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To say that there’s a “learning curve” when starting your own business is a true understatement. And sometimes, no matter how manybooks you’ve read, seminars you’ve attended, or coaching you’vereceived, there are still many lessons that you will simply have tolearn along the way.

Since starting my business back in 2007, I have learned many tough, yet important lessons that can only truly be learned through experience.These lessons learned have helped me to become much wiser and moresuccessful today, and I’d like to share them with you. This is part 1 ofa 3-Part series that will discuss the “hard knock life” of anentrepeneur/business owner, and share some useful insight and advicejust for you.

Here are the top 3 lessons I’ve learned as a business owner:

1) Don’t Chase Money, Build Relationships.
This may sound like a no-brainer, but in fact, when you’re starting out,you’re spending a lot of money on advertising, operational expenses,etc. So you have business expenses that have to be covered, and if yourclients aren’t covering them, that leaves you to handle it on your own,on top of your own personal expenses. This reality is one of the majorreasons why most businesses fail within the first 3-5 years. That beingsaid, no one wants to do business with someone that they don’t trust, orwhom they feel is simply after their money, and not interested insolving whatever problem they have, or providing them with greatservice. Additionally, by building a relationship with your clients,they turn from one-time clients, to long-term clients (which of courseleads to increased income for your business over time). Not to mention,happy clients tell their friends, family, and colleagues about yourbusiness, which helps to build a successful and reputable business foryou in the long run.

2) Don’t Chase Money, but Don’t Give Your Services Away either- Although it’s great to offer promotions, specialdiscounts, etc. for your services or products from time to time, it isalso important to keep things in perspective. Sometimes when you’restarting out you think that by lowering your prices you will ultimatelywin, because this will make your customers happy. But this poses twoproblems. One is that, if you don’t have a financial model in place foryour business that will allow it to survive and thrive over time, youare doing your clients a disservice, because your business won’t bearound long enough to help them. Secondly, people tend to place value onthings based on how much they cost. So, if you provide a specializedproduct or service, then your rates should reflect that. When youprovide superb service/products for your clients, they will be happy topay your rate, and appreciate it all the more. Do keep in mind that yourrates/prices should be within reason according to the type ofproduct/service you provide. However, you should never undervalue yourproduct/services in hopes of satisfying your customers, at your expense.This leads me to lesson #3…

3) You can’t please all of the people all of the time. The reality of business is this, there are two types ofclients/customers; a) the ones you can please, and b) the ones youcan’t. Your focus should be on doing your best to provide usefulresources to your clients, offer excellent customer service, conflictresolution, and a pleasant attitude. Give your best to your clients, andthat’s the end of it. Don’t waste energy on those who feel that yourbest isn’t good enough, because chances are, no matter what you do, youwon’t be able to please them. So, do your best, handle your businesswith honesty and integrity, treat your clients with respect andconsideration, and the rest is out of your hands.

Stay tuned for the next installment of this series…Also let me know if there are any specific topics you’d like to see me write about withinthis series. I look forward to your suggestions and comments.

This article added from my blog on Wordpress, http://danceprosusa.wordpress.com.

I believe that when it comes to your life, your career, or your business, you can not afford to be passive, or a bystander, and expectothers to recognize your talents and create the blueprint for you thatlead to success and prosperity. Only You can do this.

Here are 5 Deadly Thoughts on the Road to Success:

1) There just aren’t any opportunities out there.
2) I don’t have the money.
3) What if I fail?
4) No one’s ever done it before.
5) I don’t even know where to start.

Here are my responses to these statements:

1) “There just aren’t any opportunities out there.” – Yes, there are. If you feelthis way, you probably need to do more research, and even enlist theassistance of someone else to help you. If the opportunity isn’t there,then that’s even better! That means that you can be an innovator, andcreate something completely new!

2) “I don’t have the money.” – With the internet, do-it-yourself websites, and the explosion socialmedia, which is totally free, you don’t necessarily need a ton of moneyto get started. Now granted, I don’t recommend starting a business withno capital, but, don’t let that minor obstacle stop you. Save up, getcreative, start small, and go from there.

