It’s never been easier to start and run a small business. Not easy, mind you, but much easier thanks in large part to a wide range of low-cost, easy-to-use cloud-based applications.
Cloud computing – also called software-as-a-service (SaaS) – is merely a term for services that let you run your business right from your browser.
For small business owners and startup entrepreneurs, this is a fantastic development. What started as a simple idea with a few applications (email was first) has exploded into a massive global market that offers business owners generous choices for doing just about anything online.
A few benefits of running your business from a browser include these:
Low cost: Most cloud services are affordable and pay-as-you go, so there’s little or no up-front cost. This makes it easy to get started, and keeps costs predictable.
Improved security: Your information is stored in the cloud, so even if your computer gets fried, your data should still be safe.
Flexibility: You can scale up or down as needed and always be ready for what comes next.
Easy collaboration: Employees, contractors or partners can all work on the same documents in real time. And cloud apps are accessible from anywhere you have an Internet connection, using a PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone.
Automatic updates: Software updates and upgrades are automatic. There’s nothing new to purchase or install. Cloud app vendors also handle all of the maintenance – including security patches – so you don’t have to.
Google Docs is one of the most amazing browser-based solutions available to any small business. Not only is it good, it’s free and does pretty much anything that Microsoft Office can do, except it does it in “the cloud.” You can create and share basic documents, spreadsheets, presentations and drawings, among other things. And you can coordinate it all via Google Drive.
It seems almost too good to be true until you’ve actually used it. There’s nothing to install; no software to purchase. You can share with anyone else, via any kind of device, and your documents are automatically backed up in the cloud. Not bad for a price of, well, nothing.
Just the Beginning
But as good as it is, Google Docs just scratches the surface. From accounting, invoicing and expense tracking, to customer support, cash management and graphic design, the cloud solutions lineup is almost endless. A few that are popular with small businesses include FreshBooks, MYOB Live, JCurve and Cashbook Online.
Customer relationship management, or CRM, is also perfect for the cloud. In this area, Salesforce (www.salesforce.com) is the leader. Cloud CRM has the potential to transform how you do business from a browser by managing accounts, tracking quotes and opportunities, and forecasting your sales.
In the marketing realm, vendors such as Marketo, HubSpot, Silverpop and Eloqua offer ways to generate, nurture and track more leads for your business. You also can find a long list of cloud-based finance applications via AppExchange.com – all of which will integrate with Salesforce.
Here are some other helpful ways to run your business from a browser:
Social Media: Cloud apps to help you get more out of social media include Sprout Social, SocialBro and HootSuite.
Customer Service: Desk.com is a simple and affordable customer help desk that caters to smaller businesses. Others such as GetSatisfaction.com or Ning.com can help you set up your own customer support community.
Collaboration: Google Docs, mentioned above, is perfect for online collaboration and sharing. Join.me is a free service that lets you share your screen with others. And Skype, of course, is a great way to connect by video.
People Management: Fast-growing small companies that are adding employees can benefit from cloud apps that help with goal setting and performance reviews. Options here include Work.com, Cornerstone on Demand, Insperity and Taleo. For a simple time-tracking system (good for consultants and contractors, for example), try Harvest (www.getharvest.com).
Content sharing and discovery: YouTube and Vimeo (for video); Flickr (photos); Slideshare (presentations) and DocStock (documents on all kinds).
Running a business out of your home has many advantages: no commute, you can dress how you want (well, most of the time), easy access to your kids, etc. One extra advantage of a sideline home-based business is that you often qualify for extra tax breaks.
When you use part of your home for business, you’re allowed to deduct a “pro-rata” share of expenses such as rent or mortgage payments, real estate taxes, security system, home insurance premiums, heat, water, electricity, air conditioning and depreciation. If your office space covers 500 square feet and your home is 2,000 square feet, 25% of your home expenses qualify. You can also deduct the pro-rata portion of any repairs or maintenance of your home that “benefit” your home office. Cosmetic upkeep — aluminum siding and landscaping, for example — are trickier.
