Change

Are you ready for change? How do you cope with change? Do you like things the way they are or do you desire a different result?

Desiring a different result requires a disciplined action. If we want to lose weight we must exercise and eat right not sit on the couch and watch life eating pizza.

Same thing in work. Change requires thought, desire for the new that is greater than the comfort of the old, and disciplined exertion.

I am looking at my current website and dislike it intensely. What am I going to do about it? I want to change it but that will cost me something. What am I prepared to pay for change?

I am looking at my office systems and dislike them, what am I going to do to change them. If I always do what I have always done I will always get what I have always got.

My dislike for dysfunction has to be far great that my comfort. Comfort is bad, ease is bad, this is where I become slack and lazy. I cannot afford these characters in my life. I must shake them off.

Success is for the diligent, the ones who accept pain as a part of change. Those great heroes of sport all accept pain as a part of the process, same in business. Pain equals gain!

Perseverance

Two steps forward, one step back. Ever heard this? Have you said it? Remember not to look at the circumstances but rather at the goal. Remember to speak the goal, the positive not get caught in the troubles that currently assail you, 'this too shall pass.'

Difficult times create strength, if we allow them. By not yielding to a bad mouth and a negative report, negative thinking and all the garbage that is floating around we can overcome. We receive what we say. We are created creative being. What we say we get. Try it! Start saying you are an awesome businessperson, you are talented, creative, inventive, mighty and see what happens after consistently saying this for a whole month.

Authority

As you gain ground, study, learn you have a new authority to speak. Yet how many times do you allow those without authority to speak into your world?

As an individual it is important that we speak what we know not suppose. It is important that we do not speak out of someone else's authority but our own. So many times we can think that that person has it right only to find out they spoke with authority but did not know what they were speaking about. If we use what they say then the egg is on our faces not theirs.

I have people who think they know how I should run my life, my business, my world. They speak freely their opinion but I must know myself how I will conduct my life and be polite but not take it to heart. Not taking it to heart is the hard part because often they are close to me.

We have to have a thick skin when criticised and not go to water or become angry and abusive in return. What is achieved if I am just like my critic, they have won then haven't they? Don't go there! Rise above the critic and move on.

Opportunities

Opportunities are everywhere, if we have eyes to see. That annoying person who is demanding service, that company who is sending emails, but most importantly the client data base.

I am fortunate I know when my clients contact AMP, I am a part of all they do. I can choose to ignore what they are up to or I can be proactive and give them a call and offer to help. They may not need my help but I am creating relationships not writing deals.

Yesterday I was sent a lead by AMP, probably because I act and deal with things. If clients are calling AMP it means they need something, if I take the time to call them, they will get to know I want to be involved.

By being proactive just in the past two weeks I have uncovered opportunities. By asking questions I have discovered a bigger picture. There is always more going on that it seems at first glance. Good service has it's rewards.

Finding the Right Employees

Do you have employees? Are you looking and don't know how to find them? Do you have them and not know what to do with them?

Finding the right employee can be challenging. People sell themselves but then you don't see the true colours until they have the job. What to do so that you can eliminate the wasted time? May I suggest you do a personality profile? A What? Yes you can do this on-line. But first you need to know what your profile is and what type of person compliments you.

You can Google personality profile and find a selection on offer. Do your own to determine the accuracy of the programme. Have your potential employee do the test and then you will have an idea of what they are not telling you.

Don't be sold by the front do the research because it is easy to employ but not easy to dismiss.

Have a contract with the employee which spells out expectations. Give time frames.

Don't assume all will be well and rush in, it won't. Use temporary staff until you have the right one, you do not have time to waste. Just as any TV will not do, or any type of washing machine will fit the bill you must know your expectations and relay them effectively.

Take time and you will be rewarded with good staff that compliment you and your skills, not compete. You do not want another you!

The Edge

Are you looking disaster in the face, can you smell the sulphur? Disaster looms but it only takes us out if we yield.

I constantly choose to believe. I can't afford to doubt, it is crippling. On the edge of disaster is the beginning of all you have worked for. This is to say we assume you have been doing all the right things, ie not consuming what is not consumable, working the plan, doing the business.

