There has never been a better time to start a business. 

There are more viable opportunities for you to pursue than at any other time in history.  There is an infinite variety of business models, strategies and tactics to choose from. 

Here’s why:

1. Technology has leveled the playing field between you and well established big business.
2. The internet has matured to such an unprecedented degree that literally anyone can start a fast-growth profitable online business at minimal cost.
3. Home-based business has come of age and no longer carries the stigma of being more of a hobby than a business.
4. Corporations increasingly outsource key functions to smaller businesses creating an abundance of opportunity.
5. Professional people from all business disciplines accept that the days of corporate job security are gone completely.

According to Dr. Chad Moutray, Chief Economist for the Office of Advocacy of the US Small Business Administration (US-SBA), statistics paint a compelling picture of just how important small business is to America. They show that small entrepreneurial businesses are America’s job-creators, innovators, and the path to mainstream economic activity for all segments of our society”.

• Small entrepreneurial businesses represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms in the nation.
• Over the past decade, small business net job creation consistently grew between 60 and 80 percent.
• Small businesses employ 75% of all private sector employees.
• Small business accounts for over 51% of the US Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
• The US small business economy is greater than the total economies of France, Germany, and Great Britain combined.

The leading edge of the baby-boomer generation is approaching traditional retirement age healthier and more energetic than most in any previous generation. Many in this generation are not looking to stop working and in practical terms while they have typically accumulated a substantial retirement asset based, many have portfolios that are unfit to provide for the financial demands of 40+ years of post career income. 

People in the trailing edge (45-50) of this most economically influential generation are seeking more gratifying lifestyles earlier than their senior contemporaries.   Rather than saving in midlife to finance outright retirement in their late fifties, people now save in their middle years to buy an extra measure of freedom to swap income for careers which make an impact.

The Gen-Next-ers, witnessing the boomer dilemma, are choosing to leverage the internet and other technological innovations to pursue radically different, more entrepreneurial vocational choices earlier in life.  They are literally restructuring life cycles so that they take more leisure earlier in life.

And get this….

According to the Kaufmann Foundation for the past five years the number of new business start-ups has increased by nearly 30% with the people age 50-62 being the fastest growing group of new entrepreneurs in the U.S.

And that’s not all!

According to the most recently published US-SBA figures an astonishing 66 percent of new businesses prosper at least two years after start-up and 44 percent thrive at least four years.

These are pretty impressive statistics and these reports only include an accounting of those businesses created by people who have already made the decision to pursue the entrepreneurial dream.  There are clearly millions of others who may sincerely desire a change but who are not yet underway.

But even more importantly than all of these statistics is the one fundamental truth that small business ownership transforms lives. 

All around the world people are awakening from the circa 1950’s belief that they must sacrifice life-quality to accommodate a chosen profession to the refreshing more enlightened awareness that in order to live a satisfying and successful life their  vocation, what they ‘do’, must support and enhance the life-qualities they desire.

This emergence of this social awareness and acceptance has catalyzed a powerful demographic shift that has created limitless opportunities for those willing to learn, grow, and succeed.

This article marks the begining of an 8 week series of articles.

As a special gift to you and as a free preview of a brand new amazing product launch scheduled for August 1st, …

I am going to give you a simple, sure fire, step by step, formula for finding THE PERFECT BUSINESS FOR YOU.

A business that capitalizes on these extraordinary demographic shifts

A business that is tailor-made to meet your personal passions, time freedom, and economic wishes.

A business that is a perfect genetic match for you and your inner most desires.

A business that is 100% guaranteed to deliver the successful, accomplished, and satisfying life you want to live.

If you are considering the possibilty of starting your own business, OR

If you have already started one and it is not everything you want it to me, OR

If you don’t want to be in business for yourself but know someone who does,

then stay tuned to this article series each Thursday evening for the next 8 weeks.

I am going to give you a simple, sure fire formula for finding the perfect business for yourself.

Keep Learning,

Steve

Your Success Champion

Several months ago I posted an introduction to an incredible new film called “The Shift”

I was so moved by the trailer I have gotten heavily involved with the project. 

It is a documentary film that is still in production. 

It has many of the top consciousness thought leaders in the world and an amazing array of others.

Each reveals the shift in consciousness that is occurring in thousands of ‘pockets’ all over the world. 

I believe this film will change the world and could not be more excited to be part of the project,

It may seem a little off topic for this blog in the midst of all the new announcements I am making. 