Be aware that these deductions send up a red flag to the IRS. Don’t be scared off, just be prepared to justify, justify, justify the deductible portion of the cost. For added protection, file IRS Form 8829 with your tax return to explain why you need your home office and how it is used.
The amount you can deduct for home office expenses can’t be more than your business’s net income, after you’ve deducted your business expenses, such as supplies, travel expenses and phone charges. For example, if you have $4,000 in deductions, you can deduct the entire amount, as long as your business had at least $4,000 in net profit. Home office expenses that exceed your net income can be carried over to succeeding years as a loss.
To qualify for these tax breaks, your home office must be the main place where your goods and services are provided to customers and your revenues are generated. You can maximize your tax breaks, and keep more of what you earn if you:
Use your home office exclusively for business. The IRS won’t let you take a deduction for your kitchen, just because you use the kitchen table as your desk. You must have a separate room or partitioned area that’s devoted to business use.
List your home address as your principal place of business, even if part of your business, like a warehouse, is outside your home. Make sure you have a desk, filing cabinet and separate phone line for your business.
Store your merchandise or supplies on your property — in a detached shed, spare closet or your garage — instead of renting a warehouse. You’ll save on rental costs and get a tax break for the space you use.
Many people know the names of influential architects, artists, and fashion designers; far fewer know the names of graphic designers. It’s strange to me, since graphic designers create so much of our everyday world. And it’s not only civilians with a general interest in design who lack that knowledge. I have also encountered many design professionals and students who don’t know Herbert Bayer from Herbert Matter. I wanted to change that.
I wrote Graphic Icons: Visionaries Who Shaped Modern Graphic Design to highlight pioneers of graphic design, from El Lissitzky to Paula Scher. In the course of researching the book, I came to realize that each of these figures offers key lessons for today’s designers. Early 20th-century German designer Lucian Bernhard favored a flat minimalism that echoes the pared-down design popular in many contemporary user interfaces. Swiss designer Joseph Müller-Brockmann embraced and mastered the use of the grid, an important part of modern web design. Here’s a look at how can we take inspiration from these figures–not by copying their style, but by creating something new that is informed by their pioneering spirits.
Lucian Bernhard: Simplify
Lucian Bernhard was in his early twenties in 1905 when he entered his design in an advertising poster contest sponsored by Priester matches. Although Art Nouveau was popular at the time, with its complex ornaments and floral embellishments, Bernhard took a different creative direction, painting a simple scene showing a smoking cigar in an ashtray with matches. A friend saw the artwork and thought it advertised cigars. So Bernhard reduced all unnecessary detail until all that remained was a pair of red matches. He then painted the brand name. There was no slogan, nothing to distract from the visual of the product and its name.
Not only did Bernhard’s design win the contest, it launched a new, straightforward style of advertising that he continued for clients such as Excelsior Tires and Adler Typewriters. German companies in particular embraced this new flat minimalism, which they called Sachplakat (object poster, which led to the broader Plakatstil, or poster style–advertisers felt that Art Nouveau’s intricate decoration could obscure or compete with their product.
El Lissitzky: Communicate without words
In 1921, Russian designer El Lissitzky was among a group of artists who broke away from Kasimir Malevich’s Suprematists–who believed art need not serve any function beyond its intrinsic, spiritual value–to focus on practical design to aid Russia’s new communist state. These were the Constructivists.
Lissitzky, whose work had several distinguishing characteristics–layouts structured on a grid, limited color palettes, tense diagonals, sans serif type, and repetition of pure geometric forms, believed that art and design could communicate in a nation where much of the population was illiterate. He aimed to establish a visual language using shape and color instead of letterforms; in his famous political poster Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge, geometric shapes tell the story of the revolutionaries shattering the establishment.
