Failure - the Important Secret to Succeeding in Business

"Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out." Benjamin Franklin

One of the most important secrets of business success is to fail early and often! If you aren't failing you aren't taking enough risks. Is fear of failure holding you back? Well, stop fearing it because you will fail. The sooner you get use to the idea that you will fail the sooner you will be able to succeed.

Failing and succeed is not unlike making sales calls. Sales calls are generally a numbers game. The more calls you make, the more rejections you receive, and the more success you experience. Some sales trainers teach you to determine your average number of rejections for every successful sales call. If it takes 10 people saying "no" before someone says "yes" Then you know when you make 2 calls you only have 8 more calls to make before someone says "yes". Failing works much the same way so get busy and start failing.

When you fail, analyze what happened, and make adjustments you are one step closer to succeeding. Failure puts you on the track to winning and succeeding. You learn valuable lessons when you fail and analyze the situation. There are no failures only lessons. The only failures are when you quit trying.

It has been reported that when Thomas Edison was interviewed by a young reporter who asked if he felt like a failure after so many attempts to invent the light bulb, Mr. Edison replied, "young man, why would I feel like a failure? I now know over 900 elements that will not work to create a practical light bulb. Success is almost in my grasp." Soon after this, Mr. Edison invented the light bulb.

Mr. Edison tried over 1000 substances in his experiments to create the filament for an incandescent light bulb. He evaluated his substances based on how long they lasted, if they would be too expensive to be practical to be sold, and whether they could be produced and yet still be able to make a profit. These are similar to the types of questions you will need to consider when you are not successful.

Another example of someone who failed until they succeeded is evident in the follow timeline:

Age 22 - failed in business
Age 23 - defeated in his run for the Illinois State legislature
Age 24 - failed in business again
Age 25 - elected to the Illinois State Legislature
Age 27 - experienced a nervous breakdown
Age 28 - defeated in his run for House Speaker
Age 34 - defeated in his run for the US congress
Age 37 - elected to US congress
Age 39 - defeated in his run to be re-nominated for the US congress
Age 40 - rejected for land officer position
Age 45 - defeated in run for the US senate
Age 47 - defeated in fun for nomination for Vice President
Age 49 - defeated in his run for the US senate again
Age 51 - elected President

Abraham Lincoln did not see failure as failure, only as a means to success.

So begin now to fail and you will be that much closer to success.

LeaRae Keyes, RN is the Executive Director for the Nurse Entrepreneur Network, a subscription website for nurses in business or nurses wanting to be in their own business. Ms. Keyes provides coaching and information for nurse entrepreneurs and those wanting to be nurse entrepreneurs.

With over 25 years of experience in sales, marketing, product development, intrapreneuring, and entrepreneuring she helps budding entrepreneurs start, develop, and grow their businesses. If you would like more information about the Nurse Entrepreneur Network or the services offered by LeaRae Keyes visit: http://www.nurse-entrepreneur-network.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=LeaRae_Keyes

Launching a Business? Consider The Facts

Myth:
I am my own boss.

Truth:
Not necessarily. Unless you create your own business or product, in direct sales, you are still working under someone else. The differences here are that you choose to work independently, and your training may be somewhat on an individual basis. It may be covered via online or by phone. You are still, however, creating more wealth for the owner and top executives of that particular company. Choosing a business does not guarantee any type of ownership despite your successful years of workmanship. And the closest thing I've seen to retirement income is residual income. This income is a percentage earned off of all of customer product orders and is sent to you as long as your clients remain customers.

Myth:
You have more time to spend with family.

Truth:
You may see your family more but this does not mean that you will spend more quality time with them. In business, your success is totally dependent on your production. In the beginning of building your home based business, you will find that there is a great amount of work involved; work that in the end will pay off. Being around your family more often may work against you and the quality of your work, if you do not lay some ground rules ahead of time. It's best to discuss your goals and plans with your family and give them a clear understanding of how they should treat your work home career and the importance of giving you the space you need to get the job done.

Myth:
I'll make a whole lot of money.

Truth:
This is one of the most common mistakes when deciding on a work home career. You should never assume that just because someone is earning a lucrative salary in a fraction of the time spent in the business, you are sure to have those same results. Everyone is different. We all approach and reach others on different levels and so on. What works for one person will not always work for someone else. If you join a business solely based on this, you will get burned out and will most likely quit. You must have a passion for what you do and you must believe in what you are representing. If you don't absolutely one hundred percent love what you do, how are you going to convince others to do the same.

Myth:
Working in business is more stable than having an outside job.

Truth:
This can be no more further from the truth. Businesses are not anymore stable than regular companies. Nothing in life is guaranteed. As an independent contractor working for a business, some contracts state the company does not even need a reason for letting you go. What does that tell you?

Myth:
There are no rules associated with working a home based business. I can work however I want.

Truth:
Wrong. You may be able to work "whenever" you want. But there are always going to be policies and laws in everything that has to do with “how” you choose to market the business and the manner in which you do. Some companies prohibit online marketing, or using their company name directly, and even using your own printing materials. That’s right, just because it’s free or cheap to join, does not mean there aren’t other fees associate with doing your job. Having the freedom to work from home comes with huge responsibilities. Unless you know what you are doing, wandering in unchartered territory can lead to sinking.

