Tag: Intermediate

  • Successful Characteristics of Entrepreneur

    Successful Characteristics of Entrepreneur

    Have you ever thought about striking out on your own? After all, being your own boss can be an exciting prospect. However, owning a business isn’t for everyone. To be a successful entrepreneur, you must have or develop certain personality traits. Here are nine characteristics you should ideally possess to start and run your own business:

    I. Motivation: Entrepreneurs are enthusiastic, optimistic and future-oriented. They believe they’ll be successful and are willing to risk their resources in pursuit of profit. They have high energy levels and are sometimes impatient. They are always thinking about their business and how to increase their market share. Are you self-motivated enough to do this, and can you stay motivated for extended periods of time? Can you bounce back in the face of challenges?

    Meaning of Motivation is a theoretical construct used to explain behavior. It gives the reason for people’s actions, desires, and needs. Motivation can also be defined as one’s direction to behavior, or what causes a person to want to repeat a behavior and vice versa. A motive is what prompts the person to act in a certain way, or at least develop an inclination for specific behavior. According to Maehr and Meyer, “Motivation is a word that is part of the popular culture as few other psychological concepts are.”

    II. Creativity and Persuasiveness: Successful entrepreneurs have the creative capacity to recognize and pursue opportunities. They possess strong selling skills and are both persuasive and persistent. Are you willing to promote your business tirelessly and look for new ways to get the word out about your product or service? Meaning of Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something new and somehow valuable is formed. The created item may be intangible (such as an idea, a scientific theory, a musical composition, or a joke) or a physical object (such as an invention, a literary work, or a painting).

    III. Versatility: Company workers can usually rely on a staff or colleagues to provide service or support. As an entrepreneur, you’ll typically start out as a “Solo-entrepreneur,” meaning you will be on your own for a while. You may not have the luxury of hiring a support staff initially. Therefore, you will end up wearing several different hats, including secretary, bookkeeper and so on. You need to be mentally prepared to take on all these tasks at the beginning. Can you do that? Meaning of Versatility; ability to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities.

    IV. Superb Business Skills: Entrepreneurs are naturally capable of setting up the internal systems, procedures and processes necessary to operate a business. They are focused on cash flow, sales and revenue at all times. Successful entrepreneurs rely on their business skills, know-how and contacts. Evaluate your current talents and professional network. Will your skills, contacts and experience readily transfer to the business idea you want to pursue?

    V. Risk Tolerance: Launching any entrepreneurial venture is risky. Are you willing to assume that risk? You can reduce your risk by thoroughly researching your business concept, industry and market. You can also test your concept on a small scale. Can you get a letter of intent from prospective customers to purchase? If so, do you think customers would actually go through with their transaction?

    VI. Drive: As an entrepreneur, you are in the driver’s seat, so you must be proactive in your approaches to everything. Are you a doer — someone willing to take the reins — or would you rather someone else do things for you? Meaning of Drive; operate and control the direction and speed of a motor vehicle. Propel or carry along by force in a specified direction.

    VII. Vision: One of your responsibilities as founder and head of your company is deciding where your business should go. That requires vision. Without it, your boat will be lost at sea. Are you the type of person who looks ahead and can see the big picture? Meaning of Vision; the faculty or state of being able to see. The ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom. An experience of seeing someone or something in a dream or trance, or as a supernatural apparition.

    VIII. Flexibility and Open-Mindedness: While entrepreneurs need a steadfast vision and direction, they will face a lot of unknowns. You will need to be ready to tweak any initial plans and strategies. New and better ways of doing things may come along as well. Can you be open-minded and flexible in the face of change? Definition of Flexibility; The quality of bending easily without breaking.

    IX. Decisiveness: As an entrepreneur, you won’t have room for procrastination or indecision. Not only will these traits stall progress, but they can also cause you to miss crucial opportunities that could move you toward success. Can you make decisions quickly and seize the moment? Definition of Decisiveness; The ability to make decisions quickly and effectively. the conclusive nature of an issue that has been settled or a result that has been produced.