Ladislav Sutnar: Understand your user
Czech-born Ladislav Sutnar collaborated with writer Knud Lönberg-Holm to improve Sweet’s Catalog Service, which compiled the catalogs of different manufacturers in the construction industry. Recognizing that people look for products in different ways, they developed a system that cross-referenced each item by company, trade, and product name. Sutnar clarified the vast amount of information, using colors, shapes, charts, and graphic symbols to guide the reader. He established hierarchy by emphasizing type–changing scale and weight, reversing out of color, and using italics and parentheses–which made skimming, reading, and remembering easier. (He also established the standard protocol of putting phone number area codes in parentheses.) Sutnar was moving beyond the single page and embracing the double-page spread, creating designs that weren’t just visually interesting, but also helpful. The way he steered readers through complex information sounds much like what we now call information design or information architecture, which has been further developed by Edward Tufte and Richard Saul Wurman, as well as by digital and web designers everywhere.
Alvin Lustig: Suggest, don’t explain
Although Alvin Lustig designed magazines, interiors, packaging, fabrics, hotels, mall signage, the opening credits of the cartoon Mr. Magoo–even a helicopter–he is best known for his book covers. New Directions publisher James Laughlin had been packaging reprints of modern literary titles in a pretty traditional format, and they weren’t selling. Lustig came on board and gave the books new life with bright colors and abstract visuals that echoed the art of Joan Miró and Paul Klee. Rather than showing an image that explicitly represented the story, Lustig read the work and created symbolic visuals that interpreted the book’s overall meaning. The approach worked: stores began displaying the books prominently, and sales tripled. While Laughlin hoped readers weren’t buying the books solely for their covers, he was grateful that the design exposed more people to quality writing.
Josef Müller-Brockmann: Use the grid
The work and writing of Max Bill, an architect and designer who studied at the Bauhaus, influenced Josef Müller-Brockmann and led him away from his illustrative beginnings. Bill developed Theo van Doesburg’s idea of a universal visual language by using a modular grid–the underlying framework of columns and margins that guides the placement of text and images in a layout. It provides order, consistency, and flexibility, and helps to establish hierarchy. It continues to be an important tool today, especially in web design.
This grid-based approach to graphic design became the foundation of the International Typographic Style, or Swiss Style, and Müller-Brockmann was a key figure in this influential movement. He stripped extraneous decoration from his design; every element in his layout had a purpose. Over time, his work grew increasingly abstract. For example, he designed a series of concert posters for Zurich’s Tonhalle. There were no music notes or instruments. Geometric shapes and lines were placed on the grid, but were varied in position and scale to suggest movement and rhythm. The result was abstract, yet very musical.
Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar: Don’t limit yourself to one style
In 1960, Chermayeff and Geismar proposed a radical idea: a corporate logo, for Chase Manhattan Bank, that was not based on letterforms or a recognizable image. Their design was simple–four wedges rotated around a square to form an octagon–but it was met with resistance, because at that time no major American corporation had an abstract logo. And that’s precisely why it worked; it stood out from the competition and became an identifying symbol inextricably associated with Chase. Soon, other corporations followed suit with abstract logos of their own.
But Chermayeff and Geismar haven’t limited themselves to a particular style. For them, design is solving problems, and they pursue the best solution, regardless of form. They’ve designed more than 100 corporate identities, for clients such as NBC, PBS, Screen Gems, Barneys New York, Boston’s MBTA, and Pan Am. They also create digital media and exhibitions, at venues like the well-known Ellis Island Immigration Museum and the John F. Kennedy Library. Now called Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv, their strength is in their ideas, and they continue solving problems.
Muriel Cooper: Embrace technology
Muriel Cooper had two design careers: first as a print designer and second as a groundbreaking digital designer. As art director for MIT Press, she designed classic books, such as Hans Wingler’s Bauhaus, and the first edition of Learning from Las Vegas (authors Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown and Steven Izenour hated what she did, but many graphic designers loved it).
Cooper took her first computer class at MIT in 1967, and it bewildered her. However, she could see the computer’s potential in the creative process, and soon began the second phase of her career: applying her design skills to computer screens. With Ron MacNeil, Cooper cofounded the research group Visible Language Workshop in 1975, which later became part of MIT’s Media Lab. She presented the group’s research at the influential TED5 (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference in 1994. For the first time, computer graphics were shown in three transparent dimensions, which moved, changed sizes, and shifted focus, instead of the standard Windows interface of opaque panels stacked like cards. She made a big impact: Even Microsoft founder Bill Gates was interested in her work. Unfortunately, she died soon after of a heart attack, but her legacy in interactive design continues.
