We’re the April Fools

We're fools! Through greed, complacency and comfort we created a huge mess. Now there are experts, pundits, philosophers and bandits telling us that the American Dream is over.

BULLSHIT! (You probably knew I was going to say that!)

Who the hell do they think they're talking to? These guys are ignoring the most powerful and effective group in America. In fact, despite flapping lip-service to the contrary they don't even know we exist!

The American Dream is alive and well and its booming beating heart is in the chest of the American Entrepreneur: YOU! Do you run a corner convenience store? Do you own a gas station, a hair salon or repair shop? Are you fixing the lawnmowers that Big Box sells but can't service? Are you a plumber, a small-town doctor, lawyer or dentist? Are you landscaping, building, paving or painting? Do you teach karate, Pilates, yoga or aerobics?

Uncle Sam doesn't just want YOU, he needs YOU!

American small business did not create this mess. We may have helped it along because we did sometimes borrow more than we should have, even if it was to keep our businesses going. We did invest in stocks that looked really great without spending too much time learning about the executives running the companies in our mutual funds. Some of us may have bought houses a little too big; after all the economy was strong, Freddie and Fannie were in great shape, right? We did have a few too many credit cards at times and maybe should have waited a little longer for that boat or summer home.

So what? We're still alive and kickin'! We don't get bailouts; we pick up a bucket and start bailing! We downsize, go without pay, lean our operation, cut expenses, cancel vacations, sell property and work extra hours.

The American Dream cannot be taken from us. We can surrender it, but it cannot be taken against our will. Will you allow your Dream to be taken from you? I won't; and most of the entrepreneurs I know won't either.

Rats always run from a sinking ship. Let them run. Our ship may be taking on water, but the American Entrepreneur is the guy in the bilge patching the holes. We're the damage control team. We'll get the pumps going again and when we bring this ship back to safe harbor we're going to be the people who enjoy the greatest rewards.

We'll know we can survive and prosper on our own terms. The confidence that you can face any adversity and succeed is the most valuable asset you can ever acquire. Confidence is not a line-item on your balance sheet, but you don't have a balance sheet without it.

The entrepreneur is truly a free human being. It doesn't matter if you're an employer, an employee, mom & pop or solopreneur; when you accept full responsibility for your own success and happiness you are an entrepreneur and you're free.

Fools made this mess and other fools let them. These fools confused power with control. Power is your ability to act effectively. That can never be taken from you; it can only be surrendered. Don't surrender! Work together, find partners for Coopertition ™, re-dedicate yourself to constant improvement in creativity, efficiency and productivity. Look for opportunity in this disaster.

We may have foolishly let the fools take control for a while; they will never take our Power!

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt Powervator; speaker, coach & author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER! Jim will be appearing at several major events open to entrepreneurs in New England in April & May, click here for details!

Turn Economic Disaster into Profits

Every disaster is an opportunity; that's an old martial arts saying that works as well on the field of business combat. In the Art of War, Sun Tzu says:

"Speed is of the essence in war. What is valued in war is quick victory, not prolonged operations."

Entrepreneurs who are willing to be responsive and nimble are best suited to make adjustments necessary to profit in an economic downturn. Moving quickly doesn't mean you should make rash decisions; it means to prepare yourself to make meaningful decisions without hesitation and without regret. This means embracing continual development as an individual and as a company. When you're constantly engaged in research, training and development you're best prepared to respond quickly and efficiently when an opportunity is available; particularly in the middle of a disaster!

Here are some ideas you can implement quickly to turn disaster into profit:

• Reposition your message; emphasize the essential quality of your product or service…
  When the economy tightens discretionary spending becomes a real problem to those who provide otherwise "non-essential" goods and services. Remember that when it comes down to it, anything above and beyond food, shelter, acute medical care and basic transportation is non-essential. Find essential qualities that people will not want to do without under any circumstances and promote that message vigorously. Of course I'm assuming you deliver quality goods and services!
  
  If you operate a restaurant emphasize the need for an occasional night out to reduce stress and keep your sanity during tough times. If you run a gym make sure people know that health is not a luxury but a necessity, particularly compared to the cost of medical problems related to a lack of exercise. If you sell financial advice, what better time to impress prospects with the need for sound guidance during confusing and fearful times?
  
  
  
• Give it away…
  There is no better time to give than when there is genuine need. Giving during tough times earns greater appreciation and builds loyalty with current customers and prospects. You still need to stay in business, but decide what you can afford to give and do it today. Can you do a seminar offering substantive advice? A restaurant might give a free cooking class highlighting how to prepare great meals on a budget. A doctor's office can give away a free exam to new patients. Membership businesses could offer a trial period, even if you haven't had to in the past. Give bonuses with premium purchases.
  
  Look for ways to contribute to your community; non-profits are hurting during these times as well and the goodwill and networking you'll develop with a gift of time or other resources is extremely valuable.
  
  
• Coopertate! Embrace the competition…
  "Coopertition" is a word I coined to describe my willingness to look at competitors as allies. Leverage trade associations, Chambers and networking groups to develop strategic alliances with competitors. Together you can create co-operative marketing campaigns, develop buying pools and share resources. Compete fairly and work cooperatively.
  
  
• Increase marketing; reduce advertising…
  I define marketing as what you're willing to do to promote your business. Advertising is when you pay someone else to do this work for you. Make decisions quickly to leverage your resources and go guerilla in your marketing efforts. Put some feet on the street and get back to good old fashioned relationship building and community networking in your market.
  
