Recently I read a post from Seth Godin that stated…

“When a newspaper loses 15% of its readers or 15% of its advertisers, it goes out of business. There are still people who want to read it, still people who want to advertise, but it’s gone.

When a technology company increases its sales by 15%, profits will double. The sales line doesn’t have to increase that much for profits to soar.

It’s so tempting to head for green fields with a new thing, a new market, a new business. But in fact, 15% right here and right now might be exactly what you need.”

I concur with his assessment.  Often times new entrepreneurs fail to take the time to work on their business because they are so busy working in it.  Take 15% of your work hours this week and dedicate that time to the development of your business.  Make sure you get away for the office, the smart phone and of course the iPad and focus on the areas of your company that need improvement and what the strategy will be to go to that next level of operations.  If you commit the time, I promise you will be amazed by the results!

Recently I had an opportunity to visit with a prospect who is very big on Networking and through the course of our conversation he shared some great tips which I’d like to pass on to all of you entrepreneurs working hard to grow your businesses.

1. Work on your business not in your business.
   • This has been an ongoing process for me because there is always the need to acquire new business and as we have grown I have released responsibilities to those that are well able.  The key for success in this area is first prayer & seeking Godly wisdom.  Secondly, I hired contractors for different aspects of the company and we developed long term relationships.  I was able to expand the team on a per project basis without committing to full time salaries initially.
2. Set goals for everything.
   • This is so true.  If it is not a written goal or action item for me, it WILL NOT get done.
3. Network!  Network!  Network!
   • Be careful with this one and make sure you are working and not socializing.  I’ve seen how networking can eat up a lot of time and not yield any results.
   • Networking should produce referrals and work for your company.  BNI, a business referral and networking organization has a philosophy; “Givers Gain” which basically means networking shouldn’t just be beneficial to you it should be benefit those you are networking with as well.  So commit to being a blessing to others and they will definitely be a blessing to you.
   • In the future I will share more about Strategic Alliances and how they help your business grow exponentially.
4. Begin your day by acknowledging God.
   • This is so important for me as a Christian business owner because the Bible explains that God will direct my paths when I acknowledge Him first (Proverbs 3:5-6).  In my industry things are always changing and it can be hard to keep up at times but by acknowledging God I receive insights and wisdom that actually keeps me ahead of the game.  That wisdom also helps me with the strategies we develop for our clients.  How sweet is that divine intervention on projects!
5. Exercise and maintain a healthy diet.
   • My father passed away in October of 1979 right before my 9th birthday.  He was a very successful entrepreneur grossing well over $600,000/yr in the 70′s.  The sad thing is when he died he was only 47 years old (or should I say 47 years young).  He was overweight had high blood pressure and the list goes on, basically he didn’t take care of himself.  He took great care of us (his family), the business and his spiritual life but he failed to take better care of himself.
   • If you are like me you want to live a long time, see your kids grow up, get married and have children of their own.  To do this make the commitment to allot time to take care of your health.

There are 5 more that I will share with you later.  Please comment and let our followers know some of your rules for success!