How to Succeed in Business

...Why most people never start, or Fail if they do...

John did well at school and went on to get his Degree in Economics from a well known and highly regarded University in the UK.

By 28 he was married with two children, had a successful career in the Insurance industry and had become a Manager of a small team of brokers specialising in commercial risk in the shipping and international freight market. 

With his wife they bought a house with a mortgage of £300,000, and he had a company Audi A6, with 32 Days holiday and an expense account. 

He went on to study for his MBA, and completed it by the time he was 32; all looked good for John his family and his career.

Then One Day...

John met Helen, an old school friend, in a coffee shop. Helen had left school with no qualifications and had drifted from job to job for a few years since she left school. 

When John asked what she was doing now, she replied;

"I live in France now, I have my own consulting business and I love what I do..."

What car do you drive...? asked John...

"What difference does it make...? I fly to most places I need for my business, and I have an office at home too.."

This made John think...

How could Helen, without any qualifications have built her own business that she clearly loved, be living the dream in France and be master of her own destiny...

How could she not care about the car she drove - he loved his A6, it gave him status and authority and it looked good in the golf club car park.

Over time this got John to thinking - he should start his own business. He had the experience, the MBA and the contacts, he should really go out on his own..

As time went on he found that he didn't enjoy his job anymore, the conversation with Helen resounded inside his head and grew ever louder; his dissatisfaction grew each month until...

So he decided to start his own business..

Being an MBA he looked at the Niche, the Market, the Investment and the projected cash flow forecast for the first five years based on Sales and Margin targets...

He looked at the Marketing to include Web, Social Media and Direct Sales, he even priced up offices and lease cars so that he would be sure he had covered everything.

The plan looked good, so he shared it with his wife and a few close friends; he didn't get the response he anticipated...

• What if you don't make Sales...?

• What if you don't get the Clients...?

• You have a mortgage and children, it is too risky; wait until later...

John worked out that if he didn't achieve his plan he would run out of money and lose the house, car and everything. No more Audi A6, 32 days holiday, fancy house and expense account...

Suddenly John's job looked more attractive, safe and secure; he decided to wait until the mortgage was paid, until the children left home and until he was sure he could make it work...

Some years later, John met Helen in the same Coffee shop and decided to ask her advice.

"If there was one tip that you could give me about starting my own business, what would it be...?"

Helen replied...

"Simple, be prepared to risk everything you have in order to achieve what you want, if you are not prepared to lose them, they will simply remain a millstone round your neck that prevents you from achieving anything..."

John thought about what she said. It was an overwhelming FEAR of losing what he had that was preventing him going for what he wanted. The risk of losing his house, car, expense account and lifestyle was simply too great; it became his single debilitating focus that meant he traded Unhappiness for Fear and stayed where he was; employed...

He had become dependent upon his lifestyle, and that which we are dependent upon controls us; so he chose to do nothing...

Epilogue...

By the time John was 45, the company he worked for was sold and his job made redundant. All the things that made him feel safe and comfortable were taken away from him at the stroke of a pen; his Fears became his reality...

As he sat in the Coffee shop bemoaning his fate, he saw Helen; she wandered over and asked how he was doing, he explained what had happened...

"I wish that I had taken the risk years ago, now it is too late and I am too old to start a business; I have lost my job, car and status..."
 

"Perfect..." said Helen... 

"What do you mean...?"

"Now you have nothing to lose, you have nothing to risk and there is no Fear - this is the perfect time for you to start your business..."

John thought about what she said, but decided to look for a Job with an Audi A6, 32 Days holiday and an expense account; he missed the warm comfort of his familiar millstone...

And the moral to the tale of How to Succeed in Business...

• Risk everything you Have in order to achieve what you Want.  

• Don't let the thin veneer of Material Wealth conspire against your Happiness.

• What you own can be Taken from you if you don't Control what produces it.

• You Don't have as much Time as you think.

• You can make either Results or Excuses - but not both.

OUR NEXT EVENT...

Business Growth Workshop...

Learn how to build Sales, Profits and Cash in your Business by using these simple Techniques and Strategies...

• The TWO things you MUST do when Marketing a Service...

• The SIX Keys to Persuasion that ALL Entrepreneurs should know...

• How to never have to CLOSE a deal and get them to BUY every time...

• The THREE tactics you HAVE to use to keep Clients for life... 

• Why PLANNING is almost USELESS In achieving your Success...

AND - we will be having some fun in the process; if everyone is good, I may even show a couple of Video's too... 

Birmingham - Friday 25th April 2014

Places are offered to our Clients first, so there will only be a few places available - so make sure you book immediately; that means now, not tomorrow or next week or come back when you have had the chance to think about it, but RIGHT NOW..

For Birmingham Click - HERE