Learning to save and invest your money are good skills to have no matter what’s going on in the economy. You want do this so you have the resources to put to your small business.  Below are ten youtube videos so you can learn more about these skills.

If you are looking for some resources for your business these websites could help you find just what you are looking for.

BusinessFinance.com- provides over 4000 sources of financing for your small business.

Entrepreneurship.org- helps entrepreneurs organize and operate a business venture, create wealth, and employ others.

Ladieswholaunch.com- new media company to provide resources and connections for women entrepreneurs.

Business.gov-provides access to Federal, state, and local information that helps business owners successfully start and operate while staying compliant with laws and regulations.

SBA.gov- formed in 1953 and is an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns. Tools are available to help you manage expand, increase, and support your small business.

Score.org- is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide.  There are 389 offices of Score in New York alone.

Gobignetwork.com- on-line marketplace that connects the startup and small business community with funding sources, advisors, job seekers and service providers.

American Express- Open by American Express Business Credit card is offered for businesses with less than100 employees where you can get discounts on shipping, travel and other business services like FedEx, Yahoo, Hertz and more

Visit these websites to help you start or grow your business, starting today!

For more info: visit www.sharspeaks.com or email us at shar@sharspeaks.com
 

When it comes to sales and marketing or anything it takes to grow your business, you will have days when you just don’t want to do what you know you need to, and that is when you need to do it the most.  Every day you will face challenges and the majority of the time you will work through them with relative ease.  However, there will come those times when you want to throw in the towel and say enough is enough.

There are a few things you can do to get you through those moments when you just don’t want to go anymore.

1. Muscle through it.  Just do it. No excuses, no holds barred just do it.

2. If you just can’t seem to “just do it” take a break and take a moment to remember why you started on this journey to begin with. What was your goal in the first place?  What was your motivation when you began? Find that again and you should be able to do those tedious things you may not like but know need to be done.

3. Focus on the end result. If you see this through you will likely get the results you want.  After all, someone once said, “Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success.” 

So stay the course.  Just do whatever you don’t want to do and you will be closer to your goal and feel better because the task is finished. Freeing your mind to focus on the things you are want to focus on.

As an entrepreneur or business owner, you should be able to answer the question “What do you do” quickly and succinctly and in a way that makes the listener say, “Wow, I gotta get me some of that?” When someone asks me what I do, I instantly know the answer.  I have a company that creates change by providing the process, tools, and action plans to achieve success.  I inspire people to find their passion, Motivate them to take action Empower them to go from the NOW to WOW.

What do you say when someone asks you what you do?  Most people answer in one of three ways.

1) By title

2) By product or service

3) By concept and/or outcome

If you can’t communicate and articulate what you do, why would anyone buy or use your product?  Most people answer by their title.  The problem here is that almost everyone has some preconceived notion about that title.  You, unfortunately, will have no idea if their notion is a good or bad one until it’s perhaps too late.  Statistics say that 50% of the marketplace will have had a negative experience with a competitor with the same title.

When you identify yourself by your product or service you are likely to be putting yourself right next to your competition.  You don’t want to be in the middle of your competition, you want to set yourself apart from the competition.

This is why identifying what you do by concept is the best choice.  You are immediately telling others when happens when a customer uses your product or service.  You are letting others know what to expect when they work with you.

If you struggle with this ask yourself, what is the outcome I want my customers to get when they use me or my product?  Also, you can ask yourself, what problem do I solve and for what person or group?

Practice a couple of different versions and see which one gets you the best results.  Ask your friends, family and other entrepreneurs to see which gets the best reaction.  When you have it down, take it on the road and see how quickly your business begins to grow.

There’s so much information and so many perspectives about what is going on in today’s economy that it’s hard to know what to believe and what not to believe.

Fact, the stock market has been dropping.  Fact, unemployment has been increasing. Fact, real estate values have been decreasing. Final fact, the US banking system is on the verge of implosion (according to US News James Pethokoukis, Sunday, March 1, 2009 article titled. How to Handle Your Job and Finances If There’s a (Yikes!) Depression) With all those facts, it’s a little difficult to stay positive and believe financial abundance is possible.

However, there are companies, organizations and individuals that are soaring in this sad economy.  I say you have two choices.  Believe what you hear in the masses and the media or believe that you and your company can be one of the ones to excel.
There are several companies or types of companies that are expected to do well this year despite the economy. As a matter of fact, sometimes small business can be the big idea! If you are looking to start your own business, or just do something on the side, here are some ideas that are doing well and are expected to continue.

1. Athletic Trainer
2. Career Counselor
3. Computer Services
4. Energy Auditing
5. Export Manager
6. Financial Adviser
7. Freelance Web Writer
8. Going Global Firm
9. Higher Education Services
10. Home Healthcare
11. Online Art Dealer
12. Online Consignment
13. Online Farmers’ Market
14. Outsourcing Manager
15. Tutor

Take your economy into your own hands. Believe it’s possible to shine in the darkness and your future will be very bright.
 

Ever wonder why some people seem to get what they want easily and effortlessly?  There are some tried and true techniques to getting what you want.  This process is what I call the 3 C’s to Succcess.

#1 Commit.  Are you committed to the outcome?  What is the desired result that you are looking for ?  If you aren’t clear about what you are looking to achieve you certainly aren’t committed to it.

Think of a commitment like a legal binding agreement.  If you sign on the dotted line and are legally bound, are you likely to back out or not fulfill your end of the agreement? Probably not.  If you take that approach to any goal you are setting you are 90% there.  If you are committed to losing weight and sign a contract saying you will weigh ten pounds less than you do now at the end of 60 days, or there will be a $10,000 fine, do you think you will find a way to be ten pounds less?  My guess is yes.  Why does there need to be a $10K fine?  Simply view your goal as a contract, even if it’s only with yourself.  Once you get committed the rest is downhill.

#2 Communicate.  People who are committed to reaching their goal, share that goal with others.  The tell anyone who will listen. They would shout it from the rooftops and take out a full page ad in the New York Times.  Why is that?  Because the more people you tell, the more real it becomes. If you tell one person about your goal and the person next to you tells 100 people, who has more at stake?  Obviously, the person who told more people has more to lose.  So the more ways you communicate (write, read, talk, listen, etc) and the more you communicate it to, the closer you will be to your goal.

#3 Create.  Once you have decided that you are truly committed to your goal, and you have written it down and read it out loud, and shared it with others all you have to do now is take action .  This is the easiest of the three steps.  It’s easy to do when you are committed and have told everyone you know about what you are working towards. The most important thing is to “do”.  Do something that is actively working towards your goal every day. Before you know it, you will have what you want and will have created your dream to make it a reality.

Follow the 3 C’s to Success.  It’s a simple tried and true process that will help you reach your desired goal faster and easier than you ever thought possible.