  • Personal Characteristics of the Entrepreneur

    Personal Characteristics of the Entrepreneur

    An entrepreneur is typically in control of a commercial undertaking, directing the factors of production – the human, financial and material resources that are required to exploit a business opportunity. They act as the manager and oversee the launch and growth of an enterprise. Entrepreneurship is the process by which an individual (or team) identifies a business opportunity and acquires and deploys the necessary resources required for its exploitation. The exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities may include actions such as developing a business plan, hiring the human resources, acquiring financial and material resources, providing leadership, and being responsible for the venture’s success or failure.

    How did Michael Dell come up with the idea of a “build it yourself” computer company? How did Dave Roberts, the founder of Pop Cap Games, figure out that there is a large and growing market for “casual” electronic games?

    Researchers have identified several characteristics that tend to make some people better at recognizing opportunities than others. Before we talk about them, there is an important yet subtle difference between two key terms pertaining to this topic. We’ve already defined an opportunity as a favorable set of circumstances that create the need for a new product, service, or business. But, the term opportunity recognition refers to the process of perceiving the possibility of a profitable new business or a new product or service. That is, an opportunity cannot be pursued until it’s recognized. Now let’s look at some Personal or specific characteristics shared by those who excel at recognizing an opportunity.

    Prior Experience

    Several studies show that prior experience in an industry helps entrepreneurs recognize business opportunities. For example, evidence over time about the founders of firms appearing on the Inc. 500 list shows that well over 40 percent of those studied got the idea for their new businesses while working as employees for companies in the same industries. This finding is consistent with the findings of research studies the National Federation of Independent Businesses’ group has completed over time. There are several explanations for these findings. By working in an industry, an individual may spot a market niche that is under-served. It is also possible that while working in a particular area, an individual builds a network of social contacts in that industry that may provide insights that lead to opportunities.

    Once an entrepreneur starts a firm, new venture opportunities become apparent. This is called the corridor principle, which states that once an entrepreneur starts a firm, he or she begins a journey down a path where “corridors” leading to new venture opportunities become apparent. The insight provided by this principle is simply that once someone starts a firm and becomes immersed in an industry, it’s much easier for that person to see new opportunities in the industry than it is for someone looking in from the outside.

    Cognitive Factors

    Opportunity recognition may be an innate skill or a cognitive process. There are some who think that entrepreneurs have a “sixth sense” that allows them to see opportunities that others miss. This sixth sense is called entrepreneurial alertness, which is formally defined as the ability to notice things without engaging in the deliberate search. Most entrepreneurs see themselves in this light, believing they are more “alert” than others. Alertness is largely a learned skill, and people who have more knowledge of an area tend to be more alert to opportunities in that area than others? A computer engineer, for example, would be more alert to needs and opportunities within the computer industry than a lawyer would be.

    The research findings on entrepreneurial alertness are mixed. Some researchers conclude that alertness goes beyond noticing things and involves a more purposeful effort. For example, one scholar believes that the crucial difference between opportunity finders (i.e., Entrepreneurs) and non-finders is their relative assessments of the marketplace. In other words, entrepreneurs may be better than others at sizing up the marketplace and inferring the likely implications.

    Social Networks

    The extent and depth of an individual’s social network affects opportunity recognition. People who build a substantial network of social and professional contacts will be exposed to more opportunities and ideas than people with sparse networks. This exposure can lead to new business

    starts. Research results over time consistently suggest that somewhere between 40 percent and 50 percent of those who start businesses got their ideas through social contacts. In a related study, the differences between solo entrepreneurs (those who identified their business ideas on their own) and network entrepreneurs (those who identified their ideas through social contacts) were examined. The researchers found that network entrepreneurs identified significantly more opportunities than solo entrepreneurs but were less likely to describe themselves as being particularly alert or creative.

