Adolescence brings with it many challenges - for both parents and kids. Young people, still new to the world, are embarking on a journey to discover their passions, joys, and authentic self-images. More often than not, however, their journey more closely resembles an elongated stampede of enraged elephants than it does an innocent soul-searching endeavor. But no one said growing up would be easy.

And there are young entrepreneurs out there who see the world in a truly positive light. Sure, they have their ups and downs like most teenagers, but they are motivated, focused, and want to make a difference.

Who are these kids? How were they raised? What do they have in common with one another? At the risk of making some sweeping generalizations, I will paint the picture of the young, confident entrepreneur - with the knowledge that this over-idealized portrait often comes in many colors and hues.

While entrepreneurship was never common in my family, many young entrepreneurs had experiences early on in life that lead them towards an entrepreneurial path. In general, there are two possible ways young people feel compelled towards entrepreneurship: inspiration and avoidance. Both can act as powerful catalysts for taking action.

In the case of inspired action, the young entrepreneur most likely grew up in an environment where individuality, responsibility, and financial literacy were encouraged. Even if the parent made little money to support his or her child, the underlying message often centered around taking initiative and following one's own path.

On the other hand, in the instances where avoidance is the primary motivator, the child usually wants to avoid becoming like their primary caregiver, who was most likely a negative influence. Friends of mind who have exhibited this type of motivation often have a very strong drive to succeed, yet, in part, base their motivation on what they don't want to become - and must overcome even greater adversity in life.

In order to facilitate the spirit of entrepreneurship in your family, there are many steps you can take. While these steps are particularly geared towards entrepreneurship, they apply toward creating any harmonious relationship between parent and child:

-Teach your child in creative, 'outside-the-box' ways. In a recent article with 19 year-old CEO Cameron Johnson, he told a story about how his parents gave him stocks - literally, shares in a company - in his stockings for Christmas. There are many ways you can teach your child about financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and individuality.

-Make self-awareness and wealth consciousness the highest priorities. This entails a significant amount of soul-searching. And while many adults are adverse to the concept of change, often letting go of fear and facing your demons can be the most inspirational model for your child. I have a friend who, after years of living in a fear-based reality, she learned to let go and allow herself to forgive and love others. She has never enjoyed better relationships with her children.

-If your kid acts up, stand in your truth. Don't beat around the bush or overreact. Of course, you want to be sensitive to your child's feelings and come from a place of authentic compassion. But when it comes down to it, tell it like it is - they'll appreciate it in the end.

-Give your child ample opportunity to discover independence for him or herself. It's critically important that your child learns the process of creating one's own experience of reality from a first-hand perspective. Sometimes this requires being more firm or lenient than one would like. Yet remember that you grew through making mistakes and so will your child.

If you see your child exhibiting entrepreneurial behaviors, make sure you show your support throughout his or her growth process. And if your kid is struggling to find motivation, don't worry - as long as you follow the guidelines above, you will instill the characteristics of greatness and, in due time, inspire the leader within.

So, you've decided you want to start your own business. You have a novel product to sell or an expert service to deliver. You're sure of your abilities to produce products or deliver services. But you're a little intimidated by the other rolls you must learn as a small business owner: salesman, marketer, accountant, human resources manager and more. Luckily there are a number of excellent resources for beginning entrepreneurs to learn the ropes of owning their own business. Among the wide array of resources available, the two that are most constantly cited by small business owners as the best available are the United States Small Business Administration and local Chambers of Commerce.

The Small Business Administration has offices in most parts of the country. Although getting face-to-face assistance has become a bit more difficult in recent years due to budget cuts ordered by the Bush administration, the Small Business Administration also has a website packed with helpful information, forms, tutorials and online courses. Small business owners can count on the Small Business Administration for accurate information on laws affecting small businesses, tax and social security information and small business statistics.

The Small Business Administration's sister organization, the Service Corps of Retired Executives provides mentoring and in-person courses for small business owners. The Service Corps of Retired Executives was created by a group of retired executives from large corporations who wanted to continue using their business skills after retirement to mentor small business owners.

Local Chambers of Commerce are another excellent resource. Chambers of Commerce typically serve two functions: Promoting the business climate of the area to outside investors and serving as a networking hub for existing businesses. However, due to the rise in entrepreneurship, many Chambers of Commerce are beginning to offer seminars to start up business owners including marketing, bookkeeping and other topics. They may also offer special networking events geared toward new businesses just getting started.

Once you get your business started, there is no better resource for networking than your local Chamber of Commerce. The annual fee is typically modest and covers your attendance at more functions than you could possibly find the time to attend. For example, the Chamber of Commerce in West Palm Beach, Florida offers networking breakfasts, lunches, cocktail hours and dinners. They also offer special networking events targeted at certain business sectors, sponsorship of corporate events and a member directory with advertisements from their membership.

About the Author
Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Business, Real Estate, and Employment

Going into business is a big leap and to be successful here, you have to be totally creative and focused. Many have considered starting out a business in lieu of the corporate employment ladder and while most have faltered, there are a selected few who have made headway today.

If your experience lies in architecture and construction, the home renovation market may be an important area for your job search. Home owners throughout the world are moving beyond traditional renovation methods in order to save on energy costs. Your interest in solar panels and your hands-on experience on construction sites can help you build new roofs for home owners. Other positions in the home renovation market include construction work around current structures and foreman positions that are given a mandate to recycle building materials.

