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Herb Filled Pillows Make Over a Million Dollars

Lauren Rosenstadt was a single mom working at a herbcompany in Bethesda, Maryland. A herb (pronounced "erb") isa plant that has medicinal, savory, or aromic qualities. Oneday while at lunch with a friend whose daughter sufferedfrom insomnia, Lauren thought, "If I could fill a pillowwith herbs, that would be soothing and help my friend'sdaughter sleep." A few days later, Sydney Greensheep, a pillow shaped likea sheep and filled with dried herbs, was completed. Laurengave Sydney to her friend to try with her daughter. Thenext morning her friend reported, "It's unbelievable, sheslept like a baby!" Insomnia is epidemic in our fast-pased... Read More

The 9 Key Distinctions of Successful Solo-Entrepreneurs!

SUCCESSFUL Solo-Entrepreneurs approach life and business from a perspective that is new, fresh, and rather unorthodox. The differences are subtle, yet significant. These distinctions are more than just fads or interesting tips; they are direct, measurable SHIFTS in how you will approach your business, your personal life, your relationships, etc. - for the rest of your life! They are direct from the experience of hundreds of successful solo-entrepreneurs!First, one pre-distinction. We are not talking about "habits" in this article. There's really nothing wrong with habits, except that you are still looking at habits. And, you probably already knew the habits... Read More

10 Essential Tips for Starting Entrepreneurs - Ignore these at your Peril!

1. Do What You LOVE: If you've chosen your business because you read that this niche was the next hot one, or because your favorite uncle (or your best friend) thinks you'd be well-suited for this business, you may as well pack up now and save yourself some time and money. If you don't love what you do, it will show...potential customers will know it and will go elsewhere. Is it possible to be successful anyway? Sure -- but it won't be easy and it won't be fun...and isn't that why you want to be in business for yourself anyway?Instead,... Read More

Reducing the Stress of Being an Entrepreneur

Starting and running your own business can be exciting and rewarding, but it can also be very stressful. For most of our almost 40 year marriage my husband has been an entrepreneur and I have sometimes worked with him. Having built my own business as a Stress Reduction Coach I have been reflecting on the stresses of being an entrepreneur. Signs and sources of stress Some of the signs of stress overload include irritability, anxiety about the sustainability of the business, and/or high business debt. Relationships within the family can suffer if they do not understand the entrepreneurial drive... Read More

10 Ways Entrepreneurs Shoot Themselves In The Foot

Entrepreneurs and their businesses have a tendency to ambush themselves when they aren't looking. This affects how much revenue they can generate, how fast their business rises, and even if they survive after the first few years. If you feel there is a possibility you are getting in your way to success, review these elements to see if any of these items might apply.1. Imagine investing time and money into a product or services, only to find that it isn't selling. Or at least it doesn't have the results that you expected. Now, I'm talking realistic here, and not some... Read More

Lessons Learned from Successful Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are a special breed of high achievers. They create things, get things started: businesses, clubs, churches, associations, even nations. Their motivations vary. Not all want to be rich. Not all want to produce a Fortune 500 company. Some are motivated by pleasure or civic pride or the desire for fame. Mary Madden, president of Information America, told me she and Burton Goldstein started their company because it gave them freedom and flexibility.Entrepreneurs see a world that is incomplete. It probably does not yet have what they intend to create. If it does, it needs something else they just thought... Read More

7 Lean Marketing Laws For The Inspired Entrepreneur

The following laws will provide guidance on how to act,think and work in a lean way. You can apply these laws toall areas of your life, work and business to get biggerresults from the time you invest. 1. Multiple RewardsAim to be rewarded multiple times for a single effort. Moneycan be recovered but time cannot. Time gets spent. You can'tput it in a bank and you can't earn more of it. Whereverpossible, you should look for ways to get paid/rewardedmultiple times for each hour you invest. You will neverbe truly independent if your income comes from your owntime and labour... Read More

Electronic Tools for Entrepreneurial Success

"Half of any job is having the right tool" was one of the earliest lessons I learned from my father growing up on a farm in Nebraska. As an organizing and productivity consultant, it continues to serve me well.As a business owner for over 20 years, one of the principles it took me too long to learn was that the reason for owning a business is ? or should be ? to develop something of value that you can one day sell to someone else for a profit.Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs have a service or product that is, or could be,... Read More

Traits of The Successful Entrepreneur

Want to know why certain people succeed and others don't. Well successful people have certain traits? Do you have them? Business has changed a great deal over the years. We now have computers, the internet and because of the internet - web pages, email and everything else that comes with it. Our telephone system has changed dramatically with the advent of cell phones and voice mail. However, even with all the technological advancements the traits that make a person successful in business can be traced way back when to our grandfather's day. So before you decide you want to... Read More

5 TIPS for Home-Based Business Entrepreneurs

Have you ever heard that only a small part (5%) of 'all' Home-Based Business entrepreneurs achieve success?Do an online research on your favorite Search Engine and you will understand what I mean.In this article I'm going to show you the KEY to Home-Based Business entrepreneurs success; you'll find out what makes an entrepreneur succesful in the home-based business field.Below are 5 TIPS for Home-Based Business Entrepreneurs:1. It's their mindset that brings successSerious entrepreneurs have 'programmed' their mind to succeed no matter what. They don't lack focus on their home-based business and let nobody stop their plans in achieving what they... Read More

