Are you in a rush to build a successful business or do you take the time to steadily grow? There are dangers in growing too quickly that can become costly to your business. 

Do you remember Aesop’s fable of the Tortoise and the Hare?  The hare thought he was a big shot because he could move and do things much faster than the tortoise. After listening to much bragging from the hare, the tortoise challenged the hare to a race. The hare knew he could easily win so he accepted the challenge. Part way through the race the hare decided to stop and take a nap, knowing that he was already far ahead of the tortoise, he was confident he had plenty of time to rest and still win the race. 

While the hare was napping, the tortoise continued with his slow and steady crawl. Before long he had caught up to and passed the hare and ended up winning the race. 

Are you like the hare or the tortoise? Do you race to get quick results or sales and then hit burn out and stop, rest, and then hit is hard again – making many mistakes along the way? Or do you take the slow and steady approach, making sure you are working efficiently and effectively – making sure you have the appropriate structures in place? It’s easy to get confused in thinking that achieving accelerated results in your business means getting to the end quicker when reaching accelerated results is really about taking the time to be properly prepared and work wisely along the way. 

Have you ever driven over a speed bump, dismissing the traffic signs that instruct you to drive at 15 mph, and instead you continue through at 25 mph? If you were to continually do this you would damage your vehicle, creating a need for costly repairs. 

When you speed through the steps in building your business, likewise, you will find yourself making costly mistakes. These mistakes will slow down your business rather than accelerate the process. 

Here are some things you will want to have in place in order to achieve accelerated results in your business.

1. A cash flow budget – create a budget to plan how the money flows in and out of the business so you are able to make wise decisions with how the money is spent before it’s spent. Without a plan, it’s easy to get distracted by unnecessary expenses. 
2. A financial tracking system – consistently track your income and expenses. This allows you to always know where the money is going so you can gauge if the money is being used efficiently. 
3. A workable pace – don’t get caught up in the rush of making quick money. When you are in a hurry, you become desperate – and desperation destroys a sale quicker than just about anything. 
4. A backup plan – every business faces ebbs and flows. Financial setbacks are a major destroyer of small businesses. Have a backup plan for keeping the business and yourself afloat financially during the down times. 
5. A mentor or coach – prepare yourself for emotional challenges before they arise. Everyone faces moments of discouragement in their business. A mentor or coach will walk you through those moments and keep you in the race. 

While it may seem contradictory, the quick way of getting accelerated results in your business is by working at a slow and steady pace, making sure you have the proper procedures in place. Racing to the finish line creates problems that will slow down your progress.

Remember the tortoise who won the race – and build your business at a slow and steady pace. 

about

Catherine M. White

Catherine M. White, founder of Accelerated Results 365, is an author, speaker and innovator. She works with high performance clients to strategically develop effective business processes for continued high level success using her signature system, P.O.W.E.R.R., designed specifically for visionaries, and entrepreneurs. This program leads to authoritative breakthroughs by creating innovative tools that enable businesses to catapult past the competition.

Here Are Several Benefits Of Having A Domain Name

Most business owners understand the importance of owning the domain name (URL) for their business, but many don’t think about having a personal domain name.

Why do you need to purchase a domain name?

While a personal domain name is not critical for a business, there are many benefits to owning the domain for your personal name. Here are several benefits: 

• One of the significant benefits of having a domain name is that it helps to develop credibility and maintain brand ownership.
• Owning your name has an impact on how you show up in a Google or other search engine search.
• The benefits of having a domain name can be best understood by realizing the loss when you don’t have it. If you don’t buy the domain for your personal name, someone else likely will – wouldn’t you want to be the one to own it? 
• If someone else owns your name URL, you have no control over what is posted and what others will find when they do a search for your name.
• When someone else owns the domain for your personal name and you decide down the road you want to purchase it, they have the right to sell it to you at a high price. 
• Owning your own personal domain allows you to create a webpage to showcase you, your achievements and all your businesses (if you own more than one) all in one place and can be useful for someone looking to find your credentials and credibility. 
• Another benefit of having a domain name is that it helps you to reach your target audience without being lost in the ever-expanding online spectrum.
• Having a separate website to showcase yourself allows prospective clients to connect with you on a personal level, thus developing your trust and rapport with them.
• If you choose not to have a separate website for your personal name, you can set up the URL link for your personal name to be re-directed to your business website when someone searches for you by your personal name. It’s certain there will be times when prospective clients will search you by name rather than your business name. 
• Owning your personal domain name, in addition to your business domain, will give your prospective customers multiple avenues for finding you. 

There are many benefits to both you and your business by owning the domain for your personal name. If you don’t already own your personal domain name, now is a great time to get it.  It’s easy to purchase. Just go to a domain registrar, such as www.godaddy.com, and check if your name is available. If it is – purchase it right away. If it has already been purchased by someone else, you can get a little creative in finding a way to own your name domain by adding a differentiator, such as a middle name or initial. The longer you wait…the more difficult it will be to get and you will be losing out on the benefits of owning it.