3) “What if I fail?” - There’s a good chance that you will. Let me rephrase that. There’s somethingcalled a “learning curve” in business, which is basically a fancy way ofsaying, “I failed a bunch of times along the way, and learned from mymistakes.” Remember, failure is not permanent. It is part of a learningprocess. There’s ALWAYS a way to bounce back from failure, and the mainway is, get up and try it again (a little differently).

4) “No one’s ever done it before.” – This is a no-brainer! Obviously, that means that there’s a greatopportunity for you to do something really special. And guess what,since you have no competition, you have a really great advantage! Whatare you waiting for? Do a little market research to find out if peoplewould be interested in your idea, and discover if it’s a viable conceptor not.

5) “I don’t even know where to start.” Ok, this is a tough one (Not!), so let me help you…grab a piece ofpaper, and a pen, or better yet, go to your computer, and put on paperwhat your ideas are. That’s how you start! After that, ask yourself theWho, What, Where, Why, and How about your idea; Who would be interestedin this product/service? What will it be used for? Where will people goto access this product/service? Why would potential clients beinterested in this product/service? How will I market it to my target audience?

See, how easy that was? Now you’re on your way! I would also recommend doing some soul-searching to determine themotivation behind your particular idea. Is it something that you’repassionate about? Are you good at it? Do you have a lot of knowledgeabout that particular industry? Do you think it’s a way to make somefast cash? Are you willing sacrifice and deal with the stress,instability, and pressure that you may have to face along the way?

Answer these questions, and don’t be afraid! Step out on faith, and walk in your purpose. Anything less would notonly be sad, but boring!

This article added from my blog on Wordpress, http://danceprosusa.wordpress.com.

Hi ladies!

This is a post I recently wrote on my blog. Hope this helps someone:

• Get a fabulous and effective website. By having a design that's professionally created (or at least looks like it), you'll gain credibility- and it's not as expensive as you might imagine. Two options to consider: 1) Use a theme that everyone and their grandma isn't using, or 2) Use a little money to hire a designer to modify an available, free theme.
• Be serious about SEO (search engine optimization). Whatever business you're in, you don't want to spend a lot of time looking for clients/customers- you want to use your time to make money. If you take the time to work on your SEO, your name (or business's) will come up higher in search results; so, when someone is searching for the service/product you offer, they'll be more likely to choose you first.
• Create compelling copy. You want the words on your website to convince others to purchase your product or service. However, it can be hard for you to write about how awesome you are, so you may want to think about hiring a copywriter. He or she can objectively convey why individuals should choose you.
• Convey your brand to others. It's easier to form a brand following when you can "piggy-back on top of an exisiting brand." And with blogging being so popular, gaining recognition is pretty simple- one way to do this is by writing guest posts on other blogs.
• Make a product to establish your authority. Having a product or download shows prospective clients that you know what you're doing. A couple of options: Write an ebook, or provide a free download that's related to your business's experience.

Check out more business and writing tips on Mocha Writer's Blog.

Happy Branding!

I've been having a very frustrating week so far! I feel, I need to attend a support group and stand up and say "My name is Vanessa Ophelia Rigault - and I need a to ESCAPE MY LIFE! I wanted something/someone to help me to escape - to escape the frustration of not being able to do what I want - when I want to do it - to run away - but guess what? - I can't run - I have a broken ankle!

So here, I'm sitting - refusing to have another pity party, when a client emails me to tell me - that the guided meditation I recorded for her - that she is still using it and it helps her to relaxes her mind and escape from her daily stresses at the end of her day.

Out of the blue, the Universe sent me this reminder. I'm reminded, I can escape for a few moments everyday by getting back to my meditation. I've always believed, that when you take time to center and balance yourself - you can be balanced and centered when dealing with any issues in your life.

You see, in the last year or so, I've had lots of changes, and I have not been consistent with my daily meditation - so when my client told me this wonderful testimonial - it made me feel good - but more importantly, it also reminded me to 'take time for myself' - to take time to still my mind - to escape for a few moments.

I immediately put on some meditative music, turned off my lights and sat for a while as I relaxed and release the daily stresses. It felt so good! My soul was happy!

Here is a FREE gift for you to get relax and release your mind (just scroll down to the bottom of the page).

I hope you enjoy it!


