The Number 1 Secret of Success

Do you know what one of the key secrets of success is - what makes people successful in business, sport or any other aspect of their lives? Let me come back to that in a minute.

Ever since I discovered that I wasn't invincible and that my body would fall apart over time, I've been a member of a gym. I've attended regularly over the past fifteen years and my body deterioration is almost being kept in check.

However I've always noticed a lot of new faces at the gym, some of which seem to disappear over a short period of time. Most gyms and health clubs have a high turnover of members or "churn" as the marketing people like to call it. One club I know of loses around fifty members a month and has to work hard to sign up that number just for the business to stand still.

It's not that these gyms offer a poor service, on the contrary - it's because the members - "give up."

New members join to lose weight or to get fit. They then torture themselves on the rowing machines and all the other instruments of agony. If, after a few weeks of sweat and pain, they don't see any visible result - they give up.

You're probably away ahead of me on this; because the key secret of success that I mentioned earlier is this - NEVER EVER GIVE UP. This is what separates the winners from the losers in business, in sport and in life - this is what success is all about.

If you have a mountain to climb either literally or figuratively and you reach an obstacle - don't give up. Find another way round - even go back a short distance and come at the situation from another direction.

Whatever it is you're trying to achieve, whatever success you want - never give up! Make mistakes - fall down - get up - fall down - but get up and try again.

So there you have it - If you want success remember what Winston Churchill once said - "Never - Never - Never give up!"

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Discover how you can generate more business without having to cold call!
Alan Fairweather -"The Motivation Doctor" - is the author of "How to get More Sales Without Selling" To receive your free newsletter and free ebooks, visit: http://www.howtogetmoresales.com

Managing Risks - How to Avoid Accidents?

One of the best techniques of preventing accidents at a large project site is to let the contractor supervisors ponder over the jobs to be done and then putting them down in writing.

It's a common fact that workers coming together in a large construction project have different levels of experience and training. The key persons for preventing accidents are the supervisors.

By getting the supervisors to put their work steps and procedures in writing, safety personnel can use this method to reduce incidents of workers taking shortcuts in safety.

The way to do this is to have a form for the supervisors to fill. This is called the site incident prevention plan or SIPP. It's just a form that informs the safety officers their work plan. A good description of the work plan will include the following:

1. A sequence of work that starts with informing the project manager or supervisor before starting work. The work will then have a description of the potential hazard if this was not carried out. Having made aware of the potential hazard, the person writing the work plan will also write down the countermeasures that he will take to eliminate the hazard. An example of this control measure will be seeking approval from the safety officer and conducting tool box meeting with the workers before starting work.

2. The next sequence will most likely be mobilization of tools and materials to the work site. The potential hazard could be personal injury or messing up of the work area. To reduce the hazard, the supervisor may require his workers to wear safety gears like helmet and safety shoes.

3. The job itself will also be stated in the work plan. Depending on the location, the potential hazard could be personal injury, falling from height, or possibly causing a fire. So the supervisor will have to state all the control measures that he will have to take. An example could be for the workers to wear safety personal protective equipment, in this case, safety harness to prevent falling from heights. Applying for hot work permit could be another control measure.

The hot work permit itself is a separate form to be filled. This is applicable for hot work that can possibly cause a fire at the site. The hot work permit may require the applicant to make ready fire extinguishers, remove combustibles, use torches and burning equipment that are in good working order, etc...

There may be other control measures to be taken. It depends on the job. One control measure might require that workers do not step on the existing piping. Another control measure might be to erect barricades...

4. The last item in the SIPP could be housekeeping after the completion of the work. The potential hazard could be fire or tripping hazard. The control measure - cleaning up, removal of debris from the site and sweeping the floor after work completion.

In this work plan, the supervisor will indicate his name, the location of his work, the company name, and the work to be done. Depending on the complexity of the form, he might include a site map with the location of his work clearly marked out.

When supervisors make the effort to submit this SIPP work plan one day before the execution of the work, they are able to control the work hazards to prevent accidents. It all happens when thoughts are put into writing.