Also Read: How To Use Social Media To Build Trust

about

Catherine M. White

Catherine M. White, founder of Accelerated Results 365, is an author, speaker and innovator. She works with high performance clients to strategically develop effective business processes for continued high level success using her signature system, P.O.W.E.R.R., designed specifically for visionaries, and entrepreneurs. This program leads to authoritative breakthroughs by creating innovative tools that enable businesses to catapult past the competition.

​Entrepreneurs are visionaries. They tend to have bigger ideas and aspirations than the average individual – this is why they usually make better business owners than employees. But what many entrepreneurs fail to do is align their visions with their business and they aren’t clear on where they’re headed. This lack of clarity leads to the fall of many businesses.

In order to keep your business alive and thriving and your dreams fresh, you need a vision statement. Your vision statement describes the potential of your business and where it is headed for the future.

A vision statement can do a lot for your business than you realize.Here are some of the reasons that state the importance of a vision statement:

• By having a vision statement, you are setting a target goal that keeps you focused on something bigger than what you and your business are now, giving you a goal to continue working toward for the continued success of your business.
• Another importance of the vision statement is that it helps you define your short-term and long-term goals and take the decisions accordingly.

Now that you know the importance of a vision statement, you should also know that your vision needs to be about your customer, not about you.

Here are some questions to ask that will help you in building your vision:

• What is the potential of my business?
• What am I/my company working toward to better the life of my customer/client over the long term?
• Where do I want my business to be 10 years from now?
• What impact will I have on the community or society as a whole?

Your vision statement should be clear and concise, easy to remember, and simple to understand.

When you have a strong vision and vision statement, and you live it authentically, you will attract customers who align with your vision. And this will lead to the continued success of your business.

about

Catherine M. White

Catherine M. White, founder of Accelerated Results 365, is an author, speaker and innovator. She works with high performance clients to strategically develop effective business processes for continued high level success using her signature system, P.O.W.E.R.R., designed specifically for visionaries, and entrepreneurs. This program leads to authoritative breakthroughs by creating innovative tools that enable businesses to catapult past the competition.

Do you have a mission statement? Most entrepreneurs don’t, and many of those who do don’t have a clear mission. People tend to get overwhelmed by the idea of creating a mission statement and are confused by exactly what it is.

A mission statement is crucial for the success of your business. It is the foundation of what you do. It defines your who, what and how; who is your target audience, what are your values, what are you offering your customers, how are you offering it, how your customers benefit, and how you are different from everyone else in your industry (in other words, what makes you unique in a way that attracts your ideal customer to do business with you rather than your competition). Your statement needs to be clear and concise so that you remember it and your customers easily understand it.

Your mission statement acts as your guide and helps to keep you focused on your purpose and your goals. Without a clear mission, you will be prone to distractions or what is often referred to as the ‘dangling carrot’ or ‘shiny object’ syndrome.

Here are some exercises to help you design your mission statement:

• Think about why you chose the particular profession you are in.
• Assess your interests and experiences over the course of your life – do they relate to your business or the reason you were drawn to that industry?
• Recognize your personal values and how they fit into what you do in your business.
• Write out your story of how you were lead down this particular path.
• Describe what you offer or want to offer your customers/clients (what is your product or service and what do you offer that goes beyond the tangible product or service).
• Explain how your customers benefit from what you have to offer, in other words, what is the problem they have and how do you solve it.
• Define what makes you unique – how do you differentiate yourself from others in the same or similar type of business as you.
• Choose the key points from the above exercises and combine them into a paragraph of three to five sentences.
• Shrink your paragraph down into one clear and concise sentence that defines who your help, what you do to help them, and how you help them.
• Make sure your statement clearly differentiates your business from others.
• Memorize your statement.
• Live it!

about

Catherine M. White

Catherine M. White, founder of Accelerated Results 365, is an author, speaker and innovator. She works with high performance clients to strategically develop effective business processes for continued high level success using her signature system, P.O.W.E.R.R., designed specifically for visionaries, and entrepreneurs. This program leads to authoritative breakthroughs by creating innovative tools that enable businesses to catapult past the competition.

Julie Barton got sick of the rat race in the corporate world. She couldn’t stand managers standing over her shoulder, micro-managing her work. And she hated having to ask for time off when her grandchildren were in town. But what really angered her was when her requests were denied because there was an important meeting she couldn’t miss and instead she missed out on precious time with her family – time she could never get back.

So she decided to start her own business and quit her job. After all, she felt she had given away enough of her life building other people’s dreams…wasn’t it about time she built her own?

Julie quickly found that entrepreneurship wasn’t the glitz and glamour she heard it to be. She was wearing several hats and putting in more work than she had at any of her corporate jobs while making far less in income. As a matter of fact, most months she didn’t make anything at all. Her family had thought she was crazy when she informed them she was starting a business and she was beginning to wonder if they were right.

Not long after, she began to hear all this talk about “finding your why”. She was told if she had a big enough “why”, or in other words a strong enough purpose, as to why she started her business and why she chose the business she did, she could push through any challenge and in time her business would grow and thrive.