I saw my own business and was sorely tried, beaten, abused my those sent to destroy me but I stayed the distance and I will continue to look down the tunnel towards the prize. When a track and field runner runs they can only afford to see their destination and not be distracted by their opponents.

Taking my eyes off the wheel when I am driving puts me in the ditch. Just so I must keep my eyes forward, especially when the storm is brewing.

Stay focused, don't yield!

The Customer

Why do things go wrong? What causes markets to crash, people's desires for our product to wane? A whole lot of things all based around the fickle human nature.

Greed and fear drive the market we are told. Why do people want out product? They believe it will enhance their lives? In some instances they need us to educate them to the need, as in financial planning.

In Financial Planning I would hazard to guess most people think they will see one when they 'have' money, not many realise the best time is when they don't have money.

Satisfied customers are the best advertisement. How do we capitalise on their good report. Yesterday I had a lovely customer agree for me to do a video clip of her telling what I have done for her, this clip is on my Facebook.

I love my customers and will do all I can for them, I see them as friends. There will be those who don't want to be cared for, usually because of their own stuff going on in their lives. However they are few.

Good relationships with existing customers is a must because the best advertising is free. Happy customers tell others and so do unhappy customers, it is important to have happy customers.

'In' or 'on'.

A new day begins. Perhaps you have had a break over the weekend. I have and I loved it.

You can start the day with a befuddled mind, so much to do, where do I begin? With a list!

If we just plow into the day without a plan the demanding urgent will always be attended to whereas the necessary may be overlooked.

Keeping perspective in the day is most important, calling the shots yourself rather than the demands of others is imperative otherwise you will end the day as you started, befuddled and realise there are things you have not done.

The squeaky wheel gets the oil. What squeaks loudest in your world? I would hazard to guess the little, mundane things: the hot water not working; the refrigerator needing fixing; the car needing service; the kids wanting, wanting, wanting.

What about the business? Today is Monday. Will you work 'on' the business today or 'in' your business? If you start without a plan you will be drawn to work in the area that is least stressful to you by default. What is your default mode?

Get a list! Get a plan!

Listen Up

Are you the type of person who constantly watches the news? Does it fill you with dread? I remember hearing the following; 'when you are under pressure you are melting and what you look at you become.' (Phil Pringle)

I heard a series of teaching tapes by an American man who says during the Sept 11 tragedy he only watched enough television to know what was happening and then turned it off because he did not want to take in fear, you see he had to fly as part of his work.

What do you watch? What do you listen to? What do you allow to be 'gospel' in your life? This is important! What you constantly listen to or hang around you become.

If you want a successful business buy cds by successful businessmen and women. Let them feed you. Put them on in your car as you drive, put them on your Ipod while you walk or jog.

Remember 'garbage in equals garbage out'!

Timing

Over the last few days I have been working on a deal and for it to go through there were many bases that had to be lined up. I pushed and knocked and shoved but at the end of the day it was not going to happen.

When the walls are up we can become very frustrated and I sure was. Keeping a sweet attitude was a challenge. Fortunately I did not abuse anyone but it didn't stop me from bugging them. I wanted my client to have 'the deal'.

I ended the night with a good meal and movie and was sitting in bed checking my emails when lo I received a notice from the exact same lender I had been arranging the deal with and there was a fantastic offer, three times better than that which I would have secured.

What am I saying? There is always a reason why things don't work out we just have to be patient to get insight.

As the client was a friend I sms'd her the news, she was ecstatic, so was I.

There is always a reason, always. We just don't know what it is half the time.

Market Share

Today is the day of the online shopper. Have we placed ourselves in that space? Do we use all at our disposal? 'I have not got time for that you say'? I say 'you have not got time to ignore it.'

Ignoring the Internet is like saying 'I have always sold hot dogs beside the road and it has always worked and will always work'. It won't if people start flying or changing their tastes.

I see retail shops struggling for market share. Why? They are combating the online shops which can be accessed at any time of the day with an abundance of wares that the small shop cannot carry.

Does our online shop sell for us? If not they are going elsewhere. How do we get the traffic? Talk to marketing experts! Research, do some online shopping yourself and see what you like in a site.

Don't limit yourself to a website, get a facebook, a blog and there is more. Twitter, utube etc are all given to us to use for free.