Stephen Doyle: Don’t dumb down the design to reach a larger market
After working at Esquire, Rolling Stone, and Tibor Kalman’s influential M&Co., Stephen Doyle partnered with Tom Kluepfel and William Drenttel in 1985 to launch Drenttel Doyle Partners, a hybrid design and advertising agency. Drenttel left in 1997, and the studio carried on as Doyle Partners.
Doyle’s packaging for Martha Stewart’s line of home goods sold at mass-market retailer Kmart remains among his most high-profile work. And for good reason: Doyle used clean typography, bright colors, and beautiful photography to create a unified and instantly identifiable brand that included thousands of products. The packaging–and the products themselves–proved that high-quality design could appeal to everyday shoppers seeking everyday goods.
Paula Scher: Use type as image
As a design student, Pentagram’s Paula Scher couldn’t get the hang of working with type, of formally positioning words and letters in a layout. Then her teacher, Stanislas Zagorski, suggested that she think of type in a more conceptual way, using it as the main image in her work to communicate visually as well as verbally.
In 1994, Scher took on a defining project: a new identity for New York City’s Public Theater (formerly known as Shakespeare in the Park). Director George Wolfe wanted a visual identity that looked nothing like Shakespeare, and Scher designed exactly that: a big, bold typographic language that was loud and urban and distinctive. Her street posters for the show Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk pushed this in-your-face style even further, with brash type that actually looked noisy. Scher’s design became so popular that it changed theater advertising, as more groups tried to capture the youthful vigor of her work for the Public.
John Maeda: Get a design education
John Maeda was a computer science grad student at MIT on his way to becoming a user interface designer. Then he read Thoughts on Design, by Paul Rand–an experience that shifted the course of Maeda’s career. He took a humbling message from Rand’s book: Understanding the computer did not necessarily make one a good designer. He decided to study graphic design, where he added traditional design skills and concepts to his knowledge of computers.
Maeda then returned to MIT to teach, and founded the Aesthetics and Computation Group at the Media Lab. It was there that Maeda explored the area where design and technology meet. For Maeda, the computer is a tool and a medium. He created early digital experiences like The Reactive Square, in which shapes responded to sound, and Time Paint, a time-based program of flying colors. In his quest to educate, Maeda writes books, emphasizes creative thinking, and was the president at Rhode Island School of Design. His goal? Not to make the world more high-tech, but to make it more humane.
I’m not going to start a war regarding which choice is better, windows or mac. In fact, the software of choice for professionals which is Adobe is available for both platforms. What I’m going to say is, look at the history of Apple. It was made for graphic design. Period. It looks awesome, it works like a charm and it gets the job done. Fast. Reliable. It is a bit pricey but once you get it, you won’t regret it, trust me. And that’s a good rhyme.
Today most people consider buying a tablet PC but when you think about it, paper is still paper. You can develop ideas faster on paper than on any other machine there is. An excellent choice are the Moleskine notebooks. The design is simply amazing and the quality is exquisite. You will find a variety of notebooks for any need you have, not just graphic design. Get one.
When you are preparing files for print or you do test prints, what you need is a professional graphic design ruler. This rulers are special, they feature things that ordinary rules doesn’t have. They show: agate, lines, picas, 1/2 to 30 point sizes, 64th of an inch and millimeters.
I’m talking about Wacom tablets here. Industry standard. A wacom tablet is a great tool for transforming your ideas from paper into digital art, for retouching, coloring, drawing and the list goes on. This tablet is the most accurate thing there is. You are going to pay a little more for the Wacom Cintiq 13HD but when you see this beast in action… you are not going back to the old mouse. You will be more productive and faster than ever before.
Having a camera may not be the focal point of a graphic designer but it is essential for delivering your high quality, high resolution images, especially if you don’t have access to a stock photography site. That way your photos will also be unique. A good starter DSLR camera is the NIKON D3100. It delivers 14.2MP images and has 18-55mm lenses.