The Six ?F? Words Every Entrepreneur Should Know

Start your own business, and soon enough, you find yourself in a situation where there are many things you want to say, all of them unprintable.It happens to every entrepreneur ? a moment of extreme challenge that causes you to wonder why you started the (expletive) business in the first place. I've had my share of those moments since starting our public relations firm in March 2002.But while trading notes with a fellow entrepreneur recently, I started to think about all the moments of extreme challenge I left behind when I decided I no longer wanted to be somebody else's... Read More

Compensating for Your Entrepreneurial Style-or Lack of Style

I recently took an entrepreneurial quiz which evaluated my answers and informed me I would do best as a hired hand! So why am I a successful home business owner? Because I've learned to fill the holes in my entrepreneurial style, and compensate for my deficiencies. Let's start with a list of qualities that might benefit someone working for him/herself: 1. Ability to see the big picture and plan accordingly;. 2. Self-discipline; 3. Ability to use time wisely; 4. At minimum, a moderate drive to achieve; 5. Adaptability; 6. Autonomy; 7. Decisiveness; 8. A feeling of control over your... Read More

What Makes An Entrepreneur Tick?

It is only natural that when you start a business, you are doing something different than most people. They not only will look at you because you stick out like a sore thumb _ but human nature will cause people to naturally ridicule what you are doing. They will tell you all types of things like: "You're not business material." "You can't make a living working for yourself." "You'll fail because nobody can ever make any money that way." Entrepreneurship is not just about having a lot of ideas or business sense. It is also about having a lot... Read More

Raising Entrepreneurs: What to Do When Your Kid is Born to Think Differently

Adolescence brings with it many challenges ? for both parents and kids. Young people, still new to the world, are embarking on a journey to discover their passions, joys, and authentic self-images. More often than not, however, their journey more closely resembles an elongated stampede of enraged elephants than it does an innocent soul-searching endeavor. But no one said growing up would be easy.And there are young entrepreneurs out there who see the world in a truly positive light. Sure, they have their ups and downs like most teenagers, but they are motivated, focused, and want to make a difference.Who... Read More

The 7 Traits of an Exceptional & Successful Entrepreneur

How often have you either referred to or considered the expression, "Success is a journey and not a Destination?" Probably many times, yet often being in a hurry to get there, we forget that success is not an end unto itself, but is instead an ongoing process.Though some people seem to have the Midas touch and easily turn everything to gold, most of us have to give our endeavors lots of time, effort and the sweat of our brow before seeing things come to fruition. The simple truth is that the majority of us are simply not born leaders, but... Read More

How Entrepreneurs Make Money Selling Global Brands On and Off-line

Did you know that thousands of companies from all over the world are looking for enthusiastic individuals to represent their products overseas? That person can be you. From Chinese toys to Brazilian bikinis people are making money reselling all kinds of products for a profit.Don't fret if you're new to the Internet! Thousands of "ordinary people" leverage the Internet to sell global brands on and off-line. I say ordinary people as a reference to the rest of us, those who log online simply to read email, check the latest headlines, and to look something up on Google. Does this describe... Read More

Differentiation ? Smart Marketing Strategies for the Solo Entrepreneur

Are you ever frustrated or hesitant when you talk to prospective customers because you can't readily explain why they should come to you rather than go to your competitors? Sure, you might have your 30-second elevator speech, but then they ask you that dreaded question, "So what makes you different?" Then, all those self-doubts creep in, and you just aren't sure what to say. Differentiation can boost confidence--yours in yourself and that prospective customer's confidence in you!-- Dif-fer-en-ti-ate v. tr. To perceive or show the difference in or between; discriminate. --In business terms, to differentiate means to create a benefit... Read More

Top 10 Business Plan Myths of Solo Entrepreneurs

Don't let these stop you from having a business plan for success!A recent study of 29,000 business startups noted that 26,000 of them failed. Of those failures, 67% had no written business plan. Think that's a coincidence?Here's the top 10 myths Solo Entrepreneurs often have about business plans-usually, the reasons why they don't have one. De-bunk the myths, and see how having a business plan for your solo business, can actually be easy and fun--and can jumpstart your success!1. Myth: I don't need a business plan--it's just me! Starting a business without a plan is like taking a trip in... Read More

Solo Mojo for Solo Entrepreneurs --- Where?s Your Juice?

I recently read a magazine article about Andrew, a 42-year old businessman. He gave up a demanding law practice in the Northeast, moved South to launch a new furniture and interior-design store, and wrote his first fiction novel in the midst of that transition. He persevered with his passion for writing, buoyed by the love and support of his family, by drafting ten pages daily for two years. Since the completion of his novel, he started a new advertising business and is co-authoring a non-fiction tale on top of his other interests.Do you know people like Andrew? People who are... Read More

Create Your Entrepreneur Dream Team

I hear it all the time. "What should I do about . . .?" As a business owner you're faced with the daunting task of making all the decisions that affect your business. Should I remain a sole proprietor, become an LLC or is an S Corp better? Should I start using an electronic PDA or stick with my trusty, but out-dated, Day Runner? In what direction should I take my marketing? Is the color right on this logo? PC or Mac? Paper or plastic? Aargh! Big decisions. Little decisions. It can be overwhelming, especially when you consider how each... Read More