    An important concept that sheds light on the importance of social networks to opportunity recognition is the differential impact of strong-tie versus weak-tie relationships. Relationships with other people are called “ties.” We all have ties. Strong-tie relationships are characterized by frequent interaction and ties between coworkers, friends, and spouses. Weak-tie relationships are characterized by infrequent interaction and ties between casual acquaintances. According to research in this area, it is more likely that an entrepreneur will get a new business idea through a weak-tie than a strong-tie relationship because strong-tie relationships, which typically form between like-minded individuals, tend to reinforce insights and ideas the individuals already have. Weak-tie relationships, on the other hand, which form between casual acquaintances, are not as apt to be between like-minded individuals, so one person may say something to another that sparks a completely new idea. An example might be an electrician explaining to a restaurant owner how he solved a business problem. After hearing the solution, the restaurant owner might say, “I would never have heard that solution from someone in my company or industry. That insight is completely new to me and just might help me solve my problem.”

    Creativity

    Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something new and somehow valuable is formed. The created item may be intangible (such as an idea, a scientific theory, a musical composition, or a joke) or a physical object (such as an invention, a literary work, or a painting).

    Scholarly interest in creativity involves many definitions and concepts pertaining to a number of disciplines: engineering, psychology, cognitive science, education, philosophy (particularly philosophy of science), technology, theology, sociology, linguistics, business studies, songwriting, and economics, covering the relations between creativity and general intelligence, mental and neurological processes, personality type and creative ability, creativity and mental health; the potential for fostering creativity through education and training, especially as augmented by technology; the maximization of creativity for national economic benefit, and the application of creative resources to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning.

    Creativity is the process of generating a novel or useful idea. Opportunity recognition may be, at least in part, a creative process. On an anecdotal basis, it is easy to see the creativity involved in forming many products, services, and businesses. Increasingly, teams of entrepreneurs working within a company are sources of creativity for their firm.

  • Do you want to be a BOSS?

    Do you want to be a BOSS?

    What is a BOSS? A person who is in charge of a worker or organization. A person in control of a group or situation. (In computer gaming) A particularly tough enemy, usually appearing at the end of a section or level.

    Definition of BOSS

    An individual that is usually the immediate supervisor of some number of employees and has certain capacities and responsibilities to make decisions. The term itself is not a formal title and is sometimes used to refer to any higher level employee in a company, including a supervisor, manager, director, or the CEO.

    BOSS as Supervisor

    Supervisor, when the meaning sought is similar to the foreman, foreperson, boss, overseer, cell coach, facilitator, monitor, or area coordinator, is the job title of a low-level management position that is primarily based on authority over a worker or charge of a workplace. A Supervisor can also be one of the most senior in the staff at the place of work, such as a Professor who oversees a Ph.D. dissertation. Supervision, on the other hand, can be performed by people without this formal title, for example by parents. The term Supervisor itself can be used to refer to any personnel who have this task as part of their job description.

    A BOSS is a Business Owner with Success Systems. In business, entrepreneurs create systems that cause continuous movement in their business. Before you even get started with your entrepreneurial endeavors, I want to give you some preliminary systems that will prepare you for the world of business. This is not a “how to start a business” guide, but rather a compass to point you in the right direction. If you have ever thought about starting a business or if you are on the fence about it, this post is here to give the encouragement you need to take that leap of faith. Kevin D. provides the keys to move you toward starting your own business:

    Be Creative: Creativity has no boundaries. Creativity has no limits. Creativity has endless possibilities. Do not allow fear to hinder you from unleashing that which is already inside of you. In order for you to do that, you have to think outside of the box. Tap into your imagination and bring forth that next big idea that will change the world. You have to give yourself permission to do so. Why? Your creativity is the key to unlocking your future. “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use the more you have” By Maya Angelou.

