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 Most students of business are taught about the life cycle of a business. An idea is born in the mind of the entrepreneur; it germinates sufficiently to have a shape and form. Eventually it is given birth in some form - conventionally referred to as a start up. It grows strongly like any infant life form; it then matures and peaks in terms of energy, growth rates and dynamism. It can then whither and lose its way if renewed energy is not injected into the life form.

Each of these stages represents a critical stage in the development of a business. Newbies to business don't necessarily know from an experiential or mental perspective exactly what each stage will bring. What mindset? What resources are required to get through this stage of the business? Yet without a clear line of sight to ALL of the stages, an entrepreneur will surely meet challenges that can make the even the most resilient entrepreneur flinch.

Each stage requires mental preparation and each stage has its own special needs. Consider the start-up stage. Here there are so many options, so many conflicting choices that nothing short of the most flexible of mental preparation is called for. Prior to 'setting up shop' an entrepreneur needs to have demonstrated - at least to himself - a fully articulated proof of concept for the business idea. It requires some extremely agile mental preparation. You simply cannot know how all the factors impinging on a business will pan out. In its early life, business is all about discovering what works and what doesn't work.

Is there a market for this concept? Who and where are the customers? What does it take to get to market? The mental preparation involves both self-examination and a mental screening of external resources. The internal examination requires a brutal honesty about capability. It is better to come from the position of "what resources do I need to get this to where I need to get to next? No one can do it all alone - at least not to the extent of building something significant.

Some people need to control every aspect. That's' fine - for a while at least. But the mental preparation for the early part of a business's life and certainly the part that requires any significant 'sizing' needs other people. Employees, partners, allies, suppliers are all stakeholders in the business to some degree. These are all crucial links in the chain and there needs to be a mental preparedness to be able to meet the challenges of dwelling at multiple levels with multiple people. Creating and sustaining a successful business is not for the weak minded.

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The Accurate Picture of Your Business

One of the most difficult parts of being an entrepreneur or small business owner is having the ability to separate emotions from the business of doing business. Some owners are very involved in the day to day operations and may not see the problem with the overall picture. Others are too distant from the daily issues and can't get their arms around the root causes of low sales or high turn over. Facing an accurate picture of what is going on with your business is the first step towards the strategy for making things better.

The Hard Part of Truth

We all know that person who has gone to sell a car or even their home and can't understand why they aren't having the level of buyer interest that they expected. What these sellers can't see are the flaws, the changes in consumer buying preferences and trends. Sellers who have recently invested financially into their goods such as purchasing new car tires or upgrading their kitchen appliances are also not always as objective about the right sale price. There is also an emotional commitment that many of these sellers have made that isn't too different from what a business owner experiences.

Many small business owners are so passionate about the commitment they have made to their product or business that it is difficult to step back and take a look at what is really happening. Sales may be coming in but are they really netting you a profit? Is your customer base thinning out because of a competitor or because of product quality? Are your employees leaving at a high rate because they have new opportunities or because they are unsatisfied with management? These are all very difficult truths to face but are critical to the success of your business.

Getting Your Picture In Focus

Enlisting the help of a third party consultant can help assess the general health of your business. This outsider-looking-in view can probably see better than someone who has been working deep in the drenches of their business. Metrics are another great tool to help a business owner see potential issues. Regularly reviewing designated metrics such as inventory levels, employee total working hours, sales by employee and individual product sales will allow you to have visual tools and quantitative information that can help to keep your business on task.

By having supporting information that can describe the overall health of your business, it will be far easier to begin the process of creating an action plan or new strategy. It can be difficult to keep your emotional investment out of your business, but it is critical to successfully managing your business investment.

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To clarify your vision, you must be able to clearly identify who it is you are destined to serve when you are living your soul purpose. Clarifying your vision allows you to clearly articulate your soul purpose, which, in turn, makes it easier for your tribe—the people you are here to serve—to find you.  

