Having Courage

“You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

Starting a business is a lot like setting sail across an unknown ocean – there are dangers everywhere, uncertainty surely lies in your path, and you have no idea where you will end up. Every explorer has to show courage to undertake such a venture, and sets out with the right tools to help them to navigate their voyage to success. As a small business owner, what tools are you using? What tools might you need that you don’t have?

When you need help navigating the uncharted, let National Business Services & Development be your tool kit. We have many years of experience in assisting new businesses with their credit rating, funding, loans and more. Countless entrepreneurs have turned to us for help, and have been very glad they did so. Our experts have the knowledge, experience and most importantly, the best tools a small business owner needs to safely sail their ship to success! Call us today, 775-465-8500!

What is Your Reputation?

“You can’t build a reputation
on what you are going to do.”

~ Henry Ford

And he was right, too… People have good ideas all the time, great ones, in fact, that never materialize into anything more than thoughts. An idea can be the most powerful thing in the world, but it becomes completely worthless if action is not taken.

A reputation can be your most useful asset, but they aren’t built on thoughts and dreams – they’re built through hard work and sacrifice. If you say you’re going to do something, that’s great, because you’re making a commitment, and setting a course of action! Telling people you’re going to go on a diet, for example, is all fine and dandy, but unless you actually follow through, unless you take action and DO what you say you’re going to do, they’re just words. And those words that you say have consequences… They are the bricks upon which your reputation is founded. Laying those bricks is what matters! If you stack up a ton of bricks by talking about how you plan to lose weight, but you never actually lay the bricks by taking action and making your words a reality, your reputation will resembe an unfinished building. On the other hand, however, if you take action, and make it happen, make your words a reality, you are building a reputation that is strong, stable and reliable! When the bricks are laid properly, according to a blueprint, (or a plan of action, in this metaphor), people will notice that, and see a strong, stable and reliable person, someone worthy of trust.

Henry Ford was right – you can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do. You have to prove your merit to people by following through! It doesn’t matter what it is, from the smallest task to the largest undertaking, reputation knows no difference. From vacuuming your house, to running a business, doing what you say you’re going to do is PARAMOUNT to building a good reputation!

Get started today, right now, on something you’ve been putting off! If you’ve been meaning to write your aunt a letter, wash your car, write a business plan, whatever it is, GET. IT. DONE. You will be happier for having done so, and those around you will see that you aren’t all talk, that you take action, you follow through, and you are a person upon whom people can rely!

 

You are Significantly More Significant than You Know!

“There is nothing insignificant in the world.

It all depends on your point of view.”

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 

Once can never know when decisions we make or actions we take, whether big or small, can make tremendous impacts upon the lives of strangers. By performing to the very best of your ability every day, and focusing on doing good for other people, one person can create a chain of events that may change the world.

Consider the story of the Scottish farmer, a man named Mr. Fleming. One day he was out tending to his fields when he heard someone shouting for help. Without hesitating, he immediately stopped what he was doing and ran to the aid of whoever it was that was in distress.

A young boy had gotten himself stuck in a bog, slowly sinking into the spongy quicksand. The farmer pulled the young man free of the mud, saving his life. The boy gratefully thanked him, and was on his way.

A few days had passed, when a lavish horse drawn carriage arrived at the farmers home. A very wealthy man wanted to thank Mr. Fleming for saving the life of his son, and felt compelled to repay him. The farmer, however, refused payment, saying “no payment is necessary, I would have done this for any man or woman.” The farmer’s son then came outside of their aged and time-worn house, and the wealthy man immediately knew how to repay the farmer. He explained, “if you will not take any reward for saving my son’s life, allow me to educate your son at the finest schools as though he were my own”. The farmer thought it over, and agreed to his generous offer, knowing he could never be able to provide is son with such an opportunity.

The boys were taught and cultivated at the best educational facilities of the day, and the farmers son eventually became a doctor. The wealthy family still faced difficult times, however. Soon after graduating, the boy who nearly lost his life to a muddy bog contracted polio. Fortunately, Alexander Fleming, the son of the Scottish farmer, had invented a treatment for polio – you probably know it as penicillin. The now twice-saved wealthy boy was Winston Churchill, one of the greatest leaders the modern world has ever seen.

In hindsight, it is easy to connect the dots from early interactions, and follow the chain of events for many things, but at first, small actions can seem insignificant and have no discernible connection to other people. The most important action taken in this story was not the saving of the boy from the bog, but that of the farmer’s graciousness, in not taking a reward for saving the young man’s life. The world events which occurred so many years later, under the leadership of Winston Churchill, would never have taken place, had one man not acted so selflessly and reached out to take the hand of a boy in distress.

Have faith in humanity, and know that altruistic choices and actions are seeds that you plant, seeds which will over time sprout and grow in ways you cannot imagine, and will sometimes never even know about.

Do good! Be good! You are significantly more significant than you know!

Pursuing Dreams

“It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old,
they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.”

