Building a solid foundation for your business is a continuous process that requires a tolerance for failure. Who hasn’t heard that before? But it is something worth repeating. In order for your business to evolve into something solid and concrete, you must understand these three rules that will evolve your small business.
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The way to financial freedom begins not in the bank, or even in a financial planner’s office, but in your head. It begins with your thoughts. More often than not, those thoughts stem from our forgotten past about money. Let’s explore the first step toward financial freedom by taking a step back in time, and what money meant to you then.
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In business, they are times when you make a phone call to a potential prospect (cold, not warm) and he or she does not pick-up. Some of you decide to call back at a later time, and some of you decide to leave a voice message. The thing with voice messages is it gives the decision maker the opportunity to reject you before you get a chance to talk to them. How do you get pass that barrier? Let’s explore on this topic. Read the full story

The basic problem in negotiating  are when parties conflict between each others needs, desires, wants, fears, concerns, and etc. For example, you see a house for sale for $350,000. And you offer the seller $330,000. Then the seller counters and says he cannot accept anything less than $350,000. You react by responding, “I won’t pay anything higher than $330,000!” Do you notice anything in this scenario? Doesn’t it seem like the seller and buyer are focused on their positions? The seller says he won’t pay anything higher than $330,000, and the buyer says he cannot accept anything lower $350,000 and that’s their POSITION. Read the full story

Your success, your job depends upon motivation of your team. When teams are motivated, they don’t simply perform their job, they attack them, eager to make their contributions. And the results are obvious: customers are happy, your team is energized, and the organization continues to grow and develops. Read the full story

80 percent of your business comes from 20 percent of your clients. If this is the case, there is a reason that keeps them coming back. What is it that clients love that keeps them coming back? Let’s explore this question in further detail. Read the full story

To build strong working relationships with clients and customers, team members, managers, and internal customers. Do the following: Read the full story

You have the power to turn every conversation to topics that are interesting and that can lead to opportunities. Be proactive and willing to direct the conversation. Don’t forget to listen and be aware. This is not about monopolizing the conversation. It’s about contributing to the interaction with an intention of creating and discovering value.
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People love brand name services and/or products. Go to a grocery store and pick a brand name cereal versus a generic cereal. The majority of you will choose the brand name. We all know that both are the same in taste, but we still pay more in price. In your business, your potential clients need to perceive you as a brand before you earn their business.
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When starting a business, you start small and wish to finish bigger than you started. These 15 lessons should help build your business into a exciting and fulfilling retirement.

· Lesson One:  Start Small

Some people have the idea that a small business doesn’t amount to sizeable income, or expansion. Debatable, but I disagree. While your business is small you will have the time to learn the lessons that are essential to your success. If you want to finish big, starting small is a not a bad start.

· Lesson Two: Earn a Few Pennies

It’s not how much you earn at first; it’s learning to earn something, even if it’s a few pennies. It can set you up for bigger things to come.

· Lesson Three: Begin with an Idea

Take a look around you. What needs to be improved? Where is there a void? Think, think, and think. Ask other people for their opinions. Eventually you’ll find a good idea.

· Lesson Four: Think Like a Visionary

It’s not enough to have an idea. You must look beyond that. If you implement an idea, then what? It’s really important to ask the “what” questions. What will result after you open the business? What can it become? What value can it provide? What is it about this business that will capture my commitment, my energy, and money ? From those questions you will come up with answers that will help you create a vision. Think big and give yourself the opportunity to get excited about your idea and future.

* Lesson Five: Keep the Faith

Building a business is a challenging commitment. Some days your chances for success are slim, you are short on money, employees and customers will take advantage of your business . Many things can go wrong. Stay positive, don’t give up the faith in what you can do and accomplish.

* Lesson six: Ready, Fire, and Aim!

It’s better to fire in the direction you want to be, and then adjust your aim, than never fire at all. Get started, because sometimes talking about it and dreaming about for too long will take away your energy to get started. Make your adjustment along the way.

* Lesson Seven: Profit or Perish

It’s easy to make a lot of sales and still not profit. There are only two ways to make a profit: increase sales and decrease costs. Learn this lesson as soon as possible.

* Lesson Eight: Be Positive

When life throws challenges at you. Seek solutions. And if one solution doesn’t work, seek another and another until you find a solution that works. It doesn’t do you r anyone any good if you be negative. It takes away your energy and others. Keep a positive mind-set.

* Lesson Nine: Continuously Improve Your Business

This lesson may not become apparent until you’re faced with competition. Introduce new products, new ways to serve your customers, new ways to market, and new ways to get ahead of everyone else. This is not a once and done thing. It’s continuous. If you don’t do it, someone else will.

* Lesson Ten: Believe In Your People

The people are one of your greatest assets in any business. Reinforce yourself that. They can work with you, or against you.

* Lesson Eleven: Never Ran Out of Money

You can make mistakes; you can have a bad day, a bad week, even a bad year. You can get low on money, but you must never run out of money. Money keeps you in the game. 10% of what you earn is yours to keep.

* Lesson Twelve: Attract New Customers Every Day

Awareness, Trial, and Usage. Make people aware of who you are and what you do, invite them to try your product or service. Then turn them into regular users.

* Lesson Thirteen: Be Persistent: Don’t Give Up

If you quit, you fail. If you give up, you’re out. If you stop playing, you can’t play anymore. Not giving up requires something more than faith, and a positive attitude. It’s about persistence. Faith, and a positive attitude go hand in hand with persistence. But you cannot make it with 2 out of the 3. If you give up you have to start all over again. Never give up!

* Lesson Fourteen: Build a Brand Name

People will spend a little more on a brand name product than an unbranded product. Despite they are both exactly the same. Branded products sell, and they sell for more than unbranded products.

* Lesson Fifteen: Opportunity Waits for No One

When you’re faced with an opportunity it’s important to be prepared to say yes before the opportunity goes elsewhere. This is not to say that you must say yes to everything that comes along. Bu you got to say yes if you want to start something.

Conclusion

You can adapt these lessons to your business , either one that already exists, or one that you plan to start. You can use these lessons to build an exciting and rewarding business. You can use these lessons to start small and finish big.

Derived from “Start Small, Finish Big! Enterprising advice from the Cofounder of Subway” By Fred DeLuca with John P. Hayes

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