Common-Sense Strategies

for Business Owners

Raj Gavurla

Common-Sense Strategies for Business Owners

Raj Gavurla

Winning at

Entrepreneurship

What Reviewers Are Saying about

Winning at Entrepreneurship …

Raj Gavurla has written a book about “winning at entrepreneurship”. Read this book with a good marking pen because it contains a ton of valuable advice for all business owners.”

—Pat Williams, Sr. Vice President, Orlando Magic

Raj provides you with what you need to know, and what you need to do, to make it on your own. Keep this gem within arm’s reach, refer to it often, and it will become your blueprint for success!

—Mark LeBlanc, Small Business Success,

Author of Growing Your Business!

Raj Gavurla generates excitement and upbeat motivation that’s infectious. Anyone with the germ of an idea should read this book to develop the entrepreneurial ingredients that will make a difference. Here’s an unusual motivator who discusses “listening to your inner voice” and the development of the “spirit” that makes you win. Bravo, Raj!

—Jim Pinto, automation industry expert,

technology futurist, angel investor

Common sense is a paramount factor in the successful endurance of entrepreneurial endeavors. Raj clearly highlights this most important and often overlooked factor in business success.

—Naomi Rhode, CSP, CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame,
past president National Speakers Association and
International Federation for Professional Speakers,

Cofounder, SmartHealth, Inc.

We all have in us something special to share with the world. Raj has given us a step-by-step blueprint to turn those dreams into reality. Get going and make it happen!

—Bob Rathbun

Voice of the Atlanta Hawks

National Basketball Association

Just finished reading three chapters of Raj Gavurla’s book, Winning at Entrepreneurship, and I found it riveting. From the first words, Raj weaves a relationship between the inner spirituality of the business owner and the day-to-day business acumen that leads to success. His insights and real-world advice are practical and doable for everyone. I highly recommend this to anyone who is considering stepping out into the entrepreneurial arena.

—Jim Ziegler, CSP, HSG, entrepreneur,
magazine columnist, author and professional speaker

Winning at Entrepreneurship is a good book for those starting a business or thinking about taking the plunge. It’s truly a “gut check” for what it takes to thrive in a competitive marketplace and become your Best Self. Its simplicity is its magic.

—Edward S. Brown III, CEO,

Core Edge Image & Charisma Institute, Inc.

Winning at Entrepreneurship:

Common-Sense Strategies for Business Owners

Raj Gavurla

Copyright © 2009 Raj Gavurla Smashwords Edition

ISBN: 0-9771912-8-1

All rights reserved. Written permission must be secured from the copyright holder to use or reproduce any part of this book, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles.

Editing, layout and cover design by Your Writing Partner,

www.YourWritingPartner.net.

United States of America.

Winning at Entrepreneurship

Autographed copies in paperback and audio book are available at www.rajgavurla.com

Digital download is available at

www.learnoutloud.com

Also available in paperback at www.amazon.com

Thanks to:

Mel Campbell, Angela Smith, David Danda and Diana Smith for always being there for me.

NSA Georgia and NSA National for doing what they do.

My family. Through the power of the spoken word and writing, you made this book a reality.

I know there are countless others who have done kind and generous acts for me, but I am unaware of their identity. Whoever you are, I am forever grateful for your understanding, help, assistance and support. You are my heroines and heroes!

Note from Raj

I use several phrases frequently in this book, just as I use them in my seminars and speeches. They are trademarked to my company, LiiiVEN, Inc. And, although I haven’t put a trademark notation next to them each time, please know that Client Modular Approach™ and New Best Level™ are, in fact, phrases owned by my company and should not be used without the corresponding trademark (™) and a reference to LiiiVEN, Inc. Thanks.

Table of Contents

Introduction:

It Takes Spirit-Enhancing Action to Generate Spirit-Enhancing Results

Congratulations on owning a business or wanting to become a business owner. It’s an exciting and meaningful journey—one that guarantees results and positive change when a concerted effort is made and communicated in a positive light! How beneficial will the results and positive change be? It’s up to you.

Most one-owner businesses don’t succeed. I would like to see yours grow and be profitable. To do that, your mind, heart, body and spirit must be engaged in a never-ending, common-sense business- and life-conditioning process.

Your mind, heart, body and spirit disclose themselves to you through your inner voice, so you must do what it takes to trust, listen to, and understand that voice. It keeps you aware of the joys of life, allows you to have relationships, steers you out of harm’s way, provides logical explanations, and tells you right from wrong.

Everyone is at a starting point in life and business; each of us has things that must be done that others don’t have to do. It’s precisely the continual addition and removal of these items that fulfill your good dreams and goals. Your inner voice is programmed to help you; it has all the answers. You are reading this book because your inner voice told you to research business ownership and this book contains a solution that ensures your business success and growth. I would like to see all businesses be successful. A lot more good would be done by a lot more people. That is probably an unrealistic goal, of course. However, I do think that if you do what it takes to act on the advice of your inner voice, you will be successful.

Businesses, and their owners, also need to realize that it takes spirit-enhancing action (action conceived and contributed by good, logical emotion) to generate spirit-enhancing results (results that give you momentum to generate good growth). Normal actions, even those that produce results, don’t rev up as much momentum as those guided by spirit. For example, going to a car wash to get your car washed because it’s dirty (result: clean car) is not the same as going because you want to show off your car to a friend (result: pride).

Fill in the following blanks to help you understand your current spirit-enhancing actions and results. What are you doing and what are those actions creating to help you grow in your business and your life?