Your expertise may lie in the area of city and national environmental regulations governing water runoff and building standards. This expertise can be best used in regulatory positions within a government agency. Agencies assigned the task of studying industrial waste, the efficiency of government environmental programmes and adherence to air pollution standards are looking for new graduates every year. You need to possess a keen eye for detail as well as an objectivity in enforcing policies to succeed in compliance positions.

If you don't realize how silly that is, listen to this: When a person says he is looking for a job, I tell you, he isn't looking for a job. If you give him a job without a pay, do you think he will take it? No sir, what he is looking for, is the opportunity to trade his time and energy and skill in exchange for money. Why then, does a person say he is looking for a job, when in fact he is looking for regular money? Because society has conditioned him to accept that the only acceptable way of getting regular money is to trade his time, energy and skill for it. If instead of a job, you offer him regular money, would he accept it? You bet he would! Unfortunately society doesn't work that way. In fact, society has us believing there is no such thing as regular money without a job. So much so that a jobless person is regarded with sympathy, if not contempt.

If you say everybody should accept his lot, go to work and bear with it, you are exhibiting herd mentality. If the whole village says the world is flat, do you accept that, or do you continue to believe that it is round? Just because everybody believes something or does something, doesn't mean it is the best thing to do. If it is, why do we hate Mondays, why do we look forward to public holidays, why do we wish our annual leave is longer? It's because humans are not made to work.

If you're looking for an alternative income, you should have no difficulty finding one. Snap a finger and twenty will line up outside your door. There's always Multi-Level Marketing. Then there's sales, of everything from pots and pans to insurance, investment instruments, and encyclopedias. Before you sign up to an alternative form of income, ask yourself this important question: are you going to love that new job? If it's no or if you're once again trading your time/energy/skill for money, don't go any further!

About the Author
Jon Caldwell is a business man with vast experience. You can find most of his background and work at http://www.businessrover.net/businessrovercat/bus-roverlist.php

The media has made lots of reports about entrepreneurs. Some may be true, some are not. Here are the 5 myths about being an entrepreneur.

Myth #1: Entrepreneurs only care about making money

Many people think entrepreneurs do what they do strictly for the money, and that taking risks is all about entrepreneur's personal reward.

While fear of poverty or use of money as a scorecard may have some relevance - and there are, of course, some entrepreneurs focused primarily on financial profits - generally, money is not the ultimate motivator for the majority of entrepreneurs.

Many successful entrepreneurs do not live a lavish lifestyles that reflect their financial success. Their motives are often more about ego and emotion. For most entrepreneurs, money is just a way to keep score.

Money is also a way to do bigger and more exciting deals. The thrill of challenge, the motivation of a new idea, and the risks involved have far more power to motivate the entrepreneurial spirit than money.

Myth #2: Winning means somebody else is losing

You may have heard of people speak of success in business as being "on the backs of other," suggesting that if an entrepreneur is winning, somebody else must be losing.

This attitude makes it seem like the only possible outcome of a business deal is to have one side win and the other side lose. The resulting bottom line is zero. This is sometimes referred to as the "zero-sum game."

Entrepreneurs are creative and expansionary thinkers. Rather than accepting a zero-sum result, and, contrary to the myth that an entrepreneur's success comes at the expense of others, entrepreneurs often try to figure out ways that both sides can win.

Myth #3: The greater the risk, the greater the reward

This myth is always passed on to young entrepreneurs as economic gospel. The theoretical relationship between risk and reward is coincidental at best, and then only in certain situations.

Risk is a relative concept. All else being equal, real risks are modified by knowledge, experience, hard work, passion, and unforeseen circumstances. Applying knowledge to any investment can change the risk profile.

Equally important in considering risks, perception of risks is often different from reality. What one person considers high risk might be from another's perspective a sure thing. Who then can say what's a great risk or a great reward?

Myth #4: As an entrepreneur, you can get rich quick

Have you heard of those dotcom millionaires? In the internet world, it sure seemed like people got rich overnight. But always remember that things often seem easier than they are.

It may seem to you that entrepreneurs made the huge amount of money, but do you know that there are lots of hardwork before he made it. Think twice about becoming an entrepreneur, if you think you can get rich quick.

Myth #5: A good business plan is the entrepreneur's critical roadmap to success

Venture capitalists often make business plans the key criteria in deciding whether or not to fund new companies. Business educators often talk about business plans like they are the Holy Bible of business success. The theory is that the better and more complete the business plan, the better the business will go. This is a myth.

While having an idea or a goal is critical, believing that you can create a structured, believeing that you can create a structured business plan that will endure time or place is simply naive. In the real world,it rarely happens.

Business plans can be useful initial tools, but they should be used only as guidelines. Trial and error, luck, creativity, flexibility, and adapting to unforeseeable developments ultimately are what make an entrepreneurial venture succeed.

Successful entrepreneurs know when to use creative problem solving rather than theoretical business plans.

About the Author
Joe is an enlightened entrepreneur starting his business in an out-of-the-box way. With his experience , he compiled a report, "49 Compelling Headlines to increase your profit by 433%".If you are frustrated with your advertisement response rate, you may want to get this report at http://www.millionaire-idea.com

Many will view the world of entrepreneurialism as a means of developing a business to supply the financial requirements of household needs. The prevailing dream of most aspiring entrepreneurs is to work for themselves without the need to answer to a boss.

There is, however, a culture of entrepreneurs who not only seek to become self-sufficient in the business ventures, but they also seek to be agents of societal change.

The Schwab Foundation awards 30 international entrepreneurs with a Social Capitalist Award for not only succeeding in their profession, but also providing a sense of positive societal change.

