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

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.

I have been reminded several times this week of the importance of knowing and passionately pursuing purpose.

Here is an excerpt from a free report entitled “The Secret to Astonishing Entreprenuerial Success“.  You can download a copy from www.secretforentrepreneurs.com

Purpose is central to good human health.  We are all born with a purpose. 

“Purpose is a permanent, common thread woven throughout and in all parts of our lives….Purpose is energy.  It’s the single most motivating force there is.  Discover your purpose, be on purpose, and you will have a life filled with meaning and significance.” The On-Purpose Person, Kevin W. McCarthy.

Although deaf and blind, Helen Keller became a world renowned speaker and author.  She wrote that “happiness comes from fidelity to a worthy purpose“. 

A Russian immigrant who became a worldwide success as philosopher, novelist and play-write, Ayn Rand wrote that “purpose must be one of the three ruling values of human life.“ 

“The first principle of ethical power is Purpose…It is the picture you have of yourself - the kind of person you want to be or the kind of life you want to lead.” Kenneth Blanchard and Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Ethical Management.

…

You have a cause or a purpose which is bigger than yourself.  Break-through the belief that you are, or must be, a victim of economic, ethnic, or social circumstances beyond your control.  Accept a new view of the future which includes the manifestation of a life of choice, abundance and opportunity.  Take on the challenge of creating a new world for yourself; a world which includes the accomplishment of personal and professional success, financial freedom, happiness, joy, health, wellness, and longevity.

Fulfill your purpose and passionately contribute to a cause greater than yourself.  Whether your purpose is to be a factor in the elimination of poverty, starvation, crime, or war, you can create the future as you want it to be, regardless of any thoughts or beliefs you or others around you may have to the contrary.

Live your life passionately, joyfully, and on purpose right now.  If you do, you will create the successful, rich, secure, healthy and accomplished life you desire now and in the future.

Start here now.

To do this, you must identify, explore, and engage in the pursuit of your purpose.  Take the time to invest in creating the personal entrepreneurial success you desire, by engaging in the purposeful pursuit of your passions.

The simple inner exploration of what is truly important to you will save you years of wandering, searching, and wondering about the future.  Once you are onto your purpose, don’t fall prey to the notion you must defer your passion until after you make enough money.  Implement a set of daily practices that will support you and help you get and remain ‘on purpose’.

Follow your passion and the money will come.

The report goes on to provide a number of exercises you can do to find your purpose. 

Download a copy and do the exercises in it.  www.secretforentrepreneurs.com

You will be amazed by how much clarity you will derive from this exercise.

My friend Todd Goldfarb speaks to this in a recent post on his blog.  Click HERE to read his message about finding your purpose.

Once you have a vision of your purpose, you will know what you wre ‘up to’ in life and an important distinction will become clear:  Accomplishment vs Result.

It is the commitment to a purpose that brings accomplisment from result. 

My experience of this was in my career in technology.   I was very successful and had big results financially.  But, at the same time felt no sense of accomplishment. 

The results were distinct from accomplishment becuase they lacked the commitment of purpose.

Once there was a clear purpose to which I could commit and through which the results could contribute, accomplishment emerged.

You can imbu all that you do with a committed purpose and literally redfine your experience of life.

That job you hate, can be imbued with purpose and become a statisfying vehicle of accomplishment through which you create the life you love living.  The frustration, anxiety, anger, and fear you feel will be replaced with joy and satisfying accomplishment.

Your experience of life will shift.  You will no longer live circumstantially.  Instead your experience will be generative and creative, joy-filled, abundant, successful, and accomplished.

With sincere gratitude for your visit,

Steve

www.championsuccess.com / www.secretforentrepreneurs.com /www.thesecretforretirement.com

PS - “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs.  Instead, ask yourself what what makes you come alive and do that.  Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

You probably know that Joe Vitale is a mentor of mine. 

In fact, it was my experience in learning from Joe that inspired me to create Champion Success Coaching and document my Champion Success Principles in my forth coming book, ”A Champion’s Principles”.

I have experienced all kinds of miracles in every area and aspect of my life through out the past 18 months, since meeting Joe and learning more about the simplicity of universal law.

I have experience a miraculous cure of what is commonly understood to be a genetic condition called hemochromatosis.  Through the power of intention and clearing memory with Ho Oponopono, my blood iron levels dropped precipitously to optimal levels without performing any of the prescribed phlebomies (giving blood). 

That I am who I am, doing what I am doing, right now, is a MIRACLE.  You might wonder why I say that.  Well, as is often the case, Joe has a great explanation of mircales and what they are on his blog.

Go take a look:  http://blog.mrfire.com/secret/what-is-a-miracle/

The truth is that miracles are everywhere all the time:

“Miracles:  You do not have to look for them.  They are there, 24-7, beaming like radio waves all around you.  Put up the antenna, turn up the volume - snap…crackle…this just in, every person you talk to is a chance to change the world.”  Hugh Elliott

You can and should Expect Miracles each and every day. 

Want more evidence?

Read this short document “Glory In The Highest“.  It is an excerpt from a book entitled “Pronia Is the Antedote For Paranoia - How the Whole World is Conspiring to Shower You With Blessings.” By Robert Brezsny.

Then, reflect on your day today.  How many miracles can you find?

How many will you look for tomorrow?

Think about it and tell me what you think by commenting.

Steve

www.championsuccess.com