Thursday, September 27, 2007

Ingratitude


When working within the private realm of business an experienced investor tends to shy away from inviting unsophisticated, uneducated people to becoming business owners with them. Money changes people and they become greedy and fearful. I have seen for myself how people will show ingratitude by making unjustifiable complaints and start hiring attorneys to attack the businessman with the money and this all stems from a position of greed. Sophisticated investors are used to sharing the wealth with other experienced businesspersons in order to “get rich together.” So when individuals who lack business sense place the people who have given them the opportunity to change their lives in these legal complications it becomes clearer why experienced corporate owners tend to stick to themselves and become an exclusive, insular group.

Hiding Greed Behind Legalities


When dealing in the marketplace you have to be very careful who you are partnering with. One of the things to look out for is when supposed partners are always asking you for money to take care of “business expenses or operations.” Another thing to be on the look out for is when partners start using their attorney to see if there are any chinks in your business documentation or practices. If any of these things start to happen more often than not these partners are hiding greed behind legalities. They don’t want you for anything but to fund their venture and they don’t want you to partake in any decision of importance that they see as wresting control from them. Greed will always show itself in the marketplace especially when a person holds their peace and shows patience because eventually God will reveal the truth behind a persons motives.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Screening


When looking for prospective investors in the marketplace to fund a start up company a lot of research towards that person’s character should be done prior to approaching him or her. Ideally you want an investor who understands and is educated in the intricacies of investing. The prospective investor should also have some business sense and know how to control his emotions in regards to greed and fear which have no place in a company. You do not want a co-owner who is looking only towards his own self interest but one who is looking out for the best interests of the entire company. A greedy co-owner is too much of a highly destructive individual to be operating within the beginnings of a start up company and should never be allowed to become an officer of a company because there are millions of dollars at stake. The importance of screening prospective investors must never be undervalued because a companies success is measured by the quality of its ownership values.

Well Kept Secret


Everyone has heard of the Public Stock Market where the vast majority of would be investors delve into without any research or understanding. What very few people are aware of is the private stock market where privately held companies are traded on daily. The reason why this is so is because it is a well kept secret held close at hand by the wealthy which comprise less than 10% of the U.S. populace. Usually the only way you can participate in the private realm is to be invited because it has in the past been a highly exclusive group. But there are some people such as us at the buck stops here live who want to educate the masses on the Private Stock Exchange. The only problem I foresee is will people listen?

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Blame


It’s easy to blame other people when company goals are not met and do not coincide with ones expectations. It is another thing altogether to take the blame for all of the company’s failings but that is what a good Chief Executive Officer (CEO) does when he/she accepts that position. A CEO is the scapegoat when things go wrong in a company. The CEO is the one with the bull’s-eye painted on his forehead and posterior. But what the majority of the public does not realize is that the CEO is just the face and messenger for the Board of Directors (BOD) decisions on company policy. That is why you see many CEO’s getting large severance packages from the BOD regardless of the company’s profitability because all he did was become a reliable mouthpiece for them and was rewarded for “a job well done.”

The Cost of Ignorance


For many people the cost of ignorance could be measured in time or money mismanaged. One would like to think a lesson is learned from that mistake but never forget what the title of this piece is, “The Cost of Ignorance!” During my life I have learned some serious life lessons because of my ignorance in certain areas and the lack of application thereof. Whenever I want to expand my content I must first enlarge my context. Life is funny like that! In order to grow in experience you must have a source of interest. That same source of interest will reveal your ignorance in and around the subject matter. I guess one of the biggest questions one must ask him/herself is are you willing to be ignorant temporarily in order to be wise later. I certainly am willing and I hope you will be too.

Actions


There comes a time when one makes mistakes out in the marketplace that could possibly adversely affect those around that person in the company setting. Those actions at times are unthinking and based purely on emotion. During those circumstances you see exactly who is loyal to you and who is shaky and won’t make a stand behind you. When that happens it is best to keep the loyal partners with you because they are the ones who will be with you in a crunch and subject the others to further tests to see if they will eventually develop the fortitude to stick with you through thick and thin.

Documentation


When officers of a company make a decision they not only have to stand by the decision that was decided upon, they have to also document the decision and send it to the appropriate parties that the decision affects. In other words they have to leave the right paper trail in order to keep from wandering off the direct path to their objective. The proper documentation will lead the company back towards the right track and help in minimizing the inevitable miscommunication that will eventually occur in all companies at one point of time or another. Relaying information verbally more often than not leads to the embellishment of what was originally said. As children there was a game played where all the boys and girls are sitting or standing in a circle and the child chosen to be the original messenger whispers a message to the child who is placed to the right of him/her. The message is than relayed all around the circle of children until it gets right back to the originator and by than the message has been transformed and has no relation to the original message. This is what happens in companies that do not have the proper paper trail or documentation, the intended, original message will get lost in the shuffle.