The 2006 American Social Entrepreneur of the year winner was Kyle Zimmer and a company called First Book. This company has a desire to see low income children have every opportunity to read and own books of their own.

Statistics indicate…

61% of low-income families have no age-appropriate books in the home
80 percent of preschool and after-school programs that serve this group have no books at all for these children
There are 181,500 such programs in US cities with populations exceeding 50,000 alone
The children’s book market is a $27 billion industry with over 460 million books sold annually
In 2002, just 34.5 % of US households purchased at least one children’s book

The entrepreneurs at First Book have worked to provide new children’s books for less than $2.00 per copy to programs dealing with low-income children.

Because First Book is able to sell in mass quantities to grateful literacy programs they have a significant budget that allows them to provide books to severely disadvantaged children at no cost.

Reports indicate First Book has given away more than 43 million books since it’s inception in 1992.

First Book has shown it is possible to develop a business that allows you to do what you love and be paid to do so. They have also shown that they can take the passion of an entrepreneur and combine it with a desire to affect future generations in a positive way.

Finding the right business is discovering an underserved market and developing a solution to needs that haven’t been addressed elsewhere.

There are thousands of global social entrepreneurs who are giving back to their local, national and global communities.

In an era of governmental cutbacks and reduced budgets many of these social entrepreneurs are finding great satisfaction in contributing in a meaningful way to the things they are most interested in. The prospects are limitless and often provide a greater sense of satisfaction to those who include ‘others’ as part of their business plan.

About the Author
Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of HighPowerSites and many other web projects. Get your own website online in just 5 minutes with HighPowerSites at: http://www.highpowersites.com. Start your own ebook business with BooksWealth at: http://www.bookswealth.com

The ambitious entrepreneur usually has their dream in place and now just has to concentrate on reaching their vision and making it become a reality. Life is exciting and success is just a grasp away, it is not a matter of if, but rather when.

The idea behind the business, be it a product or service you are going to offer fills you with passion and the will to succeed, it your dream now you are going to take that dream and breathe life into it to turn it into a successful business. Now you just have to get it off the ground then manage your business the right way to make it successful.

To help you get started here are some tips you should bear in mind, they can help the ambitious entrepreneur to get off to the best start and make the most from your ideas.

Perhaps the best advice is to keep things as simple as possible; you can achieve this by sticking with what you actually know. If you go into business with something you know nothing about, you are starting off on the wrong footing and making the way so much harder.

While you have all this excess energy and of course you put your all into your business because you want it to be a success, Remember that success cannot be rushed. Some of the most successful businesses usually turn out very different from the original plans once they have reached success. Be persistent but patient when heading towards success in your business, it will come, be it can take time.

The majority of first time ambitious entrepreneurs fail because they refuse to ask for advice. Having a mentor for support is not a sign of weakness and they are only there for support. However you should be very wary of listening to bad advice so choose your mentor carefully and wisely.

Good cash management is essential for the success of any business, it doesn’t matter how good your idea is or how popular your product is, if you cannot manage your company’s finances you are doomed. While it’s not essential to have a full time finance director, don’t fall into the trap of thinking your book keeper will manage your cash successfully.

So if you are an up and coming ambitious entrepreneur full of ideas, follow the simple advice outlined above and make your mark on the business world.

About the Author
Judith Morgan provides Ambitious Entrepreneurs with business coaching, focus, inspiration, advice, acumen and expertise for successful entrepreneurs who want to create even greater wealth through their own businesses.

So, you’re this successful business owner who still works sixteen hours a day, and is proud of it. You gave up family time, missed vacations and a myriad other simple pleasures, but feel that the sacrifice was worthwhile. You’re overworked and stressed out, and look ten years older than you are. While you loved to play a good, hard game of football in college, you don’t walk three blocks anymore. Well, can you justify being physically unfit .

Entrepreneurs are great at falling off the exercise wagon. And who can blame them really – with all the stress and overload, there’s no time for anything else. When realisation dawns that this isn’t the best way to lead one’s life, it’s probably the aftermath of some health disaster.

We don’t want to see that happen to you. You can and must maintain a fitness routine despite your busy schedule – in time, your improved fitness levels will actually improve productivity at work.

And it doesn’t have to cost a lot – in terms of time, energy or equipment. All it needs is focus and commitment, and as a successful business owner, you’re no stranger to those.

So, let’s look at a few exercise tips for a change:

There can be a first time. You can start a fitness routine , even if you’ve never had one before. Lots of people assume that they should have been star athletes in their heyday to pick up an exercise regimen in their later years. That’s rubbish. It’s never too late to make a start, and everyone can improve their athletic ability, with effort.

It is a fact that physical activity yields benefits in terms of improved muscle mass, lowered fat and overall well being at any age, even at ninety! So, go for it and reap the benefits.

It can be enjoyable. And that depends on what activity you choose. Exercise need not necessarily mean intensive weight training or running cross country (although there are plenty of people who love to do that). Dancing, yoga or playing other sport is equally effective. In fact, combining several activities can be both enjoyable and also beneficial in terms of giving you a balanced work out.

It doesn’t take that much time. Fitness is as much a frame of mind as anything else. Orient yourself towards it as you would with a work related project. How long does it take to choose to eat the right things? How much longer does it take to climb the stairs to your office than take the elevator? If you can’t spare twenty minutes a day purely for exercise, find other alternatives. Move around the office, take a short walk after lunch…and so on. Any physical activity, even the slightest is better than none.