We can create a safe haven for our customers if we use these tools for building relationship with our customers and providing them with all they need in the one place. What would you like in a bike shop, a camera store, a office supplier? What you want in all these areas is what your clients want out of you.

Boundaries

I am so grateful that I belong to a group that is governed by compliance to governing law. I am restrained in my behaviour. It is good to have boundaries in my business then I am safe and so are my clients.

If I did not belong to a group then I would need to establish my own boundaries. When I was in Sydney and was working as a reverse mortgage broker I had my own company then and for a period of time I was alone. A lonely experience. I was constantly aware of the fact that 'the buck stopped with me.'

I had an opportunity to join a group called Fortus. We established governing principles and for a time were moving as one.

Unfortunately the group did not succeed because the market fell and the whole thing lost momentum. However the concept was a good one.

Today I belong to a group where I am not the one determining the rules or boundaries and I am grateful that I have time to concentrate on my business instead of being the watchdog.

If you do not belong to such a group or franchise then you need to have some form of structure, a set of boundaries that keep your business in place. You need to know what is right to do and good for your business and what is definitely wrong or bad for your business.

We cannot 'take it as it comes' or we will be ' taken for a ride.'

Start to Give

Did you know that life is not just for us it is given us to share. As you learn good sound business principles share them with others. Go to that networking function, meet those strangers and talk to them.

I meet many people who say 'oh I am too busy to go to that breakfast or that lunch.' Do you know that you cannot afford not to go?

Meeting with others of like mind gives you strength, it encourages you. As you first listen to others, genuinely listen and empower them to be who they are they in turn will ask about you. What will you say? Will you moan or will you be prepared to give a good report?

A good report is so important in this day of so much doom and gloom. A good report is like a summer shower when the temperature is rising, it is refreshing. A report of strategy gives life to the listeners, you give them something to take home that will help them.

Remember the more you give the better you will feel about you and then you will, in a positive mindset, go on to greater exploits.

Start to give!

Confrontation

Have you even gone into business with a friend or colleague only to find that they sat while you worked, or they took while you gave? I have. How did it make you feel? Angry? resentful?

If you have gone hastily into a business relationship without a contract and find yourself caught, confront the issue and free yourself quickly, don't content yourself with going around complaining and criticising and being a martyr.

It is funny how easily we will settle for the martyr and not confront. Yes confrontation is scary but so is the result of not doing it.

Look down the track, if you don't confront then you are trapped again in a work situation which is more of a bondage than working for the man. What does it look like? What do you look like in that trap?

You might say 'but there is too much at stake, I can't'. I say to you 'there is too much at stake to not confront'. The you of the future will be a sick, harassed individual if you don't confront, whereas if you confront and keep it clean you will be a confident, 'I did it and survived' individual.

Value your dream, value yourself and your family and learn to confront right. Don't wait until you have so chewed over the problem and you are good and mad, don't do it drunk or you will regret it. Talk to your confidant not your pub buddies, or coffee chicks, talk to the wise person who is not emotionally entangled. If you don't have that person, talk to me.

Keep it Sweet

Frustration and frustrating times are always there, how do we see them and how do we handle difficult people?

I have a background in nursing and there was many a day I would go onto the ward and be told about Mrs so and so, she is difficult and a pain.

I never took on their judgement. I went to Mrs so and so and began to get to know her. By spending time asking questions and looking, really looking at her I discovered why she was difficult.

As I gave her the right to be who she was and validated her experience she opened her heart to me and allowed me to speak. I saved a woman from premature death by this exact same approach. She was insistent in staying where she was and I new she was facing a need for intensive care or would die. Because I had taken the time to know her she listened and lived.

Difficult people have a story, they have a reason why. If we give them room they might prove to be our best customer.

Rest

Do you work 24 hours a day, seven days a week? Is anxiety driving you? Who is the boss here?

Without down time burn-out comes. Downtime allows for the batteries to re-charge, perspective to be gotten and freshness of your vision to be maintained.

Yesterday I went with my son to the pool and we took his boys. As they were about to get into the pool my son had a call that was obviously distressing and difficult, it was work related. We all saw it and it changed the atmosphere.