The more you understand your vision, the more you understand the different stages your tribe might be in. Understanding the stages allows you to identify the best way to be of service in each and every stage. You need a clear understanding of your vision so that you can make sure your tribe is clearly understanding your message. When you’re clear in your message, you are speaking their language, and you are attracting them to your business. 

This is an excerpt from my Amazon Best Seller, Sole to Soul: How To Identify Your Soul Purpose and Monetize It. Get your copy today.

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By taking time to construct a detailed picture of where you want to go and who you want to become by living your soul purpose, you make it possible to construct an action plan of steps you need to take in order to get you there efficiently.

Your vision must encompass all areas of your life. Create a vision of where you want to go in your professional life, whether that’s embarking on a certain career path or achieving specific targets in your own business. Create a vision of where you want to go in your personal life, whether that’s being able to spend more time at home with your family, take regular family vacations, maintain a fitness level that allows you to go on adventure trips all over the world, or devote more time to leisure activities and hobbies. There are no limits to what you can achieve when you’re living your soul purpose, so it’s important that your vision reflects the possibilities that are open to you.

This is an excerpt from my Amazon Best Seller, Sole to Soul: How To Identify Your Soul Purpose and Monetize It. Get your copy today.

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Whether you are employed, self-employed or between employment, there are ways to implement a recession-proof plan for making money. Regardless of the economic pressures we face, someone, somewhere is always earning a profit.

First, I will tell you why we need to recession proof our earning potential and then I will tell you how. By recession proofing our earnings we can focus on living our life purpose and taking care of ourselves and our obligations. As individuals we need to set goals and hold ourselves accountable. Today I will focus on how to set the kind of goals that will help recession proof the business of you and how to hold yourself accountable to ensure success.

Do you ever find yourself feeling drained and tired during your workday? Have you experienced energy loss and fatigue even before you have even exerted any energy in fulfillment of your job responsibilities? Have you ever stopped to consider that you may be a motivated person in an uninspiring opportunity? Many people feel this way. This feeling can result from the need for a good sense of professional direction and a mismatch between occupation and their ultimate life purpose. Operating in this mode, individuals tend to expend a lot of emotional and physical energy but do not ultimately get anywhere. This can happen to individuals and it can happen to businesses. This can happen to you. In order to recession proof the business of you, you must have a direction and you must set goals while holding yourself accountable. Here are a few questions that have helped many to start identifying how to recession proof their earnings.

Recession Proof Questions: Goal Setting

Have you formulated professional goals? What will you get if you achieve your goals? If the answer is longevity and the ability to continually have streams of income coming in then you are on the right track.

How would your life be different than today if you achieved this goal? If the answer relates to being able to enjoy your life, friends and family, meet obligations, and make money then you are well on your way.

How do you get started? Start with three financial goals; whether in a company or if you have your own business or seeking employment, set three goals with an eye toward minimizing expenses, maximizing resources and expanding revenue streams. Any goal made for a business should strive for achieving the best value. It should be contemplated as a business goal that places as much emphasis on saving money as making money.

What kinds of goals (other than financial) can make you recession proof? The recipe is simple. Each goal you make should fulfill a bragging right after it is accomplished. Make it quantifiable, like a resume entry; "I will sell 59 widgets in the month of May" translates into "sold 59 widgets in the month of May". This way, when you accomplish a number of goals, it is easy to list accomplishments or bragging rights that then become your track record. Having a substantial track record of achieving quantifiable goals is a wonderful promotional tool anywhere; your accolades will be readily accessible whether you seek an on-the-job promotion, new customers for your own business or a resume for new employment.

Do you hold yourself accountable? Goals mean nothing if you are not committed to accomplishing them and overcoming the challenges, if needed. Hold yourself accountable and if you need to make daily, weekly or monthly goals to lead up to the ultimate goal then do so.

Goals, lead to bragging rights, bragging rights set the stage for a powerful brand that earns you money...even in tough times.

