Articles
Browse every published article connected to Robin Hardy, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
Articles
Browse every published article connected to Robin Hardy, or search within this exact expert archive.
You have come up with a fantastic new business idea and you are ready to launch forward onto an amazing new journey, then all of a sudden you hit the breaks and come to a complete stand still.
Wow, almost 2 weeks into 2009...are you moving forward? I just finished speaking at the Crystal Cathedral this past weekend and what a rush of joy as I presented Victorious Warrior or Wounded Victim. A message that has moved people into inspired movement forward. We can not change what has ...
Have you ever used this as a reason not to build a business of your own…There’s too much competition for what I do?
I was tossing around a topic to write on today, some great ideas came to mind, and then I received an email that redirected my focus. The featured article in her newsletter is entitled “Forget About Miracles” with an opening line of “Whatever the case may be, you can stop praying for a miracle. ...
What an interesting time we are all living in today, with so much happening around us we find the “opportunist” also popping their head into our lives. As you consider the amazing journey to becoming an entrepreneur you also must be aware of the opportunists that will emerge with the next best thing. I received a phone call today from one of those “opportunists” selling me on her next greatest opportunity in a new MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) company. The amazing part of these individuals is they will say anything to get you to sign up under them, why is that?
Launching into a new year is always exciting as we plan our resolutions and move forward with excitement. However, only 8% of those that make resolutions actually keep them, ouch! So how can you as a start-up business owner/entrepreneur plan for 2010 and stick to it or keep focused? It is really simple create your own RoadMap to success! A RoadMap directs and guides you as you begin a journey, and it can be modified as the journey launches. Just like on a vacation you may map out one direction then stumble upon something amazing and make a detour.
Sabotage; as defined in the dictionary is any undermining of a cause. "You can't do that!" "That's way too difficult!" "If you try, you'll probably just fail anyway." These statements sound as if they're coming from someone with a cruel mission to destroy self-confidence. Unfortunately, we can be the “someone” and our target can be our self. Negative self-talk or sometimes called Monkey Chatter is something we have all probably engaged in at some time.
I was watching the news for the Los Angeles area the other day and was really struck by the stories and their negative spin. I know there are positive things happening in Los Angeles however all we see are the horrible things people are doing to each other from killing family members to destroying marriages.
You are ready to start your Plan B, what might be good directions to begin searching for the right start-up for you? Today we will explore the top 10, top buys…Hot Products…Must Have Products that consumers are buying even during a recession.
I stand here to say it is a phenomenal time to start a business! Let’s take a look at history and the companies that said yes and launched a business during tough economic times. Did you know that 16 of the 30 companies that make up the Dow industrial average were started during a recession or depression?
The top, number one reason individuals do not start a business is fear. As humans we are afraid of the unknown, we are afraid of failing, we are in some cases afraid of success.
Such a time as today when around every corner appears fear and worry, what can someone do? The question coming through loudly is; how can I overcome this issue of fear and worry? Then you hear the self-blame of what did I do wrong? In a country so rich in resources it is shocking to see where ...
What is a Plan B? A Plan B is the answer when your life is not heading in the direction you wanted to head, Plan B is when you have been searching for a job for over a year and nothing has happened. So have you considered your Plan B? So many have been struggling to find a job since they were laid-off or the company they worked for shut their doors. The numbers have been staggering each month with numbers hitting over 600,000. The numbers of available jobs are limited and many employers are playing games with potential new hires. What do I mean by games?
Getting linked on other websites to move your Google/Search Engine ranking is really simple. This is probably the best tool for all start-up businesses today, because it costs you nothing except a little time. I know it is hard to believe that you can gain exposure at no dollar cost to you! This is the beauty of staring a business today; years ago you had to have the brick & mortar to begin and a good sized chunk of money in the bank. So let’s explore the options to getting your website linked on other sites.
With only a few days left till Christmas morning springs itself upon us with all the giggles, excitement and love; many may be trying to figure out how to get the enormous lists of toys the children are wanting. Isn’t it funny how when I was a kid we asked for one toy maybe two, for me usually a Barbie Doll and that was all. Today however the lists have almost become novels, like a recent Christmas movie that portrayed a child on Santa’s lap going on and on about what he wanted, even Santa was like are you done yet!
Continuing to explore the challenges holding people back from launching their own business takes us to the topic of security. We want to know it will be okay, we will be safe and taken care of so we cling onto the JOB (J=Just, O=Over, B=Broke) hoping it will provide our security needs. However, today this may be a false sense of security with companies that have been around forever shutting their doors, relocating to a new state or cutting back staff. We are offered no guarantees in today’s job market and in many instances we do not know if tomorrow holds the promise of a paycheck.
Lack of information is another top reason people don’t start a business today. Many may not be sure where to start while others may have had a business failure in the past and do not want to go there again. The other option is a family member may have lost a business as well do to lack of information, which scares the new potential entrepreneur. The key to overcoming this reason is really simple with the invention of the internet; you have access to anything you want to know at the tips of your fingers.