Spirit-Enhancing Spirit-Enhancing

Action Results

At work: ____________________ ____________________

To solidify/

strengthen

business

relation-

ships: ____________________ ____________________

With family

and friends: ____________________ ____________________

To rejuvenate: ____________________ ____________________

To celebrate: ____________________ ____________________

To grow

spiritually: ____________________ ____________________

For your

home: ____________________ ____________________

Can you do more through owning a business to achieve more results?

Cavett Roberts, founder of National Speakers Association, said, “Create a bigger pie for everyone to enjoy.” There’s plenty of room for you in the world of entrepreneurship.

As you read, keep this theme in mind: Trust and listen to understand your inner voice, and do what it takes. You can jot down what your inner voice is telling you as you read. Then, at the end of this book, reevaluate. Alternatively, you can read the book in its entirety and then write down what your inner voice is telling you.

Good reading and good business!

Strategy 1:

Find Your Entrepreneurial Spirit

Know your callings

Your callings are a driving force to achieve your desired future. Only you can identify your callings, your dreams and your goals. Most experts agree that it’s important to have more than one calling to lead a balanced life. One calling feeds into another, gives much-needed rejuvenation, and creates endorphins for freshness. Your spirit (the fundamental emotional and activating principle that determines your character) may designate your calling. Spirit also gets you to the finish line for success, and lack of it can bring failure.

Despite your best callings, however, you may not succeed if you don’t have the following:

• An entrepreneurial spirit (the drive to turn an idea into reality or give momentum to an existing idea)

• A positive winning attitude (an attitude that helps you and others win)

• A clear picture of what you want to do

• A willingness to seek coaching

• Money

• A college degree

• Strong relationships

• Marketing savvy

• Sales skills

• Networking basics

• Knowledge about growing a business

• A healthy lifestyle

• Mental toughness

These needs are infinite, but the list is unique to you. The solutions, however, can come from you or from someone else.

Here are my basic suggestions:

• An entrepreneurial spirit: Do your research to identify how you can increase your chances of being hired, trust and listen to your inner voice, and compete to win!

• A positive winning attitude: Let this attitude be part of who you are internally, keep it at the forefront of your mind, be more conscious of it. Use affirmations to achieve it (see Page 66), positive thoughts to keep it. Replace negative phrases such as I can’t, I don’t, I hate, with affirmative phrases such as I can, I do, I like, and see what a difference it makes. Define your problems and positively solve them in your mind—being prepared for success is very important. Very few problems are solution-proof. The more problems or hurdles you define, the more opportunities you have to solve them positively. With each solution, the more successful, positive and confident you become.

• A clear picture of what you want to do: Create a mission statement and design a business plan.

• A willingness to seek coaching: Try it just once.

• Money: Work a part-time or full-time job or find someone to invest in your business.

• A college degree: Keep assessing your skills and needs, and keep up your lifelong learning by selecting good courses and seminars to attend, good books to read, good speeches to hear. Realize that you might need to go back to school.

• Relationships: Identify and talk with the people you want as friends or associates.

• Marketing savvy: Attend programs or seminars on marketing skills or seek/hire marketing help.

• Sales skills: Attend seminars or read books on sales and then practice.

• Networking basics: Attend events and consciously meet new people.

• Knowledge about growing a business: Identify growth metrics, seek advice or coaching.

• A healthy lifestyle: See a physician, eat well, work with a trainer, and do what it takes to be healthier.

• Mental toughness: Turn everything said and done to you into a positive, read e-zines and books by mental toughness experts and sports psychologists and listen to their audiotapes.

Live life and know how many options exist for you. All that’s required is for you to broaden your perspective. You have callings; identify and pursue them. Put a positive spin on your challenges. You will not regret your decision to do so. You will grow and create more options. You may have to regroup and redirect your energy, or even take a step back. But the goal is to live life by fulfilling your callings.

Are you willing to do what it takes to be a successful business owner? Make the decision to do so now. Go for it; give yourself permission to do so. You deserve to. Positive change happens to fulfill your wants, needs and expectations. The more results and positive change you produce, the more your story blossoms. This gives you more opportunities to grow your business and life. Keep the spirit!

I recommend Business as a Calling by Michael Novak to condition your mind, heart, body and spirit to learn more about the requirements of entrepreneurship and the benefits business ownership brings to society. It’s an interesting read!

Over the years, the US economy has shown a remarkable ability to absorb shocks of all kinds, to recover, and to continue to grow. Flexible and efficient markets for labor and capital, an entrepreneurial tradition, and a general willingness to tolerate and even embrace technological and economic change all contribute to this resiliency.
—Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve Chairman

Strategy 2:

Use Your Common Sense

Develop your common sense

There is one question I ask myself anytime I take a business action or make a business decision: Does it make common sense? If I can answer this with common-sense justification, I know it will work. Otherwise, I need more clarity before I pursue it. If it doesn’t make sense, I don’t do it.

Common sense says to destroy self-defeatism and not to count yourself out through self-defeating thinking. Do your best to make the cut. Make a case that shows your strengths and the results you can produce. Being capable of taking action and producing results for prospects and clients is what determines your success, not the number of years you’ve been in business, how large your company is, or the way you look. I’m not saying these are unimportant. What I’m saying is to synergize all aspects of your business strategy with spirit-enhancing action to generate spirit-enhancing results. This is what attracts customers, repeat business, referrals and the attention of the marketplace. If you can generate a spirit-enhancing result, and others are not able to, customers or clients are going to hire you instead of them.