    Be a Dreamer: Dreams aren’t just images you see when you sleep. A real dream is a vision that births a passion that you cannot shake. Dreamers are individuals who make our world go round. Everything you see around you started off as a dream. It was inside somebody’s head before it manifested itself into our reality. Your dream has to be bigger than you. Therefore, when you do dream…dream BIG! “If you can Dream it, you can Achieve it.” By Walt Disney.

    Be a Strategist: Thinking that your business will automatically become a success is wishful and wrongful thinking. If you are going to be an entrepreneur, you have to be a strategist. Simply put, a strategist is an individual who establishes and applies a plan that points to the vision or dream. Not only is it imperative for you to know where you are going, but you also must know how you are going to get there. “All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.” By Sun Tzu.

    Be an Original: One of the worst things in the world for any entrepreneur to do is try to duplicate the look, brand, and success of another. You were created unique. Therefore, you and everything about you has to be unique. There has to be something, or maybe even a few things, that set you apart. So as you begin your entrepreneurial endeavors, find out what makes you different than the competition. Be the one that everyone wants to imitate. “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” By Herman Mellville.

    Be Inspired: There will be times where you will question what you do and why you are doing it. There will be times when discouragement will set in because your business is not doing what you expected and desired it to do. That is not the time for you to give up, but rather to find some sort of inspiration—whether it be through a story, testimony, a song, etc… Find a way to get your fire back even when things around you seem dim and dark. Business is difficult, and only those who are strong and persistent will endure will see success. “Inspiration is the rocket fuel that makes ordinary days into extraordinary!” By Gail Lynne Goodwyn.

    Be Passionate: You were placed here to solve a problem that only you can solve. This problem has to become your obsession. It should keep you awake at night. It should wake you up early in the morning. It should have you constantly writing down new ideas or new ways of accomplishing your goals. You shouldn’t truly rest until the thing that bothers you has been resolved. Some of the great business men and women before us worked long hours every day, sacrificing weekends, giving up vacations in pursuit of their passion to resolve that problem. Ultimately, that passion will become your paycheck. “Passion is the genesis of genius.” By Galileo Galilei.

    Be Mentored: For any person to think they know it all and that they don’t need help is simply idiotic and arrogant. The greatest asset a business person can have is a mentor….an individual or individuals who have been where you have been and done what you have done. Find someone that is doing what you desire to do or can at least give your insight on how to do things better. If you cannot have them physically present then read their materials, listen to their messages, and learn their history. Learn from their successes as well as their mistakes. Their ceiling very well may be your floor. “One of the greatest values of mentors is the ability to see ahead what others cannot see and to help them navigate a course to their destination.” By John C. Maxwell.

    Be Empowered: It is no accident that you are reading this e-Book. Do not be afraid of failing. Let your failures drive you to your success. Do not give up or give in but rather keep moving forward. You were placed on this planet on purpose, with a purpose, and for a purpose. You are more powerful than you know. You may be the next Steve Jobs, Magic Johnson, or Vera Wang. You have the potential within you that will change our world. There is greatness on the inside you to do amazing things. So do it…go be great and do great things. You have permission to do so! You have permission to be a BOSS. Just Do It. By Nike.

    Do you want to be a BOSS or own Business? so build your own way how to start? Where are you do it? How to carry full money for your business? The perfect IDEA for Your business.

  • All Cavemen Must Carry a Big Stick

    Understanding the Story of All Cavemen Must Carry a Big Stick. Booker T. Washington is credited with the statement, “Success is measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he had to overcome while trying to succeed.”

    All Cavemen Must Carry a Big Stick

    Once, I was a guest on a talk radio show along with Michael McDonald, one of my students who had pulled himself out of the ghetto to become an attorney and a respected politician. Michael had done this despite seemingly overwhelming odds that were stacked against him. Mike was asked by the host why others also do not likewise pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. He replied that it was really tough to pull yourself up by your bootstraps when you had no boots. What a great answer. No matter what the Preamble to our Constitution states, all men (and women) are not created equal.

