Tag: Entrepreneur

Don’t Bury Your Business

Posted on by MarleneMB

Fear of crisis with businessman like an ostrich

Got problems? Face them before they become a crisis that buries your small business.

Many small businesses are started on hopes and dreams of the owners. We get excited in the beginning, knowing that we are fulfilling our desires of being entrepreneurs.

But the road to success is not always a smooth one. Problem rears its ugly head at the most inopportune time. Don’t bury your head in the sand and ignore it. Confront this problem before it confounds you and become a major crisis.

If you are one to avoid facing a problem, you may become a part of the problem. Face this problem by being a part of the solution instead. Doing so may divert your small business from becoming one of the those that are buried in the failed business graveyard.

Here are a few quotes to help inspire you to face problems:

  1.  “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” ~ Mother Teresa
  2. “A problem is a chance to help you do your best.” ~ Duke Ellington
  3. “Do one thing every day that scares you.”  ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
  4. Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines. ~ Robert H. Schuller
  5. “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” ~ Maya Angelou
  6. “Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through the argument, debate and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand.” ~ Colin Powell
  7. “I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it.” ~ Mae West
  8. Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them. ~ Henry Ford
  9. I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this,’ and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough. ~ Marissa Mayer
  10. “You never fail until you stop trying.” ~ Albert Einstein

While some problems are easily solved, others are a challenge. Learn to face all your problems. Take note of the lesson learned. Strive to solve problems and avoid burying your head and your business along with it.

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Win New Clients through Sharing the Spotlight

Posted on by MarleneMB

The word Share on a cork notice board

Do you know sharing what you know and the spotlight with others can win you new clients?

The organizer of a book club, Imani at the Dania Beach Paul DeMaio Library, honored me by hosting a book signing event for my book, Live a Diamond Life, A Life of Purpose: Diamond Cutters. Ms. Hollis created a flyer to place in front of the library entrance and sent the event out to the subscribers of the library mailing list.

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Generally, at these events, I would read excerpts of of the book; then sell and sign a copy for the purchaser. With the organizer’s permission, I decided to change this up a bit. I invited other authors, would-be authors, editors and a photographer to join us at the event. I wanted this to be a sharing and teaching moment.

First, I read excerpts from the book, then I had the other authors share about their books. The would-be authors were asked to share about the books he/she is writing. This was to encourage them to keep going and set a target date for completion.

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Next, the editor of my book, John Weir, explained to the audience what methods he uses to edit a book. He helped the authors learn about the editing process. Andrea Robinson, an associate editor of a local newspaper, informed the group how she and other editors like the authors to submit articles or press releases to them. Ms. Robinson and Mr. Weir’s information was what most of these authors needed to get a better understanding of editing a book and preparing press releases for their books.

The photographer, Leroy, has been shooting street photography for ten years. We met while I was waiting for a client at a coffee house. He told me about his works and I asked to see them. The images are very riveting. I connected him with some of the authors at the event. Some of them expressed that they want to purchase and utilize some of his images in their books or as a part of their book covers.

The energy level in the room was electrifying. Even the ones that came out just to learn more about my book said the event was a great experience for them. It felt great sharing the spotlight with others. Although I was able to share my message and sell my books, being able to share my experience and resources with the others was a thrill for me.

As a result of sharing this event with others, I gained two new clients, one of the attendees invited me to speak at the two book clubs she participates in, and the event organizer offered to conduct another session for me to do it all over again!

It is tempting at times to not want to share the limelight, but I find that sharing has more upsides than downsides. As a small business owner and an entrepreneur, learn to share your knowledge and perhaps some of your resources; if you can afford to do so. If you can’t, share referrals. Share something that you like about your clients with other clients. You will gain the gratitude of one and the respect of the other.

If you have won clients by sharing, please share it with us in the comments section. We would love to hear your story.