Negotiations


In order to function in the marketplace an entrepreneur has to learn how to negotiate or barter. As an entrepreneur deals that are negotiated from owner to owner offer way more flexibility than dealing with a middleman. Many of those deals are initially cashless with payment to be made on a future, set date. Without the ability to handle negotiations skillfully an entrepreneur will find him/herself at a disadvantage in today’s fast paced economy.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Responsibility


As times go on in a start up company you start to see who is with you in regards to pushing the company forward and who is there for their own selfish reasons. Those people need to be weeded out and seen out the door. The people that are with you through thick and thin are the ones you need to keep with you because they are the ones that you can depend upon. Those individuals that do not take responsibility for the well being of everyone in the company but are only in the company for themselves are destined to be alone and broke by themselves. Because even if those individuals were bought out of the company they still received money that was not earned and they don't know how to manage the money they were given.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Weekends


Weekends are a great time to go out in the marketplace. People are looking forward to a relaxing couple of days and “let their hair down.” Encountering other company owners out there and sharing common off duty interests can lead to very profitable business ventures. Try it sometime and you’ll be surprised at how well this method works. There is nothing like shared experiences in a relaxed atmosphere to build a rapport and let one’s defenses down. Striking deals from one owner to another is very flexible, fast, exciting and will often be the beginning of long, valuable business relationships.

Relationships


There is a saying “you do not mix business with pleasure” and in some instances it is very true. I have seen business partners who have had their hearts broken because they have gotten too close relationship wise to another business partner. When circumstances cause one of the partners to leave or become silent it is like the break up of a marriage, a person will feel like there is a hole the size of the Grand Canyon in the middle of his/her heart and it takes a long while for it to fill back up. I never knew how those types of relationships felt like until just recently and let me tell you it feels a lot worse than what I have just described. It’s going to take a long time before I get over these feelings of abandonment that have totally consumed me.

Brainstorming


Brainstorming to me is a highly dynamic group interaction for problem solving. In other words it is a group creativity technique designed to generate a large number of ideas for the solution to a problem. The method was first popularized by Alex Faickney Osborn in the late 1930s, an advertising executive and one of the founders of BBDO (Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn), in a book called Applied Imagination. Osborn proposed that groups could double their creative output by using the method of brainstorming. Another use for brainstorming is a valuable team building exercise.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Terminology


In the marketplace not everyone has a college degree in fact some of the most successful entrepreneurs do not have a degree at all. If you’re a technology based company catering to the technology field your mission statement would more than likely have technological terminology that would attract your client base. However, if you are a service oriented company the terminology used to create the mission statement should be as simple and straightforward as possible. By doing this you are ensuring that the widest variety of clientele possible will be able to walk through your doors to do business with you. A company that is service oriented has to make sure everyone that reads their mission statement derives the same meaning and that there is no room for doubt in what the company does.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Homework


As an entrepreneur there are many times when studying to become a better professional he/she will not get paid. However, the importance of learning and applying what was learned in the marketplace is an invaluable set of experiences that a person can use and keep with him/her for a lifetime. Individuals pay too much attention to the paycheck aspect of work instead of the education and what one learns in the marketplace. A doctor essentially works for free before he gets his own practice, a lawyer and athlete does the same. An entrepreneur is no different and practices his craft diligently until he/she becomes successful at what a business owner does. Doing your homework and all of your work assignments creates a successful entrepreneur.

Why?


Many individuals ask others why in the marketplace. This is just another way of saying to someone I would have done something differently and that is the point of this sentence. Another way of saying this would be, that I meaning myself have not done what that other person has done so trying to instill the way you think on someone else will not always work. Believe me I’m married and I should know because my wife makes it abundantly clear to me on a daily basis. So instead of saying why, say why not since this statement is a lot more positive. Do you want to start a business, why not? Do you need help in restructuring a company you currently own, why not? Do you need a team of business consultants that will help your company begin to move forward again, why not? Instead of thinking why in regards to all of the reasons for not doing anything, think why not and continue to press forward in your companies’ progress.

Manipulation


Many people today see honesty as a sign of weakness and will manipulate that person’s honesty to suit their own personal or hidden agenda. The problem with that is the manipulator can take advantage of individuals for just so long and than the truth will be revealed and subsequently, the word will be spread around of that individuals tendencies. Once the word is spread the individual’s manipulation no longer works and the manipulator has to travel further and further outward to accomplish his/her unethical actions. Eventually that person will run out of people to take advantage of and is treated “and justifiably so” as a pariah to the community.