Next time you make a design proposal, make sure you do it with style and elegance. Use an A3 printer to make a professional impression. I reccomend using the Brother MFCJ6710DW. It is a high quality, multifunctional printer that also offers A3 printing capabilities and does the job brilliantly. Not to mention that it is a bang for the buck.
Last but not least, having good headphones when working is crucial. Music makes your creativity last longer. The sound that comes out of this headphones is simply incredible. So next time you’ll be working do it with great sound that will inspire you.
Summary
I have a full range of skills in multiple fields including warehouse office and outdoors environments. I have skills ranging in Factory work, Contractor, Web Design, Graphic Design, Graphic Art, Logo Design, Photography, Desktop Publishing.
I will complete my Associates degree in Graphic Design from FSCJ in 2016.
Experience
891 Frisch’s Big Boy Restaurant01/2006 – 06/2007
North Main Street, Nicholasville, KY 40356
Daniel Stokes (859) 881-8015
$8.00
I was a cashier, dishwasher, cook and salad bar attendant.
Colomer USA 07/2007 – 09/2008
5344 Overmyer Drive Jacksonville FL 32254
Robert Short (904) 693-1200
$15.75
I was a plastic assembly line worker. I also stacked pallets for shipping.
Amazon.com 10/2008 – 01/2009
1850 Mercer Road Lexington, KY 40511
Mike Hall (859) 381-0818
$10.00
I did general warehouse duties during peek season. I piled pallets, sorted, picked until I was trained as a forklift driver. I remained a forklift operator until I left for training.
Army National Guard 03/2008 – 07/2010
50 Stonecrest Court, Shelbyville, KY 40065
Connell Rodriguez (502) 633-7804
$625 BiWeekly
I was a computer operator maintainer and soldier for the Kentucky guard. I completed all duties as a soldier of the Kentucky National Guard.
I started as a service assistant than I trained in trained in all other areas of the restaurant. I mainly cooked but my duties included stocking cleaning rotating food prepping and counting inventory.
Wal-Mart Supercenter 07/2010 – 12/2012
500 W New Circle Road Lexington, KY 40511
Stephen Bel (859) 381-9370
$9.00
Trained in customer service, stocking and receiving and HAZMAT clean up.
Androcity 01/2002 – 01/2010
I created a Friday comic strip and web mastered androcity.com. I created all the graphics, HTML and installed the forums and a content management script using MYSQL and PHP coding. It was a Photoshop heavy site using nothing but HTML and CSS built in Notepad.
http://www.androcity.com (archive)
Shadowseen Studios 02/2010 – 02/2013
Here I made everything from illustrations to website banner ads. This was my personal website I had for the sole purpose of sharpening my skills. I used to test PHP CSS and MYSQL scripts and codes on this site weekly. It was also for art, music and animation.
Adecco With Stratosphere Quality 06/25/2013 – 12/07/2013 Webasto Roof Systems
2201 Innovation Dr, Lexington, KY 40511
Adecco Staffing: (859) 223-3112
Webasto: (859) 389-6100
$9.00
Responsible for inspecting quality of manufactured and shipped in products and equipment. This also included logging and repackaging, repair and rework, painting, assembly, use of power tools, contract work, attention to detail.
Adecco With UPS 12/08/2013 – 02/01/2014
Amazon LEX2 Building
172 Trade St, Lexington, KY 40511
Adecco Staffing: (859) 223-3112
UPS: Josh Thomas: (859) 475-7014
$10.50
Responsible for unloading packages from trucks onto conveyor providing continuous flow of packages.
Education
GED From Earle C. Clements Job Corps.
FSCJ 2014 – —-
Currently rescheduled for Graphic Design classes
Full Sail University 2011 – 2012
I’m a former student at Full Sail University in the online graphic design bachelors program. I worked on a lot of logos magazine articles and web pages. The classes are online and the work is real world based with strict timelines and realistic projects.
Earle C. Clements Job Corps 2008 – 2009
I studied computer repair and graphic design for a year and got a solid grounding in print. This is where I learned about non-web based graphics and desktop publishing.