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Her Habits Are a Part of My Entrepreneurial and Personal Spirit #IWD2015

Posted on by MarleneMB

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Her smile and twinkling blue eyes welcomed me as I entered the classroom. Sister Mary Catherine was my fifth grade teacher. She stood perhaps 5 feet 3 inches. She wore her habit over her gray hair that protruded from beneath it. She had a soft voice that she did not have to raise for the twenty plus kids to pay attention to her.

Being a student of Sister Mary Catherine was a blessing for me. Today I share what I learned from this wonderful, strong woman that laid the foundation of my Entrepreneurial Spirit. I hope I am able to give her the honor she is due on International Women’s Day #IWD2015. Here are some of her habits I learned:

Be Welcoming: I was terrified of my first day in my new school, Sacred Heart, in my new country, the Untied States.  I came from Jamaica at the age of ten. My mother immediately enrolled my sister and me in this school. Interacting with new people and learning new customs was overwhelming. But Sister Mary Catherine’s smile was the beginning of my lesson of welcoming strangers with warmth.

Defend the Weak: It was rough for me to make friends with some of the students. The bully of the class had her crew tease me about my Jamaican accent. Whenever, they started, Sister Mary Catherine immediately stepped in. Her small stature seemed to grow into a large shield in front  of me, as she reprimanded these students to leave me alone. In her defense of me, Sister Mary Catherine taught me to stick up for justice and those that need a voice.

Use Your Knowledge and Skills to Win: She discovered that I had an aptitude for mathematics and science. Sister Mary Catherine would encourage me in these areas. She and my mother agreed that I would get extra homework to increase my knowledge and my skills in these disciplines.

Sister Mary Catherine entered me into a Science and Mathematics contest, I placed first in the school. I represented the school at the  county level and placed third in my age group. This taught me to use my passion, knowledge and skills to go after the things I want.

Sacrifice: American History was a challenge for me, because I was an immigrant. Sister Mary Catherine told my mother that she believed that I could skip the sixth grade and move to the seventh; if I mastered American History. She sacrificed her summer vacation to tutor me in American History. Her sacrifice opened a new world to me, the love of history. I won the History award at my school’s graduation ceremony two years later.

Research: Whenever I didn’t know a subject, Sister Mary Catherine encouraged me to research it. My mother purchased a set of encyclopedia (remember those) for me to explore the areas I didn’t understand. With Sister Mary Catherine’s prodding, I utilized those books many times to learn more. I still do conduct research in my career to learn new ways of marketing my products or to make a decision on a matter.

Compassion: Sister Mary Catherine’s compassion for others, her love of her faith, her sacrifice to make children like me become better people in this world, are just a few of her habits that I take with me everyday. Whenever I’m mentoring young children, the youth in my Toastmasters club, young adults or the grown folks, I draw from her’s habit of compassion to share with them.

Becoming an entrepreneur is a frightening journey. Yet armed with the lessons I’ve learned from Sister Mary Catherine, I know that it takes sacrifice to get where I want to go. It takes research to learn more about my field of expertise and how to service my clients. It takes having a welcoming spirit to get the clients to open up to me. It takes sticking with it to get through the doubts and fears. Finally, it takes using my talents, skills and knowledge to win in business and as a leader.

There is so much that I recall about Sister Mary Catherine that it would take pages to write about her. I did this in my book Live a Diamond Life, A Life of Purpose: Diamond Cutters. Diamond Cutters are what I call my coaches and mentors. The folks that have positively impacted my life. Sister Mary Catherine is one of my important Diamond Cutters.

Below are some of the medals I won at Sacred Heart School because of Sister Mary Catherine’s efforts and habits. Though I appreciate them and they sit in a special place in my home. They cannot replace the admiration and love I have for Sister Mary Catherine. I lost touch with her. I tried to reach out to her, but the school has since closed. I pray that she realizes the difference she made in my life and the lives of many other students. Thank you, Sister Mary Catherine!

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Before You Start – Shred Your Fears!

Posted on by MarleneMB

Young woman with shredded paper

What’s holding you back from starting your own business? What fears are lurking in your mind? What is keeping you from pressing the start button?