If I saw someone jump to the moon with two feet, I wouldn’t wonder how many years of experience he or she has. Instead, I would be focused on the content of their action and results. I would think, “This spirit-enhancing result can do a lot of good. Something that hasn’t been done before is now common consciousness. Spectacular!”

As humans, we tend to recognize and congratulate indiv-iduals. We learn from them and buy from them. Then we use this knowledge or skill to benefit our business and life.

Spirit-enhancing results (your business ownership and all its benefits, and what you’re able to create for your clients) are created by taking spirit-enhancing action (making a decision for the good and following through).

Will you buy into the above principle and replay it in your mind? Decide right now to generate results. This decision alone is worth more than the investment in this book. How about raising the bar?

Spirit-enhancing results produce a natural, good emotion (spirit) from customers, the marketplace and the community, and stimulate their good logic (decision) to take advantage of your service/product.

I was introduced to this common-sense principle when I told a relative who owns a successful IT/staffing company, “I’m starting a business.” Her immediate reply was, “We want results!” I replay this conversation in my mind frequently. Results are the essence of business. Produce them and your business succeeds. Produce spirit-enhancing results and your business has extreme success.

Example: Bill Gates and Paul Allen developed an operating system for one of IBM’s computers while working from Bill’s basement. The result, Microsoft, is now one of the largest companies in the world, and Bill Gates is the richest person in the world. The company has thousands of employees and customers in many countries. Like Gates and Allen, the level of your success is dependent on your ability to be creative and create spirit-enhancing results.

Example: At one time, to travel from South Carolina to Georgia, a person had to ride horseback for days. Bicycles, motorcycles, ships, railroads, cars, airplanes, rockets and space shuttles have all been developed since then—creative spirit-enhancing actions that caused spirit-enhancing results. Can you imagine being the first to ride on each type of trans-portation? Spirit-enhancing action has also brought positive change, like more safety, more reliability, more speed, more comfort and more music.

Because of spirit-enhancing actions, we can now be served lunch on a plane while watching a movie, be entertained and lodged on cruise liners, drive cars with automatic trans-missions, buy groceries and gas at the same time, hire a tow truck to pick up our car and repair our tire, and call a service to get keys from our locked SUV. All these services and products were produced by creative vision.

How are you continually creating spirit-enhancing results? As you do, people will want to buy those results. With an intelligent mind, a heart of gratitude, a healthy body, common sense, creativity and a positive winning attitude, you can easily produce spirit-enhancing results. Then, because of your results, money comes to you.

Be in control of your time and money at all times

Results determine your success and the money you make. Sometimes, of course, the money doesn’t come right away, but it comes quickly when you have something the marketplace wants.

For spirit-enhancing results to be produced, four elements (work, time, money, probability) should be in synergy. Here’s a formula to help you determine if a project or endeavor is worth pursuing:

(work + time + money) x probability =

spirit-enhancing results

work = 1 (worth doing) or 0 (no value to the company)

time = 1 (can be done in a timely manner) or 0 (time-prohibitive)

money = 1 (not cost prohibitive) or 0 (cost prohibitive)

probability = 1 (a deal is in place), .5 (may or may not happen), 0 (will not happen)

If spirit-enhancing result = 3, pursue.

If spirit-enhancing result = 1.5, consider pursuit.

If spirit-enhancing result = any other value, do not pursue.

But remember: Money is a just byproduct of your work. It’s what you do that makes a significant difference.

Monitor your safety, health and happiness

High levels of safety, health and happiness put us in the right frame of mind to achieve our goals. If you reflect on your journey of entrepreneurship, I think you’ll agree that your accomplishments are greater when these three factors are high. Low levels jeopardize your ability to run a business, and could jeopardize your existence in this world. We aren’t in balance at all times, of course, but we need to be constantly leading toward it. That’s why my focus is on the mind, heart, body and spirit. Overload one and you start losing your edge.

The time has come to rate safety and health not only at plant sites or in hazardous environments. We must rate it in the workplace, and those who adjust the way they protect their employees should be rewarded.

For good reason, practically every endeavor in life is rated. I’ve seen ratings on who or what is number one in business, industry, sports, technology, restaurants, universities, neighborhoods, travel destinations, physical appearance, etc. We have a movie of the year, a book of the decade, a person of the century, an athlete of the millennium, and so on and so on. In fact, there are multiple ratings for the same number-one spot because of varying value systems. Of course, each of us has our independent rating and we always look to see if it’s in agreement with the masses, the experts, or the product’s promotional efforts.

But here’s a rating I haven’t seen: the safety and health rating of your business and family. How do they rate in respect to others for safety and health? With high levels, all good endeavors are possible.

I know several employees who have taken drastic measures, such as resigning, to alleviate a personal or family problem because they weren’t confident that their employer would help resolve the problem.

Case One: A family member became ill and the employer and employee did not discuss work solutions during this difficult period. Possible solutions could have been talking through the situation, working from a home office, working part-time, taking extended time off, or taking a leave of absence.

Case Two: An employee became ill because for years he received special recognition but was not promoted. There was no process in place to steer his career and ensure success. Possible solutions could have been to talk with the employee about strategy and how he could assist and support the company’s goals.

The boss is the leader and he or she must coach employees for promotion. Coaching employees gives them incentive. When coaching, be positive and help the person grow to achieve the spirit-enhancing results you want. This is no time for ultimatums. You’re giving them a rudder that helps them help you run your department, division or organization. Then your employee becomes a stronger part of your team and learns from you how to be promoted. To help employees understand your criteria for promotion, include a plan, show how the money flows, and define the hurdles to overcome.