It won’t hurt like crazy. Sure, if you’ve been sedentary all your life, exercise will give you some muscle soreness in the beginning. The trick is to take it in small, manageable steps. You won’t feel a thing in a couple of weeks!

The risks are far outweighed by the benefits. People are frightened at the thought of exercise related injury or worse. Unchecked, excessive exercise can do damage – therefore, check with your doctor if you think you’re medically at risk. But otherwise, the medical benefits of exercise far outweigh the risks.

It won’t cost an arm and a leg… merely the fat in them. Bad joke apart, there’s no denying the truth of that statement. A fitness routine does not have to involve a swank gym with ultra high tech equipment. Simple, but efficient gear will do just as well - dumbbells, skipping rope, a pair of sneakers.. and you’re ready!

About the Author
Hi, I'm Akhil Shahani, a serial entrepreneur who wants to help you succeed. I have created http://www.smartentrepreneur.net to help you benefit from all I've learned on my journey creating successful companies. Check it out today!

One of the biggest myths regarding starting your own business is that you are doomed to failure unless you have a natural aptitude or a natural talent for business. In other words, if you weren't born to be an entrepreneur, then you are going to be sunk before you even start. Needless to say, this is an untrue notion. While there are a number of skills that you absolutely have to be a successful businessman, there are ways for you to develop those skills along the way. Instead of those skills, what you need to be thinking about are the qualities inherent to all good entrepreneurs. There are some of them and there are some things you need to have, but if you are interested in starting a business chances are you have them already.

The first one is perseverance. Starting a business is like the exponential version of working on a project for school. When you are learning a new concept for that project, you are going to have to go slow, but steady. If you just start, do it for a bit and then leave it alone, you are going to fail the project. But if you start it and then keep at it little by little, you are going to end up with a successful final product. This is what you need to do in business; you need to keep at it until you get to the point of being successful.

In addition to perseverance, you need to have a thick skin. In the business world, you are going to meet a number of cut-throat individuals that would like nothing better than to see you fail so that they can succeed. While it is good to have business relationships with other companies, what is not so good is taking anything negative they say as the gospel and taking it completely to heart. If you do that, then it won't take very many negative comments before you hang up your business for good. Consider taking people's advice if it is constructive, but do not listen to anyone that is completely negative.

Finally, in addition to perseverance and a thick skin, you also need to have the ability to deal with failure. There are a number of people that do not have this ability and in fact there are people that give up on something after having one unsuccessful try at it. This is something that you need to avoid in business because you're going to fail at things again and again. The most successful businessmen of today were failures at some point yesterday; what makes them successful businessmen is that they did not give up. You shouldn't give up either; if you have one quality out of these three; make sure it is the ability to deal with failure.

About the Author
Dock J. Murphy is owner of Plug in Profit http://Site.com and writes on a variety on a variety of subjects. To learn more about this topic Dock J. recommends you visit: Http://www.pluginprofitsite.com/main-17106

From across America and around the world secretaries are stapling their last report, delivery drivers have placed their last package, sales associates have paid their respects and moved on, and moms are moving away from the jelly stains and into the world of high finance. The fever of entrepreneurialism is striking at the core of that part of humanity that knows there must be more than life than what has been experienced.

So one fearful step follows another as men and women plumb the depths of their own internal hard drive that has somehow believed uniformity and safety are keys to survival in the arms of traditional employment, bit in the end these individuals come away knowing there is a critical error.

Something is wrong, so they take action and leave the 9-5.

Friends and family may feel you’ve given up the ‘good life’ for a lemonade stand, but somehow you know that if you don’t do this you would be denying something profound that directs you from the very core of your being.

Oh, you can be certain there will be moments of self-doubt when you look in the mirror and say, “What have I done?” Those moments are simply pennies of the rail of life; minor hiccups as you continue steaming on toward something that is uniquely you.

Entrepreneurialism is hard work, but there will be an understanding that the hard work is being done because you WANT to do it and not because someone is telling you that you MUST do the work.

Entrepreneurialism is about a growing sense of self-satisfaction in the process of dream fulfillment. It is being willing to risk leaving the safety net of 9-5 for the unfamiliar, unknown and untamed.

It is hard for those we know and love to perceive what we are doing as anything other than reckless endangerment either to our future and ourselves or to our families and their sense of security. Friends and family may be certain we have abandoned our senses and left good judgment somewhere outside our immediate reach.

The journey of an entrepreneur will be misunderstood, misidentified and misjudged by those who have only known the safety net found in working for another. What is foolhardy to the one is liberation to the other.

History is filled with the scars of those who bore the wounds of those who knew no vision yet persisted to follow their own dream. The scars, it seems, are simply the payment many entrepreneurs must make in the face of opposition from those who have yet to see the bigger picture.

So, to all the entrepreneurs who have ever faced the misunderstandings of those closest to you, yet have prevailed to live a life with both purpose and passion, I thank you. You continue to pave the way brilliantly for a new generation of the world’s bravest and best to follow a path created just for them – in doing so, your legacy becomes tied to something other than a time card.

About the Author
Learn How To Make A Website with HighPowerSites.com or Build Own Website at BuildAGreatSite.com. Make Money Selling Ebooks at BooksWealth.com.

Entrepreneurs have lots of ideas and are full of enthusiasm. They take risks to go, go, go, but they aren't so good at following rules or listening to advice. Meetings, budgets, paying bills are boring. Communicating with others is a big challenge. Managers write policies, procedures, and enforce the rules, keep the house in order, but change is really scary.

