Month: August 2019

Why Having A Mentor Is Important To Becoming An Entrepreneur

Entrepreneur blogger

If you’ve ever thought of becoming an entrepreneur you should know there are dozens of online companies willing to provide assistance in helping you launch your big idea. That’s the good news.

The bad news is not all of these sources are worth the time and money you might invest. Then again, that’s a common cautionary take in all of life’s pursuits I suppose. So, where exactly does one go to learn more about starting their own business?

Certainly the access of online articles can help. This can take some quality time with a search engine, but you will likely find a great deal of information that would have been hard to locate twenty years ago.

There is one thing that is a bit ‘old school’ that could assist you in answering your questions about becoming an entrepreneur. You could simply ask someone who’s ‘been there’ for advice.

This doesn’t have to be someone directly involved with the idea you have, but simply someone who has already traverse the potholes of entrepreneurialism and lived to find continued success with their idea. Many of these individuals would welcome the opportunity to ‘talk shop’.

The whole idea of mentoring seems to be lost to the 21st century, however that doesn’t mean it is a useless idea. Interestingly, you might be able to find a mentor online if no one can be located in your immediate region.

Our 21st century world revolved around forum posts, blog posts, email and text messaging. These tools can be used to hold a conversation with one or more entrepreneurs who may be willing to share some insight into the business you are seeking to establish.

Imagine the individuals who developed the pet rock, mood rings and other pop culture gadgets of the past. Their ideas didn’t last forever, but they were able to create enough interest that, for a time, their ‘big idea’ found wings.

Entrepreneurialism is forged in the furnace of personal passion. If you believe strongly enough in your idea that passion can translate to others who can catch your vision – that vision is assisted when you have someone who can answer your questions as you get started.

Entrepreneurialism requires great patience, an eye toward the future and a solid belief in the product or service you are making available.

So search the web all you want when looking for information, but try to find someone who can be an entrepreneurial mentor to you as you take your ‘big idea’ and introduce it to reality.

Ceo Will Gruver Chosen As Ernst & Young Regional Finalist

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CEO Will Gruver was chosen by an independent panel of judges to represent USP&E as a finalist in the southwest area north region of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Program. Gruver says he felt a surge of emotion and gratitude when he learned of the news.

“To be connected in any way to a firm as world renowned as Ernst & Young is a tremendous honor,” says Gruver who received the phone call while with clients and staff in West Africa.

Award recipients were formally announced in June at a special gala held at the Hyatt Regency Dallas Hotel. A finalist reception was held on May 17th.

Regional award winners are eligible to be considered for the Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur of the Year Program. The Entrepreneur of the Year Overall Award winner along with award winners in other national categories will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California in November. The awards ceremony will culminate the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum. The overall national US winner will compete for the World Entrepreneur of the Year Program in Monaco.

Ernst & Young received more than 1,700 entries from entrepreneurs across the country. The program is the world’s most prestigious award for entrepreneurs. Award winners are those entrepreneurs who have demonstrated excellence and extraordinary success in areas such as: innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their business and communities. There are 26 regional programs in the US and 50 countries in the global program. The Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored in the United States by SAP America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

Gruver will represent his company in the energy sector of the competition.

“It’s a special company represented by the highest caliber of people that I have ever known–and it’s only because of this incredible team that I am even considered for this distinction,” says Gruver.

The Entrepreneur of the Year celebrates those individuals building and leading successful growing and dynamic businesses. Ernst & Young recognizes these companies through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 140 cities and in more than 50 nations. Entrepreneur of the Year candidates are both transitional and transformational. Nominees can be CEOs of public or privately held companies, multi-generational family business leaders or divisional CEOs.

Ernst & Young has been recognizing entrepreneurs for more than 25 years.

“We were advised that we’ve been selected as a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Program,” said Dean Castillo, Chief Strategy Officer. “This program is considered the top program of its type in the United States. This selection represents a significant milestone in our company’s growth and visibility.”

Internal Motivation The Entrepreneur

Entrepreneur blogger

It always amazes me, looking back on my career as an entrepreneur, that I did my worst work when I was at the top of my game. That’s right; I also preformed my best when I was at my lowest. I used to think that I was just lazy when I was comfortable and my needs were being met, but the day came that I realized that this was the source of power and success.

If business was booming and resources were in abundance, I lost all desire to achieve. For the longest time I thought that only under desperation could I find creativity and motivation. If you took away all my money and locked me inside of a cockroach-infested, apartment, with nothing more than a cell phone, computer, Internet access, and 27 cans of beef stew without a can opener, you would be absolutely amazed at what I can get done. I would figure out how to open the cans of food with my cell phone, and within 8 days, deposits would start appearing in my PayPal account. I always figured this was simply my survival mechanism kicking in. As it turned out, I was neither lazy nor motivated by primitive survival instincts. It is actually a personality trait that few have and even fewer understand… including most of the people who have it.

This isn’t about being able to get stuff done when times are tough. I will spare you that speech, because lots of people have written about that one already. What I am talking about is where a person gets their motivation from. Is it generated from internally or externally? That is the million dollar question. A true entrepreneur is motivated from internal validation.

A normal person is motivated by externally. Most people without resources have nothing to draw validation from and they cannot get excited enough to accomplish starting a business. They cannot find the motivation to figure out how to build something out of nothing. Give that person a large office, nice business cards, and an important title and they tend to get to work and behave in a way that matches all that external validation. The biggest problem occurs when that external validation is given to them, rather than earned by them. They then boss people around without actually knowing what they are talking about. Under that poor guidance, the business will fall apart. This is why an average person fails at starting a business. They either can’t find the motivation to start from scratch or, if they get lucky and have some resources fall into their lap, they never learn how to build resources, which is what entrepreneurship is all about. The most common thing I see when non-entrepreneurs try to start companies is that money gets squandered to buy stuff that gives them external validation. These are the people who go bankrupt paying for huge office space that they do not need. The only thing they succeed at is building nothing out of something as they exhaust their resources without building mechanisms for profit. The funniest thing to me is that as the business fails, all of their external validation starts to disappear and with it their power at the very time they need it most. Their need for external validation guarantees their failure.