Case Three: A newlywed’s husband went out West for a one-year job assignment and she wanted to go with him. The employee was able to talk with her employer and they agreed that she could work from home for a year while living with her husband. The employer provided all the essentials for her to do her job remotely.

In two of the cases, a health problem (physical or mental) precluded an employer and employee from considering options because of a perceived ideal employer-employee relationship, or the lack of one. In Case Three, the employee is still working for the employer years later. If the first two companies had had a safety and health rating, they could have created an opportunity to develop employee loyalty and show that the employer cared.

Successful business owners know that they have the responsibility to also help their employees with safety, health and happiness. You don’t turn away your child if he or she becomes ill or unhappy. You assist them during this difficult time.

Answer these questions to determine the level of your safety and health. Use a 0-10 (best) or 0-100% (best) rating for each:

• Are you getting along with others to develop/grow relationships and do more good?

• Are you and your employees having fun?

• Do you know the medical health of each individual in your business?

• Are you promoting employees?

• Are you generating genuine enthusiasm for each employee?

• Do employees and customers show enthusiasm?

• Do employees know the health of each other at work so they can give support?

• Are you positioning (encouraging, training/educ-ating) colleagues, employees and customers for more success?

If your score doesn’t equal 10 or 100%, there is need for improvement. Try something new to stimulate employees to perform at a New Best Level and keep going to another New Best Level and then another.

In business, happiness comes when you work with an employee on an individual level to help him or her excel beyond what they think is possible, or your willingness to help them pursue a new interest even if it means they will leave your company. Even if they resign, they could be of benefit to your company in their future endeavors. It’s a small world.

I had a boss a few years ago who believed, and expressed, this kind of positive winning attitude. (More executives and managers should have it, don’t you think?) I recall leaving our meeting with the thought that I would do anything for this man. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone had this approach to business and life?

Maintain a positive winning attitude

Being lost in self-defeatism is no way to run your business and life. Not recognizing your worth is an integrity issue that needs to be resolved. Adding clarity to a situation, defending your position through reasoning with good emotion and good logic, and putting your best offer on the table are important. Business customers go with the best solution at the best price, and I’m sure you have a good shot. Going in with a self-defeatist attitude will not endear you to customers, because what they want is a positive winning attitude—one that says, “I’m prepared and willing to put my solution up against anyone else’s.” You, the person, make your offer unique.

Every day you wake up with either a positive winning attitude or a negative losing attitude. The choice and decision is yours. A positive winning attitude communicates that life is fun and you’re a success. A negative losing attitude communicates the opposite. A positive winning attitude costs nothing, and it has many mental, physical and financial benefits.

Show your uniqueness to clients and prospects through your attitude, services, products and options. Put the benefits of your offer into the mind of the prospect and differentiate yourself from the competition. Don’t defeat yourself with negative thoughts. Conditioning your mind, heart, body and spirit to win is essential! You are not going for second place!

Develop mental toughness

Mental toughness is essential in entrepreneurship. You will not ever grow unless you compete. Be tough; don’t ever quit! Even if you lose badly, you will grow from the process. Keep working to go to a New Best Level. One day you might win by a large margin.

Example: While my friend and I were watching warm-ups before playing pick-up basketball, he commented, “They’re toying with us.” I looked at him in disbelief. He was a skilled basketball player, but he had somehow lost his spirit and refused to compete. He left even before the teams were selected. He had no chance to win.

I know your mind is made up, so you must refuse to quit! Business ownership became a reality the day you started your business. No way and no need for you to go back where you were. You created a new way—one that enhances you. Yours is a business, just like all the others. Don’t be self-defeating—keep positioning yourself for greater success!

Express good emotion and good logic together

Many people express good emotion or good logic. To have a more advantageous result, express them together, with good emotion preceding good logic. One without the other has a diluted meaning and can be self-defeating.

Have you ever heard someone say, “My brain isn’t made for that stuff”? That’s a self-defeating emotion. If you’ve ever said it, ask yourself why that particular task, or “stuff,” seems difficult to comprehend.

Each of us has weaknesses, but usually only because of the lack of skill identification, learning and practice to develop the necessary strength. Once the weakness is appropriately addressed to resonate with you, it becomes a new strength. Be open to it.

Example: I am a right-handed basketball player. I’m no professional, but I love playing the game. I once had surgery to remove a bone spur on my right elbow and my arm was in a sling afterward. My initial thought was, “How am I going to shoot baskets before dinner?” I decided I must put emotion and logic together. I identified the skills required to shoot the basketball with my left hand, learned the skills, practiced and implemented. After a much shorter time than anticipated, my left hand became more coordinated and I was hitting the basket well left-handed.

This principle can be applied to any area of your professional or personal life. Something I may find simple, you might find difficult and vice versa. But your mindset (your mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations) and your practice make all the difference!

Have a business and life purpose

Owning a business is similar to your previous occupations in that you have a job to do. The significant difference is that you have 100% of the responsibility and are a generalist. And, like in your previous jobs, not everything will be perfect. You just have to trust and listen to your inner voice, and then do what it takes.

If you research the entrepreneur option and decide to pursue, make sure you know why. Then go at it with genuine enthusiasm, set goals, and be at full speed. If you do, people will be genuinely attracted to you. The legendary Oscar Robertson (business owner and in the Basketball Hall of Fame) succinctly wrote, “The biggest obstacle to your success is you.” David Danda, a professional speaker and lawyer says, “[To run a business,] things need to be efficient and you need to be effective with people.”

