Why do some businesses succeed while others fail? What exerts the greatest influence on the fate of a new business? Looking at the five factors – idea, team, business model, funding, and timing – many believe that that the team and idea execution are the most important. Surprisingly, team and execution rank second, and idea rank third. And a startups funding and business model are not initially integral to the success of a business because enterprises can launch and grow without having these two elements in place. The winning factor is timing. Execution definitely matters a lot and the idea matters a lot, but timing matters even more.

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You either love Donald Trump or you hate him. Regardless you have to respect what he has accomplished in business. He is probably one of the best the world has ever seen at personal branding and I think everyone can learn from him. There is a reason why his condo projects sell out and he charges more per square foot than anyone else. Or his hotels rank among the best and his golf courses continue to wow. It’s all about branding and positioning. George Ross, his former right-hand man of 47 years and Celebrity Apprentice judge recently retired from the Trump Organization and came to work for me. Although George has been coaching me for 6 years  on the art of branding and marketing the Trump way, for the first time I am revealing those secrets to you.
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If you are pressed for time, welcome to the club. Everyone is. What differentiates productive people from procrastinators is not the amount of time they have, but the amount of highly focused energy they can devote to a given task in a limited time span. If you are like most busy people, you cannot completely reshape your entire schedule on a whim, but you can block off one hour to concentrate on a specific project.

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Fear is the most significant barrier that faces anyone who sets out to create something new.  You can eliminate that fear by learning steps to refocus your energy into action.  Focusing is a skill you can learn.  Think back to a time when you were able to concentrate completely on a task – what you might call “being in the zone”.  Now think about what keeps you from attaining that highly productive state on a regular basis.  More often than not, it’s fear.

Knowing and applying a few steps can help energize your focus and make the most of it. Continue reading →

The number one way to optimize your business is by using the right systems.  Most people run their businesses emotionally rather than with data and facts.  Avoid running your business emotionally by creating systems.  Operate sequentially, not emotionally.

As a business owner, your only job is to think.  Take a piece of paper and start thinking.

Here are some topics to start thinking about to start running your business more efficiently. Continue reading →

It’s easy to come up with an excuse as to why we can’t…
… accomplish a dream
… be happy
… overcome a problem

Excuses are a dime a dozen.  They give you permission to settle where you are, they justify us to settle for less than our best. Continue reading →

 If you aren’t it’s because you’re a Horizontal Thinker

Are you a tactical thinker or a strategic thinker? Your answer can make all the difference. It has for me.  The first lesson I learned, when I was broke and struggling, was to ask why. I was full of ideas and dreams. I wanted to change the world. I worked hard, but I quickly came face to face with a simple reality; you can’t help others unless you help yourself first. I realized that I was too much of a tactical thinker. I focused on the “how to”, the details, rather than the strategic “why”.

Here’s a great example of tactical versus strategic thinking. A person who knows how to put a computer together or repairs a computer makes $15 dollars an hour. This is a tactical thinker. The person who knows the why, Continue reading →

I never thought I would say this about any reality shows but watching CNBC’s show “The Profit” is not only worth your time but it will actually make you money. It’s a show that should be shown in every high school, colleges and universities all over the world because it focuses on the fundamentals of business “People, Product and Processes” Marcus Lemonis 3 fundamental philosophies to success.

On the surface it’s hard to imagine this show would be a hit. Marcus is a low key all around nice guy who is not one for theatrics and drama. He instead mirrors the powerhouse entrepreneur rather than the cocky business reality show nut job that is usually required to get ratings in this day and age. Tony Robbins reality show on NBC was cancelled after two shows because nice positive messages don’t get ratings.

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I have recorded every coaching session I have done over the past 6 years and I will be the first to say that back in the old days I was probably one of the most uncoachable people I knew. Now my coaches and I, I have 5, will say I am the most coachable person. I have a rule when it comes to business I do not take advice from people that are less successful than me and neither should you. One of the big problems I faced 6 years ago is that all my eggs were in one basket and although my coaches kept preaching hedging and diversification, they said if one business is down, your income is not all that effected. Continue reading →