But, I think it’s a cause worthy of (you) Champions.

Check out the trailer and let me know if you want to know more or get involved in some way.

Last week an amazing musician named Bashiri Johnson was so moved by the trailer he wrote a terrific new song.  Check it out!

I’ll keep you updated from time to time here but will be putting a community site together soon.

Thanks for commenting.

Keep growing,

Steve

My friend Joe Vitale recently hosted a seminar in Austin in which he introduced his “AAA Plan to Wealth”.

Nerissa video taped the event and they have posted a 45 minute excerpt on the internet.

I watched it this morning while in the gym and was inspired to share it with you.

Those of you who have read my reports or participated in our coaching programs will find the informaton very familiar.

Enjoy!!

Many of you know that Joe is a personal mentor of mine. 

Watching this reminded me how grateful I am to have this amazing relatonship with Joe.

It also reminded me how appreciative I am to have the opportunity to have such an amazing realtionship with you.

Talk about wealth!

Thank you for visiting.

Sincerely and gratefully,

Steve

Your Success Champion

PS - Keep and eye out for some amazing announcements I will be making next week.

PPS - Did you enjoy this video and find it helpful in any way. Let me know.

Bill Losey is a highly sought-after adviser, educator, and author. He has nearly 20 years’ experience in the financial services industry. He’s a certified financial planner, a certified senior adviser, and certified RSP-trained retirement coach. He’s the founder of National Retirement Planning Month. He publishes Retirement Intelligent, an award winning newsletter that reaches thousands of subscribers worldwide. And he’s the author of a fantastic new book called “Retire In a Weekend: The Baby Boomer’s Guide to Making Work Optional.”

This interview is the first in a series of 12 interviews I have conducted with true experts.  I am so excited about the value of the information provided by each of these extraordinary people, I just could not wait to share this one with you.

In this interview, Bill provides pragmatic advice and practical steps which help you create the retirement of your dreams beginning right now.

Whether you are 30, 60, or 70, following the financial strategies Bill outlines in this interview will guarantee that you have everything you need financially to create the abundant retirement you desire.

He likes to say ‘life is too long NOT to be doing those things that are fun and rewarding” and explains why it is so vital to begin with a clear image of what, outside of money, is really important to you.   

Bill Losey “America’s Retirement Strategist”

I am always interested in knowing whether or not the information I am providing you is useful.  Please comment on this blog and let me know how you like this post.

I am standing for all that is possible for you.

Sincerely and gratefully,

Steve

Your Retirement Success Champion

PS - I invite you to share this post with your friends and family.  I promise you they will thank you for it.

Are you paying attention to the outside forces that can have a big impact on your business? 

Or is your head in the sand?

As an entrepreneur, it’s your responsibility to be aware of the external forces that can make or break your business.

In the March 2008 edition of Entrepreneur Magazine, Andrea Cooper wrote an excellent article entitled, “The Influencers: What forces will affect your business in the coming year?”

She outlines the top 25 Influencers; the individuals, groups and trends that will have a substantial impact on business this year. 

Here are 6 that I thought were particularly interesting:

Mortgage Crisis

Continuing fallout from the mortgage crisis will undoubtedly affect you and your business in 2008. As banks wrestle with the problem of bad home loans, it may reduce their capacity or willingness to hand out money to entrepreneurs.

A Generational Shift

The first baby boomers are becoming eligible for retirement, and the nation is on the verge of a generational shift as those under age 44 assume more power. Boomers are itching to leave corporations and start their own businesses. Services that help them, such as small-business counseling, mentoring or virtual back-office support, should fare well. Older boomers are looking for meaningful part-time work that helps them leave a legacy; savvy entrepreneurs who create flexible opportunities can reap rewards from their talents.

Shrinking Middle Class

Working longer, commuting farther, sinking financially–that’s how The Trends Journal described the average member of the U.S. middle class last year.  What can entrepreneurs do? Believe that the high cost of oil will have real consequences on buying power, and make it easy for clients to work with you, whether it’s with convenient locations or via the internet and other technologies.

College Entrepreneurship Programs

Used to be, people didn’t think about going to college to learn how to be an innovative business owner. That was before the rise of college entrepreneurship programs. The latest trend on campus is teaching entrepreneurism outside of business school, even to English majors.