Then there exists a rare breed, the entrepreneur. This is the kind of person who truly can build something out of nothing. The entrepreneur gets his motivation from internal validation. It makes no difference to his self value if he is running things from a one-room apartment or the top floor of a skyscraper. He will be called arrogant and egotistical because he sees his value only inside of himself; he considers his circumstances and assets irrelevant. He believes that he has the power to create money out of nothing and his motivation for success is showing that belief to be true. For him, it’s not what he has; it is what he can do, and once that is done, he can have anything.

Now that you understand that how a true entrepreneur is motivated, I will explain what people see as laziness, loss of interest, and lack of motivation once their businesses get going. The entrepreneur gets excited about being able to do what more than 99% of the people on this planet cannot do, create something out of nothing. True entrepreneurs lose interest when the process turns into building something out of something because they see that as a goal anyone could accomplish, so it doesn’t feed their ego in the same way. They are excited by being able to do what others cannot. The true entrepreneur is a fire starter. After things get going, they pass operations off to the management they put in place and leave to start yet another business. And the best part is that they start that new business with nothing. They understand the power in doing this and know that the man who needs “no thing” has “no thing” holding him back. He gets his validation internally. That internal validation gets satisfaction from being able to create things out of “no thing” – that is the magic! That is the real entrepreneur at work.

Consider for a moment that the game of life is won not by getting more, but by being more. Focus on being more and you will see that making silly amounts of money and dating ridiculously attractive women comes easy. Click on the web link below for my free eBook Domination Basics and start learning how right now.

Quentin Townsend – Basketball Champion To Entrepreneur

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Some People are said to be born for doing something special in their life and Quentin Townsend is one of them. As a person, he is regarded to be larger than life character and exercises a huge amount of energy in his work. He has not only achieved his dream, but is living it everyday.

History
Townsend is about six feet and 8 inches tall and studied in the Central State University and was well known for his basketball skills. He loved the game and actively participated in it throughout his school and college days. His height and talent for playing made him a popular basketball player. Although he knew he was a good player, he had set a different goal for himself.

Dream To Reality
From the age of 28, Quentin Townsend started his journey of becoming a successful entrepreneur. In the year 2003, he along with his wife and future Atlanta vision associate, Akilah Townsend, achieved great success as Realtor business persons in Romeoville, Ill. He also launched a number of nonprofit programs for the benefit of teenage girls, who suffered from over weight problems. The program teaches the obese girls about healthy habits of eating.

In the year 2004, his dream came to reality, when he bought the Atlanta American Basketball Organization. It was a big step for him and within 3 months he managed to change the whole outlook of the team, starting from management to players. It was a progressive action and later on he changed the name of the organization to Atlanta Vision. He has a strong personality and a lot of positive energy. According to a number of his well-wishers, he has a great driving force for work and basketball and this specific trait has helped him in establishing Atlanta Vision.

By doing his work, Townsend is living his dream of being an entrepreneur. Besides that, he is also enjoying basketball, which has been his favorite sport since childhood. He has played a number of matches in the past. Quentin Townsend is well known for his kind nature. He has donated money personally to a number of schools and charitable associations and has sometimes raised funds by making his team play for the schools. He always encourages school students to participate in basketball game and has helped a number of schools for establishing a good basketball ground in their infrastructure.

Advantages Of Using Promos In Your Business

Entrepreneur blogger

Promos are considered one of the most effective and cheapest means for marketing. Corporate gifts or promos are not very expensive and can be less than a dollar as well. According to the reports of an Advertising Specialty Industry, around 56% of people keep the promos, while 58% of the people remember name of the company printed on the promos. Promos are cost-effective means of advertising brand image of your business. This article discusses about some useful tips on how you can make the most of promos for a campaign.

You should be aware of the wants and desires of your prospective clients:

Promos that you use must be market driven. It is very important customers appreciate the promos that you give out; as this will help you increase your customer base. Therefore, what you can do is, make the promotional products the way your clients expect them to be. You will have to spend time conducting research, when it comes to determining the right promos.

You must be very cautious all through the process, because business organizations have the tendency of losing their core message in their attempt to target niche audiences. Your brand identity must be clearly expressed in advertising merchandise so that people wont have any problem getting the message you want to promote.

Remember less is more:

You should keep in mind the concept of less is more while designing promos for marketing. You should keep the text and color to the minimum to attract attention of prospective clients. Too many colors and words tend to make the promos look messy and chaotic. There is amazing elegance in simplicity and this helps you effectively project your business message to your clients. Untidy presentation shows lack of professionalism and leaves behind a negative image in minds of the clients.

Many consider bargaining or haggling a desperate act in business. It is actually a business negotiation process that a wise entrepreneur does to cut down the overall cost. Once you are aware of the basic negotiation skills, you will be able to save substantial amount of money.

Some of the commonly used promos include T-shirts, pens, gym bags, mugs, and other useful pieces of merchandise. Targeted promos for your customers generate more sales and help attract attention of clients to your site. Make sure to give out good quality freebies, as your company image will crumble down when you offer cheap promos.

Using promos for marketing is one of the most affordable means to increase your profit margins and improve your business. So, keep in mind the three useful abovementioned pointers and create a brand image of your business with promos or promotional gifts. You will be amazed to take your business products and services to an altogether new height with such promotional items.