Many years of working experience in Marine, Facilities, Construction has given the author material for writing e-books and articles related to engineering, and management. Subscribe to facworld ezine

More information at Marine Engineer and M & E Engineer

Double Your Income Automatically

It is a common known fact that it is far cheaper to keep an existing customer then it is to acquire a new customer. With this fact in mind you need to do everything possible to keep your existing customers happy and find complimentary products to offer your existing customers.

If you are a Mortgage professional why not offer your clients mortgage life insurance as well? Many of today's home buyers depend on the income of both spouses to pay the Mortgage. By offering Mortgage life insurance you are helping to fill a need, You have already built up their trust by getting their mortgage business why not offer them Life Insurance as well.

If you are a Real Estate agent most of your customers already trust you with the biggest investment they will ever make their houses. Why not offer them investment products? Many real estate agents are the ones chasing down the lenders and pushing those Mortgages thru. In many states it is perfectly legal to earn a commission on a home sale or purchase and the Mortgage that goes with it as long as you file the proper disclosures.

We have a business here in town that offers to help new homeowners get set up with Phone service, Cable or Satellite TV Service, High Speed Internet, Alarm service and trash service. Many of these companies will pay you either a one time commission or better yet a monthly residual for referring them clients. Why not offer to help your Home Buying Clients a service by giving them a packet with information about the different Phone Companies, Cable and Satellite companies, Alarm companies and then offer to help them with the leg work after they decide which ones. Some will pick the ones you get commissions on others won't. By allowing them to choose among all the alternatives you stand to make a small commission every now and then and at the same time provide your clients with an added service they can't get elsewhere.

About the Author
Mike Makler Offers Financial Services (Mortgages,Life Insurance, Annuity) in Florissant Missouri which is in North St. Louis County Missouri Just Across the Bridge from St. Charles Missouri

Call Mike at 314 398-5547

Visit Mike's Web Page:
http://ewguru.com/finance

For Missouri Specific Insurance and Loan Questions:
http://ewguru.com/Mo-Finance

Get Mike's Newsletter Here
http://ewguru.com/fin-news

Copyright © 2005-2006 Mike Makler

10 Sure-Fire Steps to take the Fear out of Public Speaking

Do you "feel the fear" when asked to do some Public Speaking?

Public Speaking is still one of our greatest fears and it turns grown men and women into nervous wrecks. The mere thought of it turns our tongue to cotton wool, causes our internal plumbing to act up and turns our knees to jelly.

Well, there's no need for all of this because help is at hand. All you need to remember are your P's and Q's. Let's start with the P's

Preparation -

When you sit down to write what you're going to say, bear in mind who you'll be speaking to. Will they understand what you're talking about; will they understand the technical stuff and the jargon? If in doubt remember the old saying - "Keep It Simple Stupid".

Make sure that what you say has a beginning, middle and an end. Think of some anecdotes that help reinforce your story. People think visually so paint verbal pictures for your audience. And always remember, people want to know what's in it for them - so make sure you tell them!

Place -

Have a look at the venue before the event if you can. It's not always possible, however, even if you get there half an hour before, you can check out where you'll be speaking.

Stand at the point where you will deliver from, imagine where the audience will be and check that they can see and hear you. You may even wish to place a glass of water where you'll be able to find it.

Personal Preparation -

Before any Public Speaking event, think about what you are going to wear; when in doubt dress up rather than down. You can always take things off for a more casual look. Men could remove their jacket and their tie. Women could remove items of jewellery.

Part of your personal preparation should include some mouth and breathing exercises. Practise saying some tongue twisters to give your speaking muscles a good work out. Take a deep breath and expand your diaphragm. Then breathe out, counting at the same time; try and get up to fifty and not pass out.

As part of your personal preparation, write your own introduction. Write out exactly what you want someone to say about you, large font, double-spaced and ask the person introducing you to read it. Believe me they won't object and will probably be pleased and impressed.

Poise and Posture -

Whenever you're called to speak, stand up or walk to the front quickly and purposefully. Pull yourself up to your full height, stand tall and look like you own the place. Before you start to speak, pause, look round your audience and smile. You may even have to wait until the applause dies down. Remember, you want the audience to like you, so look likeable.