Impressions


Impressions can lead an individual to jump to conclusions. They can cause the wrong message to be conveyed which consequently leads to chaos and confusion. They can also lead to mistrust in the marketplace. The best way to end the confusion caused by impressions is for partners to be truthful to one another in a company and not keep any “secrets” from each other. Playing the “I have a secret game” will cause rifts and cliques in a company instead of a united front towards a common targeted objective. Secrets that are kept within a company of owners are not conducive towards a healthy working environment and do not foster a sense of belonging and a team mentality. This type of practice causes divisiveness and is counterproductive to a businesses progress.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Busy


Lately it seems that there’s not enough time to do everything that I want to accomplish. It’s during these times that I wish there was two of me. But if there were two of me running around my wife would be in a mental institution. I married a good woman and I hope she continues to have the patience to deal with my bombastic moods. Being busy is a good thing because the opposite of that would be to not have any work at all and try to find a new job. I’d rather work as a co-owner than to work for someone else in a wage job. Be blessed and enjoy your weekend, I’ll be signing off now.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Fairly Well


Lately I would say work has been going fairly well for the most part. The radio show has been going well, and around the office things have been progressing well also. All of us have been working really hard, pitching in and all doing our fair share of trying to expand, and provide for our company. The week seemed really long to me and I’m really looking forward to the weekend. Then comes another business week, hopefully I’ll be more prepared then what I was for this week. Well until next time, be safe and have a great weekend.

Unhappiness


What happens when you have feelings of unhappiness in your job? When you dread going to work every Monday and just don’t want to get out of bed. When you feel that you work harder than other people at your job and get paid less. When you notice that someone younger than yourself has been promoted to a higher position than yourself. When there are feelings of being underpaid and unappreciated for the work that you have accomplished and continue to do. If all those things have brought you unhappiness than this is the beginning phase of a potential entrepreneur and you should consider working for yourself.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Looking Bad


People in the United States are conditioned to avoid looking bad. This conditioning begins when we start going to school and continues throughout our lives. In school individuals learn to avoid asking questions for fear of looking bad, appearing ignorant or unjustifiably stupid. People need to break free of this conditioning and start asking more questions because by doing that they can open up for themselves a brand new world that was previously unavailable to them. People will be able to learn by asking questions, than using application from the answers given to them. By doing this the discomfort felt by asking questions because of the fear of looking bad will be a thing of the past.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Over-analysis


Out in the marketplace a person will tend to find individuals that need all of the facts first in order to think about it, before making any decision. Nine times out of ten that type of individual will think their way into not making any decision whatsoever and staying in their self imposed limbo of inaction. Over-analysis during the startup phase of a company is the best way of keeping that company at a standstill. There is a phrase that holds true in regards to company creation and that is “actions speak louder then words”. One can speak all day until they’re blue in the face and not have a single thing accomplished except for a sore throat. By taking action things wind up happening and company movement winds up taking place. By saying this should happen and that should be done, nothing ever takes place and you can feel the breeze of the flapping lips that are in movement. Don’t ever get trapped in over-analysis because you will be like a hamster in an exercise wheel going nowhere fast.

Fear


One of the emotions that will always be present when you decide to delve into the marketplace as an entrepreneur is fear. Fear has prevented millions of people from ever even trying to step out into the marketplace. Fear has caused companies from ever stepping beyond the startup stage. Fear is the cause for thousands of uncompleted projects that have been left by the wayside. Fear is ever present in the marketplace and you can never get rid of fear because that is the one emotion that will never be extinguished when a person chooses to become a business owner. As an entrepreneur a person has to learn to live with fear and look at it face to face. One has to step beyond the fear and continue to move forward towards the targeted goal. When a person learns how to live with and handle ones fear miraculous things can be achieved.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Visionaries


It’s easy to give up when things don’t live up to your expectations. It’s another thing to stick to your guns and keep focused on your objective when things are perceived to be hard. When a person is a visionary that person does not quit when obstacles get in the way. Visionaries dig under, jump over, or crash through those obstacles to continue on to their objective. Imagine if our Lord and savior Jesus Christ gave up his ministry because he knew he would be scourged and crucified in order to achieve his objective which was to save the world from their sins and mend the breach between God and man. Now compare your situation to his and you will realize that what is going on in your life pales in comparison to what he endured to reach his goal. The best things in life are not easy and success is not going to be given to you on a silver platter, you have to work for it. Don’t complain when things are not coming to fruition by your expectations, go out, “get your hands dirty” and work on striving towards the goal that is set. An old boss of mine in the military once told me “if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem” think about it.

Now Money


The average individual within the marketplace has been socialized into having now money. By now money I mean money that will be used here and now for their own desires and not into an investment vehicle that will help them out later on for the rest of his/her life. By being impatient and not focusing on what businesses a person has first entered into to push those companies forward can lead to disastrous consequences. These attitudes will start a dangerous cycle of not finishing what was started and consequently there will be a lot of unfinished businesses/projects that will never be completed due to people’s greed, impatience and lack of focus. God has made certain that teams of people following biblical principals will become highly successful. Not a team that is comprised of around two to three people because that is just working from a position of pride and selfishness!