I challenge you today to evaluate if you are recession proofing your earning potential. These simple questions and tips could position you for continued success and set the stage for increased enjoyment and satisfaction gained from understanding the essentials of recession proofing the business of you.

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Think of a business this way: it exists for a very specific purpose. Every business will have its purpose. There is no choice therefore but to build a business as a set of systems and procedures that when working together in some 'orchestrated' fashion delivers on this purpose. Not delivers once or twice - but all the time. Like a car and its engine: a car would be unsaleable if it didn't respond to the ignition each and every time it is switched on.

A successful business is not unlike a fully functional motor vehicle. There is handbook that defines how things are done, the manual of procedures. Even if it not written down as would be case for a car manual, there is nonetheless a way things happen which are convincing. The 'hum' the 'rhythm' of a good business is based on having processes, or systems, that are repeatable and predictable - that produce the same result each time, every time. For sure being in business involves literally hundreds of interrelated and loosely related activities - it is, after all, very easy for a business owner to be involved in dozens of different and often disparate activities during a typical day.

Not surprisingly, many issues coming up become mini fires that need to be put out. There is little time for the "luxury' of systems or strategic thinking. Yes, sometimes the fires are the result of poor systems design or a lack of strict focus. The pressure of getting things done, of generating cash flow are all consuming.

Relentless pressure is part and parcel of being in business. Every aspect of a business and certainly the aspect of fulfilling customer requirements put the business under pressure to deliver. A successful business not only delivers smoothly in 'normal' times but responds to increased pressure without collapsing.

Operating manuals and procedures become the tools that ensure the customer fulfillment aspect. Growth comes from adaptability and an inbuilt flexibility in the procedures that enable scaling and change to be accommodated. Design changes, feature additions, volume adjustments, new equipment, and advances in technology - are all de rigueur in business. What are constant are the procedures that contribute to the internal 'logistics' of the business.

The business owner's mission is to maintain a role of rigorous testing and re-testing of the capabilities of the business and to fine tune the procedures.

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Strategy is all about sitting above the noise and clutter of the day to day activities of a business. Many business owners particularly those who have a personality included towards control have difficulty with strategy and often find themselves confronted with a business that is failing to profit from the opportunities in the market.

This goes far beyond the simple issue of personality (although personality of the business driver does contribute to both the success and failure of a business). There is a strong tendency for people going into business for the reason to have independence; to create wealth, to have a lifestyle that a job can't give. Often too, there is a belief that because they have a special skill or knowledge that this can be turned into a profitable venture. Some people have very high technical skills and others have accomplished great results in their career. But generally there are qualities beyond the skill set that determine a successful business.

At the early stages of a business the business owner takes on many different activities, some of which are beyond her competence. Few are experienced in strategic planning. More often than not they possess core skills other than strategic thinking.

The inevitable outcome is that technically competent business owners may be self-employed but they are not business owners. Many simple create a job for themselves. But to achieve growth, delegation, systems and a strategic approach to business is required. The self employed will be limited in their capacity to produce a growing and thriving business, replete with employees and disparate locations.

The difference between the self employed skilled technician and the owner lies in strategic thinking and the intention of true business creation rather than self-employment. All the significant long term decisions to do with building a business come from a strategic mindset: will this business be eventually sold? Will this business attract investors who inject capital for growth? Will these investors see a business that can grow beyond the direct ability of the founder owner?

The ultimate goal for most owners is to have a business that can carry on without them. A business with real value. That is the essence of a sustainable and ultimately wealth-creating business. A business that becomes a living organism within the total economy. A business that can be sold or gifted. A business that supports you to live a truly remarkable life.

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When you own a business, one of the things that you want to avoid at all costs is surprise. Really, the only surprise that you want to see is a surprising rise in sales. Any other unexpected thing can be frustrating, stressful, and even detrimental to your business. What is the best way to avoid surprise? The answer is planning. If you take the time to plan, then you will be ready for any unexpected issue that may come your way.