Pretend -

I'm suggesting you pretend you're not nervous because no doubt you will be. Nervousness is vital for speaking in public, it boosts your adrenaline, which makes your mind sharper and gives you energy.

The trick is to keep your nerves to yourself. On no account tell your audience your nervous; you'll only scare the living daylights out of them if they think you're going to faint.

Some tricks for dealing with nerves are:

Before you're called to speak, get lots of oxygen into your system, run on the spot and wave your arms about like a lunatic. It burns off the stress chemicals.

Speak to members of your audience as they come in or at some time before you stand up. That tricks your brain into thinking you're talking to some friends.

Have a glass of water handy for that dry mouth. One word of warning - do not drink alcohol. It might give you Dutch courage but your audience will end up thinking you're speaking Dutch.

The Presentation -

Right from the start your delivery needs to grab their attention.

Don't start by saying - "Good morning, my name is Fred Smith and I'm from Smith Associates." Even if your name is Smith, it's a real boring way to start a presentation. Far better to start with some interesting facts or an anecdote that's relevant to your presentation.

Look at the audience as individuals; it grabs their attention if they think you're talking to them personally.

Talk louder than you would normally do, it keeps the people in the front row awake and makes sure those at the back get the message. Funnily enough, it's also good for your nerves.

PowerPoint -

And for those of you who haven't heard of it, it's a software programme that's used to design stunning graphics and text for projection onto a screen.

As a professional speaker, I'm not that struck on PowerPoint. I feel that too many speakers rely on it and it takes over the presentation. After all, you're the important factor here. If an audience is going to accept what you say then they need to see the whites of your eyes. There needs to be a big focus on you, not on the technology.

Use PowerPoint if you want but keep it to a minimum and make sure you're not just the person pushing the buttons. Why not get a bit clever at using the faithful old Flip Chart, lots of professionals do.

Passion -

This is what stops the audience in their tracks. This is what makes them want to employ you or to accept what you're proposing. Couple this with some energy, enthusiasm and emotion and you have the makings of a great public speaker.

Give your presentation a bit of oomph and don't start telling me - "I'm not that kind of person." There's no need to go over the top but you're doing a presentation to move people to action, not having a cosy little chat in your front room.

That's the P's finished, so let's look at the Q's.

Questions -

Decide when you're going to take them and tell people at the start. In a short speech it's best to take questions at the end. If you take them as you go then you may get waylaid and your timing will get knocked out.

Never - never - never finish with questions; far better to ask for questions five or ten minutes before the end. Deal with the questions and then summarise for a strong finish. Too many presentations finish on questions and the whole thing goes a bit flat.

When you're asked a question, repeat it to the whole audience and thank the questioner. It keeps everyone involved, it gives you time to think and it makes you look so clever and in control.

Quit - Quit when you're ahead. Stick to the agreed time; if you're asked to speak for twenty minutes, speak for nineteen and the audience will love you for it. Remember, quality is not quantity.

One of the most famous speeches ever - "The Gettysburg Address", by President Lincoln, was just over two minutes long.

Right, that's my cue to quit when I'm ahead. Now that you're armed with this information you too can minimise your fear of Public Speaking.

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Alan Fairweather - "The Motivation Doctor" -is the author of "How to get More Sales Without Selling" To receive your newsletter and free ebooks, visit: http://www.howtogetmoresales.com

Business Planning for College Students and First-Time Entrepreneurs

More and more students, both in undergraduate and graduate institutions, are deciding to launch their own ventures upon graduation rather than taking the traditional route of working for another firm. Likewise, more and more individuals are leaving their jobs to fulfill their entrepreneurial dreams.

While these ventures may ultimately be very successful (e.g., Google and Microsoft were both launched by students), they face certain challenges in their business plans and capital raising processes. The foremost challenge is overcoming the lack of experience of the management team. A classis chicken-and-egg problem presents itself – the management team has no past company successes to point to, and can’t prove itself unless given the opportunity to launch the business. While this problem is nearly always the case for graduating students, it also presents itself to many entrepreneurs, particularly those who are launching their first ventures.