Example: My first professional job was in 1991, working for a Department of Defense contractor. Since then, my career has taken me to other government agencies and to corporations. Although I didn’t own the organizations I worked for, my association served as a good way to learn about business ownership. At the time, I was working to make a living and business ownership seemed very distant. However, since I was working in a business, I knew it was important to learn more about business.

One day I went into the airport bookstore and noticed a book entitled The Book of Business Wisdom, edited by Peter Krass. After reading this book, business and life became a larger part of my subconscious and my purpose.

More than five years later, when business ownership became my goal, Krass’ book enabled my mind, heart, body and spirit to analyze my experience, my expertise and the extreme success of others. Yes, I emphasize growing your mind, heart, body and spirit because they need to be conditioned for business and life success.

Define your business mission statement

Your business mission drives the future toward you. What does your product/service have that will attract people and benefit the marketplace? Your ability to express this vision to others is paramount to your success. People are keen on learning about, and trying, something special or spectacular.

Your motive for selling your product/service, of course, must be genuine, and you must have good emotion and good logic combined in your business mission. When working, be immersed in the moment and keep your mission in mind to compete for spirit-enhancing results. Your business mission is for you to decide. Each of us is in a unique situation and has unique experiences, goals and values. The marketplace and industry become aware of this uniqueness as their interest in your company peaks.

Founding principles don’t need to be a part of your company name, but if they are the reason you went into business ownership, it might be a good idea.

Example: The founding principles of LiiiVEN, Inc., are inherent in its name: The three I’s stand for Integrity, Involvement and Imagination. Raj adheres to these principles in all his dealings with clients.

A mission statement can be only a sentence long, but it has specific, measurable outcomes. It’s truly the best way to start your journey to success.

Jim Rohn said, “You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight.” Creating a mission statement will help you change your direction.

A business mission statement answers a simple question: Why are you in business? For instance, Walt Disney’s mission was “to make people happy.”

To craft your business mission, use this formula: [your name or company] [action(s)] to [why are you in business]. Make sure the statement is:

• Clear: No complex words; no awkward wording.

• Concise: The fewer words, the better—fewer than 25 if possible.

• Catchy: Snappy sounding without using slang or colloquialisms.

• Memorable: Easy to recall and explain.

Examples:

• “Raj Gavurla commits and dedicates himself to grow families, businesses, communities and schools to ensure a brighter future for all.”

• “The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization, led by volunteers, that provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. It does this through services that are consistent with its Congressional Charter and the principles of the International Red Cross Movement.”

• 3M: “To solve unsolved problems innovatively.”

• Mary Kay Inc.: “To provide an open-ended opportunity for women.”

• “The mission of Merck is to provide society with superior products and services by developing innovations and solutions that improve the quality of life and satisfy customer needs, and to provide employees with meaningful work and advancement opportunities, and investors with a superior rate of return.”

• Wal-Mart: “We are a global retailer committed to growing our company by improving the standard of living for our customers and serving communities around the world. We earn the trust of our customers every day by providing a broad assortment of quality merchandise and services at everyday low prices while fostering a culture that rewards and embraces mutual respect, integrity and diversity.”

A mission statement gives you a higher purpose for your business ownership endeavors. It sets the course. As long as you’re taking action on your business mission statement, you’re in business.

It’s important to have a community mission statement as well—one that defines how you will help people who can’t help themselves or who need a caring boost. My community mission statement is consistent with my business mission statement: “I work to eradicate mental illness.”

Because of my experience with mental illness (I am a bipolar survivor gift), I know that more can be done to show people in pain that we want them to live a fulfilling and happy life. I am active with many organizations that address this moral and socioeconomic issue, from government to nonprofits to businesses.

Every day you are in business, you must embrace your company mission, positioning statement, community mission and driving principles to motivate you to create synergy between you and your business.

Good deeds, good work and good feelings don’t just come and seek you out. Make highways with exits for them to reach you.

Highways: Think, plan, think, do.

Exits: Follow through for feedback, imagination and results.

Now, make it a loop. It works wonderfully!

Expect encouragement and negative feedback, and respond appropriately

To create spirit-enhancing results, you must be prepared to respond to the encouragement and feedback (even the negative feedback) of others. Have a heart of gratitude and learn from interaction. Doing so allows you to grow your business and life by knowing what is important to people.

Look at professional athletics to see the results and positive change that encouragement brings. More championships are won with home-court or home-field advantage. When the players compete well, the crowd cheers. If a player and/or the team are not doing well, the crowd encourages them, or questions their actions appropriately, to identify a results-driven solution. This motivates the players and team to perform at a New Best Level.

If you need encouragement, go where you will be around others who are like you and perhaps others who have greater success in your field. Attend expertise-specific associations or those that have a motivational speaker and networking.

If you’re hearing negative comments about you or your business, turn them into positives with positive answers—aloud or internally.

Example: My family and I have always provided mutual support to each other in our lives, so I was surprised with the negative comments when I set my goal of business ownership:

Negative response: “Entrepreneurship is not for you. It’s for people with lots of experience.”

My response: “My success depends on the results I can create for clients and prospects.”

Negative response: “You don’t have any clients.”

My response: “I’d appreciate your letting others know what I’m doing and identifying clients for me.”

Negative response: “You don’t have any money.”

