Author Archives: Erik von Werlhof

A Book for Entrepreneurs

Posted on by
Reply

One of the precepts that I have always believed in is that if you want to be successful in something, find out what the people who are already successful are doing.  Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the luxury of talking with those people face to face so we have to resort to other available means to find out what actions the successful people have taken so that we have an example to go by.  This mainly consists of videos, online articles and books.

 

I am currently reading “The Midas Touch” by Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki.  These

Robert T. Kiyosaki

Robert T. Kiyosaki (credit: www.last.fm)

two names in the entrepreneurial world should need no introduction.  Even though I am not finished with my reading of this book for entrepreneurs, I have thus far been so impressed with it that I wanted to share my current findings with you.  The two points covered in this book that I have most impacted by are that of focus and what Mr. Trump calls the “B-I” (for business integrity) triangle.  The term focus is described as an abbreviation for “follow one course until successful.”  Too often people allow themselves to be distracted by a myriad of other things without keeping their priorities in line and as a result find themselves not achieving the results they desire.  The business integrity triangle is an illustration of the eight essential components of a business and outlines where the entrepreneur should place themselves in order for the business to have a greater chance for success.  It is mentioned why successful entrepreneurs are generalists that have specialists working for them.  The thing that makes “The Midas Touch” a must-read is that the authors describe why most entrepreneurs end up failing while only a few actually become rich.  Priceless advice and counsel from two who know!

Also given great emphasis in the book is the importance of relationships.  Trump goes to

Donald Trump enters the Oscar De LA Renta Fash...

Donald Trump (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

length explaining how strong relationships with professionals in a variety of fields can go a long way to helping a business succeed.  He also goes on to mention that learning as an ongoing, lifelong process is essential to help ensure both personal as well as professional growth.

The book contains a multitude of other traits that prospective entrepreneurs need in order to round out their overall makeup.  I am going to keep this post short with the intention of leaving you to want to find out more about this book.  In closing, I recommend “The Midas Touch” wholeheartedly and without reservation.

Here’s to you!

 

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

The Success Mindset

Posted on by
Reply

For any individual who pursues success in a self endeavor, the right frame of mind or a success mindset in absolutely essential.  The term “success mindset” can mean different things to different people but it should contain an element of recognition that in order to achieve a certain result, certain causes must be enacted.

Now I am sure that one would agree that if a person had achieved a degree of success in their pursuit, he or she would have had to know what was wanted prior to engaging in the desired pursuit that would lead to the success.  As the pursuit of the success is in progress, a strong element of focus must also be incorporated.  Focus includes knowing what is wanted, being attentive to what is wanted and carrying out the necessary efforts in a concentrated and consistent fashion towards the attainment of what is wanted.  Through the use of focus, distractions are reduced and through the use of integrating focus with efforts (causes) that are known to be proper and relevant, the desired effects can be achieved.  To get an understanding of the importance of focus, Robert Kiyosaki gives an outstanding assessment of what focus entails in the book “The Midas Touch” co-authored with Donald Trump.

Thomas Edison built the world's first large-sc...

Now there are two categories of circumstance that people will fall into when it comes to the efforts used towards the pursuit of success.  These categories basically consist of knowing what works and not knowing what works.  If you are already blessed with the knowledge of knowing what efforts or causes are needed to bring about the desired results, you are in a position of strength to start.  But what if you don’t have the advantage of knowing what works?  This in itself can be the onset of a true adventure and discovery.  The classic case of this scenario involves famed inventor Thomas Edison and his development of the electric light bulb.  The number of attempts spent at developing a functioning light bulb is legendary.  Instead of thinking about the number of failures involved, Edison thought of it as the number of ways not to go about developing the light bulb.  This is what made Edison stand out from the crowd; it was his outlook and perseverance in the face of adversity.

One of the things you can consider is to come into contact with individuals who share your interests and desires.  Through the use of this “mastermind” principle, the combined thoughts of individuals sharing their insights on a goal of benefit to all can magnify the chances of success on an exponential level.  As the saying goes, “two heads are better than one.”  You will undoubtedly see the increased thought activity that comes about from swapping ideas back and forth between members of your group.  In his book “Think and Grow Rich,”  Napoleon Hill devotes an entire chapter to describing how a person’s brain power can be increased when he or she allies themselves with people who are devoted to the attainment of an interest shared by all.  Surely at some point in their lives, each of us experience the desire to communicate with others with whom we have something in common.

