Monthly Archives: September 2011

Small Business – Ten Traits All Small Business Owners Must Have To Be Successful



Winning in Small Business is as hard as running a race in the Olympics, actually I think harder, but the interesting fact is that the traits to succeed in small business are the same ones athletes use to succeed in any sport. Essentially the ten traits small business owners must have to succeed are the same ones we all must have if we ever think that we will achieve something in our lives.

Trait 1: Know Your Purpose

The first trait all small business owners must have is to know their purpose. First and foremost what is it that you want? What is it that youu want to achieve? Once you know what your purpose is then this will be the force and motive behind you taking this journey.

Trait 2: Have a Desire to Succeed

How many people do you know want to win Lotto? Probably a lot … Did you know that most people who win the lotto actually spend every cent of it in the first 12 months? Why, because they have not got a desire to use this money to succeed. To be truly successful you must have the desire to want it so bad that you will do anything to achieve your objectives

Trait 3: Have Faith That You Can Achieve What You Want

Just like an athlete, you must have faith that you can and will achieve your objective. If you do not have faith that you can achieve success in your business, then you will simply give up when the things get tough and let me assure you as a 10 year veteran in small business, things at some point will get tough and you will skate along the edges of losing everything. You may even fall over the cliff, but you have to have faith to climb up the cliff and continue on your journey.

Trait 4: Have a Clear Plan

Without a plan, you will simply be like a lost animal in the wilderness. Let me ask you this,do you go on holidays without a plan of what you want to do and where you want to go? Absolutely not, because you would simply be lost and would probably see and do nothing. It amazes me though how many small business owners plan their holidays more rigorously than they plan their small business. Remember the old clich

Best Undergraduate Business Schools



The best undergraduate business schools are mostly found in business schools that offer the top-rated graduate schools. They are mostly found here in the United States, although Ecole in France claims to be the first.

Enrolling yourself in an undergraduate business school does have some advantages compared to beginning at the graduate-level. You will have no trouble adjusting once you decide to take graduate courses. Most employers are looking for applicants who have already taken a business course and do not so much hire those who are simply poised to take it. You may also look at it as an investment, since most of the courses taught in graduate and the undergraduate levels are the same. Starting early in your career–even from your from high school if possible–can be an advantage, too.

To find the best undergraduate school, you have to consider the long-term course you will follow, since most business schools have their centers for excellence or focus on a specific field like Economics or Business Management. Check out their campus profiles; state colleges also offer good business courses.

The skills you learn at the undergraduate level are very tedious, and you might have to yourself prepare to get the hang of it. Your learning will be tested in what they call “Feasibility Studies” in which you will put to application the theories and concepts you have learned. Most of the rising entrepreneurs got their big breaks from these feasibility studies, and they have not yet graduated from college.

The best business schools in the country have tuition fees that can make you bankrupt, so you should be careful about deciding to begin early in your career. If financing is the least of your problems, try your luck at Wharton or Harvard. These two schools have a good reputation not only in the United States but all over the world. Multi-billion-dollar companies hunt for graduates of these schools to run their operations.

The important thing you learn in the undergraduate business school is focus. You don’t really need to enroll in the best school to learn that, but truth is, the school under your belt can spell your destiny.

Business School in a Box – 5 Alternatives to B-School



The allure of attending a top business school is powerful: it can be a powerful way to jumpstart a new career or revive the financial prospects of a mid-career businessperson. However, given the expense and two-year time commitment of business school, many people choose to bolster their business skills in other ways.

Here are 5 ways to bolster your business skills without attending business school.

1. Subscribe to a business book summary service: The benefits of attending business school can be distilled into two categories: prestige (i.e., letting others know you have an MBA) and knowledge (i.e., actually learning something useful). As a substitute for the latter category, consider subscribing to any of a number of business book summary services. These services allow you to download (in written or audio form) summaries of the top-selling business books: you get only the most useful information, and it costs only a fraction of buying the books themselves.

2. Join a national business association: There are a host of business associations in existence today. Try joining a local chapter near you and then volunteering for an extended role such as being an officer or part-time staff member. The network of contacts you stand to gain through this type of association can rival that of what you will gain in business school.

3. Enroll in company training program: If you work at a company, your boss will appreciate the initiative you show by enrolling in an internal training program or by petitioning to get reimbursed for an external program. This can be a great option for increasing your skill set because you can become more knowledgeable about a specific area that is directly relevant to what you do at work.

4. Consider an executive MBA course: If you want the prestige of an MBA but cannot afford to quit your job for two years in order to attend, consider applying for one of the many available executive MBA programs. These programs usually take three years to complete, but they offer you the advantage of only having to attend on certain evenings and weekends – thereby allowing you to keep your day job.

5. Subscribe to a business publication No business education is complete without staying up-to-date on the latest happenings in your industry: regionally and globally. A great way to do this is by subscribing to a first-rate business magazine or newspaper. A subscription like this is an investment in your skill set that will start yielding immediate returns.

Investing in yourself is one of the wisest ways to get ahead in business. For those who believe business school is not the right option at present, it can mean good dollars and sense to put the necessary money and effort into bettering yourself by bolstering your business skill set.