My response: “Money isn’t a problem. More important than the money is the sweat equity (work), results and positive change produced. Money is a byproduct of my work. ”

Negative response: “What do you know about running a business?”

My response: “I’ve worked in businesses, I have self-trained, I attend events and seminars, and I’ve researched owning and running a business.”

Negative response: “You’re putting the cart before the horse.”

My response: “The horse has to see what’s in the cart before having the incentive to pull it.”

Some of these negative comments came from my father, because no one else was contributing to my goal. I told him, “They will pay me.” You see, his timetable was instant and mine was a journey. Of course, the sooner I earned revenue and profitability, the better.

The above example contains real comments to which I had to respond with a positive attitude. It’s your ability to turn a negative into a positive that keeps your business spirit thriving. My family’s comments conditioned me for anything I could encounter in the marketplace. As I produced more results and positive change, they became encouraging voices I replay often in my mind.

Because my entrepreneurship was not my family’s good dream or their good goal, I shouldn’t have expected them to be supporters. They focused on the negatives, instead of the positives, that just trying to start a business would bring. As long as you learn to put a positive spin on your experiences, you will be more marketable, no matter what happens.

I was mostly surprised at my dad’s negative comments, however. He once had a dream, and he acted on it by leaving his family in India to study and work in the US. I’m not sure I would have gone to a foreign country where I had no family. I imagine his situation, good dreams and good goals motivated his spirit-enhancing action to generate spirit-enhancing results. I think his desire to grow and prosper was riskier to accomplish than my desire to become a business owner.

My family did help with my basic needs, however, and I was able to live with them and eat at their table. Often, when I was leaving for work or for an evening meeting, Mom would ask if I had money in my wallet. If I said No, she would give me some.

Remember that the above comments were from non-business owners. All business owners have one thing in common: they started a business. So you probably won’t hear those types of comments from entrepreneurs. If you ask other business owners for advice, most will say, “You can.” If some say, “You can’t,” turn it into self-empowerment.

Know that your own expectations must be greater than the expectations others have of you. The marketplace is looking at what you bring to the table. Is it a solution others can benefit from? Does it make their work easier? Is there a significant difference between your offer and others? How do you differentiate yourself? Is your service or product the first of its kind and do you aggressively market this originality? These questions and others will come to mind as you proceed and, if the answer is No, you must create an affirmative solution.

Your ability to work on your skills, your positive attitude, your creativity, your mental toughness and your common sense allows you to be at your best in the marketplace. At the beginning of your venture, you will be the one who talks with prospects and gets people interested in your products/services. You will be the one working 8-16 hour days, even on weekends. And, because there’s a lot to do, you’ll be busy. You’re creating an entity—your company—from nothing. Entrepreneurship has been called the biggest challenge in America. Using your common sense and standing on your own are learned skills, and with time, they will help you realize the interdependence and importance of leadership in your business.

An entrepreneur assumes the risk and is dedicated and committed
to the success of whatever he or she undertakes.

—Victor Kiam, president of Sperry Corporation, 1926-2001

Strategy 3:

Know that Positive Change Is Good

Recognize positive change as a catalyst for New Best Level results

Positive change transitions a company’s employees and customers like nothing else. It makes people adaptable. Can you name one company that hasn’t experienced positive change within the past ten years? No, because it would be out of business.

In business ownership, the best positive change is effected by getting customers. Having clients speaks volumes to the marketplace about the benefits of your service/product, and will give you insights into increasing the amount of business customers give you. Let the customer guide you. Customers know more about what is happening in their business or home lives than you do, and your ability to produce results for one will encourage others to consider your company’s services/ products. Build your relationships with customers so they see you as a trusted supplier who has their best interests in mind.

You will be more beneficial and attractive to others by following these four principles:

1. Do what you say.

2. Know what you said.

3. Control your thoughts.

4. Know what you did.

Doing what you say increases your ability to produce positive change. By understanding the power of the spoken word, and knowing you can take action to make it happen, you are being more true to yourself and giving others clarity so they can make the decision to work with you.

Knowing what you said boosts your self-esteem. By correcting others when they misrepresent you, you make an honorable stand. Doing what you say and knowing what you said keep the lines of communication clear.

Being able to control your thoughts will get rid of unnecessary noise in all aspects of your leadership and communication. This technique will bring you satisfaction because you’ll be more easily able to produce spirit-enhancing results for your clients and prospects.

Psychologists say that we have 50,000 thoughts a day, many of them random. It’s not easy to do, but try to limit these random thoughts that occupy your mind. If your brain is not glutted with thoughts that apply obstacles or detours, it will stay fresh and can make a significant difference in your clarity of purpose. Your thoughts will build on each other to produce results. You will also rest better, your stamina will increase, and you will be more fulfilled.

Keeping the brain traffic clear and going in a positive direction is one of the principles of meditation. Business owners, especially at the outset, try to do too much in a day. Please don’t take on this unnecessary stress and burden. Planning helps!

As a bonus to yourself, know what you did. In other words, keep timelines and moments in mind to benefit from the power of your mind. The benefits are that your mind becomes more alert and you’re constantly aware of timing, which gives you insight into timing control for spirit-enhancing results—what was done and what might be possible in the future.

Champion an idea

Taking an idea and turning it into a catalyst for positive change can catapult your business. The idea, however, must elicit excitement and people must be willing to invest in it. An idea doesn’t need to be an invention. It can be something done elsewhere that you’ve tailored for a new purpose. It’s a new idea if no one else saw it in this light!