  
• Downsize…
  This is always a tough pill to swallow, but sometimes a quick reduction in staff, facilities or overhead can keep you running in the black rather than digging a deeper hole just to stay in business. Smaller companies and "soloprenuers" may lack the resources to weather a bad economic storm; don't be afraid to cut quickly when necessary and utilize newly available resources to build back your strength.
  
  
• Lower prices…
  Maybe the last resort, but usually a viable alternative compared to closing your doors. Can you operate for a time on smaller margins? If so, change prices quickly and make a big hairy deal about it! Make sure your customers know you're walking the walk with them. Times are tough, we're all in this together. Turn a price reduction into an opportunity to develop good will with current customers and a marketing opportunity to generate new business.
  

It's most effective to combine several strategies. Make decisions quickly and implement them immediately. Never look at any of these adjustments as a failure. You're doing what it takes to survive and prosper during difficult times. At the same time you're developing skills, knowledge and resources that will position you as a leader when the economy recovers.

No matter what you're facing; continually develop yourself personally and as an organization. Use down-time as a new found opportunity for training, research and planning. Position yourself to make more effective and efficient decisions now and in the future, in good times and bad.

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt Powervator; speaker, coach & author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER. Watch for upcoming programs on how to prosper during an economic downturn. Stay up to date on this and other program, and receive thousands of dollars worth of bonus resources by joining our "NO SPAM" mailing list! Register at JimBouchard.org!

How to Make a Million, without Spending MORE…

A few years ago I sat at my computer performing the excruciating but necessary year-end bookkeeping review for my martial arts business. I was fully immersed in the tedium of correcting account assignments, reconciling bank statements and trying to remember what the heck I spent $49.95 on that ended up somehow in unassigned expenses.

Just for fun I punched up a profit & loss statement and entered “ALL” in the date range. I thought; let’s take a quick look at the big picture. To my surprise and I must say, with a tinge of pride the gross income total was just a whisker over one million dollars. I had made my first million!

It didn’t seem to make sense. I still hadn’t drawn a real paycheck on any consistent basis. I had no cash reserves and the only profits I’d made existed only on paper. Thankfully before I put a deposit on my Learjet, I took a good look at my gross expenses, debt service and balance sheet. I had indeed made my first million; but it had taken a million and a quarter to do it!

Here are a few tips from my How to Make Your First Million as an Entrepreneur without Spending More than a Million to Do It seminar, whew! I share my experiences and offer some advice with the hope that you’re your day of becoming a millionaire will be a little more satisfying than mine!

1) Ever hear the scalded frog story? Debt works the same damn way!
Borrowing a large sum at once may be a challenge to a new entrepreneur, but it’s all too easy to borrow small sums and those small sums can add up to big debt. It’s very easy to use unsecured credit, lines of credit and credit cards to dig a big credit hole.

If you dropped a frog into a pan of boiling water he’d jump right out. Put him in a pan of cool water and slowly turn up the heat and he won’t notice the gradual change; despite becoming a par-boiled frog! In the same way short borrowing can turn you into a par-boiled entrepreneur.

Part of the problem is that debt service on your principal doesn’t show up on your profit & loss statement. It does reduce the liability on your balance sheet, but only interest is an expense. Be sure to create full cash flow reports with all debt service, principal and interest included, to see where your money is going. This is how you can inadvertently create “paper profits.”

2) Family business is above all, business.
You’ve no doubt had someone tell you never to do business with family or friends. From personal experience I may be inclined to offer the same advice; but for many of you involving family and friends may be a great way to get started or expand your business. Before accepting help from family and friends there is some business you should take care of.

In matters of business treat family like strangers. That means above all get everything in writing. Nothing can destroy a business or a family faster than leaving business matters to trust. Blood may be thicker than water, but ink is thicker than blood.

In writing establish how the business relationship will start and how it will operate. Clearly define rolls, responsibilities and distribution of revenues. At the beginning, establish in writing how the business will end. Provide clear exist plans for each person involved or investing in your business.

3) Contrary to popular belief, your passion does not always make a great business and you need more than passion to succeed.
There are a lot of books, seminars and speakers that teach that the key to success is to find your passion and pursue it relentlessly. Well, not exactly bullshit but not exactly true every time. Your customers don’t necessarily have to care about your passion as much as you do; but they have to care enough to want to buy it! If there aren’t enough customers who want what you love and you still want to pursue your passion; you better be prepared to move.

The next problem with this line of thinking is that there are people who are extremely passionate about something, but just plain suck at it! An essential part of creating your vision of success is to identify your talents and abilities. You’ll also need a good inventory of your material, emotional and spiritual resources to make sure you’ve got what it takes to get where you want to go. If you find you lack the talents and abilities to make a living at your passion, make it hobby and enjoy it! Hobbies are an important component of emotional and spiritual wealth. Chasing off creditors and worrying about keeping your home while you try to save your business of passion is stressful, unhealthy and just plain sucks.

I’ll support the theory that passion is an important part of success. Rationally assessing your passion in relation to your talents, abilities, resources and market is just as important.

I’m not throwing water on your entrepreneurial fire. If your talents and abilities are raw, your first step may be to develop those talents. If you’re lacking in resources, you may set short-term goals to increase these resources. If you truly believe in your ambition and you have the courage to risk failure, you’ve got most of what it takes to make it as an entrepreneur. You can learn the rest.

Passion without balance becomes obsession. With focus, timing and some planning your passion can fuel your greatest success.

Join Jim Bouchard, America's Black Belt Powervator for a special webinar on Business Expert Webinars:
How to Make Your First Million as an Entrepreneur…Without Spending More than a Million to Do It!

Click here for details and to register!