Charlie and Martin were best friends in high school in spite of being as different as night and day. Charlie was volatile, full of ideas, always on the go. College was boring; anyway he already had one patent to his name and was developing more ideas. Martin was staid, some said boring. He did a business degree in college, and finance was his favorite subject.

Charlie was really excited about one of his ideas; he was sure it would sell. He proposed to Martin that they form a business together. Martin knew Charlie's ideas were good and liked the idea of putting into practice what he had learned in Business School.

Martin wrote a business plan. With Charlie's idea talk and Martin's finance talk they persuaded a banker to give them a loan. They were in business.

Charlie soon had more ideas; he started two then three more projects. Martin urged him to complete the production plans for their first product. When the first product was about to go into production, Charlie suddenly decided that it must be modified or it wouldn't sell, more money, more delay.

When the sales agent wanted to talk to Charlie about promotional material, he wasn't interested. "You do it". When the agent had printed up some draft versions, Charlie didn't like them. He went out and spent lots of money on fancy camera work and printing without discussing the expense with Martin. He said later that Martin was too afraid to spend any money and without some expenditure they would get nowhere.

Charlie talked such a good spiel with customers that they had lots of advance orders, but now customers were demanding to see results or threatening to cancel. The original credit was exhausted.

Martin had to drag Charlie to see the banker. Again Charlie talked persuasively about his ideas. The banker listened and then said "I think you guys need more than money. You need a coach. We'll talk more about money after you talk to this person."

The coach explained to them that brains are wired differently and that understanding why one behaves the way one does is the first step to modifying one's behavior. Charlie protested "I'm the way I am, and I can only work this way." Martin also protested " If I don't have control of the finances, there'll be no work for you to do."

The coach said, "Those are your current belief systems and right now they have led you into this mess. You can change your belief systems and the way you work, but only if you choose to do so. I can not train your brain for you. Current thinking is that the brain is like a muscle, it grows and strengthens according to the way you use it. It's your choice. Stay the way you are and go out of business or train your brains and give your business new life."

Charlie and Martin, needless to say, took the coach's advice. With the coach's help Charlie learned to be aware of himself and others and to let others do their jobs. Martin learned to loosen his hold on the purse strings without losing control. They gained new respect for each other and worked out a modus operandi which defined who was responsible for what. Their first product went to market and sold like hot cakes.

Celebrate!

About the Author
Sarah Jane Keyser coaches for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD).For a free coaching session, contact me at skeyser@bluewin.ch. Learn more about ADHD at http://www.CoachingKeytoADD.com or sign up for Zebra Stripes, a free E-zine for ADHD at http://www.coachingkeytoadd.com/newsletter/newsarchive.html

A high percentage of businesses are run by very enthusiastic entrepreneurs and the enthusiasm in many cases, overshadows logic. Very often, there are a few mistakes that are very common to different types of businesses.

1) Entrepreneurs tend to go into businesses because they are extremely excited by the idea and they seldom pay attention to the question;"Can I fulfil a need with this business?"

If you are not fulfilling a need, very likely people will not patronise your business. They need a compelling reason to come to your business.

2) Entrepreneurs tend to go into business because they see others making money from a particular service or product.

This does not always turn out to be profitable. Saturated markets are the hardest to penetrate and it can be frustrating especially for an entrepreneur with little or no business building experience. Here in St Vincent, many people open businesses that sell clothing. This is probably the most popular business that I see around and many of them are suffering because about 80% of them sell exactly the same items. Exclusivity in business usually wins. Whenever you stand out and people have a unique benefit of using your business, they will come. Take advantage of situations where you can differ from the crowd. In my opinion, the best application of this concept is in the XanGo company( http://kamsu.natureswellnesssecret.com ). The product is unique and the process is PATENTED so the EXCLUSIVITY will ensure that the company dominates the field of companies that may attempt to create a similar product in the long term.

3) Entrepreneurs tend to go into business and use generic names or simply some "concoction" of their first name with an apostrophe "s" at the tend. How can you stand out like this? Let's say your name is Lisa Schneider for example. You open a business and instantly decide to call it "Lisa's". A name can either make or break your business. Of course there are huge companies that have used this type of nomenclature very successfully such as Macy's but the business arena is so saturated, it's more beneficial nowadays to come up with a name that begins to tell the story of what your business offers. Payless Shoe Store instantly conveys the idea of affordable footwear. A small number of people who look at a newspaper ad and decide to visit the newly opened "Lisa's" will actually be converted to paying customers. On the other hand, if you were to open a "Payless Shoe Store", the people who see your ad in the paper and decide to visit, are already pre-qualified to purchase your product so a much higher percentage of visitors will actually be converted to customers.

Later on this week, I'll outline the advantages and disadvantages of podcasting and blogging.

About the Author
I'm Kamara Alleyne and I have a blog that targets small business owners and entrepreneurs. I am constantly seeking and finding helpful resources and links to business growth professionals so the blog is now a huge and growing reservoir of resources and links for small business owners and operators. The address is http://lilmak.blogspot.com

Nothing happens in business until a sale is made. Marketing is simply about getting new customers and keeping them. If you’re not doing something everyday to market and promote your business, your competitors are. Here are ten easy-to-implement tips to effectively market and grow your business:

1. Partner with large email database list owners and offer to cross promote each oher. The list owner will advertise your event, product, or service to their email database and you’ll offer to do the same to your list.

2. Create your own blog which is an online journal with frequently updated posts to entertain and excite existing and potential customers. It’s more personal and immediate then a website and keeps people engaged and hopefully coming back for more. You can even create one for free at http://www.blogger.com.