    We each are born into different environments, with different talents, financial means, intelligence levels and other distinct advantages… or disadvantages. Why do some, like Mike, despite the odds, manage to succeed? Why do some have different drives, ambition, attitudes and determination? When is all this determined? Is it in the womb or the first few years of life? The great speaker, Zig Ziglar says, “Great people are just ordinary people with extraordinary determination.” Man Cave Store, Over the years, I have found this to be true.

    I taught high school for sixteen and one-half years. As I reflect back on the kids that I taught, the ones that accomplished the most in life were the ones that I would never have selected to do so. They were the ones that were average kids with little opportunity and lots of drive, grit and determination. When our caveman friend went out to go hunting, he soon learned that to bring the game home, he had to carry a big stick and learn how to use it. They too had to learn to carry a big stick and lots of arrows in their quiver. Here are Cavemen’s stories.

    Cavemen Story One: 

    Bob graduated from high school with less than average grades. Never did he, or anyone else, expect him to go to college. He met their expectations by starting to work immediately after high school. Although he did not like school, he was really good working with his hands. He liked the immediate gratification of seeing his projects come to fruition. He enjoyed construction work and began his first job as a carpenter’s helper.

    In a few years, he borrowed money from a local bank and built his first house. Then, he built another…then another. Fifteen years after graduation, he built his first condominium and found that he could quadruple his return by building and reselling multiple units. Bob is now a millionaire but continues to build condominiums and commercial properties.

    Cavemen Story Two: 

    Eric, like Bob in the first Cavemen story, barely graduated from high school. If a vote was taken, he would have been selected as the most likely not to succeed. Also, like Bob, he enjoyed working with his hands. His first few jobs were working as a helper for an auto mechanic. He started working part time in construction and learned fast. He enjoyed the challenge and satisfaction of seeing a project completed. Before long, Eric quit his job as a mechanic’s helper and built his first house.

    Eric moved into the house an immediately began his second house. … then a third. … then a fourth. Before long, he was developing subdivisions in his hometown. He negotiated and signed a contract to build grocery stores all across the country for a regional food store chain. The rest is history. Eric is now a multi-millionaire and travels the world expanding his investments and counting his money.

    Cavemen Story Three: 

    Tom graduated from high school in the middle of his class. He was average at best and never attempted to go to college. Instead, he started to work selling televisions at a retail store in a strip mall not far from home. Tom enjoyed sales and got very good at it. While others were in college classes, Tom was learning from the school of hard knocks. He eventually left his job selling televisions and started to work as a salesman for an electronic company that supplied components to the company that manufactured the television sets.

    By the time that Tom’s classmates graduated from college and began to join the workforce, Tom had managed to buy the troubled electronics company. Before long, through Tom’s diligence, determination and perseverance, the company had recovered, and Tom sold it to his biggest competitor. He immediately reinvested his profits into other ventures, which included several radio stations, a restaurant chain and a regional health club chain. Tom now lives in one of the biggest houses in town and spends most of his time playing with his diversified portfolio.

    Story Four:

    John graduated from high school as the class favorite. He was always well-liked and popular. Most were surprised when John did not go to college. He, instead, started to work with his brother-in-law building commercial properties. They soon discovered that they could build high-rise apartments for government housing at hefty profits.

    One thing followed another and soon their company had grabbed the attention of others who wanted to purchase the company. Not long after, John and his brother-in-law sold the business and both retired. Since he was forty-years-old, John has done exactly what he wants to do each day. He has not worked in many years.

    Story Five: 

    Our fifth Cavemen story is the story of Mike McDonald, the young man mentioned earlier in this chapter. I take special pride in Mike’s story since I did play a small part in opening a door to get Mike started. Mike was a great kid in high school. Mike lived in the government housing projects and had witnessed many of the personal tragedies of others growing up there. He stood exposed at an early age to gangs, drugs, violence and crime.

    Mike was smart enough to remove himself from those who were bad influences on him. Mike was active in his church, played on the high school football team and made good grades. Upon graduation, he knew that the likelihood of a college education was not good. This is where I enter the picture.