The truth is, unexpected things will happen in the lifetime of a business. There will be times when accidents happen, when business slows, or when you have to make changes. This is all a part of the life cycle of a business. Planning for these unexpected issues is the key to helping your company survive.

There are two main areas that you want to plan for and be prepared for. These two areas include growth and change. Both of these are inevitable for a business, and both will happen on a fairly regular basis. If you do not plan for them, your business could suffer badly.

The best way to plan is to do two things: have a backup option and have a procedure. While you may think that, since growth is good, you do not really have to plan for it, just react. This is not true at all. Growth can be a time of stress and decision-making. You will have to plan on how to handle the growth. Will you hire new employees? Do you have room in your current location to grow, or will you need to move?

There are many, many questions that come along with the growth of a small business. Instead of just reacting when things happen, if you already have a plan of action ready, the growth process will go smoothly and you will not lose customers along the way.

The second area is change. We all know that things change within the world and within business. What people expect from a business will change on a regular basis. If you are not prepared to make changes, then you will quickly be left behind.

Although you cannot plan exactly when changes will need to take place, you certainly can plan for the changes. If you already know that changes will need to happen, you will not be so frustrated when they come along.

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Sole to Soul: How To Identify Your Soul Purpose and Monetize It, reached No 3 on Amazon.com yesterday!  Thank you for all who purchased a copy!  I would like to see if I can capture the #1 spot today!  Please grab your copy and a copy for a friend today.  Here is an excerpt from the book.

There is no limit to what you can accomplish. It’s simply a matter of how you formulate your vision. When you understand your soul purpose, you understand your destiny in terms of why you are here and who you are here to serve by using your gifts.  

Now you must create a vision based on that understanding and on how comfortably you’re standing in your purpose. For example, your purpose might be to enhance people’s lives through art. When creating your vision, you need to focus on the form of art you feel most passionate about, and let’s say that your particular niche is the architecture of Paris. Your gift is the gift of art, and your unique fingerprint is art depicting the buildings of Paris. You now know that your tribe is going to be people who appreciate art, beautiful buildings, and are interested in Paris, so your vision is your view of how you’re going to share your gift with the people you are here to serve. Your vision might be to share your passion in your home area by displaying your work in local art galleries; it might be to share your passion nationally by displaying your work in galleries across the whole country; or it might be to make your art available to a global audience via the internet. However you see yourself sharing your gift, that’s your vision.

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My new book, Sole To Soul: How To Identify Your Soul Purpose and Monetize It, hit the Best Seller List on Amazon.com yesterday and continues to climb!  We are currently at #9 - get your copy today and help push it to Number 1!

The following is an excerpt from the book. You can download an entire chapter on the website.

As you grow physically and emotionally,you also grow into your purpose. Many people who identify their soul purpose as adults look back on their experiences in life to realize that their gift was always with them, even in early childhood. Professional singers have often been singers from childhood; dancers have been dancers from childhood, and great organizers have often been demonstrating their organizational skills since childhood. When they learn to recognize their gifts and identify their soul purpose, they are also able to recognize that their gifts have been growing with them and they have grown into that purpose.

Growing into your purpose allows you to identify ways to become more effective and strengthen the impact you have through your purpose. The more you grow, the more influence you have, and the greater the ripple effect you’re able to create as you serve your purpose. For example, someone who grows to become a peacemaker will be a peacemaker, no matter where they go in the world. They may have grown from being a child in a large family with many siblings who could find ways to keep the peace in a crowded home, to being someone who can find ways to promote peace in areas of conflict around the globe. As you grow and mature physically and emotionally, you grow into opportunities to step up to your purpose and leverage your gifts. Someone with calm reasoning ability may grow into a lawyer or a counselor, someone with decision-making and negotiation skills may grow into a politician, and someone with technical skills may grow into an engineer. The growth then continues, as each individual finds ways to develop their skills and become the best they can be in
whatever they do.

Get your copy of Sole To Soul Today!

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