3. If you want to increase word-of-mouth fast, do something beyond normal industry expectations. For example, Mr. Lube offers fast and affordable tune-up service to customers right on the spot, without having to leave the car, while offering coffee, cappuccino, and a fresh newspaper.

4. Always ask happy clients for endorsements or testimonials and put them on your website and other marketing collateral. They’re worth their weight in gold. Try to get some recognizable names in your community for additional cachet.

5. Put a special offer or product advertorial on every invoice and statement you send out. Likewise, you can also negotiate a deal with another company to advertise your product or service on all their invoices for a percentage of revenues from placed orders.

6. Make your business cards stand out and be natural keepers. Offer important information on the back such as emergency phone numbers, a map, or special dates to remember. Have a slogan that offers a powerful benefit statement to your prospective customer.

7. Offer special bonus packages with your product or service offering. Get corporate sponsors to give away products as part of the bonus package in exchange for free exposure.

8. Align your business with a cause or charity. Give back to your community. Customers appreciate doing business with companies that are bettering their communities and the environment and being good corporate citizens.

9. Find an angle that makes your work controversial. The banning of Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, reviewed as "trashy and vicious," was a blessing in disguise. Twain made a poster advertising the ban, which significantly increased sales.

10. Post frequently in online message boards/forums relevant to your business or expertise. Include your signature and offer tips and valuable advice. Eventually you will begin gaining word-of-mouth exposure as a leader in your field. Posting messages with your company information also helps to increase your search engine rankings and drive traffic to your site.

[Excerpted from Sharif Khan’s new ebooklet: "101 Ways to Market Your Business," http://tinyurl.com/m2nsf ].

About the Author
Sharif Khan (http://www.herosoul.com; sharif@herosoul.com) is a freelance writer, motivational speaker, coach, and author of "Psychology of the Hero Soul," an inspirational book on awakening the hero within and developing people’s leadership potential. Call 416-417-1259 to learn about Sharif's business writing, copywriting, and speaking services.

These eleven traps can catch entrepreneurs and early stage businesses before they even realize it and will lead to failure if not anticipated and avoided or correctly when discovered.

1.Getting Wedded To an Idea and Sticking With It Too Long.
Don’t marry a single idea. Remember, ideas are the currency of entrepreneurs. Play with many ideas, research the opportunity and the competition, and determine up front which ones are most likely to bring money and success. Many factors impact the success of an idea….timing, money, who you know….Your sense of urgency must be grounded with fundamentals of can the idea succeed based on solid planning and analytics.

2.No Business Plan.
A business plan evolves. Initially it will help you assess the feasibility of your business to achieve your personal goals and its success in the market. Then I will provide a blue print for moving from a start up to an emerging company to a growth company to candidate for acquisition or for expansion.

3.Build it and they will come syndrome.
Your first task is to bring a product to market that meets a specific need of a customer. You must know why they will buy and what they will pay for it. Otherwise, your business plan and your forecast will never be a reality. Then you must keep in mind that changes in your customers’ preferences and your competitors’ products and services can leave you in the dust unless you get to know your customers well, what they want now and will likely want in the future, what their buying patterns are, and how you can be a resource for them even if you don’t have the right products or services for them now!

4.Ignoring Your Cash Position.
The world (your customers) doesn’t respond to even a superior product in the timeframe that you think they should. Unless you are dealing with a point of purchase, emotional purchase, statistics say a buyer needs 2 exposures before having a mental recognition to remember and want to move toward a purchase. You’ll need plenty of cash to sustain yourself in the meantime. Cash Flow means Cash flows in and out. You will need to pay for the expertise you don’t have. You need to have cash on hand to pay for your operating expenses and to hire professionals for short term specific engagements.

5.No Mastermind Group.
Get an advisory board or a mentor! Sounds crazy for a small operation? It’s not! The board can be family members that you trust, or friends. Ask them to be your board of advisors and review your business plans and results with them. Having someone to bounce ideas off and get an objective opinion is critical. They can also keep you accountable to your dream and your plan.

6.Ignoring Advise of those in the position to give it.
Your Board of Advisors should consist of people with direct experience in the industry or in the go to market model for your business. You should listen to them. You should also listen to anybody who offers advice and can back it up with money or access to money. Too many great ideas and great business die on the vine because the entrepreneur didn’t check their ego at the door.

7.Confusing Likelihood with Reality.
The successful entrepreneur lives in a world of likelihood but spends money in the world of reality. The Entrepreneurial spirit is one that is filled with hope, optimism, and drive. However, the world runs on dollars and cents, supply and demand….if there isn’t demand and dollars that follow that, then there is no business.

8.Scratch and Win Mentality.
I have seen it see it so often….A company spends precious dollars on presentation fees and large retainers without doing their own due diligence on the firm to see if that expense will lead to success, and they think because they paid it, that money will automatically flow to them. They could have a fundamental flaw in their business plan and to market, but will never know that the $15k or $20K they spent on fees should have been spent with professional services to bridge their gaps.

9.No Sales and Marketing Plan.
A red flag to an investor is the formula…1% of a 300 Million dollar market means the business will generate $3Million. A sales plan is a fundamental element of your income forecast. Without a sales plan, there is no way for an investor to gauge your ability to implement. For your ongoing business, there’s no serious way to gauge the financial growth and progress. You need a realistic map for where the sales will come from, how they’ll come and from whom. You need to know your cost of goods so you can determine your profit and break even. The Sales Plan is different from the Marketing plan. One create awareness and demand, the other maps how the strategy you need to get in front of the right types of people , companies, etc. There marketing plan implemented effectively, efficiently, elegantly and consistently will shorten your Path to Profitability.