If you have an idea that no one is willing to invest in, it may not be a good idea after all. If you still think it’s worthy, however, be patient and start championing it. Often as you promote an idea, people start to give support and recognize its benefits. If your idea requires a large investment, it can take time to come to fruition. How the money flows and where the investment will come from are solutions that need to be addressed. Timing is also a critical factor. But remember: One good idea can create a colossal effect. Ask Thomas Edison.

Create revenue streams

Revenue is a requirement to stay in business. Your ability to make more money than you invest determines the profitability of your company. Let’s get something straight about business ownership: Produce results that interest clients and you will be paid. How much is dependent on the results.

I am a proponent of changing a current revenue stream to target a wider breadth of clients. Having multiple revenue streams gives you more options. Identify creative ways to package your expertise. Trust and listen to understand your inner voice—do what it takes. What’s new and spectacular? What’s been around but is new to your business? What’s been around and is still spectacular? Can you make a positive change happen? Can you find an adaptability link (see Page 64)?

Technology is making revenue streams and the ability to procure business easier. People want the best solution at the best price and they can find that combination on the Internet 24/7. If your revenue stream is adequate at the local level, great! If not, go global through cyberspace.

The Internet is continually changing industries such as entertainment, travel, communications, news, sports, engineering, arts, law, medicine and others. People have access to information and can communicate easier to produce spirit-enhancing results. It’s important to keep in mind that the Internet became an information and communication highway because of the power of the mind, heart, body and spirit of human beings. The services or products on the Internet didn’t just appear. People created them through positive change!

Moreover, much more positive change will come with the elimination of poverty, fuel cell applications, nanotechnology and interactive media.

Simply put, positive change happens with innovation and imagination. Be part of the movement!

Change always comes bearing gifts.

—Price Pritchett, author, CEO and consultant

Strategy 4:

Use Teamwork as Your Foundation

Strengthen your team

Some companies and athletic teams use the words teamwork or team to describe how their organization works. The organizations that don’t talk about teamwork are the ones that experience stagnation because they have no team.

My research indicates, however, that while many companies and athletic organizations taut teamwork, many don’t cultivate the methodology, processes and skills to benefit from it. Teamwork is a tangible. It requires conscious intelligent effort to blossom.

Andrew Carnegie, an extremely successful entrepreneur and former leader of US Steel, said, “Take away all our trade, our avenues of transportation, our money. Leave us with nothing but our organization [team], and in four years, we shall have reestablished ourselves.” Benjamin Fairless, another great US Steel leader, said that, without organization, US Steel would amount to little and, without teamwork, “we would have no organization.”

Championships are won by teamwork. The NBA’s dynasty teams are the Boston Celtics (16 championships), Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (14 championships) and Chicago Bulls (6 championships). I guarantee that those championship rings were won by teamwork. It also brought beautiful execution of plays, fast movement, spectacular runs and New Best Levels.

As I research the best companies and athletic teams, the pillars of teamwork readily appear as:

• Responsibility

• Skills

• Accountability

Responsibility has two parts: (1) Treat each teammate well to create more respect. It takes special people to achieve special results. Be a special person at all times, and you will easily gain results, admiration and loyalty from your teammates. (2) Have self-discipline. It keeps you on the upward trend to a New Best Level, and the team follows.

Grow your business and life skills. Michael Jordan had to learn the business of the NBA to help form a championship team. His talent and skills were honed and continued to grow because positive change happens. When it’s time, take over the current game to win all the games!

By holding each other accountable, we are given a clear picture of what has been done and what may need to be done. This is the bond that says, “When you succeed, I’m there to give you a high-five! When you fail, I’m there to help!” Then the championships, company profitability, and your life are revving for the celebration! Celebrate, and years from now, we are all going to have a whole lot of fun reminiscing.

Of course, the good intangibles—competitive, hard-working, smart, tough, and instinctive, for instance—are what separate a person, a company and an athletic team from the not so good, but good tangible teamwork is necessary to feed and encourage good intangibles.

In my seminars, I have everyone anonymously write down one business fear and one life fear—things that are hindering the accomplishment of good dreams and good goals. By doing this, I’m able to get a pulse on each person, and they immediately see that others care, because the group (team) makes suggestions on how to overcome the fears, and I summarize them. Only the person who has these fears knows it’s theirs.

Then I do something that really synergizes the group. I say the phrase, “Everyone loves me and cares about me.” I ask them to think this phrase, process it and record it as fact in their mind. Then I have them repeat the saying. This one thought can completely change your perspective on life and people by reminding you that you don’t need to be afraid of interacting with people. By being genuine, helpful in discussion and considerate, you can see the positive change.

Then I ask the participants to anonymously write one business goal and one life goal. We get suggestions from the group and I summarize and emphasize to the individual they can add their touch if it would be helpful.

People who go through this exercise leave knowing they have self-empowerment and the support of the group. Everyone in the group is seen from a new perspective. It’s precisely the suggestion each makes that bonds them to each other. To what level they are bonded depends on the suggestion and how it was made. Going through this teambuilding exercise reinforces the power of the person, of teamwork and of interdependence.

Focus on being teammates for the team to win

Whether you’re in the corporate landscape, on the selling field or on the athletic court, being better teammates is what drives success for the team, because synergy produces more spirit-enhancing results than errors. However, it’s how you respond to the results and errors that determines whether the team will go forward or spiral downward.