So what is your “success mindset?”  What are you willing to do in order to achieve it?  Will you keep on trying when things get tough or will you take the easy way out?  How long are you willing to persist in your efforts?  These as well as many other potential questions can only be answered by you.

Here’s to you!

Related articles

Enhanced by Zemanta

The Importance of Focus in Business

Posted on by
Reply

In order to achieve the business results you desire, it is essential that you possess a strong sense of focus.  By this I mean that in order to stay on track towards the accomplishment of business goals, consistent and dedicated effort must be carried out towards them.

Keeping this in mind, one must also organize their time management skills so that efforts are not carried out in an inefficient manner.  You don’t want to start your day with no sense of direction with regard to what you wish to get accomplished.  In today’s fast paced environment, it is far too easy to get distracted with a myriad of things that can pop up.  If you already have a regular day job and are investing time in your business during your off hours, focus is all the more important.  I admit, at the end of a long day, I like to relax and play video games.  On many occasions I have found that before I knew it, the evening has been gobbled up without having achieved anything useful and it’s time for bed.

What really made me aware of the need for focus was a book co-authored by Robert Kiyosaki and Donald Trump called “The Midas Touch” which discusses the elements needed for success as an entrepreneur.  In this book, Kiyosaki details his time spent while training to be a Marine Corps combat helicopter pilot.  In effect, Mr. Kiyosaki stressed the paramount needs for prioritizing, staying on task and not becoming distracted as skills essential for increasing the odds for surviving in a hostile environment (referring to the war in Vietnam).

The business environment can also be a hostile one.  Granted no one is aiming a weapon at you on a daily basis (hopefully) but if you pursue business without focus, you will effectively be “killed” by your competitors in addition to your own inefficiency.   Your time will be ineffectively spent, results will be minimal at best and you won’t be staying abreast of what is needed to survive in the current business climate.

So how does one go about attaining or increasing their focus?  A very good question.  For the individual who is accustomed to a regimented routine and holds themselves accountable, this can be an easily attainable task.  For those who are vulnerable to becoming easily distracted and have no one to hold them accountable, this can pose quite a challenge.  Also, for those who have limited time to devote to business for whatever reasons such as family obligations or due to employment, keeping oneself on track to the accomplishment of business related tasks can be a significant mental hurdle.  Here are some things one can consider that may help:

- Draft a mission statement of what your business goals are.  You may also include things or beliefs that you consider to be important components of your business makeup.  It is also good to list a timeline you wish to follow for the accomplishment of your goals.  Be sure to make your goals realistic but don’t be afraid to “raise the bar.”

- At  the end of each day, write down what you wish to accomplish the following day. If you don’t know what you want to get done, how can you expect to accomplish anything? That way, you already know when you get up the following morning what your tasks are and you won’t need to stop and ponder about what you want to get done.  I find it personally useful to keep a small notepad with me for ready reference.

- Find a partner!  As the saying goes; “Two heads are better than one” especially holds true.  Working with a like-minded individual can go a long way to help you achieve success.  This will allow you to exchange ideas and come up with solutions to problems more quickly.  You will also have someone to whom you can be accountable.

- “Keep your eye on the prize”  Always be aware of why you are pursuing success.  See yourself enjoying the fruits of your labors.

- Believe in yourself!  If you have achieved partial results in a certain area, don’t let anyone make you think that you can’t do better.  Think of Thomas Edison in his quest to develop the electric light bulb.  Take a look at the picture below to see how Robert Kiyosaki responded to some hecklers:

Robert Kiyosaki Flipping Off the Haters

Robert Kiyosaki Flipping Off the Haters (Photo credit: Casey Serin)

Here’s To You!

Enhanced by Zemanta

Use Caution When Checking Your Email

Posted on by
Reply

Face it.  Sooner or later your email address is going to end up on someone’s list whether you want it to or not.  When it does, a variety of approaches are going to be used in setting up the subject line in an attempt to get you to open the email that you are sent.