Socially Responsible Companies

Consumers care more than ever about corporate social responsibility. The “Edelman Trust Barometer 2007″ found that top concerns include employee treatment and open communication about a company’s conduct and impact, whether good or bad. “People are looking for responsible products, and they’re willing to pay a premium,” says Chris Deri of PR firm Edelman. “Take advantage of your smaller size and be nimble enough to be responsive to those demands.”

The 2008 Elections

The Entrepreneurs’ Organization surveyed its U.S. members about the presidential elections. Nearly 50 percent of them ranked the contest important or very important. The survey found that affordable health care is at the top of their wish lists, but it’s just one key item among many in this presidential race. “Everybody’s concerned about the economy,” says Alan Carsrud, executive director of the Global Entrepreneurship Center at Florida International University. But the presidential election isn’t the only one to watch. What happens in Congress and the state legislatures can have just as much of an impact on your business.

Let me encourage you to read the entire article

You can read it here: 

                                    The Influencers

Keep Learning!

Steve

http://www.championsuccess.com/

PS - As always, I welcome your comments

I usually limit my blogging to 3 days a week, but this morning I was so inspired by what I just finished reading I wanted to share it with you right away.

As I mentioned yesterday, I read between 4 and 6 books a week.  I recently completed a book called “Increasing Your Financial IQ - Get Richer By Getting Smarter” by Robert Kiyosaki.  In my opinion it is a must read for any resposible adult.

The excerpt from the book I read in an article this morning is what inspired me though.  I have adapted it here:

“Learning at an early age that we all have money problems - no matter how rich of how poor we are - is an important lesson.  Many believe that if they had a lot of money, their money problems would be over.  Little do they know, having lots of money just causes even more money problems.

The world is full of people who win millions and then end up deeply in debt just a few years later.

Money alone won’t solve your money problems.  That’s why giving poor peopl does not solve their money problems.

Hard work won’t solve money problems.  The world is fileld with hardworking people who have no money to show for it; hard working people who earn money yet grow deeper in debt needing to work even harder for even more money.

Education won’t solve money problems.  There are plenty fo highly educated poor people.

A job won’t solve money problems.  There are millions who earn just enough to survive but cannot afford to live happy and satisfied.  Many people with jobs can nto afford their own home, adequate healthcare, education, or even set aside enough money for retirement.

What CAN solve money problems is financial intelligence.  The truly financially wealthy take on financial problems and know that solving them will increase their financial IQ.”

I write a great deal about the personal and spiritual growth necessary to experience true and complete success. 

I know from personal experience that having lots of money does not, in and of itself, create the gratification and accomplishment of success.

As I describe in my free reports, “The Secret to Astonishing Entrepreneurial Success“, and “The Secret to an Abundant, Joy-Filled Retirement“, once you find you purpose, you must get into commited action to fulfill it and realize the successful and abundant life you desire.  

I also note in these reports that you will want to do a skills assessment and create an action plan to develop the skills necessary to maximize purposeful accomplishment of whatever you are truly and passionately commited to.

Developing your financial IQ is part of the action process. 

As I wrote about in my article yesterday, there is a champion within you. 

Let me encourage you to take on the Goliath of financial ignorance to accelerate your personal success.

Have an amazing day. 

Gratefully and Sincerely,

 Steve

“Your Success Champion”

PS - Please feel free to comment on this or any article.  I am always open to hearing what you want to know about.

PPS - I will be back on Friday with the next of the 4 Success Saboteurs.

Chris Cade, a frequent visitor to the Champion Success Blog reminded me of a fantastic book I read some time ago called “A Champion Lives Within“.

I rifled back through my library and found the copy that my uncle had given me years ago.  I re-read it and was reinvigorated and inspired to share it with you.

In it, author Boyd C Matheson shares the story of the five ‘principle’ stones that it took for David to slay Goliath.  After defeating Goliath, you may already know that David become a champion of everything he did amassing large sums of wealth and riches.  He was loved by everyone in the kingdom.

It is a wonderful reminder that we all can indeed live the limitless and successful life of a champion.

Matheson writes:

“…the Champion in David didn’t rest with just one victory.  He kept his stones close by and lived the principle that each one conveyed. David was not only a champion of the king’s army, but by using what he had learned, he became a champion teacher, a champion salesman, a champion builder, and more.  He was successful in each thing he did.”

Matheson reminds the young character in the story as I remind you:

“…you have been given all that you need to slay the Goliaths of this life and become a great champion.  Remember to review the message written in this booklet often, and always keep the five stones near you to remind you of the five key phrases that will assure success and happiness.”