There are so many reasons for you to do your homework when reviewing work from home businesses. . Don't allow others to persuade you into entering an agreement you do not feel comfortable with or one you do not fully understand. You must honestly decide for yourself what is best for you. Can that be continuing to work outside the home or joining a home based business? That decision is for you to decide and you alone. But making your decision doesn't have to wreck your brain. Here are some pointers that you should consider within your search:

Company Reputation/Integrity

You want to check this carefully. Are there any ripoff reports on them? What is their standing with the BBB? Do they have any current or past lawsuits filed against them? What about customer reviews or the way they treat their clients? What about former contractors? Why did they quit? It’s amazing what you find lurking in forums, message boards, and online groups. If there is any negative feedback, and you are diligent in your searching, you’ll definitely find it. Remember that a business will only sell you. That is the job of everyone associated with it. So you will get nothing but praises from a current member. But ex-members will spill the beans and the beans, are exactly what you want.

Company/Business Policies, Rules and Regulations

Every company and business has their own policy statement. There is always something you sign that is associated with the job you accept or business you join. You want to read this carefully before signing. If you do not understand the jargon, just ask your en-roller or the company human resources. It is vital that you understand your rights and your obligations associated with the position you've accepted. I've seen some speak about a particular business that cancels your membership if you don't advertise in the exact manner specified in their policies. Just be very careful and know what you are signing.

Company/Business Training and Employee/Member Interaction

Another disadvantage. If you are trained by your down-line and for some reason, this person either sucks or the two of you do not get along, “tough”. You are either stuck or you have to be strung along through some long drawn out procedure to get switched. This is not the case for all, only some.

Termination/Voluntary Separation

Every business states a different policy relating to termination or "notice of separation". Some state they can terminate you for any reason at any given time. Others may state that once you are separated from the company you can no longer venture in a business that is related to theirs or even create one. If you are in a business and do not know your policies or what you can or can not do associated with this, please read carefully. The business does have a right to prosecute you if you violate these policies.


It's obvious that choosing a path such as this is not easy and comes with a hefty price. It could be time, money, heartache, pain or more. It could also be rewarding, worth your while and the best choice you’ve ever made. Predicting the fate is not always clear, but research and wisdom can guide your fate in a great direction. So know the cost and decide wisely for your family and for your future.

About The Author

Tina Lynn is a work home mom helping people find legit work home jobs. Grab her latest work home career kit with hundreds of work home jobs listed at http://www.tlcareerkit.com

5 Keys To Small Business Success

You’ve been to business school and learned it all, right? Not so fast. Sometimes, the most important lessons come to us via mistakes we’ve made. Here are the top five keys to small business success that you never learned in school.

1. Don’t Be Such a Control Freak. One of the hardest things any small business owner has to do is learn when to delegate. Of course you want to do it all yourself because that’s the only way it’s going to be done right. But that only results in burnout and a bunch of employees who never learn anything. You’re only doing yourself and your business a favor when you learn to relinquish some control. The more hands you have helping you out, the more successful you will be.

2. Baby Steps. You might be of the mind that your business should be everything you’ve dreamed it would be right out of the gate. But consider the “baby steps” approach. Start out small. Spend as little as possible at the very beginning. Score some successes early on and then build on them. Get rid of the stuff that doesn’t work immediately. If you follow the “baby steps” approach, you have less to lose if you start off down the wrong path or have to scrap your whole plan and start over. Plus, it gives you a chance to research along the way by getting customer feedback as you go.

3. End Your Day Thinking About Your Business. Once you’ve left the office and finally spent some time with the family, your business is the last thing you want to think about. But spend just one more minute, right before you go to bed, thinking about one problem you’re facing in your business. The beauty of our brains is that our subconscious minds work while we sleep. If you spend a few minutes thinking about a problem right before you go to sleep, you’re essentially enlisting the aid of your subconscious to help you solve the problem. It’s the easiest work you’ll ever do.

4. Respect Your Computer Systems. Most small businesses take their computer systems for granted. They don’t back up their data, they don’t maintain their computers regularly, and they don’t enlist the aid of professionals to care for their computers. In fact, we don’t pay any attention to our computers until something goes wrong and we find ourselves in a crisis. If we treated our computer systems like factories treat their equipment, by regularly shutting down the whole works to perform routine maintenance, we’d get better performance and fewer problems from them.

5. Study the Numbers. It is a rare small business owner who actually likes to look at financial statements, at least when the business is just starting. Why? Because the numbers can be depressing. No one wants to look at the numbers when all they bring is bad news. But the truth is that you can’t improve those numbers until you have the courage to look at them and analyze them. Looking at bad numbers can bring about feelings of failure or despondence. So try this trick: Once every week, pretend you’re the accountant for your business. You have no emotional ties to the company. You’re only job is to crunch the numbers. When you separate yourself emotionally from the message that the numbers give you, you’re more likely to look at them objectively, without becoming despondent over or depressed about the news they bring. You’ll find that looking at the numbers is actually a very liberating experience. It can help you eliminate activities that don’t add value to your business and focus on the activities that help you profit.

Use these five keys to help you find success in your small business. You’ll be glad you did!

About The Author

Seomul Evans is an Internet marketing and SEO services expert:
http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com
http://www.nexplore.com/search-engines.html http://www.moetamani.com