– GED
Skills
Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Html Editor, Adobe Dreamweaver, Adobe Suite, Print Advertising, Print Design, Web Content Development, Html Design, Graphic Design, Graphic Art, Logo Design, Photography, Desktop Publishing, adobe, Dreamweaver, English, html, illustrator, web site production.
I have skills in both web and print styles. I use the Adobe Suite for all my work and I’ve worked with it enough to replicate anything just by looking at it. I know Photoshop best of all out of the suite having used the program since childhood. I have experience in web design and HTML coding, web marketing and ad placement. I currently work on personal and academic projects while doing commissions that may improve my skill and portfolio.
I also have skill in computer service repair and an excellent understanding of electronics. I can also do print work and manual labor.
How many times have you kicked yourself for not investing in some of today’s leading stocks back when they were actually affordable?
The majority of Americans find it nearly impossible to buy stock in their favorite companies because they’re simply too expensive. For instance, Google is now available for $780 per share and Apple at $422 per share.
And then there is the fear that many of the leading stocks are inflated and poised to fall. Paul Sommerville, financial advisor and contributor to the Independent,warns “the next few years will be characterized by gut-wrenching sell-offs.”
This leaves small investors looking for fresh investments that have the power to reap major rewards in the near future. And that’s where penny stocks come in— offering you the opportunity to get in on the ground floor.
How It Works When smaller companies go public and make their stocks available for less than a dollar per share, their shares are called “penny stocks.” Small investors can easily and affordably purchase them. Regulated by the SEC and other official authorities, they are traded in “over-the-counter” markets rather than the NYSE.
There are a number of reasons to consider purchasing penny stocks, but here are the three most compelling:
1. Small Investment for Many Shares With penny stocks, you have the power to purchase thousands of stock shares for a rather small investment. For example, if a technology company is selling shares at 10 cents and you make $500 investment, you can own 5,000 shares. If the stock rises to just $1.00, your investment will turn into $5,000.
This gives you the opportunity to purchase stakes in several companies at a time (with potential for major gains), rather than investing in one or two overpriced NYSE stocks that may earn you a couple dollars here and there.
2. Huge Returns in a Short Amount of Time With some help on the research side, you can discover penny stocks ready to explode overnight. Unlike most stocks on the NYSE that can take years to grow, it is common for penny stocks to double and even triple in a single day.
3. Easy to Buy and Sell Penny stocks are traded exactly like major stocks. All you need is to establish an online trading account to buy and sell, or you can use a traditional broker to place your trades.
A Powerful Trick of the Trade As you’re probably aware, any stock has a certain degree of risk that comes along with it. This is why it’s essential for you to do your homework and carefully research each penny stock you purchase.
One of the very best tools on the market for researching and tracking penny stocks is 900PercentStocks.com. The site tracks the market daily, identifies high potential companies, and offers regular hot picks with their really useful email newsletter.
One of the biggest selling points of 900 Percent Stocks is that the service is completely free. To subscribe, all you have to do is enter your e-mail address, and you will never be asked to pay.
Once you dive in and learn more about penny stocks, you will be amazed at the numerous opportunities available. The secret to your success is the perfect combination of research and education. The more you know, the more likely you will reap amazing rewards!
Successful People: The 8 Self-Limiting Behaviors They Avoid
Source
Forbes
6
Jan
In my work, I’ve been fortunate to learn from amazingly successful, impactful professionals and entrepreneurs. I’m defining “success” here as achieving what matters most to you, individually and authentically – not as some objective measure of outer wealth, accomplishment or achievement. Observing people in action who are living fully on their terms and absolutely loving it, I’ve seen how they think, react, interrelate, problem solve, and lead. I’ve applied these lessons to my own life, and to those I coach.
I’ve noted that people who love what they do for a living and have created tremendous success and reward, not only engage continuously in life-supporting behaviors, but also avoid certain negative actions and mindsets that other, less successful people habitually get lost in.
