Posts Tagged ‘improving business’

Procrastination is Poison

How many times a month do we hear ourselves utter the phrase, “I’ll get to it tomorrow”. I’ve been guilty of it. We all have. What we do about it? Take action! Action is the cure for the poison of procrastination. Even the slightest bit of action seems to scare procrastination away.

As a voice actor, discipline and focus are an integral part of being successful and is needed to ensure projects are completed in a timely manner to create and maintain a foundation of trust with each client.

The greats have known this for a long time. The esteemed writer, historian and teacher, Thomas Carlyle asserted that, “Our grandest business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what clearly lies at hand.” Renowned English philosopher John Locke remarked that, “The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts.” Procrastination blocks our personal magnetism; it weighs us down, bringing upon us negative, counterproductive feelings of guilt, shame, and anxiety. It robs us of opportunity and prevents us from enjoying our successes by filling up precious space in our minds with what we have failed to do! Even describing it sounds depressing!

So I challenge you to pick one thing, just one thing, you have been putting off and begin to take action. As you do, you will feel the negative power of procrastination dissipate and you will exude a new-found level of joy and confidence. Make this a habit and see how your life transforms! Now if you’ll kindly excuse me, I must get back to the task at hand… right after I let my dog out! :)

Don’t Reinvent the Business Wheel

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The speedy way to a successful business is by watching and learning from your competitors.  With taking the time to investigate what has made their business work, you will be able to discover the best methods and improve upon their model.  Here are a few ways to examine your competition:

Watch and Ask: Observe your competitors both online and offline, or through word of mouth.  Don’t hesitate to ask others about your competitors.

Study and Search: Look at your competitor’s website and search other sites to see what they are doing and how they are doing it.  Find out what they are saying about their products and services.  This will help you to see how they use the Internet for advertising and as a marketing tool.

Socialize and Mingle: If you run an online business, consider joining social networking sites to follow or befriend your competitor.  If you primarily conduct business offline, consider attending like-industry seminars.  Either way, this will afford you opportunities to learn about your competitor in a non-threatening environment.

Reputation and Integrity: Learn if your competitor lends a helping hand when needed or does he/she bully their way around.  Good character is something to mimic and will promote your business quicker than being nasty or having a negative attitude.

By understanding your competition, you are essentially creating a successful business plan.  Therefore, don’t reinvent the business wheel.  Just watch what your competitors are doing and then do it better.