To overcome this challenge, these ventures must represent themselves as having a great team by attracting a stellar management team and/or advisors. By attracting a quality management team, even if the team will not start until after financing, it gives investors that confidence that the plan will be properly executed. It also proves that the entrepreneurs have the ability to “sell” others on their vision. The management team need not be complete before seeking capital, since additional members will most likely be added after capital is raised. For instance, shortly after Google raised capital from Sequoia Capital and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Omid Kordestani left Netscape to accept a position as vice president of business development and sales, and Urs Hölzle was hired away from UC Santa Barbara as vice president of engineering.

Attracting high-quality advisors builds great credibility since if respected individuals are willing to risk their reputations by taking an advisory position, the venture must have some merit. Advisors can also help with the execution of the business and sometimes will also provide the needed capital. In Google’s case, when no major portal was interested in partnering with or funding the company, Larry Page and Sergey Brin were able to convince Andy Bechtolsheim, one of the founders of Sun Microsystems, to become an advisor and investor. Bechtolsheim contributed the initial $100,000 to the company.

Even if the venture is able to attract quality management teams and advisors, it will always be at a disadvantage versus other ventures headed by entrepreneurs who have “been there, done that” successfully in the past. To compensate for this, these ventures must really know their customers, know their market and know their competition. By possessing an in depth knowledge of the external factors that will effect the company’s success, the entrepreneurs can both create a solid business strategy and convince investors that an opportunity really exists. If the opportunity truly exists, then investors know that even if the venture is initially mismanaged, then they can hire additional managers later to put it back on course.

In summary, when students or first time entrepreneurs, begin developing their business strategies and plans, they must compensate for the management deficiencies they possess versus established entrepreneurs. By doing this and showing a comprehensive knowledge of their market, these ventures can level the capital raising playing field. Fortunately, these ventures can point to a long list of other successful companies which were launched by students and/or first time entrepreneurs, most notably Google and Microsoft.

As President of Growthink Business Plans, Dave Lavinsky has helped the company become one of the premier business plan development firms. Since its inception, Growthink has developed over 200 business plans. Growthink clients have collectively raised over $750 million in financing, launched numerous new product and service lines and gained competitive advantage and market share.

Four Steps to Entrepreneurship

As more and more people start or consider starting their own business, it is important that they understand the core steps that are required to launch successful ventures. These steps include spotting, assessing, selecting and executing upon opportunities.

Spotting Opportunities

The first step to entrepreneurship is identifying opportunities. The entrepreneur must be able to spot an unmet need. Oftentimes this need is seen through an inefficiency in the market – something that doesn’t work quite the way the entrepreneur would like it to. As a result, the entrepreneur figures out a potential solution and the opportunity is born.

Assessing Opportunities

Many entrepreneurs keep a journal that details the myriad opportunities they come across each day. While it takes a creative skill set to identify opportunities, it takes an analytical skill set to assess them. Each opportunity should be assessed to, among others, determine its likelihood of success and the financial and human resources required to execute upon it.

Selecting Opportunities

One of the biggest risks in selecting the wrong opportunity is opportunity cost; that is, the cost of having to forego another opportunity which may have been wildly successful. Entrepreneurs should assess their potential opportunities and come to a firm decision regarding which one to execute upon. Once selected, the entrepreneur cannot second guess themselves. To do so would lessen their focus and drive towards the selected opportunity, both of which are critical in achieving success.

Executing Upon Opportunities

Execution, or the ability to generate the most value out of an opportunity, requires a unique combination of creativity, passion, persistence, focus, responsibility, intelligence, planning and energy. The entrepreneur needs to know what tasks must be accomplished and be the main driver in seeing that these tasks are completed in an appropriate manner.

Understanding the four steps to entrepreneurship enables entrepreneurs to better understand the path that they are embarking upon. It is a path filled with potential pitfalls, but also filled with tremendous excitement, satisfaction and potential to build enormous value.

Since its inception, Growthink Professional Business Plans has developed over 200 business plans. Growthink clients have collectively raised over $750 million in financing, launched numerous new product and service lines and gained competitive advantage and market share. Growthink has become the firm of choice for venture capital firms, angel investors, corporations and entrepreneurs in the know. For more information please visit http://www.growthink.com or visit our venture capital placement site at GTS Venture Capital.