She was curious to know if there was truth to this, so she set out and went to work, researching and soul searching to figure out what her purpose was.

Julie thought about her passion that drove her to choose a business offering her particular service. She realized it was in alignment with her personal beliefs and values.  As she continued to reflect on her choice, she realized it was also in line with the charitable causes she supported and the very reasons she was motivated to wake up every day and push through the many challenges she faced, despite knowing finances were tight.

She realized her “why” had been with her all along and she hadn’t recognized it. Having discovered her purpose, she suddenly knew she was doing exactly what she should be doing. She HAD made the right decision to start her business. And now she woke up every day with a new sense of worth and excitement. She understood it was not going to be an easy road, but she knew it was going to be worth the ride.

Have you discovered your “why”?

Most people, when asked why they started their own business, answer by saying they want to have control of their time and money. Your “why” must go much deeper in order to keep you from being a statistics as one of the businesses that fail within the first five years. Your “why” must come within. It must be greater than a paycheck to keep you going when there isn’t one. It must be the foundation that keeps you motivated when you hit roadblocks. It must be the source of what excites you when you want to cry or scream and throw in the towel and quit.

When you feel a sense of peace and calmness in your heart and you know you have a purpose for pushing through and not giving up, you will know you have found your “why”. The entrepreneurship road is not easy, but when you know your purpose, the journey will be well worth the ride.

about

Catherine M. White

Catherine M. White, founder of Accelerated Results 365, is an author, speaker and innovator. She works with high performance clients to strategically develop effective business processes for continued high level success using her signature system, P.O.W.E.R.R., designed specifically for visionaries, and entrepreneurs. This program leads to authoritative breakthroughs by creating innovative tools that enable businesses to catapult past the competition.

If you are considering leaving your job in the corporate world to start your own business, you will likely experience some, if not a lot, of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty in making the leap. And it’s no wonder when more than 50 percent of businesses fail within the first five years.

Here are 10 tips to help you prepare for making the transition from employee to owner:

1. Decide the best route of ownership for you. You have options. Will you start your own business from the ground up, buy an existing company, purchase a franchise opportunity, or join a direct sales (also known as network marketing) company? There are pros and cons that come with each option. Be sure to take the time to learn about each and choose what’s right for you.

2. Choose something you are passionate about. The reason for having your own business isn’t to be miserable, so be sure you’ll love what you do. It’s been said that if you love what you do, you won’t feel like you’re working. If you don’t love what you do, you will lack the motivation necessary to weather the storms that come with running a successful business.

3. Start building your business while you continue working at your current job. While this isn’t always an option, it’s a good idea to take some time to put your feet in and test the waters to make sure business ownership is right for you and also have an income stream while you build.

4. Create your own security. When you leave your job, you will be leaving behind a consistent paycheck and benefits. You can prepare yourself for the change by making sure you have an alternative cash flow. Do you have a source of income from another job or business? Do you have investments you can rely on for income? Do you have a partner, friends or family members who will financially support you while you build your business? Will you take out a loan? Be careful with the option you choose and choose wisely.

5. Conduct research and write a plan. Find out what it’s going to take in cost and time to run the business. Determine if you have a viable product or service that others will buy. Define your target market, mission and vision. Take some time to map out your goals and the strategies you will use to accomplish them. Your written plan will be your guide as you run your business and will help you avoid the many of pitfalls other owners face.

6. Build a network of other professionals. You are influenced by the people you spend your time with. Find and surround yourself with other business owners in various industries who are like-minded. They will help you maintain the appropriate mindset and focus to build your business successfully.

7. Connect with mentors. You don’t have to take the journey alone. Find others who have successfully run a business similar to the one you want or have and glean from their experience and expertise. Most people will be willing to help and support you and people love to give advice.

8. Share, share, share. A large part of growing a successful business is making sure others know you are in business and they know what you do. Even before you begin your business, it’s a good idea to start talking about it and letting others know what you’re going to be doing and what your vision is. This will generate interest and potential customers.

9. Don’t listen to the nay-sayers. There likely will be several well-meaning friends and family members who will try to stop you from leaving your job to own a business. They will give you all the reasons why you shouldn’t do so. Once you’ve decided that owning a business is right for you and you’ve properly prepared for ownership, stick to your plan and don’t let them hold you back. This is your dream and your life. It’s up to you to build it and prove you can!

10. Make the jump! There comes a time when you’ve done all you can do to prepare and you may find you still have some trepidation in the idea of leaving your job – that’s when it’s time to make the jump. Fear is a great paralyzer; if you wait for there to be no fear, you will probably never get started. When you make the jump, you’ll find it’s not as scary as it seems and you’ll be glad you did.

Owning a business can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. When you are properly prepared, it’s very rewarding and enjoyable.

about

Catherine M. White

Catherine M. White, founder of Accelerated Results 365, is an author, speaker and innovator. She works with high performance clients to strategically develop effective business processes for continued high level success using her signature system, P.O.W.E.R.R., designed specifically for visionaries, and entrepreneurs. This program leads to authoritative breakthroughs by creating innovative tools that enable businesses to catapult past the competition.