In my last article “What are You Waiting for? Start Your Business Today,” I mentioned three common fears that plague would-be entrepreneurs:

  1.  Fear of Failure
  2.  Fear of leaving the familiar, i.e. working for someone else
  3.  Fear of the level of effort it takes to start and run ones own company

The strongest of these is the Fear of Failure. This fear involves fear of what others may think or say about us. We are worried that folks might think of us as failures. We are worried about being rejected.

A friend of mine conducted a Vision Board seminar this past weekend. She had the attendees write down three fears on a notecard. Then she told them to put them in the shredder. This was to help them visualize their fears being shredded to pieces. These fears will no longer be there to haunt them.

Now this doesn’t mean that they will not experience periods of doubts. The method my friend utilized was a step in facing ones fears. I’m encouraging you to do the same with your fears.

Here is how you face your fears about starting a business:

  1. Admit that they are there.
  2. Write them down. This will bring them to the forefront and  allow you to address them.
  3. Write down the emotions associated with them. Are these emotions based on fact or fear?
  4. If it is a fact, write down the worse case scenario that may occur should you fail. Make a plan that will counter the possibility of failure and act upon it. For example, if losing investment money is the fear; then, make a plan that involves a budget that you can start the business without laying out that much money. Or seeking out other sources for investments such as an investor or partner.
  5. If it’s simply a fear – shred it!

Here is a great quote to remember when you are worried about what others think.

“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

If you feel stuck, unfulfilled, scared or in a place where you are not moving towards your dream about…”Starting Your Own Business….. WE CAN HELP!

Join us for this informative Webinar on what it takes to make “YOUR” dream of self-employment a “REALITY”!

What You Will Learn…

  • Characteristics of a successful Entrepreneur
  • Defining The Vision​
  • The 5 Steps To Starting Your Own Business
  • Transformation: from Dream to “Reality”!
  • The Business Plan!

RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW!

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Thank you for reading my post. Please hit the “follow” button at the top of the page. This will allow me continue to write and share with you on a variety of topics.

What Are You Waiting For? Start Your Business Today!

Posted on by MarleneMB

Book On How To Find Love

“Start-up success is not a consequence of good genes or being in the right place at the right time. Success can be engineered by following the right process, which means it can be learned, which means it can be taught.” ~ Eric Ries

Do you DREAM of starting you own business? Many people have the desire but don’t know where to start! They would say to themselves: “Someday I am going to own my business.” “One day, I’m going to quit my job and start my own company.” BUT one day “NEVER” comes!

Why don’t people get started? What holds the back? Why the mental paralysis?

1) Fear of Failure

2) Fear of leaving the familiar, i.e. working for someone else

3) Fear of the level of effort it takes to start and run ones own company

I get it. I was there. FINALLY….I realized that “someday” “one day” is NOW! We can’t turn back the hands of time, we cannot “FAST FORWARD” the future. What is certain is TODAY!

We know that tomorrow is not guaranteed and we don’t want to be that “could of”, “would of”, “should of” type of person—–right?

My Dad told me that he regretted not becoming an artist a week before he died, this broke my heart. It was an awakening moment for me. There is no gift like living life with passion and doing the things you love to do. One of the things I love doing is helping people achieve their purpose and their goals. A week after we said good-bye to my Dad, I started my journey of owning a business.

“You have to do what you dream of doing even while you are afraid.”  ~ Arianna Huffington

If you feel stuck, unfulfilled, scared or in a place where you are not moving towards your dream…”Starting Your Own Business….. WE CAN HELP!

Join us for this informative Webinar on what it takes to make “YOUR” dream of self-employment a “REALITY”!

What You Will Learn…

  1. Characteristics of a successful Entrepreneur
  2. Defining The Vision​
  3. The 5 Steps To Starting Your Own Business
  4. Transformation:  from Dream to “Reality”!         
  5. The Business Plan!

Live your Dream! Live it Now!

RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW!

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Thank you for reading my post. Please hit the “follow” button at the top of the page. This will allow me continue to write and share with you on a variety of topics.