– Garcia Marquez

 

Millions of people have proven over and over that they’re never too old to follow a dream.  Take for instance the case of Henry Blodget, a journalist turned Wall Street executive who suffered a major setback in his career.  He fell from the top of the heap, lost his reputation, and could have easily admitted defeat.  Determination and perseverance, however, gave him the fortitude to pursue new avenues, a sort of plan B.  His story is fascinating, and an inspirational tale of how anybody can recover from a devastating blow if they are resolved to do so.  Click to watch the interview with Timothy Mullaney of USA Today, his open and honest story of his fall from grace, and how he got back up and dusted himself off is a real eye-opener.

Using the internet and blogging the news, he has created a brand new chapter in his life.  His story goes to show that having a dream, setting goals, and working to achieve them are limitless! Neither time, age nor education can stop the determined entrepreneur from building an empire.  Henry Blodget is no different from anyone else with a vision, except for the fact that he TOOK ACTION to make it happen!

Take action today!  Your dream will never become your reality until you TAKE ACTION, so get busy!

Reside in the Moment

“If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.”

~ Lao Tzu

Think about where you are right now, in the literal sense. You’re likely seated at a desk, either at work or home, or perhaps a coffee shop, staring at your computer or phone. Even though that’s where you are physically, where is the most important part of you? Where are your thoughts?

You might be watching the clock in anticipation of your next break, lunch or the end of the work day. You may be thinking about what happened yesterday, last month or even ten years ago. You could be worrying about a bill that is due, an upcoming event, or dreading something you’ve been putting off that you’re not looking forward to. One thing that is nearly certain is that very few of you reading this are present in this moment.

We are often everywhere but where we are. There are two places where we tend to spend too much of our time – in the past or in the future. Unfortunately, spending so much of our time in these head spaces leads to missing out on the experience and adventure that is life, something we are given only ONE chance to enjoy!

Anxiety and depression are NOT healthy or pleasant to experience. Make the conscious decision to move out of those places and take up residence right here in the present. Look at your surroundings and take in what is all about you right now. If you are outside, take in the sky, enjoy the trees, appreciate the colors that paint the canvas of your world! Draw a deep breath and smile. Have a conversation with the people around you rather than tapping your phone excessively. And face it, we’re all guilty of that innocuous crime, but make an effort to BE WITH those you’re actually with, the change will be noticed and reciprocated by those around you, and will make for a much more enjoyable interaction. It’s all about residing in the now!

We often look toward the future for our happiness and blame the past for our lack of it, but the secret is that true joy is only found in the right now. Move into this moment and you’ll find what you’ve been searching for. When you move out of the past and the future, you can begin to reside in and enjoy your right now.

Experience Happiness

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”

~ Frederick Keonig

Everyone lives their life in pursuit of happiness – it’s what drives us to do almost everything that we do.  Of course, we are all different, and what makes one person happy is not always going to make another person experience that same happiness.  For some, happiness comes in the form of relaxing in front of the television; for others, a vigorous workout.  Many people find happiness spending time alone, while others enjoy nothing more than being with family and friends.  All of this is obvious, innate knowledge that hardly needs to be stated, yet very often people will lose sight of their happiness in the very pursuit of it.  It’s easy to do, because much of our joy is tied to the future – I’ll be happy once I’ve graduated, I’ll really be happy when I land that big job, I’ll FINALLY be happy once I retire.

All of these things are great, having a purpose and a set of goals is crucial to a happy life, but TRUE happiness comes only to those able to recognize the joy that exists on their path to the future.  Balancing your personal and professional worlds can be tricky, and it is up to the individual to prioritize what matters.  The unfortunate reality is that too many business professionals make the mistake of valuing their profession over the actual happiness that is right in front of them.

Measure your happiness in the now, and not in the future.  Acknowledge those little things that would make you smile, if only you weren’t too busy to notice them.  Gauge your joy by being present, awake and aware of the good that exists in your corner of the world, because what else is life for, if not to experience happiness?

The Value of Experience

“Experience teaches only the teachable.”

– Aldous Huxley

Experience is your single most valuable asset, something that is uniquely yours, something you accumulate from the day you’re born and can never lose.  Life constantly throws unexpected hurdles your way, often without warning.  When you encounter these hurdles, your reaction tells a great deal about your character and abilities.  When confronted with difficulty, how do you react?  Do you crumble under pressure, perhaps avoid the problem altogether, or do you face it head on?

The entrepreneur welcomes adversities at every turn, and do you know why?  Simple – because they are opportunities to learn, and to grow stronger.  Challenges that may seem like problems at first are nothing more than opportunities in disguise.  If you can recognize that fact, if you can keep an open mind and seek out the best in a bad situation, success will surely follow.