Now we all expect to see email from those who have a list that we have already signed up for.  That’s fine, I have no issue with that.   Also, mail will show up from those people whose list you have not signed up for.  This is also fine.  But lately, I have been seeing a trend that has caught my attention.  What makes it disturbing is that the mail is set up to make it look like it is from someone that I already know.  An email will arrive where it says something like “Your friend (name) has ………. ” or the subject line is typed to make it look like a reply to an email that you have already sent.  Another interesting item I have seen is where you may get sent an automatic download or that there have been repeated attempts to get a hold of you so that your payment can be processed.  Speaking for myself, the only places where I expect to get payments from are Clickbank and Paypal.  Even then, you need to take a real close look at those two also to determine if the email appears legitimate. Some people are starting to use the terms “Paypal” and “Clickbank” in the name portions of their email addresses.  I can’t really think of any other reason why I should be getting a payment unless it’s from someone who has already purchased one of my products.

Fortunately, there are ways available to help you protect yourself with regard to suspicious emails.  If you are not sure where the email is from, you can always go ahead and delete it.  On some email programs, you can place your cursor on the subject line, right click and select properties.  This will reveal the email address of the originator.   Another thing you can do is send the email to your spam or junk email folder.  At one time when I thought my emails were being tampered with, I asked my hosting service at the time to run a diagnostic on the email account.  This revealed that my account had been spoofed and the problem was immediately fixed.

Granted, the suspect emails you receive may indeed by harmless but I recommend that when you see them you go with your gut instinct.  With the various means for people to create cyber-mischief, you should always take the safe-approach.  If a red flag goes up inside your head, chances are it’s for a reason.

Here’s to You!

 

 

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

The Importance of Keeping Your Online Files Organized.

Posted on by
Reply

Earlier this year, I made the decision that I would switch hosting services.  After crunching some numbers and seeing what the options were, I decided that the new hosting service would be providing greater value overall and for no additional cost.  One feature that especially stuck out for me was that I would be able to get unlimited databases whereas my previous host provider would only allow me to have 25 SQL databases.  Since I had plans to set up additional sites using WordPress, making the switch to the new host provider was clearly a no-brainer.

It became quickly apparent that this would not be a quick endeavor.  Downloading files off of the server to my computer for subsequent transfer to the new server would be required.  To add to the fun, I would have to make backups of the database files as well as the blog files themselves for each blog.  I would need a copy of the database that was originally on the blog as well as a copy that would be edited in order to upload to the new server.  Being as how the former host provider did not provide cPanel with my hosting package, I need to learn how to edit the database files to the new server format.

In addition to the database and blog files, each blog had its own wp-config.php file that needed to be edited so that the blog would “connect” with the new database.  Again, I made backups of the “before edit” and “after edit” files.  So for each type of file, I made a separate folder for each separate blog and spent a great deal of time making sure it was all organized in a fashion that would make it easy to retrieve these files in the future.  As far as time goes,  lots of time was taken up by the downloading of the blogs to the computer using FileZilla.  Before I started downloading the blogs, I had no idea how many files can accumulate on blogs.  It’s a lot!

But the main things is, not only do you need to have backups of the necessary files to allow for blog restoration, you need to keep them very well-organized.  It reminds me of a former tech-school instructor who would say “Information belongs in files and files belong in folders.”  This is oh so true and depending upon how many websites you are running, this has the potential of building up into a collection of many, many folders.  So in the event that one of your blogs crashes or for whatever reason becomes inaccessible, having the proper backup files for your websites will save you much headache, anguish and despair.

As far as how I could describe the experience, right now I can only compare it in a strange way to a divorce.  Domain name servers get switched, files get downloaded and then subsequently deleted from the server of the previous host provider and a good deal of email messages on my account mysteriously disappeared.  Also, you get to tell the hosting company that you are not renewing your hosting plan with them.  But all in all, it was a good experience.  There is nothing quite like actual hands-on experience to indent the process of how to perform a certain task in your mind.  Not only that, you can now share your hard-earned expertise with others who are considering a similar intention.  I would not recommend making a frequent habit of transferring your blogs from one hosting company to another.  As mentioned earlier, there is a fair amount of time involved in migrating the files from one server to another and until the other blog shows up “live” with the new host, you are not quite 100% sure what the end result will be.   But if I decide to live dangerously and do this again sometime, I am confident that things will go smoother.

Best Wishes and here’s to you “Thinking Outside of The Box!”

 

Changing Webhosts for Your Blogs

Posted on by
Reply

Being as how I always like trying new things, especially online, I decided to see what was involved in switching the hosting services of one of my blogs.  I quickly learned that there would be many separate steps involved and that this would not be some “presto-chango” procedure.