The Five Key Phrases (stones) are:

“I Am Different From Everyone: 

I am unique.  No one in the world is like me.  I am proud of who I am and my unique qualities.  The world needs me to be me.  I don’t worry that I don’t have all the talents that others have.  I am different from every other of God’s creations and I am the only one who can perform the mission God sent me to do.  I am valuable because I am me.

I Am A Person Without Limitations:

I have the potential to accomplish anything I really put my mind to.  I am not afraid of failure.  I love a challenge.  I write down specific goals for myself.  I attach a goal line to each of my goals.  I visualize myself reaching each goal.

I Am Satisfied Only With My best Effort

I enjoy the feeling I get when I know I have given my all.  I understand that I do not have to be the victor in order to be a champion.  I always give my very best, that I may avoid the dark valleys of mediocrity and enjoy the bright sunshine on the peaks of success.

I Am Determined To Succeed

Never, never will I give up!  I continue to strive for success even when the road is hard.  I don’t let discouragement pull me off of my designed course.  I constantly hope, dream, struggle, and work with determination to become a champion.  I know that determination is worth far more than natural ability.

I Am A Champion

I believe in me.  I believe in who I am and in what I can become.  I don’t allow others to determine my view of myself.  I am a champion.  I think positvely and know that the champion that lives within me will emerge in greatness and glory.”

With these five stones of wisdom you can slay the giants (limiting beliefs) of mediocrity, discouragement, failure and all the other Goliaths that will attempt to destroy your destined success.

Lastly and perhaps most importantly Matheson reminds us:

“In order for you to succeed and be a champion of life, love must be at the center of all you do.  If you have not love for each of your fellow men, the five stones which you possess are worthless.  Love all and do nothing save it be with love.”

In a future post I will share 5 ways you can incorporate these powerful keys into your daily life.

Thank you for your visit today.

Sincerely and Gratefully,

Steve

www.championsuccess.com

PS - As always I look forward to your comments.

PPS - Visit Chris Cades web site: http://www.spiritual-short-stories.com/index.html.  He has volumes of terrific stuff there, all of which equip you to live a champion’s life.

Beginning in early childhood, we are taught that success in life, especially entrepreneurial success, requires hard work, long hours and sacrifice. 

This set of attitudes and beliefs are reinforced throughout our lives, into adulthood, and unfortunately significantly impact the decisions we make about pretty much everything in life, especiall when choosing a profession or vocation.

People often envision entrepreneurial successes as people who are particularly talented, exceptionally intelligent, and/or more committed and productive than most.  While successful entrepreneurs may indeed exhibit many of the attributes, these are actually not the characteristics that ultimately determine their success. 

Whether they realize it or not, highly successful entreprenuers have an incredibly powerful secret weapon hidden deep within their subconscious minds.

In the free report, “The Secret to Astonishing Entrepreneurial Success” I provide evidence that the beliefs that determine what manifests in your experience are not your conscious beliefs.  Instead, the subconscious mind is in determining the outcome.

In his most recent book, The Key, Dr. Joe Vitale writes; “In short, you live in a belief-created universe.  To change your results, you have to change your unconscious beliefs.  That’s the area where you have to get clear.”

While conscious visualization and affirmation may be good and useful activities that help inspire and motivate you into action, these thoughts are not directly responsible for accomplishing the outcome you envision.   It is not sufficient to think positively, visualize, and meditate about what you want.

Any conscious intention you set to succeed, whether in business or otherwise, will be frustrated and possibly completely thwarted by counter-intentional beliefs that are lurking within your subconscious mind. 

If your subconscious beliefs are not aligned with your conscious intentions, success will continually allude you.

As I pointed out in my previous post, “The You in Success“, attending to developing yourself is of primary significance in the pursuit of success.  

Certainly this involves developing the professional skills necessary to perform certain tasks.  And, it indeed does involve regular and consistent visualization and affirmation of your desires. 

But ALSO requires the regular and consistent discipline of clearing or eliminating subconscious counter-intentional beliefs as an activity of primary importance.  

When you are clear of subconscious limitation, literally anything and everything is possible for you.  

Once clear of subconscious limiting belief your astonishing success is assured. 

There are dozens of clearing techniques available to you.   