    Mike had a job working at one of the Taco Bells in Huntsville. As fate would have it, one day I got a craving for a spicy bean burrito. When I entered the Taco Bell I saw Mike sweeping the floors. I asked him why he was not in college. After a short conversation and three burritos, I promised Mike that I would see if I could help him get into college. A few phone calls to Middle Tennessee State University and to State Farm Insurance in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, things were beginning to fall into place. I had worked my way through school at MTSU by working in the mail room at State Farm Insurance’s South Central Office.

    It was mere luck (Remember what I said about luck.) that the personnel manager remembered me (Although it had been nearly ten years.) and agreed to give Mike a job. A few weeks later, Mike was enrolled in MTSU and had a steady job at State Farm Insurance. He caught a greyhound bus to Murfreesboro with only ten dollars in his pocket. Four years later, he graduated with honors from MTSU and entered law school. While at MTSU, Mike earned a position as a split receiver on the football team and was the first black President of the student body.

    Since graduating, Mike has stood named the Most Outstanding Alumni and earned many post-graduate honors. One of his first jobs was as the legal counsel to the Governor of the state of Tennessee. He was later Registrar of Davidson County (Nashville), Tennessee where he served for many years. At this writing, Mike is an attorney in Nashville and a law professor at two universities, MTSU and Tennessee State University. Mike’s success truly touches my heart since he had the least opportunity of any student that I encountered yet, he accomplished the most.

    All of the above stories are true. Of those mentioned, only Mike McDonald had a college education. What did all the people in the stories above have in common? They all had determination, an overwhelming desire to achieve and great work ethic. They each overcame the odds to attain the things that each accomplished. As stated earlier in this book, work ethic is more important than a stack of college degrees. In the Cavemen stories above, each learned to carry a big stick, to fill their quiver, and they each had a passion for what they did.

    Here is a short story about determination:

    Cavemen stories, A young guard stood placed on guard duty for the first time. He stood instructed that no vehicle was allowed to enter the compound unless it had a certain identification number on it. As luck would have it, the first unmarked vehicle to approach the gate was that of a general. The General had total disregard for the young guard and instructed his driver to drive on through the gate. The young guard leaned inside the vehicle and politely stated, “I’m new at this, sir, and I really don’t know what to do. Who do I shoot first, you or the driver?”

  • Practice Does Not Make Perfect

    Practice Does Not Make Perfect

    Several years ago at the National Spelling Bee, one of the young ladies really excelled among the others in the competition. With a bright smile, she confidently spelled each word without hesitation. After she had won the contest, she was being interviewed by the television network and was asked how she became just an outstanding speller. She looked directly into the camera and stated, “My success is due to two things, God and Practice!”

    I spent the first sixteen and one-half years of my working life as an educator. Two particular coaches really stand out in my mind. One fellow would practice his football team hour upon hour, day upon day, week upon week. He would practice his team on weekends and holidays. His practice time ran for hours with disgruntled parents waiting in the parking lot to pick up their kids. He was known far and near as being a tough and demanding coach, a reputation which he treasured. His players seemed to always suffer from burnout and bad attitudes. This coach was known throughout the state as being a tough coach. The problem was he could never produce a championship team. In fact, he often struggled just to have a winning season! Then there was coach number two.

    Coach number two had a whole different philosophy. His practice times were short but compact. The attitudes among his players were great. Every drill had a purpose. His practice time was filled with fun things that developed skills and motivated his athletes. The parents of his athletes loved him; the school board loved him; the Booster Club loved him; and his players loved him. He was always in demand as a public speaker at civic clubs and coaching clinics. Guess what? He also always produced the best teams, winning seasons, and led the conference in athletic scholarships for his players.