What spawned my interest in this?  Well I am sure that we all share the same philosophy of wanting to get the best deal.  Another hosting company was offering some extra-features that I knew I would need and it would not cost anything extra.  So, I thought I would give the process of migrating some blogs from one hosting company to another a try.

The first thing I had to do was to change the domain-name servers which in itself is no big deal.  Also, I made a backup of the blog database which would be needed at a later time. The fun stuff was to follow.  Next on the list was logging onto the server via an FTP transfer program (Viva Filezilla!) to move the blog files and folders onto my computer.  After you have worked on a blog for awhile, you will be amazed at how many files build up! Once you have learned the FTP (File Transfer Protocol) settings for the destination web-host, you then upload your blog to the destination root directory on the server for the new hosting service (in my case, HostGator).

In order for the new blog to “come-alive” once the file migration from host A –> computer–> host B had been completed, the wp-config.php file in the blog would have to be edited to the settings of the new host.  By this I mean the new database name, database user, password and host name would have to be incorporated.  The database for the old host would either have to be deleted or modified so that if someone tried to access the site, it would not register for the original host.  In effect, you would be “turning-off” your site so you could prepare to turn it “back on” with the new hosting service.  So, this is where the real drama begins.

Prior to importing the database into your website once the blog files have been loaded on the new server, make sure you thoroughly understand the instructions involved in this procedure.  Each web-host service may have it’s own peculiarities to make sure that the database is compatible with their service.  If you don’t understand the instructions, contact technical support (HostGator is great with blog support, I did not find the same with GoDaddy) prior to proceeding.   Once the files have been uploaded and the database is imported, everything should be okay.  Ensure that you load the files into the correct directory on the new server so that when the blog URL is typed, the prospective visitor will not get a “this page is not found” message (or something like that).  But with available file manager utilities, moving files and folders as needed is quite easy.

Now being as how this can be a time consuming affair (I have already consumed much!), you may want to consider paying someone to do this for you.  I currently have no idea what potential costs would be for the website transfers but you may be the type that does not want to mess around with this sort of thing and would prefer forking over the green-stuff.

Best Wishes and here’s to you “Thinking Outside of The Box!”

When You Need To Consider Outsourcing

Posted on by
Reply

Time is money.  Face it, if you are not using your time wisely it could very easily result in you losing money.

Let me share a recent experience of mine that illustrates the concept.  Last week one of my computers began to malfunction and then finally it just stopped working altogether.  Since this particular computer was faster than the one I am using while I write this post, I was very much interested in getting it promptly repaired.  The person whom I normally go to for matters such as this said she would not be available for a few days so I decided I would try to make the repairs myself.  Based upon a previous experience with fixing the computer I immediately assumed the power supply needed to be replaced.  After taking the time to get a new one as well as installing it, several hours had elapsed.

I then determined that the power supply was not the problem so then I had to remove it from the PC so I could return it for a refund (hence more time spent).  Later on I made several trips to the local electronics store to get some replacement components (the time is adding up!) and still no luck.  After swapping out several different components I decided to throw in the towel and drop the PC off at my “go-to” person’s house once she was back in town and wait to see what she had to say (she has MUCH more experience in this than I do).

The main point of this is that instead of spending the numerous hours on attempted computer repairs, I could have been using the time to focus on business matters.  Renowned Internet entrepreneur Jonathan Budd uses the term “profit potential” to help people prioritize the actions that they take.  If the intended action does not yield much chance of resulting in profit for you, perhaps something else should be considered.  It also boils down to leverage.  I am blessed with being able to have a gardener tend to yard work needs at my home as well as having a pool man come by once a week to check on things.  Because of their time being leveraged for my advantage, this results in freeing up more time to allow me to do other things such as focus on business.  I also take advantage of the services that ghost writers provide and this in turn yields more time for me.  Whenever possible, instead of doing certain things I try to have someone else do them.  The intended outcome would be having the ability to focus more on business matters with the hope of seeing greater profits ensue.

So whenever possible, see if you can outsource various tasks to others.  This in turn would allow you more time to focus on things that you want to get done yourself.  Take gardening for example.  Chances are that by devoting more time to tend to the garden, you will see a more abundant crop whether it be fruits, vegetables or even flowers.  You can think of your business the same way.  If you put more time and effort into it, there is a good chance that you will see greater profits come forth.