10.Being a Lone Ranger.
You might be the key to everything BUT you cannot DO everything and grow at the same time. Even modest success can overwhelm you unless you hire the right staff and delegate responsibility. You need to have the cash necessary to hire permanent and temporary resources so that you can prepare your business owner, and someone owned by the business, if your business is going to be an asset to be acquired some day, it must be able to run with you. That requires a good team and good leadership to develop the leaders around you. You need to plan from the beginning on how you will grow your business to operate without you.

11.Giving Up-Burn the Boats.
Do Not give up…you must give it your all until you know that it is time to move on and recognize the errors in planning that occurred so you can lean and apply to your next endeavor. Burn the Boats….When the Americas were first discovered by Cortez, he ordered his captains to burn the boats so that the men would not have a way out in their campaign to conquer the new world…except to win. However failure is inevitable in some cases and is part of the learning process. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs failed several times before doing extremely well. So, if you’re failing-fail. And fail fast. And learn. And try again, with this new wisdom.

About the Author
As a venture catalyst with LAUNCHfn & NBAI, accelerates the capital raising process by delivering resources and capital. $23.7 Million in funding transactions have been completed since 1994 through the Private Equity Investor Forum. View my Linked In Profile http://www.linkedin.com/in/roxiethomas

What makes a successful business owner or entrepreneur? Some say creativity, others say passion, organization, or leadership skills. The qualities that help make entrepreneurs successful range from the practical to the esoteric; from learned skills to natural tendancies, or the way you think, act and behave.

The qualities that make entrepreneurs successful often have to do with "big picture" skills like planning, acting and thinking strategically, or being able to create or envision something that doesn't exist yet.

Successful entrepreneurs also tend to be able to detach themselves from what's happening, get a bird's eye view, in order to get a new prospective and see what's really happening and what has to be done.

Here (in no particular order) are some of the most significant entrepreneurial characteristics:

• Energy and enthusiasm.
• A passion for what you do.
• The assertiveness to push forward your ideas.
• A love of novelty and new things.
• Take initiative to do what needs to be done.
• Creativity and imagination.
• Be a self starter, make things happen on your own.
• Be able to manage your time and be productive.
• Be really good at following-through.
• Be ready for anything that comes up.
• Think positively and believe in yourself.
• The ability to make decisions.
• Not be afraid or embarrassed to ask for help when needed.
• Effectiveness at persuasion.
• Problem solving skills.
• Ability to be flexible, adaptable, and creative.
• Think "out of the box".
• The ability to produce results.
• Ability to take risks and do so in a calculated way.
• Enjoy the ride, if you don't why bother?
• The ability to negotiate and compromise, not get so stuck that nothing moves forward.
• An exacting and exhaustive mentality.
• An appropriate sense of urgency.
• Resilience after Failure, not giving up when things get tough.
• Alertness to all that's happening around you.
• Leadership: The ability to envision the future and motivate others to follow that vision.
• The ability to manage stress. If you can't who will?
• The persistence to keep on going.
• Confidence in your ideas and yourself.
• The ability to reflect and improve
• The ability to plan, act and think strategically

Which entrepreneurial traits do you possess?

Which ones would you like to develop?

Whether you're already running a business, or just thinking of starting one, you might want to consider sharpening your entrepreneurial skills so that you can achieve the business success you're looking for.

© 2004-2007, Susan Martin, Business Sanity.

About the Author
Susan Martin, NYC based business coach helps business owners and professionals get Business Sanity. Find out how you hone your skills, make more money with less effort and stress by visiting Susan on the web at http://www.business-sanity.com and sign up for her free Business Sanity Tips

What seems like a century ago, I left school and joined a well-known High Street Bank. In those days working as a bank clerk was a well-established route for many school leavers and perceived to be a proper job with prospects. It wasn’t long before I became disillusioned with the world of banking and sought a change of job. In complete contrast to my previous job, I became a clerk in the local hospital dealing with the injured and infirm, but it was a role that I found strangely interesting and rewarding. In today’s parlance, it is known as job satisfaction.

My career progressed rapidly and after working in a number of different departments I became Admissions Officer of a major regional hospital where I soon gained valuable front line experience. There is nothing more conducive to honing your powers of communication, persuasion, resilience and empathy than dealing with people when they are at their most vulnerable. Working in an Accident and Emergency Department definitely puts one’s life completely into perspective and is like being part of a TV medical soap opera.

My career came to halt when I met my husband and moved away from the area. I have to admit that back in the early 70’s marrying and having the obligatory 2.4 children was still the acceptable norm, although liberation for women was gathering pace. Being a conservative soul, I slipped into the mainstream and before I knew it I was the wife of a career man and the mother of two children living in a three-bed semi. Returning to work was not a consideration and this proved to be a sensible decision as my husband was posted to four different locations throughout the UK in the space of 6 years.

At the end of this period, the children were at school, our relocation days were over and we were finally able to establish some roots and settle down as a family. It was time to start considering my own needs and to plan a return to the mainstream work environment. This was not an easy thing to do after almost seven years of raising a family, but I plucked up courage and found myself back in the health care sector as a part time receptionist at my local doctor’s surgery, a role that I found very satisfying. My confidence increased and my job gave me a focus outside of my immediate family. I regained some independence, earned my own money and met a new circle of friends. At last I had an opportunity to talk about something other than children and I felt that the old grey matter was once again being stimulated!

