FROM THE DESK, MIND AND HEART OF JEFF HODGES
Hey Everybody,
Has is been a week already? It always amazes me at where the time goes. Of course, Time is only a concept anyway. Scientifically speaking, it is always RIGHT NOW, all time immediately becomes the PAST and the FUTURE never arrives !!! Yea, spend a little time chewing on that one. It kind of gives you a little better understanding of why you must use the Law of Attraction by visualizing in the Present rather than the Future, huh? Anyway, on that note, I would like to welcome back all my dear, dear friends and welcome aboard all my new ones. As always, if you are new and want to read back editions or maybe you just missed one, just go to either.........
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As most of you know, I work as the Director of Support for my Team in Success University so I have first hand exposure to a lot of different scenarios in peoples businesses. I'm always watching and listening, looking for common threads in what they do and how they do it. It helps me to do a much better job of providing them with the support and training they need. Another thing that I do, however, is to spend a considerable amount of time researching business in general and sometimes I run across some pretty eyebrow raising little tidbits. Allow me to share a couple with you.
I was on the Small Business Administration's website today ( http://www.sba.gov ) and found something I find to be very interesting. It had a list of the Top Ten Reasons Why Most Small Businesses Fail. Now, bearing in mind that when someone's business fails that they immediately want to blame the product or service they are providing, what would you say if I told you that SALES ranked NUMBER TEN in that list??? You just spend a couple of minutes thinking about that. The volume of sales of the actual Product or Service that is being sold is the LAST THING ON THE LIST of the reason's the businesses fail !!!
Would you like a sampling of the reasons that outranked the actual sales? I thought you would. Try some of these on for size:
1) Lack of Knowledge
2) Poor Management
3) Over-Investment in Fixed Assets (i.e. Buying new office furniture, unnecessary equipment, etc.)
4) Irresponsible Use of Credit
5) Personal Use of Business Funds
All in all, the main theme here seems to be that the people who's businesses fail seem to be as prepared and take their business about as seriously as a seven year old opening a lemonade stand. People, you have GOT to get out and stay out of this mentality that just because you have a small business and you're not working our of the business towers down town that you can just WING IT !!! Having a business, large or small, is a HUGE undertaking and a HUGE responsibility. You simply have to have the proper mindset, adequate level of maturity and a burning desire for professionalism or you are GOING TO BECOME A STATISTIC!!!
Furthermore, I was reading an article on http://www.businessknowhow.com and discovered some more interesting facts. When listing the four things that successful businesses have that troubled ones do not, they listed the following characteristics as the NUMBER ONE thing...
1) They have a Positive Attitude toward their business and life in general. (Hmmm... Wonder where you've heard that before ???)
2) They are Committed to their effort.
3) They are PATIENT !!!
4) They are PERSISTENT !!!
These are not my theories or facts that I just made up. These are the cold, hard facts that any of you could find just as I did. They stand as evidence that most of the time, with very little exception, if you want to know why your business is failing you need look no further than the bathroom mirror to locate the source of the trouble. These are the very things that I stand on when I tell all of you to TAKE INVENTORY of not only your business but also of yourself and how you approach it. You see, for the most part there are no BAD BUSINESSES, just bad BUSINESS OWNERS !!!
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"Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage."
- Victor Kiam
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Let me ask all of you something. Are you in your respective businesses JUST FOR THE MONEY ??? Now, that may seem like a bit of a strange question at first but think about it. Are you doing something that you truly enjoy and that brings you a high degree of satisfaction? Are you doing something that puts a song in your heart and lets you sleep well at night knowing that, not only are you being successful and providing adequately for your family, but that you are doing something that makes a difference in someone else's life?
I hope you are because if you are then you are truly leading a blessed life. I know that I am. PASSION FOR and LOVE OF what you do is about the single most powerful tool available to any business today. I know for me that nothing compares, not even money, to the satisfaction of someone telling me how I have helped them through a tough time or motivated them in some way. I suppose that is the reason that I don't charge for my counseling service. I accept the rewards inside as payment in full.
Now, don't misunderstand me. You don't have to be a counselor or a motivational speaker or anything like that for this concept to apply. Any business can be fulfilling in that way if you are the right person for that business. Think about a few examples..... A photographer creates loving memories for their clients. A construction worker creates a loving home for those memories to take place. A candy vendor brings a smile to the face of a child. An artist brings beauty to a world desperately in need of that very thing. And the list goes on and on. The point is that there are no specific businesses that generate passion in the hearts of their owners. There is only proper matching of business owner to business.
I want to share something very special with you from my weeks events and it ties directly to what I just spoke of. I spend, sometimes, fourteen to sixteen hours a day working with people and helping them deal with issues in their business and sometimes just life in general and sometimes that can get a bit stressful. But every once in a while, right when I'm in need of a break, something phenomenal will happen. This week has been no exception.
There is this kind, sweet little lady from down south that I work with helping her to develop her business. She is a very nice person who loves to talk. Sometimes we'll spend an hour on the phone. We start out talking about business then, the next thing you know, we're talking about her kids or her church group. She is just a joy to talk to.
Well, she called me this week and during the course of our conversation she expressed to me how much I meant to her and how it brightened her day to spend time talking to me. Folks, that will take the WORK out of ANY business you are running. But that is not the best part of this story. We began talking about the fact that she writes poetry and songs. She asked me if I would like for her to share a couple with me. Naturally, I told her yes. I want you to know that dear, sweet little lady sat there on that telephone and SANG two songs to me. I'm not ashamed to tell all of you that I sat there with tears in my eyes while she sang to me. People, I can't even imagine what else I could be doing that would be able to compare to the joy that she brought to my heart during those few moments. It's just this simple, you can make money at ANYTHING !!! But you can only be truly happy and successful doing what you LOVE !!!
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"Love is a fruit in season at all times, and in reach of every hand."
- Mother Teresa
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I have to tell you, when I look back over my life at where I came from then look at where I am and where I'm headed it is absolutely mind boggling !!! What I mean by that is when you look at every turning point in my life there was one common thread. It had nothing to do circumstances but what I chose to do with those circumstances. Sadly, we don't get a second chance at life. There is no REWIND button. But, I suppose that could be to our advantage. If we were able to REWIND in order to make better choices in life just think about all the blessings that you would eliminate from your past. If you could go back 20 years and do it all over again maybe you wouldn't have your wonderful children or that spouse that you love so dearly. So, don't dwell on what MIGHT HAVE BEEN. Just focus on getting it right the first time from now on. As always, it has been an honor to have this time with all of you and until the Good Lord grants it to us once again next week just remember to..........
JUST SAY “NO” TO NEGATIVITY !!!
Sincerely,
Jeff Hodges
JeffreyHodges@thedreameffect.com
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