Entrepreneurship

Are You Romancing Your Joint Venture Partners?

Valentine’s Day had me thinking about relationships of all kinds. Not just significant other, but friends, family, and business relationships. Which brings me to this question “Are you romancing your joint venture partners?” A joint venture is one of the best things you can do to increase your business. It’s a synergy between two or more entities where you share costs, risks, and rewards. It’s a way to acquire skills, new customers, and new markets quickly.

But, just like your relationships with significant others, you need to romance your joint venture partners. Always think about what you have to offer and how you can help the other person. A joint venture arrangement has to be a win-win for all parties involved for it to work. Partner with people who have as much to offer as you do and then make it worthwhile for them to want to work with you.

A good place to start is with people you already know. And if you don’t know them, follow them and get to know them. You don’t want to get into a partnership with someone who expects you to do all of the work and doesn’t offer anything in return. Just like in your personal life, that gets old quick. Do your homework and learn how the other person operates. I watch people to see how quickly they expand their business and whether they are going to stick with it or not. I like to know that the other person is going to work just as hard as I do. [Read more…] about Are You Romancing Your Joint Venture Partners?

Do You Need a Business Coach?

It seems like everybody is a coach these days. There are life coaches, business coaches, marketing coaches, athletic coaches, spiritual coaches, and so on. There are so many out there to choose from, how do you know who is good, or who is the best kind of coach for you? Do you need a business coach?

Do you need a coach?

I just watched “Rocky” for the first time the other night. Yes, the original “Rocky”. I know, I’m the only person in the world that hadn’t seen it. I needed the inspiration, and “Rocky” delivered. We all need to hear “You can do it!” from time to time. We all need to know that we CAN do it. After all, if we see that Rocky, a down on his luck boxer can beat the champ against all odds, well then, by God, we can too.

I talked to someone recently about putting my coaching services on their website. I was told that I couldn’t because I didn’t have a certification in coaching. Really? It kind of made me laugh. Did Mickey Goldmill need a certificate to coach Rocky? I’m pretty sure Jimmy Dugan never had any kind of coaching certificate to take his ragtag group of women baseball players to the top of their game in “A League of Their Own”. I’m not quite sure what a certificate would have done for either of them. [Read more…] about Do You Need a Business Coach?

Who’s The Boss?

I was talking to a friend today who works in an office. She said she really hates her job, but as long as she makes sure her boss is happy, she’s pretty sure she will always have a job. I told her that’s probably not the only thing she needs to be worried about in this new economy, but, whatever.

She said she only has to please one person, but I have to please everybody. At first I thought “I don’t have to please anybody. I’m the boss.” But after giving it some thought, I realized she was right. As an entrepreneur, everybody’s your boss. And since I’m running multiple businesses that number multiplies greatly. She IS right. EVERYBODY is my boss. And I have to make them all happy. [Read more…] about Who’s The Boss?

The Learning Curve

The unemployment numbers lately have been pretty bleak. But for recent college graduates they are even worse. Almost half of all recent grads are either unemployed or underemployed, meaning there are a lot of very educated people flipping burgers and serving cappuccino. I’ve been there. It’s the learning curve.

I used to dodge the question I would always get asked “So, where did you go to college?” “Um, oh, a school you’ve never heard of”, and drop the subject. I always felt like I was missing out on some kind of secret party that everyone had been invited to except me.

The truth is that I could have gone. I’m sure my parents would have scraped together the money somehow or borrowed it if I had pushed the issue. But I didn’t. Instead I saved up a few hundred dollars and as soon as I turn 18 I left my small town and jumped on a plane headed to NYC.

I had no idea where I was going to go or what I was going to do when I got there. And I didn’t know anyone at all in the city. Talk about not having a plan! But fate had other plans for me. [Read more…] about The Learning Curve

Are Entrepreneurs Happier Than Employees?

It’s 9:30 at night and here I am still working. I was invited to go to a party, but had to turn it down because I still have orders to box up and writing that needs to be finished. That’s been happening a lot lately. Glad that there is work, but when you run a business there is always work to be done. It never ends. It made me wonder “Are entrepreneurs happier than employees?”

The other day I was invited to lunch. I can’t even remember the last time I was able to take a real lunch in the middle of the day that wasn’t eaten at my desk. I’m kind of hoping for a little stability right now, so I can take even an hour off and do something, like watch a movie. It’s times like this that I envy my friends that have real jobs. Okay, I don’t envy them too much because they’re sitting in cubicles all day being told what to do. Just a little stability would be nice.

A recent Gallup poll reveals how Americans feel about their jobs and how happy they are with them. 71% of Americans are not engaged in their work. In other words, they are emotionally disconnected from their jobs. This means they’re also more likely to be more unproductive when they are at work. [Read more…] about Are Entrepreneurs Happier Than Employees?