After a while, the novelty of working in a doctor’s surgery wore off and I felt that I needed a fresh challenge. At the same time my husband also felt that he had had enough of corporate life and wanted to do something completely different. For a couple that had had a very structured life, the crossroads seemed to be particularly difficult to negotiate. After two years had passed and a couple of false starts, I decided that I wanted to pursue my own business interest with a little bit of help from my husband. He had pursued a portfolio career and had the time and expertise to help me develop my plans and make sure that I was on the right tracks.

The idea was quite simple and was borne out of my own frustration of finding quality lighting products locally for the home. Although we didn’t live in an isolated area, we still had to travel at least forty miles to find a lighting outlet that sold, what I considered to be, quality lighting. Upon further investigation, I found that there are many areas in the UK that are not well served with lighting shops and therefore I felt that there must be an opportunity to fill this gap in the market.

Once this need had been identified, the next problem was where to start. Opening my own shop was an option, but the economics of doing so were really not that attractive. Lighting is space hungry and the overheads associated with running a shop can be phenomenal. The other drawback was that whilst one shop would satisfy a few people, it didn’t really address the fundamental issue of providing a wide range of quality of lighting to as many people as possible as conveniently as possible. The answer lay on the Internet and via a mail order system, where people would not be bound by geographical or time constraints.

As the concept developed, I managed to enlist the cooperation of a couple of lighting manufacturers. This was not easy, since there are few suppliers who are prepared to take time to listen to your idea, let alone help you when you are not able to offer them any tangible evidence that you can deliver in any way, shape or form. Having secured the supply of products with David Hunt Lighting and Le Dauphin Lighting, I needed to find out how to set up a website and develop a mail order catalogue. I actually began by looking for an accountant, which is testimony to my optimism about the business empire that I was planning to build over the coming years! Within two meetings I had been introduced to a web designer and a marketing company, both of which were based locally. The brakes were off and before long I was immersed in a completely new world. After months of contemplation and planning, The Light Company (Direct) Ltd was formed and was rapidly taking shape. It was a further six months until all the pieces of the jigsaw came together and, on the 19 January 2004, the website was launched and the mail order catalogues delivered.

As with many new business ventures, the early days are the most difficult and I am spending all of my time exploring ways in which I can make people aware of the extensive range of contemporary and classical decorative lighting that is on offer. I have already decided to open a showroom that will double up as my office design studio and mail order room. Although compact, the showroom will be far more suitable than the lock up on an industrial estate that I am currently using. It is a leap of faith, but having come this far, it is one that I feel has to be taken.

It is certainly a long way from the Accident and Emergency Department. I have swapped a career in the NHS to become an entrepreneur, even though I do not believe that I have the archetypical qualities of such. I am still nervous about taking risks and I still worry about what the future may hold, but my course is set and there is no backtracking. Although completely unconnected, my years working in the health sector have proved to be useful particularly in dealing with customers and suppliers. It seems that good communication, combined with the ability to deal positively with people who are demanding across a whole spectrum of issues and events, are distinct attributes irrespective of your industry sector. In a perverse sort of way, this is the aspect of the business that turns me on and which fuels my enthusiasm to succeed.

Running a small business is tough because the buck stops at you for absolutely everything. The difference between success and failure can be a fine line. A small mistake in the first two years can knock a small business owner for six whilst a large new customer can propel you very quickly to new horizons.

Small business owners need to deal with all aspects of the business from book keeping, marketing, innovation, distribution, finance and customers that refuse to pay. Large companies have a separate department for each of the above tasks.

If you make a mistake in your record keeping the Inland Revenue comes knocking on your door. They work on the rule that you have read all their pamphlets and do not class ignorance as a defence. What a bunch of losers!

Countless sleepless nights, arguments with bank managers, disputes with suppliers and angry customers can all lead to stress overload.

And this is just the start, especially if you have gone into business with a friend! Make sure that everything you have agreed on is in writing so that further down the road there are no disputes about what was agreed. Better still do not go into business with a friend!

The first couple of years are the hardest as most banks have very tough lending criteria for small businesses. Do not hesitate to change your bank manager or even your bank if you are not getting a sympathetic response. Not all banks are the same. Some even offer free banking for the first couple of years!

Having a good accountant who will not start billing you the second you call, can help a lot. If you have friend who also happens to be an accountant then this could prove invaluable. Do not be scared to change your accountant or lawyer at the start. Building the right relationships at the beginning is critical.

Another problem small business face is absenteeism. If one member of staff is of ill it can reduce the entire workforce by fifty percent! It's a great idea to have someone you can rely on as a backup. Another great idea is to possibly take on two part timers rather than one employee. They can both act as back ups for each other.

It's important that you plan your growth. Obviously we would all like to see really good growth but if a business grows too fast it can lead to disaster. In some cases you might have to rein it until cash flows allow for another spurt.

Factoring your debts - where a finance company pays you upfront 80% of any outstanding invoices and then does the job of chasing payments can really help here.

Never be afraid to change tracks if the something is not working. If you are selling products that are not making you money - change direction. If you have a customer who takes up too much time for very little profit - dump him. If you have a supplier who keeps letting you down - find a new one. If you have an obnoxious employee - find someone else now before you waste too much time training the wrong person.

Be creative and always on the lookout for that special idea, promotion material or something different to get your customers talking about you.

Once you have run your own company successfully and got used to making your own decisions, it can be very exhilarating & chances are that you will never work for someone again.

About the Author
Naz Daud Internet Franchise & Business Opportunity Business Directory & Internet Franchises