The simple fact is that you are in control of how you react to a given situation.  You can either bend and break under the weight of your problems, or you can resist the urge to give in, and become a stronger person for having faced down your difficulties.  You may not always win, the outcome may not always be optimal or in your favor, but the one thing you can say is that you tried.  Your best approach is always a positive attitude, because negativity begets negativity, but a positive outlook will exponentially grow and spread, giving you and those around you a hopeful feeling that no matter how bleak a situation may seem, a happy ending is only possible if you work toward one!

An open mind allows you to extrapolate useful experience that can be applied to future situations.  You must remain open minded, and recognize that life is constantly teaching you lessons.  Be open to learning these lessons, because every day is a test, and the more you know, the better you will perform.  Opportunities, otherwise known as problems, present themselves all the time, so learn from them, take the knowledge and experience you gain, and use it to your best advantage!

Set Many Goals to Achieve Wealth

“If your only goal is to become rich,
you will never achieve it.”

-John D Rockefeller

Goals make all the difference between success and failure; they are the engines that run our lives.  Without a purpose, without a goal to achieve, there is no reason to get up and go to work every day.  Some people have simple goals – work for someone else, collect a meager paycheck that will barely cover the rent, and have enough cash left over to buy groceries.  These are the tiny goals of the vast majority of the world – but – there is a very small subset of people who dream of more.  

We entrepreneurs want more out of life than making ends meet.  We feel a compulsive drive that pushes us to be bigger and better than we were the day before.  Our goals are above and beyond those of the average person, however, we must be realistic in our aspirations.

If you dream of being rich, GREAT!  YES!  By all means, let that be one of your goals!  There is a but here, though, and it’s a big but…

BUT…  We need to comprehend that there is more to life than getting rich.  We need to have other objectives to focus on, things that will make our lives full and rich in other ways than success in business.  For what is success, if you’re miserable?  If you live in a city that doesn’t offer the kind of life you desire, for instance a beach, a nightlife scene, or a peaceful rural setting, then you owe it to yourself to set the goal of moving someplace that DOES offer what you want.  If you wish to see the world, then find a home near an international airport, grab your passport, and go!  Explore this planet if that’s what you desire!  Make time for your happiness, don’t wait for happiness to make time for you!

John Rockefeller said “If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it,” and it is easy to understand that being rich is not simply about having a lot of money.  There are many kinds of wealth, but being truly rich comes from being happy and living a full and pleasant life, and the way to make that happen each and every day is to have a list of goals, both short and long term.  Daily goals can be as simple as taking care of the dry cleaning or mowing the lawn, and long term goals as complex as retiring to Belize before reaching a certain age.  Others are goals ABOUT goals, such as sitting down and planning your next vacation, or taking time to schedule next semester’s classes…  Whatever it is that you desire, whatever achievements you hope to make a reality, whatever personal mountain you want to conquer, IT IS POSSIBLE!  All you need to do is set your sights on numerous finish lines, and focus focus focus on having the discipline to cross them one at a time, and before you know it, you will be both financially AND spiritually rich beyond your wildest dreams!

Change Your World

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

― Harriet Tubman

Anybody who has struck out on their own to start a business knows that it’s an uphill battle, but those who have the strength, patience and passion know that it’s worth the effort.  And the thing is, whether you’ve invented a device that will save a million lives or you’re just opening a corner market, you are making a difference and changing not only the world, but you’re changing your world.

It takes courage to abandon the safety of working for someone else, and the security of knowing that all you have to do is your job.  But day in and day out, those of us with an entrepreneurial spirit dream of the independence of self employment and the freedom that it offers.  Of course, it’s a lot of hard work, and you really have to be dedicated and passionate about your dream, but reaping the rewards of your efforts gives you unparalleled satisfaction that you simply cannot find in the employ of someone else.  Remember, if you have a job, you’re making someone ELSE’S dream come true, but if you have a business, that’s YOURS!  That is YOUR dream coming true, and there is truly no better feeling than knowing that you don’t need anyone else, that you don’t have to be a mere employee, and that YOU ALONE are responsible for your income, your future, your success, and your happiness.

Make it happen!  Turn your dream into a reality!  Fuel that dream with your passion, venture out on your own, and change your world!

 

Confidence Over Ego

There is a fine line between being confident and being arrogant.  Most who achieve success know precisely where that line is, and skate right up to the edge of it without crossing over.  The simplest way to lose customers is to make them dislike you, and one of the most reviled characteristics is hubris.  Being good at what you do vs. bragging about how good you are at what you do can make a world of difference to the success of your business.  The talented entrepreneur knows and recognizes that they don’t need to trumpet their talents, but let their work speak for itself.

Making money is the reason we go into business for ourselves.  We do it because we have dedicated our time and effort to learning our craft, and the benefits of focusing our lives toward the goal of running a successful company are many.  The last thing an entrepreneur should do is allow their ego to derail their success.  Humility is endearing, and it will get you far in life and in business if you know the difference between confidence and conceit.

Know your abilities, be convinced of your talents and abilities, but always keep in mind that nobody likes a braggart, and you will be prosperous and accomplished in all that you do!