Namaste,
Ophelia
www.realizeyourvisons.com

Make a date with yourself, every day if possible. Even if for ONLY a half hour, carving out time for YOU is a great act of generosity. Your work can usually wait a half hour, but your soul can't.

Whether we like it or not, the clock keeps tiking so live fully, every single second of every single day. Learn the true joy of doing less and having more as you experience each day as priceless. Fill your life with as many precious moments and experiences of joy and passion as you humanly can.

My answer is Europe yet it has been a curse for everyone under its dark spell,Einstein said a problem cannot be solved by the same mind set that created it,In order to solve the problems related to racism we must approach the solution from a pre-slavery mind set,the concept of race was designed as a tool to control other people,

When we return to ancient Afrikan concepts, we accept that we just are!!!!,they were not a color conscious society,they just were,Its diifficult for many in America to wrap their mind around this concept because,they cant see themselves beyond their perceived color.

Fredrick Dougkas spoke about the duality,After he escaped from slavery and self educated himself in the art of rhetoric(the most persuasive speech) he became a renown orator and wrote a best selling book,when a warrant was issued for his capture, people of all colors raised money and had him sent to Belfast Ireland where he recieved a plaque commenorating his visit that is still there to this day.,Fredrick Douglas said"It was the first time in his life that he felt like a whole man( not being made to feel conscious of who he was,but just being himself) this was because Irish people had felt the same sting of slavery too,Irish people were stripped of their native tougue galic.by England {the mother of this country},

When we free our minds our bodies will follow,Look at the double standard attached to the connutation of race,If one dies for their country in America the news reports them as a American casualty!When a person of color wins a medal in the olympics,The Americans won the medal.But when opportunities of jobs and loans or education,Then they want to know what color you are,why not ask my shoe size because that seems equally odd to me..Why do you need to know!!

All of the major search engines use link popularity to determine how well a site will rank. The more high quality, relevant links that lead to your site, the higher your site will rank. Being listed in our Wedding Vendor Directory is a great opportunity to increase your search engine ranking. The basic listing in our Wedding Vendor Directory is for 1 year (365 calendar days). All listings are by category and are listed in alphabetical order. The listing includes business name, contact information and a link to your website. If you would like a basic listing in our directory please complete this questionnaire.

Thanks,

Stephanie LaRae

Soulful Engagements

We’ve asked some of the most experienced public relations professionals to share their secrets on how to market a company on a small budget. Here are some of the best ways to use social media and word-of-mouth marketing to gain a competitive advantage in this tough economy. stated Senior Writer, Linsey Knerl

The funny thing about change, is that change can not happen without CHANGE! I know it seems simple enough, but for many of us it's a difficult concept to grasp. See Change is one of those small words that until we take it seriously we will not truly experience.

I often hear people complain about what they don't like about their lives. How they want change in their lives, but few are willing to do the work. Change requires CHANGE! You can not expect to continue to do what you have been doing and recieve new results. If you love your life the way it is then keep doing what you are doing, but if you are like many others and could use some new direction then it is time for YOU to change.

We can find fault in everyone around us, but it is very hard to take a long hard look in the mirror. The truth is the only person in this world that we can change is ourself. Things will happen in our lives that are completely out of our control, but how we choose to handle them determine the quality of life we will lead.

When we have gotten tired of our life the way it is we have the option to change it. There are a few things that must be done if we want real change.

1. Change your mind - life is not that bad, and how we percieve things has a lot to do with how we deal. We must learn to have a positive attitude towards life and our life will become positive.

2. Learn from life - instead of throwing a pitty party when things don't go our way, lets try learning from them. If we take lessons from life we become wiser, and life becomes easier.

3. Do something - change in life takes action. We can not expect things to miraculously just happen, we must make a concious decision to do something differently. God is real, but God helps those who help themselves.

4. Have faith - once we have made the decision to change our life, we must believe it is possible or our efforts will be in vain. If we don't believe in ourselves, we will become our own worst enemy.

5. Pay it forward - The funny thing about the universe is that every thing we put out there will come back to us ten fold. Good or bad, it's up to us but rest assured it will come back, karma is REAL.

When you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, STOP, get off your butt and do something about it!

Respect,

Taifa Yakini