Here are three motivation, winning and growth steps to be better teammates and respond with a positive winning attitude:

1. Motivation: Remember that, without each other, the team doesn’t exist.

2. Winning: Give each other the tools to encourage better results. Be patient. Make up for errors.

3. Growth: Each teammate goes to a New Best Level to take the team to a New Best Level.

Example: Did you see Italy win the World Cup in 2006? What stays in my mind is the way Italy’s teammates depended on, and supported, each other on and off the field. The teamwork exhibited by the Italian team was beautiful to watch. Soccer fans remember specific runs and, of course, we remember the setup and execution of the goal-scoring plays, goal-saving defensive plays, and defensive goal-keeping stops. In the end, with the support of the fans, teamwork won the World Cup for Italy. Do your company and team use motivation, winning and growth to become better teammates?

A team is not a nebulous group. It contains individuals with unique needs, wants and expectations. Identifying individual goals for teammates and team goals to grow and win is essential.

There is no team without teammates. Record this into your mind, heart, body and spirit. Understand too that your teammates might need to come and go to handle professional and personal issues. You will not always be informed of their whereabouts or what they are doing. Accept and have appreciation that business and life aren’t repetitive processes. If they were, we would be bored and we wouldn’t produce as many spirit-enhancing results. If you’re curious where someone is, what they are doing, or what they have done, ask them.

I create teams to help me in my business and in accomplishing my goals because of the synergy and togetherness teams produce. Some people know they are on my team and some don’t. Sometimes even my family is on my team. My teams are created in three ways:

1. Sometimes the team is a virtual team. The members’ role could simply be to lend their name to my venture.

2. I volunteer to serve on committees or as a board member in the associations and nonprofits I’m involved with.

3. I have a group of advisors I can call to talk about my business and life. They are the informal board of my company.

I am sure to thank my teammates as goals are accomplished. I might take them to dinner, buy them a simple gift, or give them a well-deserved compliment. It’s fun to say, “Thank you,” and sometimes the team members are not even sure what they did. Thanking others is one of the most gratifying and fulfilling things I do.

"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are

doing or learning to do."

—Pele

Strategy 5:

Implement the Client Modular Approach

Oversee your business

As a generalist, you are responsible for overseeing all aspects of your business, including:

• Research

• Business development

• Marketing

• Sales

• Service

• Technology

• Finance

• Accounting

• Advertising

• Training/Education

• Results

Through extensive research, I discovered a growth structure you can use to determine whether your work in these areas is on the button. It’s called the Client Modular Approach (CMA). It can be applied to any industry and any business and life category.

Many times, we have habits, techniques, skills and processes that bring results, but we fail to capture them and put them in our repertoire to use when needed. We forget they are valuable, or we just plain don’t see their value until it’s brought to our attention. As we continue to move forward in business and life, new techniques appear and we become more adept at using them in the right situation.

When I started my company in 2001, it became clear that I needed to capture my expertise and experience. (You should do this even if you’re not a business owner.) I reflected on my past work and came up with a common-sense structure you can use to retain and grow your employees and customers, and as a result grow your company, regardless of your specific industry.

The Client Modular Approach can be used for business development and growth at every level of a company, an association or an organization, regardless of your position or job title. You can use it to grow your employees’ skills, get more customers, and create positive change for your company’s future success.

It’s structured like this:

Client: Picture the client or prospect (person and their organization) you’re dealing with today. A “client” can also be a spouse, a manager, an employee or even a child.

Modular: Then, in conversation with this person, focus on one service that you or your company gives and its action/execution. You may have several modules and use them in conversation when it’s beneficial to do so. The very definition of “modular,” of course, means allowing flexibility and variety in use. This item can be one or more services, tasks or activities. Usually, however, when forming strategy or talking with a prospect or client, it will be a product or service and, when deciding what needs to be done at work or home, it will be a task or an activity.

Example: If you take a psychology class that lasts a year and has several areas of concentration, the school may ask what modules you are interested in. You can pick one or a bunch, but they all are under the umbrella of “psychology.”

Example: In engineering, you have inputs and outputs. These inputs and outputs are grouped by signal type. One module handles a specific group of signals, another handles another group of signals, etc. Flexibility is there to handle the signal types needed.

Approach: The approach to this person is critical; it will use your known strengths and force you to develop new strengths to compete for results. In the Approach, you identify what needs to be done to get in front of them. Once in front of them, will you make an offer, pursue partnering, or go with another type of approach?

Put the CMA structure into place in your company—from the janitor (the client for the janitor is the school, business, etc., he works for) to the vice president—and each employee will feel a sense of empowerment because they have a structure that allows them to have a say about the present and future services needed to affect the top and bottom line.

Example:

Client: In the beginning of my business, I needed a client. As luck would have it, I met a tax accountant who needed a web presence.

Modular: My service for him was website design.

Approach: It was a quick networking interaction. He knew what he wanted and was looking for someone to help with his website, so I was sure not to discuss any other services at the time. I agreed to do the work for no fee because we negotiated the following conditions:

1. He would serve as a reference for my business.

2. His company would do my taxes.

3. He would introduce me to his clientele that
   could benefit from my services.

After having a client, it was easier to get more business:

Client: Engineering integrator and panel fabricator (engineering manager).

Modular: Spoke to her about what the company was looking for, their engineering needs, and where the company wanted to grow.

Approach: I met with her to introduce my company’s services. What resulted was a dialog and, when this person moved to the Texas office, she related our discussion to the new office manager. I used patience and the right follow-up approach over the next year, and they finally contracted my services.

Currently:

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