Finance Articles

The Secret of Self-Investment

"Success is about who you become. The big challenge is to become all that you have the possibility of becoming. You cannot believe what it does to the human spirit to maximize your human potential and stretch yourself to the limit." -Jim Rohn

As a solo-entrepreneur you?re either starting a new business or intending to grow your existing business. Aside from getting the most obvious systems in place ? technology, business and marketing plans, defining your product or services, and finances, what else is needed to be successful?

Self-Investment!

Companies have been bringing in corporate trainers for years. It?s good business to invest in programs that teach employees how to be better leaders, manage conflict, improve communication, increase sales effectiveness, become more confident, etc. Using a myriad of tools including personality and behavioral assessments, skill building techniques, and self-reflective exercises, many training programs empower people to develop both professionally and personally. Smart, right? Of course, the integration and sustainability of the information is dependent upon how much a person values self-development!

Having cutting edge technology, innovation, great products and services is not enough to guarantee sustained success. Why? Because people drive the success of a business. The greatest asset a company has is its workforce. To grow a business, you must also be growing your people!

What does that have to do with being a solo-entrepreneur? I?m so glad you asked!

If I had a $1.00 every time I heard someone say, ?Just show me (or tell me) what I need to do to accelerate my business, build wealth, manage my time?.? Many people believe that focusing solely on strategies to achieve external goals is the best way to achieve success.

The truth is that, for your business to flourish, you must be flourishing as a person. Looking to grow your business without investing in yourself is a plan to limit your business success. Your outside world (your life) is a reflection of your inside world (who you are). Who you are affects what you do (or don?t do!)

If your business and personal life is NOT flourishing, where are you looking for your solutions? Self-investment is a vital key in having a successful business AND a fulfilling life!

For a solo-entrepreneur, investing time, energy, and resources to grow yourself is a critical key in the level of success you achieve.

Here?s a great example:

One of my coaching clients (I?ll call Carol), is a single entrepreneur who owns a graphic design company. Relocating two years ago, she has been working long hours to jumpstart her business and build a name for herself in the area. Because of her hard work and marketing savvy, Carol has built a strong following very quickly. (Normally, business takes 3-5 years to build). In fact, her business is growing so fast, she is unable to keep up! You might be thinking, who wouldn?t want that? She should be celebrating, right?

She?s not! In fact she began feeling depressed. Working such a hectic schedule was beginning to take negative tolls on her. BIG FLAGS!!!!!

Here?s the rest of the story??

? Carol works 16 hour days and works on weekends because she fears losing business. Her private life is almost non-existent. ? A perfectionist, Carol put enormous pressure on herself in servicing her clients. She constantly feels stress and worries about keeping her clients happy. (They are usually thrilled with her results!) Even though she is highly talented, she?s tough on herself, and lives with fear and self-doubt. ? As a one woman- show, she manages every aspect of her business. And, having grown so quickly, she has no systems in place to help run her business efficiently. As a result, she feels overwhelmed and stressed with all the people and responsibilities she has to manage. Who wouldn?t? ? Her relationships with her husband and friends are suffering. She is so busy working, she has no time for the people and things she loves the most. Or, even time for herself! ? Despite all of her business success, she is concerned she is losing her enjoyment for her work. She has difficulty sleeping at night, unable to turn off her brain. She often feels exhausted. She feels more like a human doing than a human being.

If her outer world was in chaos, imagine how she felt on the inside!

Carol is a smart woman. She realized she was working harder, not smarter. What did she do? She understood she needed help to continue to grow her business and thrive as a person. She also realized that in order to change the way she was running her business (or more accurately, how her business was running her), she needed to look at herself.

So, she hired a personal and business coach (me!)

Some of the things we worked on together included:

1. Adding systems to work more efficiently 2. Developing strong marketing and business plans 3. Delegating administrative responsibilities to free up her time. 4. Identifying her values, vision and purpose 5. Time management 6. Extreme self-care 7. Designing strategies to help her stay focused and motivated

Motivated by the chaos and anxiety in her life, Carol has made huge progress in six short months. Choosing to make the investment in her business and herself, Carol is beginning to enjoy her work again and have a life!

Bottom line:

Learning more about who you are on the inside (your beliefs, core values, natural strengths, passions, innate talents) is the KEY INGREDIENT to making decisions that produce deep satisfaction and extraordinary results. By bringing who you are into the equation, you can view a full spectrum of choices and solutions to reach more satisfying and richer outcomes- like bringing Technicolor to a black and white picture!