Friday, September 7, 2007

Big Headedness


When dealing with individuals in the marketplace you have to really scrutinize candidates for the officer positions to be voted on in a company. Ideally, you want the people that will fill key positions in the company to be proactive and not reactive. What happens when a person is not mature enough to handle the important position they are filling in a business? One possible consequence is that they will try to push all of the work needed to move the company forward to everyone else and leave nothing for him/herself. In other words, they want all of the authority that comes with the position but none of the responsibility. Another possible consequence is that they will suffer from what I call big headedness. That individual becomes a legend in his/her own mind and assigns him/herself a level of importance where the person thinks that he/she is entitled to things that the person does not deserve. This type of person will start making demands and suggestions and expect those around him/her to comply with their requests even though that person in actuality is not doing anything for the company except creating chaos for those surrounding him/her. The best thing to do in that type of a situation is to get rid of that individual for the good of the company. A business in its growing stages does not need an “all talk and no action” person filling a key position within the company.

Work and The Process of Learning


Its Friday again, where has the week gone to? It always seems like the days go by so slowly, but the week just flies right past you. I don’t know if it’s just me that feels that way, or if others do. Anyway excuse my absence of blog entries it has been pretty hectic around the office and with the radio station; basically all of the above has been really hectic the past few weeks. Well last time I was filling you in on what has been going on work wise. For a follow up, we have been taking our evaluations as we planned before, and they have been going quite well. Although I’m still in the process of learning so much when it comes to work, it’s still really beneficial and enlightening for me. It’s never boring and there is always something fresh and new to do. But I won’t lie it can get really frustrating, but you learn to deal with it, accept it, and move on. I have been getting lots of experience with my speaking skills in terms of being able to carry a semi-business conversation, and I have been learning and getting more experience when it comes to sales. It is such a challenge and it’s not as easy as people would think, but that’s the total beauty of doing it. Placing application into acquiring experience in an area where you currently have very little to draw upon. It’s ok to have little expertise in a certain situation, or when you are starting to approach some sort of new business endeavor, although you have to learn how to develop and build, on top of the very little experience that you currently are carrying. We have all stated this before, it is always ok to make mistakes, so that way when it comes down to the second time around that you are going through a similar experience, remember the mistake you made previously, learn from it, and try going about it a different way. As you see I’m still in the process of learning from my mistakes and moving on to where I am able to except it, and try again. I’ve done it so many times already, and I am just learning so much more as I keep moving on and keep trying. Until next time take it easy, be safe, and have a great weekend.

Desperate Times


It is amazing how people will resort to underhanded methods in trying to extract money from the marketplace. The true face of individuals will always come out in time, you just have to trust in God because he is always in control. You have to remember that God will always make a way out of no way and that perceived desperate times are opportunities waiting to happen.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Patience


Patience is a virtue and this holds especially true in business. When talking to a potential client you need the patience to listen and discern what that person needs in order to present and custom fit your services in the most enticing way. Patience is also needed to find out whether a client or business partner has an ulterior motive when they are dealing with you. It becomes extremely apparent when someone is just there to leech off of you because they believe they have found a “sugar daddy” but you will wind up seeing who those are in time when they slip up and let their true intentions be known. In other words patience will eventually uncover a clients and business partner’s greed. Patience is also required in hard times. Good and bad times always come in cycles and you need to have the patience to work through the bad times because the good times are just right around the corner. So now you see that patience is a trait that is extremely important to have in business. If you, as a business person in the marketplace don’t have patience it is something that you definitely have to develop in order to survive in the corporate environment.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Maturity


Always attempt to do what you have said you will do and when you can’t accomplish things refer to the circumstances involved that prevented you from achieving your goal. By keeping those lines of communication open hopefully, people will comprehend that you are continuing to be productive and not ask the same questions repeatedly. When people continue to harp on the same things when they are under stress it reveals issues in their make-up that needs to be resolved and/or a lack of maturity that they have yet to attain. This pertains to everybody to a certain extent so do not exclude yourself from this type of behavior because I am certainly not excluding myself.

Hopeless


There are times when an individual in the marketplace feels overwhelmed and hopeless. Those are the times to draw upon your team’s brainpower because nothing is ever hopeless; it is just your perception of that particular set of circumstances. Team ownership is extremely dynamic because when one co-owner can’t think of a solution to a problem another one more then likely does have the solution to the dilemma. Feelings of losing control of their companies have never been a consideration with the richest people of the world who have used team ownership to garner wealth for themselves and their team to unprecedented heights.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Application


Many individuals complain when things go wrong according to their impressions. It is the rare individual that instead of complaining about things will just go out and do something to alleviate the problem that is perceived. Business owners must remember that application not procrastination will always be the key.