The start-up business needs to get the word out on what they do as quickly as possible so in today’s market we have to explore tools that will expedite our efforts and reduce our cost. We are finding today that the traditional style of marketing in print media is rapidly fading into the sunset. With its high cost for printing and postage services the start-up business has had to consider new and creative ways to get their name out to their potential target market. Technology has presented a new and powerful medium for the start-up business owner, the internet.
It’s Your Life! 25 Tips for the Entrepreneur that will keep you on the right path… 1. Take 30 minutes a day to move!
A question was asked the other day regarding the value of a presence on the internet, “Is it really worth building a website for a small business with all the competition?” YES!!! The numbers as of late are 90% of the world (perhaps more today) search the internet for what they need as a first step.
Recently on FaceBook there was a question posted regarding Christians and their postings. The writer asked if it was inappropriate for a Christian business owner to post scripture or even offer prayer on FaceBook, wasn’t that taking it too far? My response to her was “If we are willing to accept profanities and sexual content then why can’t we accept positive postings reflecting one’s faith?” You see the problem today is that there are many Christian’s conducting business however, not many Christian businesses. What is the difference?
Recently when scheduling a guest for my radio show I had a comment regarding God. I told the guest that I was excited to see that she brings the book of Titus to her business; it is the inspiration for her. Her response to me was I never know what to say to folks in Los Angeles with all the liberal Christians and new age thinkers, they usually do not focus on what God’s word says, as it is with no modifications. This brought to mind an interesting question what is the difference between giving it to God and giving it to the universe?
A question asked so many times is, why should I build a business? Isn't it safer to work for someone else at least I always get a paycheck? What about benefits? All of these are good questions, however if you stay in the question mode constantly analyzing the decision you will never move forward. I will tell you today is the best time to explore & launch a business of your own. Let's tackle the questions above first. Why should you build a business?
Choosing the right business… Part 2 “Start your own business from scratch.” Where do you begin when starting a business by scratch or your own ideas? The process may seem overwhelming however, once laid out it is a simple process. There are a few questions to ask yourself when launching a business from scratch: • What am I passionate about?
Choosing the right business… Part 1 “Choosing a direct sales business” You are ready to launch into the journey of entrepreneurialism whether it is as an intentional or accidental entrepreneur, now what? How do you choose which business to start? There are so many options available for every person from cosmetics to insurance and beyond. The key is to research what is the best fit for you, what are you passionate about. My suggestion to you is to create a pro and con list for each idea you have, explore both sides openly.
Have you ever considered starting your own business as a way to declare your independence from the bondage of relying on another person to create your income? I love the fact as a new business owner you are declaring your independence!
Now that we have explored the why & what of these top 10 top buys…Hot Products…Must Have Products that consumers are buying even during a recession, let’s take a look at ways you can generate income from each one: Chocolate *Sign up for a MLM/Direct Sales that carries chocolate. *Create a home based chocolate business (getting molds & chocolate from a local cake store).
The word blog is a conflation of two words: Web and log. It contains in its four letters a concise and accurate self-description: it is a log of thoughts and writing posted publicly on the World Wide Web. Often times we are hearing the question of, Should I be blogging as a business owner? Why do I need to blog? Yes, as a business owner you need to be blogging on a regular basis. The blogs do not have to be long; they may only be a couple of paragraphs long but loaded with great content. Then we hear how often do I have to blog?
A new word has emerged that we will coin as “The New 4 Letter Word”! This 4 letter word can belittle someone; while at the same time give the user of the word an imaginary since of power. We have found that generally when this word is used it is meant to make the user feel better about themselves, somehow in their mind putting them above the other person. What does this have to do with a Start-Up Business, everything!
Starting your own business today is much easier than it was say 10 years ago. It used to be all about physical location, in some case today it is still location. However, most of us can start a business right from the comfort of our living rooms. With the invention of the World Wide Web we can launch a business in our living room that reaches world wide! So let’s jump into the basic essentials for creating your own business today: 1.) A great idea, something that will meet a need for the community.
SMM (Social Media Marketing) is a huge arena of amazing tools that seem to grow and expand every moment. SMM is the hottest new way to market yourself and gain the much desired exposure to potential new clients. The amazing part of using SMM is the cost factor, SMM is virtually free to utilize, and it takes you world wide in a matter of minutes. Who would not want that kind of exposure? SMM appears in a variety of forms from social networking sites to viral marketing sites.
We have exposed 6 of the most common reasons we have heard recently on why people will not start a business today, reason #7 is a very blunt one, laziness! The case of the why bothers, why should I do anything or who cares. Some people have tried to use every excuse under the moon to not do anything to change their position. This mind-set is a very dangerous one, however in today’s economy a very common one. If we focus on the entire crisis around us we will become paralyzed and complacent.
You’ve been sitting at your desk worrying if your job is secure. You’ve been sitting at your desk dreaming about starting a business. You wake up wondering what it would be like to work in my PJ’s. So what is stopping you from exploring this what if? I can’t start a business I don’t have any money to do that! This is one of the top 5 reasons individuals never pursue their dreams & passions of starting a business.
I sat here today looking at the amazing beauty out my back door, the trees, the birds and so much more wondering how we got here. How did we get to a place where each day is filled with so much stress, fear and doubt of the unknown? Did we unconsciously choose our destination; did we knowingly ...