Best Wishes and here’s to you “Making It Happen!”

 

 

 

Are You Really an Entrepreneur?

Posted on by
Reply

I had to ask myself this question recently.  While reading “Nothing To Lose and Everything to Gain” by Ryan Blair, mention was made of the enormous sums of money involved, the risks, vast amounts of time required to develop a business and get it started and numerous other factors.   The author even mentions to the effect that if an individual dedicated six months out of the year to entrepreneurial pursuits, it would take about 10 years to be a professional.

Now I have to admit that with my current schedule (day job), it would take me at least 100 years to get to the pro point.  But being as how I deal with comparatively miniscule amounts of money, my risk taking is comparatively negligible and I do use much of my free time to focus on my family life; I have to ask myself do I rate being able to describe myself as an entrepreneur?

I took a look at Wikipedia’s definition of entrepreneur and it described the term applying to a person who is willing to undertake a new venture or enterprise and accept full responsibility for its outcome.  Now granted my undertakings would not even show up as a proverbial blip on the radar compared to those of Ryan Blair but going by this definition (which seems legit to me), I am comfortable in describing myself as such.

How about you?  Are you one who thinks in the “9-5, Monday to Friday” mode or do you think for yourself and set your own path?  Do you think of new ways to do things or is whatever comes your way good enough?  Only you can accurately decide for yourself or you may be one of those people who needs someone to reveal to you what lies within.  I will also say this; If you truly feel that you are an entrepreneur, you most likely are!

Once again, Best Wishes and here’s to you “Thinking Outside of The Box!”

 

 

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

Are You Ready to be an Entrepreneur?

Posted on by
Reply

Many people dream of entrepreneurship.  The thought may come up while at work if the person is unhappy with their job for whatever reason.  The reason could be due to dissatisfaction with the commute, the work environment or the obligation of committing one’s time on a daily basis to meet the requirements of another person.

The notion of being able to work your own hours, be answerable only to yourself as well as more freedom in your personal schedule can be powerful lures.   But how does one know if they are truly ready to assume the role of entrepreneurship?  Needless to say the whole proposition can pose a substantial amount of various risks such as financial, emotional and physical.

I came across an article recently written by well known blogger Yaro Starak.  In his blog, entrepreneurs journey.com, he lists what he calls the 7 signs of not being ready to be an entrepreneur.  The article contains very good tips and relevant guidance on what to consider should you be contemplating the jump over to the entrepreneurial side of things.  Click on the link –>>  7 Signs You Are Not Ready

After you read it stop to pause and ask yourself where you fit in.  Are you ready?  Are you already there?  Did you think you were ready but discovered that you really weren’t?  Only you can decide.  My thanks to Yaro Starak and I encourage you to spend some time checking out his blog www.entrepreneurs-journey.com.

Best Wishes and here’s to you “Thinking Outside The Box!”

 

Related articles

Enhanced by Zemanta

Get On The Go with TravelPro

Posted on by
Reply

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TravelPro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

As an entrepeneur, would you say no to a chance for free money?  Well that is basically what I am offering you.  Delta Airlines is sponsoring a sweepstakes that puts some really great luggage as well as half a million (that’s 500 THOUSAND) SkyMiles on the table.  How much money would that end up saving you in order to foot that kind of travel bill?  I am not going to take the time to figure it out but you and I both know it’s a lot!  That is money that could otherwise be invested into your business.

Win 500,000 Delta SkyMiles® with Travelpro®

This would give you the chance to go anywhere that Delta flies (that’s a lot of places) and all you would have to do is say “tickets please.”  To add icing to the cake, the lucky winner will also get some free luggage that is not only built to withstand the rigors of travel but it looks super stylish to boot.  The extensive variety and selection offered by TravelPro is more than enough to meet the requirements of any man or woman who is frequently on the go.  To learn more about this awesome sweepstakes, click on the link below. 

TravelPro sweepstakes

So take a look at Delta’s website to see all the places that they could fly you to.  Chances are, there are more than a couple that are on your list of places to go.  So even if you already have the cash to buy a ticket to anywhere or already have luggage that would make any big spender envious, you should enter this contest. That way, as the big winner standing in line for your next getaway you could look at those around you and say to yourself  ”Hah!, I’m doing this for free!”

Win 500,000 Delta SkyMiles® with Travelpro®

 

 

Visit Sponsor's Site