The Passing of The Legend, Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn, the Legendary Mentor and Friend to Entrepreneurs,
passed away today.
He is and will be, sorely missed.

Jim had been in a battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis for the last 18 months.

Even while incapacitated, he assured everyone with a smile that
"all is good", and that he would fight until his last breath.

According to his family, Jim had no fears in the end.

His faith was as much a part of his life as his mission to inspire,
motivate, and challenge everyone of us to be all we could be
and achieve out dreams.

Jim’s courage in his final months and days were a testament
to his message that we should all fight the good fight.
He never gave up and never gave in.

Someone once said:
“when you are born you enter the world crying while everyone
else is rejoicing and when you die hopefully you have lived such
a life that everyone will be crying while you are rejoicing”.

Jim Rohn lived such a life.

Had it not been for a brief, private chat with him one rainy evening
in Houston 29 years ago, I would have given up my dream
of Entrepreneurship.

"You are Somebody" he told me.
"And your mission is to be that Somebody for
hundreds of people in the future."

Thank you, Jim...for all you are to us all.

Seeds of Entrepreneurship Planted Early

The seeds of Entrepreneurship were planted early in life.

Entrepreneurs have a few very distinct qualities that often show up
in early stages of childhood and then further develop over the years.

Is it possible that there is a DNA factor involved in the "seeding"
of the Entrepreneur?
Is there an entrepreneur chromosome that defines you either as being
an entrepreneur or not?

According to Greg Watson there probably is not such a definitive source.
But, he says it certainly appears that there are, and warrants academic
research into the manner in which these qualities function and prove
themselves in entrepreneurship.

Mr. Watson explains the characteristics of Entrepreneurs as:

Identity and Beliefs:
Entrepreneurs know who they are,
know they are Entrepreneurs,
have a great need (not desire) to succeed.
They are optimistic, pioneering and energetic.

Capabilities:
Entrepreneurs can see problems, then solve them,
can delay gratification,
have leadership qualities,
create strategies, and
make solid decisions

Behaviors:
Entrepreneurs are incredibly persistent,
action oriented and driven,
accountable to self,
always striving for improvement, and
exhibit a higher standard and value of ethics

These areas of characteristics provide broad insights into the mindset of the entrepreneur; perhaps the genetic makeup of the entrepreneur.


source: DNA of An Entrepreneur

2010, the Year Smart Entrepreneurs will Outperform Others

courtesy hudsoncitydemocrats.org

The coming year, 2010, will prove to show smart Entrepreneurs
outperforming many of their constituents.

As this year comes to a close, most smart Entrepreneurs have already
begun gearing up for their 2010 and 2011 business runs.
This next year of business operations, strategies, and philosophies
will be somewhat different from those used in past years.

Prior to the recession, Internet Entrepreneurship had a free-run---
where almost any strategy, tactic, or concept was moderately successful.
The recession changed how money is made---from now on.

The lessons learned, then applied, by the Internet Entrepreneur
survivors of 2009 will undoubtedly propel them into the
next 2 years of successful operations.

Here are some thoughts on how they will outperform others
in the marketplace:

The Pareto Rule applied to email marketing and subscribers---
no longer will they send out emails to subscribers with 80% promo
and 20% information. Consumers/subscribers will no longer stand for it.
Smart Entrepreneurs will provide 80%+ relevant information, then
learn from their subscribers the 20% of items to promote.

Smart Entrepreneurs will no longer engage in dis-economics---
instead of marketing a vast display of products and services
to any consumer they can find to listen to their promotion,
they will focus more on the specialization of gaining a specific
type of customer and recommend specific or highly targeted
solutions to those customers.

These Entrepreneurs will focus only on learning what is relevant, pure,
and necessary to their exact planning and strategies to attain
their envisioned success level. They will sample broadly the
learning models, then learn selectively what is necessary.

Finding and gaining feedback from several objective mentors or advisors--
or other successful Entrepreneurs will be relied upon more in the future
than in previous years. Smart Entrepreneurs will gain much from
assistance from the "collective mentality".

Smart Entrepreneurs will take greater advantage of their Local Market
consumers. Although an Internet business has, and always will,
have Global reach, these Entrepreneurs will delve more deeply
into the income that can be derived from serving their own neighbors---
money that has often been left on the table.

Branding will take on a less egoist attitude, and more of the form
of true service to the consumer. The ego will have little place
in the mindset---they know now that ego can't pay the bills.

Innovation in self and business will be a priority.
Entrepreneurs will look more deeply into themselves,
their true capabilities, and ways to apply this to the expansion
and the overall power of their business venture as a whole.

Entrepreneurs will use and implement more adaptability
for changes and trends in the upcoming year.
Change is a constant on the Internet, and businesspeople will
learn to move with the changes and incorporate relevant
trend markets within their business structures and strategies.