    What was the difference in these two coaches? Coach number two had learned the secret of success. Contrary to Ben Franklin or whoever gets credit for the old saying… practice does not make perfect. Only “good” practice makes perfect! If a person does the same thing over and ever and over, but does it the wrong way, it is still wrong. That person is wasting his time, spinning his wheels and reinforcing the negative. A person has to determine the things that work and concentrate on strengthening and improving the little things that will enhance their success ratio. Doing the same thing over and over will produce the same results. If something is not working, then evaluate it (Remember the principals of management?), and make adjustments so that the results will be different. In the world in which we live, the winners have learned to do this whether it is in one’s personal life, business life, hobbies or in coaching!

    A person can find true peace and self-actualization through accomplishment. On the other hand, continuous failure leads to a very sad and unfulfilling life. There are so many people who continue to live their lives in a rut that leads to nowhere. They work in jobs that they do not like, with people that they cannot tolerate and in positions that are unrewarding. This is so sad since life is full of opportunity, excitement and adventure. Why would anyone stay in a situation in which they merely exist instead of flourish? Life has too much to offer for one to waste away his precious years and trade each day of his life for a paycheck! That is why entrepreneurs are different from other people. There is something in their inner being that will not allow them to merely survive.

    Zig Ziglar has inspired thousands upon thousands with his books and public appearances. I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Ziglar several years ago and found him to be even more dynamic in person as he is in his books and on his tapes. Zig believes, as I do, that a good attitude is the most important personal asset that a person possesses. One’s outlook on life determines how far he will go. One’s attitude determines how one reacts to the inevitable failures that even the most successful people have to overcome. As Zig states, “It’s not what happens to you that is important, but rather how you react to what happens to you.” How true this statement is! When things don’t go right, do you fall apart? Do you lash out and blame others? Do you wallow in your failure or do you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and continue to plunge forward? We have all heard the stories of Thomas Edison and the number of times that he suffered defeat and setbacks in his endeavor to invent the light bulb and some of his other inventions. We have all heard the stories of Col. Harland Sanders and how he only found success with his Kentucky Fried Chicken idea after he retired from what he really did for a living. We have heard the story of Garth Brooks who was rejected time and time again by the major record labels in Nashville before a chance appearance at the Bluebird Café turned his life around. Garth went on to be the biggest single country act in history! These type stories go on and on. Zig states that, “One’s attitude, not his aptitude, will determine his altitude.” How true this statement is for the aspiring entrepreneur?

    Over the years, I have discovered that entrepreneurs have a different outlook on life. There is the story about the young clerk in the department store who was approached by a customer who asked him if he was the manager. The young man looked up at the customer and quickly replied, “No sir! Not yet!” What a great answer! Just imagine if the young man had hanged his head and replied, “Oh no sir. Not me. I’m just a clerk.” What a different image that would have projected. There is another story about the two men who were both working side by side digging a ditch that was to be the foundation for a huge new palace. A passerby stopped and asked the first man what he was doing. Belligerently, he replied, “Can’t you see that I’m digging a ditch?” The passerby continued over to the second man and stated, “Well, I see that you are digging a ditch also.” “No sir”, replied the second man. “I’m building a palace!” Attitude! Attitude! Attitude!

    Once, several years ago, I was watching one of the local television stations in my home town of Huntsville, Alabama. The local news had had a contest among the regional junior high school students and had selected one of the students to co-host the weather forecast. The young man that won the contest gave his weather report along with the station’s meteorologist. After the report, the meteorologist conducted a quick interview with the young man. He asked him about his education and future ambitions. The meteorologist concluded his interview by asking him if one day he wanted to be the weatherman at the station. The young man paused, and with a perplexed look on his face replied, “No sir! One day I want to own this station!” I could not help but get a lump in my throat when I heard his answer. That is the attitude that this country desperately needs! Why work at the station when you can own the station? That is the mindset of the entrepreneur.

  • Are You Want to be a Caveman?

    Are You Want to be a Caveman?

