  Be inspiring!

Navigating International Business: Lessons of a Boy Scout

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Are you keeping your boat on course?

When I was a young boy scout, I remember an experience I had while attending Scout Camp in Minnesota.  It was early in the summer and the camp we attended was right on a large lake.  While there, we had opportunities to engage in many aquatic sports activities including small boat sailing.  We could take out a small two-person sailboat and explore the lake.  I remember going out with a friend to explore in one of these boats after having received limited instruction in how the various parts of the boats operated.  As a young kid, I remember thinking I had the capacity to learn things quickly so a friend of mine and I decided that we knew enough and were ready to go out in the boat.

We quickly figured out that while we knew how the pieces of the boat “worked,” we had not idea how to “use” the wind.  After fighting with the sail for about an hour and having very limited success, we ended up drifting into some reeds, capsizing and floating in the water for another hour.  The water was still quite cold given the time of year that it was and we both ended up needing to be rescued and treated for hypothermia.  It wasn’t the most enjoyable experience because we had not learned how to interact effectively with our environment.

As more and more business owners consider expanding their businesses internationally, it is not sufficient simply to have your “boat” or company and know how it operates.  You must learn how to efficiently use the “wind” in your sales.  In other words, you need to gain a better understanding of the business environment in which you operate.  Learning to do this will help keep you from drifting off course and possibly “capsizing” your business.  Take the time to learn about your opportunities and you will find greater success.

Steady as She Goes…

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Stay the course!

Sometimes things in life do not happen at the time or in the way that we desire them to happen.  We make plans as families or business owners to accomplish certain goals or tasks but they often remain unattained or unfulfilled.  This can be very discouraging in business or family life but need not be so.

One of the most important things for us to remember is the progress that we are seeking to make.  You can view your business as a journey to a certain location.  While we know the path between where we are and where we need to be, we do not always know what will present itself in that journey.  There are many families and business owners that were deeply impacted by the financial crisis that may have had nothing to do with them or that they could not have anticipated.  Just because obstacles arise in our journey from point A to point B, though, it does not mean that we cannot make it to point B.

DO NOT be discouraged by the detours.  Often it is the detour that makes the arrival all the more meaningful.  Despite the challenges that we face, we all have great capacity.  Be consistent and steady and you will be surprised by the things that you can accomplish.