Copyright ? Lorraine Cohen. All Rights Reserved. Lorraine Cohen, Business Consultant and Life Strategist brings more than 25 years experience in personal coaching, business development, psychological counseling, and sales to over 2000 business owners, entrepreneurs, and executives from a wide range of industries. Focusing on the whole person, Lorraine coaches people from the inside out; to implement innovative strategies that integrate their heart, integrity, and spirituality. An expert in breaking through fear and roadblocks to success, she empowers people to take linear leaps that reshape their world. To learn more about Lorraine Cohen?s services, products, and programs, visit: www.powerfull-living.biz

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

Reduce Your Debt Load With Home Mortgage Refinancing
What volume of debt are you carrying right now If you are like most Canadians, you have debts that exceed your annual net income

Organizers of Lean Accounting Summit Announce AICPA Sponsorship
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) will be a sponsor of the 2007 Lean Accounting Summit. In anticipation of the September 27-28 Summit, AICPA has scheduled a Webcast on the subject of Lean Accounting. The Webcast will be held March 7, 2007 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. EST. https://www.cpa2biz.com/CS2000/Products/CPA2BIZ/Webcast/Real+Numbers+through+Lean+Accounting.htm

Private Investors and Equity Finance
Private investors provide equity finance for business opportunity. They invest money into new and up-and-coming businesses; they have no preference in the industry sector that they invest in as they have a wide range of interests.

Bad Investment Advice and Fraud Served Up to Senior Investors at "Free Lunch" Seminars According to SEC Report
Official SEC report confirms that investment seminars targeting senior investors are fraught with fraud, misreprentations and bad investment advice.

Investors are Choosing Property Investment in Australia
Property invesment in Melbourne, Australia is not a coincidence. The city has ranked third in the world in terms of quality of life in measure of terms of political stability, security, economic strengths, access to medical facilities, standards of education, recreational and cultural options, standards of housing and environmental considerations.

How to Finance a New Extension?
Want to improve the look of your property? Want to add value to your property?The extension plans are ready but the finances are not.Rather than waiting another year why not consider a Home Improvement Loan.

Looking for a California Home Listings for vacation, simply as an investment?
You will find Central Coast Foreclosures properties that offer everything you could ever want in a home, from resort-style pools, to world-class golf courses, gourmet restaurants, upscale retailers, and personalized concierge services. And more have Paso Robles Foreclosures rental programs that will keep your home rented and generating revenue for you when you?re not there.

Make Sure You Get The Best Holiday Let Mortgage Deal
Once you have found the property which you want to buy with the hope of turning it into a venture that will make you money, the final step is to get the best holiday let mortgage deal.

Investment In Ethical Funds
As the popularity of preserving the environment continues to gain momentum, some investors are turning away from traditional managed funds and are instead investing in funds that have higher ethical standards This means that the funds invest in industries, businesses, and other entities based on their ability to have a positive impact on the environment rather than a negative impact

Home Loan Mortgage Rate Quotes - What you Need to Know
For most people, a mortgage is the biggest amount of money they will ever borrow. It makes sense, in light of that fact, to get the best rates for your mortgage. Getting a home loan mortgage rate quote before you sign on the dotted line is the best way to get a mortgage that is right for you and your wallet.

Offset Mortgage Centre Explains What to Look At In An Offset Mortgage Comparison
Free online guide on what to look at in an offset mortgage comparison published by The Offset Mortgage Centre.

Getting Online Finance Degrees
Are you one of those folks who dread going to college? It's okay if you are. We actually have a name for individuals like

Go Global In Your Search For The Best Refinance Mortgage Interest Rate Online
These days, shopping around for the best refinance mortgage interest rate online is essential for anyone who is looking to get the most out of their investment in real estate, whether it is for investment purposes, loss attributing qualified companies, or even just moving up the social ladder. It's not only possible, but it's also more convenient and less stressful to hunt around for the best refinance mortgage interest rate online.

Accounting For Home Based Businesses
Home based businesses are still businesses, and as such a financial accounting is needed for several reasons. Taxes are one of the most important reasons for a home business to keep accounting records to show money made and money paid. There are several ways to do this, and your knowledge of accounting practices is not a roadblock. Some small business owners think that since they work from home, income and expenses do not need to be tracked, but this is totally untrue.