2010 will be a great year for those Entrepreneurs who work hard and smart.
It might take a few minor changes in the way things are done---
but these changes will bring forth success in the next year.

Innovative Thoughts on Rethinking your Business

Your next year and its success will hinge on
the re-thinking of your your current business
and applying innovative strategies.

2010 and thereafter will take higher marketing
standards.
To succeed, the older traditional standards
and processes may become obsolete.

How Internet Entrepreneurs approach potential customers
will change.
Consider the consumer---how do you reach them
once they have become "desensitized" to traditional
marketing
strategies?

Consider the overall design and best use of your website.
Is it more of a sales page, or a highly effective "customer magnet"?
Can it have a better conversion rate?

Here is an observation from the people at HubSpot.
Garner some great innovative insight from what it contains:

2010 Predictions for Internet Entrepreneurs

Here are a few 2010 predictions that Internet Entrepreneurs
can be anticipating:

1. Social Media, as well as the traditional Marketing avenues will make greater moves and acceptance into the mobile market mainstream. With the new and innovative technologies that will improve in the next few months in mobile devices, we can set up strategies now to gain a foothold as this technology offers a greater avenue for getting marketing messages delivered.
2. Person-to-Person relationship building will take on a higher level than in previous years. In 2010, the "connect-with-me-so-I-can-sell-you-something" strategy will begin to fade away, thankfully---and more personal business-friendly relationships will be developed. Internet Entrepreneurs will focus more on getting to know others before determining their "rights" to make a sales pitch.
3. Hype advertising and "scammy" schemes will lose hold in the mainstream and on the Internet businessperson. Even new Internet marketers will venture onto the 'Net realm with a higher mentality of "sense vs. nonsense" regarding advertising and opportunity promotions.
4. There will be a rise in the overall Business and Marketing Intellect in 2010. Focus will be on higher levels of business-to-subscriber and business-to-consumer. There will be a great "weeding-out" of mediocre marketers and businesspeople who will not take their businesses and business relationships to a greater, more personal level. Honing and updating the knowledge base of pure Entrepreneurship will be the key to surviving the next year online.
5. 2010 will see the re-birth of offline market prospect acquisition as more Internet Entrepreneurs begin to take notice of consumers in the offline market. These Entrepreneurs will begin to use the Internet as a marketing tool to reach those prospects on the outside. The Internet will then serve as a dual-marketing avenue that will generate relevant income from both online and offline consumers.
6. The recession has awakened the overall mentality of the world-wide prospect base. They realize that past philosophies of "follow-the-leader" in business, politics, and economics placed them in a precarious position of which they struggle to survive. This has birthed a new philosophy that will move these people onto new personal, intellectual, and creative plateaus that will help them become more successful, smarter, and more individually sovereign in the future. They will begin to make better and higher use of the Internet to exercise these new plateaus. This move has been a long time coming, and 2010 will prove to be a turning point from the old mentality to the new.

Will it all come to fruition in 2010?
Maybe not fully, but it surely will be the beginning of a great turnaround.

Gaining the Highest Benefit from your site on Cyber Monday

Black Friday's sales hit unexpected levels for online sales sites, and the
analysts say Cyber Monday will be even better.

To gain the highest benefit from your site on Cyber Monday,
you will have to take these last few hours to go and do some last minute tweaking of your
sales and product pages.

If you created your own products, now is a great time to go
and set up some deals for your readers and subscribers.
Make those deals GREAT deals for them, then make every possible effort
to get the word out about your Cyber Monday sales specials.

If you sell affiliate products, check your affiliate accounts with your affiliate  vendors.
Many of them are offering their own Cyber Monday specials of which you may not be aware.
Take a few minutes to peruse your favorite affiliate product sites and vendors and see
what is available to make your offers..

Remember, your past customers and current subscribers are being subjected
to sales pitches from every possible angle on Cyber Monday.
So, do your best to assure that you are still in their periphery and can still
provide some nice bargains at comparable pricing.

By taking some last minute strategies in hand, you can generate some needed
income, and will be providing a beneficial service for your customers and subscribers as well.

Lessons In Entrepreneurship...from Snoop Dogg

Some of the best lessons in entrepreneurship comes from uncommon or unlikely sources.
Gone are the days where the highest and best business insight comes from
well-known business moguls and graduates from Harvard Business School and Wharton.

Today, some of the most insightful information is coming from sources not even considered in previous years.
That is the power of pure, true Entrepreneurship at its best.

In today's economic society, the best and brightest are shining, and most of them come from
backgrounds we would not think could produce such Entrepreneurial and successful people.

For instance, Snoop Dogg.

Not only is he a very talented and successful performer and recording artist---
Snoop Dogg is an Entrepreneur.
And a very knowledgeable one at that.

Watch this brief video from Forbes.com where he shares some of that knowledge and insight.
Take notes, there are some great lessons in Entrepreneurship here.