How fitting it is to start the new year with a tribute that sets the stage for encouragement.
For all who may have been stuck in neutral over the past year wondering how your company would survive, it is time to shift gears.
This year let nothing hold you back from creating the business of your dreams.
Not fear.
Not disappointments.
Not even the challenges of the economy.
There are far too many resources available that you can tap into today.
So take your foot off the brakes, press the gas and go for it! I know that starting a company or even growing a company if you have been stagnant in the past can be intimidating.
Remember when you first learned to ride a two-wheeled bike and how you felt when the person teaching you took off your training wheels? Well, just the thought of removing the thing that kept you stable was pretty frightening, right? What is significant is the safety wheels served a purpose for their time.
It gave you the confidence to ride a bike but if you had never taken them off they would have kept you from moving on to even greater things.
Take it from me, once you get in the flow and go for the goal the process becomes easier.
Riding a two-wheel bike for the first time is a huge accomplishment much like giving your first presentation in front of a live audience.
The reason change can seem scary at first is because people, by nature, are uncomfortable with it.
I have heard it said that the only thing to fear is fear itself.
So if you have been hiding out in your home office dreaming dreams but afraid to act upon them be bold and take off the training wheels.
Push yourself to try a few of the approaches below and see yourself attaining the goals that you once only imagined.
1.
Get Out of The Box (Literally) Instead of spending so much time behind the computer screen of your home office consider live events that you can attend in person.
Schedule time for face-to-face networking in your planner and commit to attending them.
Some good places to start include Meetup Groups, Chamber of Commerce Meetings, and business event announcements in local newspapers.
I have found these resources invaluable in growing a network of business contacts.
2.
Social Media Makeover Alternatively, the world of social media has become an explosive part of the small business marketing platform.
If you have not joined the social media train, now is a good time to reevaluate your options.
Find ways to incorporate at least a few of the social media tools and create business relationships that way, too.
Some of the most popular choices for business owners include: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Other popular choices are blogging and article marketing.
Just remember whatever choice you make it should have a good return on investment.
That means that you will need to set goals for each of your marketing strategies.
Create measurements for each to see how well they are working.
The key to select what works best and feels right for you and do it on a consistent basis.
3.
Master Mind to Success As the environment shifts you can no longer afford to be the shy student sitting at the back of the class.
This is the time to move up a row.
Let your talents shine and bring your products and services to the world for exchange.
There is someone awaiting your brilliance, your talent, your witty ideas and inventions.
Someone is looking for the way that you do things or the special product that only you can create to fit their needs.
If need help getting in gear this year consider joining or creating your own mastermind group.
There you will find like minded individuals who are committed to making each year the best ever.
The energy and magic that you gain from the meetings whether by telephone or in-person, are sure to propel you forward in ways that you may never know.
For all who may have been stuck in neutral over the past year wondering how your company would survive, it is time to shift gears.
This year let nothing hold you back from creating the business of your dreams.
Not fear.
Not disappointments.
Not even the challenges of the economy.
There are far too many resources available that you can tap into today.
So take your foot off the brakes, press the gas and go for it! I know that starting a company or even growing a company if you have been stagnant in the past can be intimidating.
Remember when you first learned to ride a two-wheeled bike and how you felt when the person teaching you took off your training wheels? Well, just the thought of removing the thing that kept you stable was pretty frightening, right? What is significant is the safety wheels served a purpose for their time.
It gave you the confidence to ride a bike but if you had never taken them off they would have kept you from moving on to even greater things.
Take it from me, once you get in the flow and go for the goal the process becomes easier.
Riding a two-wheel bike for the first time is a huge accomplishment much like giving your first presentation in front of a live audience.
The reason change can seem scary at first is because people, by nature, are uncomfortable with it.
I have heard it said that the only thing to fear is fear itself.
So if you have been hiding out in your home office dreaming dreams but afraid to act upon them be bold and take off the training wheels.
Push yourself to try a few of the approaches below and see yourself attaining the goals that you once only imagined.
1.
Get Out of The Box (Literally) Instead of spending so much time behind the computer screen of your home office consider live events that you can attend in person.
Schedule time for face-to-face networking in your planner and commit to attending them.
Some good places to start include Meetup Groups, Chamber of Commerce Meetings, and business event announcements in local newspapers.
I have found these resources invaluable in growing a network of business contacts.
2.
Social Media Makeover Alternatively, the world of social media has become an explosive part of the small business marketing platform.
If you have not joined the social media train, now is a good time to reevaluate your options.
Find ways to incorporate at least a few of the social media tools and create business relationships that way, too.
Some of the most popular choices for business owners include: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Other popular choices are blogging and article marketing.
Just remember whatever choice you make it should have a good return on investment.
That means that you will need to set goals for each of your marketing strategies.
Create measurements for each to see how well they are working.
The key to select what works best and feels right for you and do it on a consistent basis.
3.
Master Mind to Success As the environment shifts you can no longer afford to be the shy student sitting at the back of the class.
This is the time to move up a row.
Let your talents shine and bring your products and services to the world for exchange.
There is someone awaiting your brilliance, your talent, your witty ideas and inventions.
Someone is looking for the way that you do things or the special product that only you can create to fit their needs.
If need help getting in gear this year consider joining or creating your own mastermind group.
There you will find like minded individuals who are committed to making each year the best ever.
The energy and magic that you gain from the meetings whether by telephone or in-person, are sure to propel you forward in ways that you may never know.