My eldest grandson said 'nany when is daddy getting into the pool?' He wanted to spend downtime with his dad but was being robbed by some caller.

No one is so important that they can be a robber of our rest and peace. That sounds like stuff an enemy would do and it is right. We need to establish boundaries around our world, protect that which is most important, our family and friends from the robber and most importantly protect our own time and rest.

Correction

Correction happens and it is usually not well received yet if received we will grow.

If I go into business for myself to avoid correction, I am in trouble. There are governing bodies who will, eventually correct us. These being ASIC and ATO (government bodies in Australia which govern tax and company behaviour).

It is important that we have a group of people in our lives that we will take correction from. Although I run my own business I am under obligation to follow the AMP compliance rules, which in turn interpret the ASIC and ATO rules. All my work is audited and in some circumstances before a client sees a report it is checked by our internal compliance team. If they find errors they reject it with a 'try again' or 'you can't do this.'

In Australia our government has a way of collecting taxes and if we have a good bookkeeping programme and system we are ready to pay our taxes when due. If we are not ready we will be scrambling to find the money and constantly resenting the payment of such taxes. Every banking institution offers an account where you can place these taxes until due.

It is always a good idea to have a system in place so that we can be ready for all things that come our way. I remember the first year after I went into business I discovered that I had PAYG tax on the money I had paid myself over the preceding 12months, over and above what I expected. I went scrambling to find the money. Now I monitor it and endeavour to be ready.

Have good systems and 'be prepared'. I think that it a motto of the boy scouts isn't it?

Go Again!

When I lived on the Northern Beaches in Sydney and was pioneering my reverse mortgage business I wrote a book and wanted to publish it but was advised not to because I was told 'you have to do something first.'

I listened to that comment and now have finally published my book. It has changed. The tone is no longer a victim's tone but one coming from a whole individual.

The lessons I learned in Sydney have been the platform on which I have built this business. The business in Sydney suffered decline with the Global Financial Crisis and I also had an injured back.

There are times that challenge us and it may look like they will destroy any chance we have of a future but if we keep the right perspective we can go again.

One of the most successful men I have met failed three times before he made it. Don't let failure determine your future.

If this business idea is in you and a part of your fabric, dust yourself off, get up and go again but this time with wisdom gleaned from the past mistakes.

History is full of stories of those who failed and failed and failed but their final success was their making. Get up! Go again!

Time Frames

When as seems to ' go to pot' what do you do? Go back to basics. Sometimes we just have to draw back to the basics and walk circumspectly, quietly and keep doing the stuff.

In moments of a flash of breakthrough or success we can run on too far too quickly and miss the mark. Yes that is where I am going and I have had a glimpse but in the meantime I will keep my head and keep doing what I have to do.

Walking the walk and talking the talk are essentially a part of doing business. Constantly monitoring and reviewing progress does help as well.

I plan to spend one to  two days a week working on the business and three days in the business. Now if I was a shop owner that would be easier said than done. However,  I would hazard to guess that even shop owners have quiet times, I remember when I ran a bookshop I did, Monday was usually quiet.

When I work 'on' the business I am visionary, where am I going, what will help me get there? When I work 'in' the business I am focused on bringing in the money and go into sales mode.

If we have this sort of structure then our minds and heart are engaged and look forward to each stage. Change is good for us as well.

The Plan

As we venture into a new business or perhaps are running an existing business we must realise that there are principles that govern success. Insisting that our business run according to our inexperienced wants and desires will frustrate us and not work.

If we expect a certain income and take it irregardless of earnings we will fail because of lack of sufficient capital. If we take earnings when things look good and rob our businesses of ongoing capital that will not work either.

We must decide on an income that is reasonable and consistently take that, leaving enough for taxes and ongoing costs we will be wise.

In my industry we receive up-front commissions or payments for business written and on-going commission or fees to maintain that business. If we write a lot of new business we have an opportunity to earn good money and seeing a large amount of money in the bank can be so tempting.

This is where the plan, the business plan must kick in. There must be a plan for if we fail to plan we plan to fail. I have found that sticking to the plan will save me from much heartache for you do not know what is around the corner. The GFC has proven that.

Remember stick to the Plan, if you don't have one get one, quick.