    The caveman was the world’s first real entrepreneur. He had no choice. Either he got up, got his club, wandered into the woods, set his traps, killed something and drug it home each day, or he starved. He had to be able to out-run the fastest saber tooth tiger or he perished. There were no guaranteed salaries, pension plans, 401K’s, trade unions to protect him, deferred compensation programs, life and health benefit programs or Christmas turkeys or bonuses. The caveman had to perform each day, every day by the sweat of his brow and with his two hands and wit or he would not survive. Were there some cavemen who survived better and longer than others?

    A caveman is a stock character based upon widespread but anachronistic and conflated concepts of the way in which Neanderthals, early modern humans, or archaic humans may have looked and behaved. The term originates out of assumptions about the association between early humans and caves, most clearly demonstrated in cave painting. The term is not used in academic research.

    Sure there were! Some hunted longer, ran faster, got up earlier, learned to set better traps, learned to preserve their foods and prospered better than the others. These cavemen had the prettiest women, wore warmer furs, had better caves, bigger clubs and were envied and copied by the other cave people. Since mankind first came upon the earth, there were those who learned to excel over others. There always have been those who, through their willingness to take calculated risks, work harder, work smarter, work longer, develop their skills and improve themselves, achieve when others fail. This is true in the animal world. The biggest and strongest buck gets the doe. The fastest gazelle is never eaten by the lion. The smartest mouse is never caught in the trap no matter how large the cheese appears to be!

    Nothing has changed today except that the mentality of the caveman has been absolved by today’s modern world. Most people today would starve to death if they had to survive by killing something and dragging it home every day. Most would starve if they had to really work to make a living. Many todays had rather live with tremendous debt, work in jobs that they hate and with people that they despise and live in houses that they cannot afford than to roll up their sleeves and change their condition in life.

    Today, it is hard to listen to the radio without occasionally stumbling into one of those financial gurus on the talk radio stations out there. On every show, someone will call in to ask advice on the matter of personal bankruptcy. This person is always in debt because he has established habits of making one poor choice after another. He always has lived in houses that he could not afford, attended college on borrowed money, bought automobiles when he should have been walking and built up credit card and personal debt that was larger than his annual income. All of these callers want to declare bankruptcy. They are seeking advice as to how to get the process started. Almost none of them are willing to do the things necessary to eliminate the debt. What? Work two jobs! Nonsense! Work out a payment plan to systematically eliminate the debt. Not me! They just want to know how to wipe out the debt that they, under legal contract, legitimately owe. By doing so, they cross the magic threshold that converts them from a consumer to a thief!

    They are technically robbing a bank! They are absolutely no different than the person who straightens his mask, sticks a gun in a teller’s face then runs to a get-away car. They are doing exactly the same thing except that the bank robber deserves more respect since he is more honest in his intentions. A thief is someone who knowingly and willingly steals from others. If we would today again implement debtor’s prisons, there is no doubt that personal debt would drop to near zero. Mankind has become accustomed to the cushions afforded by this society. Today, there are few consequences for a person’s actions. Because of this, the caveman mentality of eat or be eaten has been lost. As our bankruptcy courts have proven, many have become lazy and had rather steal than to actually work to change their condition. What is as disappointing is that society has accepted this and places little or no shame on the actions of these people!

    This post is addressed to those who, like the cavemen of long ago, want to enter the world of entrepreneurship. This is a great country with opportunity hanging before each of us like a ripe, red apple ready for picking. There is no better place to be in the universe for those who want to enter the world of entrepreneurship. That world is not for the lazy, fainthearted, weak or unstable. It is for those who are willing to run ahead of the racers, to work longer, harder, faster and smarter. It is for those who are willing to break tradition, to color outside of the lines, to stand straight, to square their shoulders, swallow hard and kill something for the pot each and every day. It is for those who are not willing to live like everyone else. It is for those who do not want to be normal. It is for those who want to lift themselves above the crowd and, by their own two hands, shape and direct their future. If you fit this mold, then get on your feet, pick up your club, follow us as we welcome you to the brotherhood of the caveman and the greatest adventure of your life!

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