The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is widely recognized as being particularly useful in clearing subconscious negative emotions that manifest as physical illness or ailment.  It is equally as effective in clearing the subconscious of limiting beliefs about your ability, worthiness, or deservingness to succeed.

There is a fabulous new DVD available entitled “Try It On Everything”.  My wife, Kimberly, my daughter Madeline, and I watched is this morning over breakfast. 

You should definitely get a copy.  It is just another tool in your arsenal for attaining the astonishing success you desire.

Pick up a copy at:  http://www.tryitoneverything.com/

I wish you limitless abundance,

Steve

http://www.championsuccess.com/

PS - Once you have watched the film, please come back by and comment here on my blog.  You will be helping others achieve the success they desire by doing so.

PPS - If you want to learn more about this amazing technique and see the clinical evidence of its limitless power to heal, go to www.emofree.com.

If you have ever attended persional development seminars hosted by masters like Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, or Tony Robbins, there is no doubt you have heard the saying:

“You must work on yourself more than you do your business.”

I can almost hear you nodding your head in recognition.  Bet let me ask you; what does this really mean?

What you actually DO to accomplish this?

This is what I mean:

A knowledge worker is, in brief, someone who works with his mind.  His work environment is either an office or home office.  His work consists of the application of knowledge skills in the production of output that contributes to the growth of a business of some sort.

The average knowledge worker works between 8 and 10 hours a day.  He typically rises at 6, completes a morning routine of some sort, showering, shaving, grabbing a bowl of cereal and/or coffee and gets to work at about 8.  He works throughout the morning on various projects attending meetings and the like, takes a break in the morning, lunch mid day, a break in the afternoon, and quits for the day some time between 5 and 7 in the evening.  He commutes home, greats the wife and kids, has a little dinner, watches a few sitcom reruns and hits the sack between 10 and 12.

Generally speaking this works out ok for the knowledge worker.  He gets his work assignments from his manager, does what needs to be done to keep his job, gets his pay-check and lives happily ever after, or not.

Unlike the seasoned entrepreneurial success, upstart entrepreneurs often model their days from this circa 1960’s model of business.  They may make one exception.  They may work longer hours.  More like 12 to 16 a day instead of 8 to 10.  And they typically do it because they think they have to.

If you fall into either of these catagories and can even remotely identify with this description then let me ask you:

If you accept the adage above about working more on yourself than on your business, and if your schedule is similar to what I described, then where is the time required to work on yourself ?

I mean, how do you work more on yourself if you never take time to do it?

Often times, as I work with new coaching clients and begin to encourage the use of daily personal development disciplines like meditation, visualization, or journaling, I hear, “I don’t have time to do that.”

What would you say if I told you that you should invest a minimum of 4 hours a day developing yourself?

This is what I know to be true.  You do not have time NOT to develop yourself.

If you invest the majority of primary energy in developing yourself, you will automatically live a more abundant and successful life.

You will be healthier.

You will be happier.

You will be well rested and alert.

You will be stress-free.

You will be more productive.

You will be more accomplished

You will be more present.

You will be more accepting and loving of others.

You will live more abundantly.

You will be the person you dream of being.

You do the things that person dreams of doing.

You will have the things that person dreams of having.

It is not an exhageration to say that your success begins  and ends with YOU.

I wish you success beyond measure and peace beyond all understanding.

Steve

www.championsuccess.com

PS - In my next few posts I will expand on this idea of daily disciplines for success.  I would enjoy hearing yours.  Please share them by commenting on this post and then check back on Tuesday for my Monday post.

A relative shared this video with me today.  I had heard of it but really did not have the full appreciation of the significance of this presentation until I watched it. 

It is positively amazing.

In it Jill Taylor, a renowned neuroanatomist (a brain scientist) provides a detailed recollection of a deeply moving spiritual awakening she experienced during her own stroke.

She provides clear experiential evidence that everything in our experience is energy or spirit.  When allowed to experience an existance outside of the limitations of our human mind, it becomes clear that we are indeed all spiritual beings having a human experience.

This realization indicates that thoughts truly are things.  To the extent that we learn to develop our thoughts, it is clear that we can indeed manifest our human experience any way we want it to be.

How does it feel to know that you are truly the life force energy of the universe?

Consider the implications of this perspective as it relates to creating a life of success, abundance, and joy; entrepreneurial, retirement planning, or otherwise.

Please comment I would love to hear your thoughts.

With deep gratitude for your visit.

 Steve

www.championsuccess.com