Know Timing

Discouragement comes to tear us down. Yesterday the Australian market took a beating and along with it many investors would have been rattled, fear was in the market and it fell.

Discouragement and fear drop energy levels, passion, the fire of vision and we have to break it or it will break us.

Working hard on a project just to see it fall apart is tremendously disheartening but not death. Have you heard the phrase, 'sleep on it'. I had to tell a client yesterday just that. We tried everything to get a result she wanted but our timing is out by a few months.

When timing is out we can destroy ourselves by pushing against a granite wall, it will not budge or yield because the doorway has not been dug yet.

Know timimg! You may have study to do and that is the doorway. You may have accreditation to obtain and there is no door until you do it.

You may need more finance before that prize is yours. You may need a specific contract.

Understand walls do yield to the right tools, get the right tools. Don't try and dig through with a hand spade when your need a huge digger.

The global financial crisis will settle but first countries have to clean out their rubbish and face their mistakes. We will be a lot more efficient after this is all over.

There is a season, turn, turn, turn to every reason turn turn turn and a time for every purpose under the heavens, turn, turn, turn. (song).

Marketing

The are expensive ways to market and clever and inexpensive ways. This morning I walked my dogs, along with one of my grandsons. A man was distributing junk mail. I always throw it straight into the bin. There are people who have signs on their letterboxes 'no junk mail'.

I have been a distributor of junk mail when my church group wanted to tell the community something. However, I know how ineffective and expensive this method is without a relationship.

Having an article written about me or my business or something I am doing is the best form of marketing. It is free and people pay more attention to it. However, it is limited in availability.

My local paper will come along to an event and take photographs. Organising events, becoming involved in sponsorship, doing something for community also help. Again there are expensive ways to do this and inexpensive ways.

If at any time it is perceived, by the community, you are saying,'look at me, aren't I good?' they will drop you like hotcakes.

Find a community cause and become involved. Be consistent in your involvement and genuinely care. Fakes stand out like sore thumbs!

Before you spend the money, do the research it will pay huge dividends.

Be Ready

In any endeavour it is not being in the right place or knowing the right people that bring success, they help but are you ready?

Do you have the systems in place, do you have the products available, do you know about what is available, do you know how to implement?

I am constantly challenged with new awareness and then the need to follow up and make ready. I am always reading, I study and make ready.

We cannot become so consumed with the doing that we do not draw back and gain a view of the total. If we cannot rise about the business we cannot see the lack or the opportunity. Vision is very important.

Anxiety can cause us to be bogged down in trying to do the business, it has to be defeated and put out of the door. Wisdom needs to control, it is cool and measured.

If you need to study then make time for it, do it, get it done! Don't procrastinate! Act!

Perspective

What do you believe about yourself? I would hazard to guess you doubt yourself at times, most do, I do.

However, we are made, created, to win, to overcome.

Why do we love watching movies about some hero who delivers the world from some evil. Last night at the movies I saw previews of The Green Lantern and Conan the Barbarian. Both of these individual were fighting a fierce enemy that threatened to extinguish the known world and bring chaos.

Why do we love to watch sports or the Olympics? We love winners.

Let's analyse the winner, the hero.

They are humans who believe in a cause and fight for that cause.

We all need a cause. Having our own business is not a great enough cause in itself, it is a vehicle.

What do I want to do with my business? What motivates me beyond the business? For me it is my love of people and desire to help them succeed. When I say I love people I really love people and love to solve their problems.

At the core of our being we have to have a motivation beyond ourselves, this is not all about me. That core desire will keep you when the storms come.

Find your core, it will sustain you.

When the Going Gets Tough

There is a saying, 'When the going get tough the tough get going'.

Tough times are for breaking through and finding a prize awaiting on the other side.

Tough times are not times of compromise. I remember reading how Winston Churchill knew that Hitler was not a man to be ignored, he was an enemy that needed notice.

The prime minister of England at the then time was trying to make peace with the enemy and Churchill was jumping up and down because he knew the enemy. Churchill was proven right and successfully took England through the second world war.

We need to know our enemy, it might be us. Perhaps we are fainting in the fight. We need help. Call our the ra! ra! team, talk to your mentor (business coach) not necessarily your mates. Get your focus back.