The 8 self-limiting, negative behaviors successful people avoid are:
Engaging in “below the line” thinking
“Below the line” thinking refers to a particular mindset that shapes how you view the world in a limiting way. It leads to your believing that what’s happening to you is outside your control and everyone else’s fault – the economy, your industry, your boss, your spouse, etc. Below the line thinking says, “It’s not fair what’s happening, and I don’t have what it takes to overcome these challenges. I didn’t expect this and I can’t handle it.” Above the line thinking, on the other hand, says, “I clearly see the obstacles ahead, and I’m addressing them with open eyes. I’m accountable for my life and my career, and I have what it takes to navigate through this successfully. If I fail, I’ll still wake up tomorrow exactly who I am, and will have learned something critical.”
Mistaking fantastical wishful thinking for action
Successful professionals pursue outcomes that flow organically from their current actions. Unsuccessful individuals attach to fantasies that may relieve them momentarily of their situational pain but have no basis in reality. For instance, I’ve heard from corporate professionals who share, “Kathy, I really hate my job and desperately want to leave. I’ve been wanting to write a book and become a motivational speaker for several years now. What’s your advice?” I’ll respond, “OK, great. Are you writing and speaking?” and more often than not, the answer will be, “Uh…no.” You can’t write a book if you’re not writing anything, and you can’t speak in public if you haven’t developed any material to speak about. It’s critical to take bold action toward your visions, in order to create success. Successful people develop huge goals too, but they crush them down into smaller, digestible (but courageous) action steps that they then build on, which leads naturally to the end goal they’re pursuing.
Remaining powerless and speechless
Successful people are in touch with their power, and are not afraid to use it and express it. They advocate and negotiate strongly for themselves and for others, and for what they care about, and don’t shy away from articulating just how they stand apart from the competition. They know how they contribute uniquely and the value they bring to the table. In addition, they don’t wait to bring up concerns – they tackle challenges head on, speaking about them openly, with calm, poise and grace. They don’t hide from their problems. And they don’t perceive themselves as hapless victims.
Putting off investing in themselves
I see this behavior over and over in those who feel thwarted and unsuccessful – they are incredibly reluctant to invest time, money and energy in themselves and their own growth. They are comfortable only when putting other people’s needs ahead of their own. They’ll make any excuse for why now is NOT the time to invest in themselves or commit to change. They feel guilt, shame and anxiety over claiming “I’m worth this.” Successful people don’t wait – they spend money, time and effort on their own growth because they know without doubt it will pay off – for themselves and everyone around them.
Resisting change
Successful people don’t break themselves against what is or drown in the changing tides. They go with the flow. They follow the trends, and embrace them. They are flexible, fluid and nimble. They react to what’s in front of them, and improvise deftly. Those who are unsuccessful bemoan what is appearing before them, and stay stuck in the past or in what they “expected,” complaining about how life is not what it should be and why what is feels so wrong.
Honoring other people’s priorities over their own
Successful people know what matters most to them – their priorities, values, concerns, and their mission and purpose. They don’t float aimlessly on a sea of possibility – they are masters of their own ship and know where they want to head, and make bold moves in the direction of their dreams. To do this, they are very clear about their top priorities in life and work, and won’t be waylaid by the priorities and values of others. In short, they have very well-defined boundaries, and know where they end and others begin. They say “no” to endeavors and behaviors (and thinking) that will push them off track. They know what they want to create and the legacy they want to leave behind in this lifetime, and honor that each day. (To get clearer on your priorities, values, and desires for the next chapter of your life and work, take my free Career Path Self-Assessment.)
Doubting themselves and their instincts
Those who doubt themselves, lack trust in their own gut or instincts, or second-guess themselves continually find themselves far from where they want to be. Successful professionals believe in themselves without fail. Sure, they acknowledge they have “power gaps” or blind spots, and areas that need deep development. But they forgive themselves for what they don’t know and the mistakes they’ve made, and accept themselves. They keep going with hope and optimism, knowing that the lessons from these missteps will serve them well in the future.
