I hope that today’s post finds everyone happy and healthy. Today’s title is a misquote of a line from Sally Field’s Oscar acceptance speech for Best Actress in her role in the 1985 movie “Places in the Heart.” Obviously this reference is way too old for the majority of readers to be familiar with, but the phrase touches on …
The One Simple Thing That Can Help You Achieve Your Goals
Hope that this post finds everyone happy and healthy. I wanted to start out today with a quote from an unknown author, which is “Write it down. Written goals have a way of transforming wishes into wants; can’t into cans; dreams into plans; and plans into reality. Don’t just think it – ink it!” I want to underscore the importance …
Cheat (Sheet) Your Way to Success. Simple Steps to Make Your Job Easier
Every entrepreneur knows that the startup phase of a new business can be the most difficult one to survive. A lot of different things must come together simultaneously for your business to prosper. Often, this proves to be too much for the burgeoning new business, and it ends up going under. One of the more difficult things to deal with …
Becoming a Master. Can Other People Help Get You There?
One of the benefits of living in the digital age is relatively easy access to any audience in the world. We can contact almost anyone, any place in the developed world, easily accessing them through our smartphones. This can be beneficial in our business, as it allows up to easily acquire knowledge through the mistakes and successes of other people. …
Conserving Your Most Valuable Resource
I would like to start off today’s post with a quote from Will Rogers, American cowboy, performer and humorist, who said “Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.” In other words, don’t waste your valuable time by dwelling unnecessarily on the past. We have all been guilty of wasting time. When we are young, we believe that we …
Can I Do This for Another Year? How To Keep a New Business Going
I hope that everyone is doing well and having more fun than I am at this moment. I am currently at the computer, working on bookkeeping late at night. While QuickBooks is far from my favorite pastime, it is a necessary evil of life as a small business owner. And while I may rather jab myself in the eye with …
Guaranteed Success
At a recent continuing education class, I was speaking with some other home inspectors, and one of them asked the group what was the one trait that made them successful. Most of the group gave predictable answers, touting their experience or explaining how thankful they were for their rewards. I didn’t provide an answer at that moment, as I couldn’t pick …
The Complete Product (Part 2)
Note: This post is the second of a two-part article. Click here to read part one. A complete product. What do we mean when we say that our business has a complete product? This means that our product is not only profitable enough to sustain (and grow) our business, but it also helps our business and our customers in many ways. …
The Complete Product
In business, our success is tied to our ability to juggle our numerous responsibilities, ensuring that many different things come together at once. The main thing that you must have, the one thing that no business can survive without, is a product that is ready for public consumption. The simple fact that you have a product, however, does not guarantee success. While …
Developing Trust. The Importance of Relationships in Your Business (Part 2).
Note: This post is the second of a two-part article. Click here to read part one. It is impossible to go down to your local bank, open a savings account with $100 and then turn around and attempt to withdraw $500. The teller would look at you like you are crazy! Your business relationships work the same way. As a …