Perhaps you are really being beaten, do you have a wall of fame? This is where you have pinned all your past achievements. If you don't have one perhaps you should. Maybe the only claim you have to fame is winning a sports medal, losing weight, painting the house. Remind yourself of how you did it, take inventory.

Tough times try to tell us we are a failure, this is the time to get creative. Take a step back, go for a walk, free yourself from the doing and find your vision, your goal. Be grateful! Talk to someone who will see what you do not, who will encourage and lift you up.

Get fresh perspective and remember why you started, what was your goal? Where is your picture? See yourself at the end and work backwards to now, you can win!

Keep it Right

As you do business there will be times of testing. You will be tempted to take short cuts, you may at times be tempted to cheat.

Above all, keep it clean. If your accountant is encouraging you to cheat, change accountants. If your staff cheat and you discover it, sack them, don't join them.

Again and again we see on the news those who thought they could walk in the shadows and not be caught and they are. Some of them were well know and respected.

The times of temptation are many. It may be when you are struggling and you are fiercely trying to keep your world together you may feel justified to fiddle the books, steal or lie. Your struggle is a chance to show you can do it right and win and not succumb to unethical behaviour.

Another time will be in your times of success, you can start to believe you are invincible and aren't. In your pride you will do things you would not normally do. Don't let euphoria go to your head, keep it cool as euphoria is not reality, it is a feeling and good ethics must rule, always.

It is not how you begin that matters but how you end. You are being watched by many who know you, don't let them or yourself down by indulging in lies. Keep it right!

Network

To belong is the cry of everyone's heart. Starting out in a new venture is very unnerving and can be lonely. Working form home alone can isolate us from valuable support.

There are various business groups in each of our communities. There are those that exhort each other, give opportunity for members to talk about their business. Places like this enable you to learn to tell others about your business in a concise and meaningful manner.

There are groups that are exclusive, where you pay a high premium to belong. There are online groups that are set up through Facebook, Linkedin etc. The participants each have a photo and every time they have something to say their photo will appear beside their comments.

If you are in a franchise you will have team meetings where you will be inspired and supported. However, unless you genuinely participate you will not get the connection and remain lonely.

Recently the company I work for, AMP, started webinares for any who wanted to join. They were inundated with participants. They then had the job of managing a crowd online and to maintain order had to mute everybody. So sometimes things need refining but be patient, hang in there and you will discover a group you can belong to.

Out of the webinares a marketer contracted to AMP created a Facebook page for those interested, this is where people could become more connected.

These are all good but if you work alone it is good to get out there and become a member of something. You need to talk and be heard, to belong. Belonging makes the journey all the more worthwhile.

Hold On

Have you set sail? Is a storm raging? When the storm rages we have a chance to see something we did not see before, something new, boldness, courage and bravery.

The storm is not a time of retreat. The storm is the time of proving what we have is great.

The sailing boats in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race may be great vessels but are proven by the storm. Those that come through the storm have done something great.

The storm can cause us to fear and faint or fight. The storm is powerful but navigable by a good sailor. How do we become good? By going through the storm.

If you have done all you can and all that is left is to stand with ropes tying you to the wheel, stand, face the storm, yes it can be violent but you can survive if you do not panic and try to run.

When you face the lion and bear, do not run. Face off your fear!

When the storm passes you will have a story, what a story. You will encourage others who come behind, you will have strategy to pass on.

My favourite words I speak to myself are 'but what of I can?'

Doing the Stuff

There comes the day when you must begin. In the establishment of any new venture there is so much to do. At times you may not know where to begin. Write it all down and check it off one step at a time. If it is written down then it is out of your head and frees up valuable space.

Remember marketing is a constant, it is not just sending out a few letters, setting up a website or facebook and stopping.

Remember to take time to keep an eye on the ball. Finance must be monitored. Keep good records.

When you work, stay focused and work hard but give yourself down time, don't let anxiety and fear have you work 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, you will burn out. Defy fear and rest, take time to broaden your dream.

Give yourself time to dream, keep the vision going and alive don't get bogged down in work.

Give yourself time for family and relationships as they are more important than you realise.

Enjoy the journey, keep it fun.