Searching for handouts and easy answers
I can often tell from the first contact I have with someone if they’ll be likely to succeed in their new entrepreneurial venture and career, or not. How? By the nature of their expectations, and how they set out to fulfill them. Here’s an example – if a complete stranger reaches out to me expecting free help without considering what she may offer in return, it’s a bad sign. Let’s say she asks something like this: “I’m launching my new business and wondered if you can give me some advice. I can’t pay you because I’m a startup, but I hope you can help me anyway.”
From this one email, I know she’s not ready to make it happen in her own business. Why? Because successful professionals (and those destined to be) wouldn’t consider asking for help in this way. Instead, they: 1) understand that they have something important and valuable to offer in any situation, 2) are willing and happy to share or barter that in return for what they want, and 3) they treat others exactly as they would like to be treated.
Successful professionals are respectful, resourceful, curious, competent, tenacious, and they figure out how to get the help they need without asking for handouts. That doesn’t mean they don’t seek assistance when and where they need it , or make use of the many free resources available to them (like Score.org, etc.). It means that they don’t expect something for nothing. They treat others equitably and fairly and know they deserve the same. Successful professionals realize that if they’re not willing to pay for products and services they want, then others won’t be willing to pay them (yes, it works like karma).
They also know that their success is directly proportionate to the effort they put in. Most of all, they understand there are no short cuts or easy answers on the road to success.
“The Art Of War” is one of the most famous books of all time, said to be written by the legendary Chinese general Sun Tzu around the fifth century B.C.
Some of the advice is pretty narrowly focused and dated (for instance, what generals should do when confronted with different types of terrain). But a lot of it is applicable to leadership and management today despite being thousands of years old.
We’ve broken out a few of the best pieces of business advice from the timeless classic.
“A wise general makes a point of foraging on the enemy. One cartload of the enemy’s provisions is equivalent to twenty of one’s own, and likewise a single picul of his provender is equivalent to twenty from one’s own store.”
This sentiment is pretty much universally applicable to business. Something obtained cheaply or for free is vastly more valuable than drawing from company cash or savings to buy it. In practice, that means both looking for things that are underpriced and having funds available when demand and prices are low.
“When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men’s weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be damped. If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.”
This is a concept that’s repeated several times. When a project or initiative takes too long, people get tired or bored, the competition knows too much about it, it gets outdated, and other companies or people take advantage.
“To see victory only when it is within the ken of the common herd is not the acme of excellence.”
A strategy, product, or concept that is obvious has probably already been done. Those that are the best are the ones that succeed without people really noticing. They not only become part of the fabric of people’s lives, they’re also not as easily replicated.
“The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require too much from individuals. Hence his ability to pick out the right men and utilize combined energy.”
Another axiom in the book compares using combined energy to rolling logs or stones. People moving together with momentum go dramatically faster. Depending on individuals alone means they’ll wear out, accomplish less, and leave other people behind.
“If you order your men to roll up their buff-coats, and make forced marches without halting day or night, covering double the usual distance at a stretch, doing a hundred LI in order to wrest an advantage, the leaders of all your three divisions will fall into the hands of the enemy.”
Here, a “Li” equals 500 meters. Tzu goes on to say that if you do something like this, the strongest men will be in front, the less motivated will fall behind, and a tiny fraction will reach their destination. Pushing incredibly hard to get ahead of a competitor might gain temporary advantage, but it will be very short-lived.
Young man, be aware of these four good-hearted friends: the helper, the friend who endures in good times and bad, the mentor, and the compassionate friend.
The helper can be identified by four things: by protecting you when you are vulnerable, and likewise your wealth, being a refuge when you are afraid, and in various tasks providing double what is requested.
The enduring friend can be identified by four things: by telling you secrets, guarding your own secrets closely, not abandoning you in misfortune, and even dying for you.
The mentor can be identified by four things: by restraining you from wrongdoing, guiding you towards good actions, telling you what you ought to know, and showing you the path to samsaric heavens.
The compassionate friend can be identified by four things: by not rejoicing in your misfortune, delighting in your good fortune, preventing others from speaking ill of you, and encouraging others who praise your good qualities.
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Young man, be aware of these four good-hearted friends: the helper, the friend who endures in good times and bad, the mentor, and the compassionate friend.