There is a story about the former American President, Abraham Lincoln. A man who refused to accept his failures as being final, but rather used them to progress personally and professionally .
In 1831, he failed in business. In 1832, he was defeated in the state Legislature. In 1833 he failed in business again. In 1834, he was elected to the state legislature. But his sweet heart died. In 1836, he had a nervous breakdown. In 1838, he was defeated for the speaker of the state legislature. In 1840, he was defeated for the electoral congress. In 1843, he was defeated for the congress. In 1846, he was defeated for congress. In 1848, he was defeated for congress. In 1855, he was defeated for senate. In 1856, he was defeated for vice president. In 1858, he was defeated for senate. In 1860, he was elected President of the United States of America. His story may sound like a catalogue of woes, but he fulfilled his destiny. His dreams came to pass because he refused to stay down.
You may have given up over and over again. You may have given up on yourself and lost hope about the future. You may be sitting on the rubbles of broken dreams-dreams that you once cherished. I want you to know that there is hope for you, if you don’t give up. Don’t give up on your dream of starting that business. Very soon the tide will turn in your favour.
To fail means to be unsuccessful at something. In other words, not to achieve a set goal. However, I should say that you are not made a failure. We have some experience in life, which intend to convince us that we are not capable of achieving our dreams. They seek to convince us that we are failures.
But failure never need be final. The experiences we regard as failures should be considered simply as temporary setbacks. To succeed, we must learn to handle failure. I have discovered that successful people are just failures who, despite their set backs, push on to achieve their goals. On the other hand, failures are the successful people who gave up because of temporary setbacks. Conrad Hilton, the hotel executive once said; "Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit".
What you consider as your greatest problem today may not be your problem. The greatest problem is how you see the problem. You may see the challenge as a dead-end or an opportunity for a turn around. You may see it as an obstacle or a potential blessing in disguise. I want to encourage you, don’t give up. Inside every adversity is an opportunity. God is setting you up for promotion. The greatest tests of your life will eventually produce the greatest testimonies.
Why do people fail? There are many reasons.
One major cause of failure is fear.
Fear destroys will power. It paralyses. Fear breaks momentum and weakens enthusiasm. Fear introduces doubts and indecision. Fear holds in bondage. Fear breeds insecurity, discourages initiative and makes persistence impossible. We must break free from fear.
There is real fear, and there is shadow fear. Real fear, for example, is what you experience when you come face to face with a lion. Real fear is a defense mechanism programmed into your system to help you respond adequately to danger. But shadow fear is based on something that may not happen, a situation that is not yet real. Most of the things people fear is not real. Someone said fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. The fear of failure for example holds a lot of people in bondage. Once we have experienced a setback, the devil plays on our imagination. He uses a single experience to project pictures of failure into the future.
The student who fails an examination writes the next one without confidence. The person who fails in business ventures three times concludes that he may never make it after all. He projects the past on the future. Some whose dreams have been shattered in marriage find it difficult to believe that they will not be disappointed again. They are just convinced that something is bound to go wrong somewhere. Some really even believe that they are jinxed.
Don’t be afraid. The size of any problem is not as important as the size of the person perspective. Greater abilities are on your inside than the challenge on your outside. There is a difference between failure as a person and failure as an event. It is the event that messed up. As a person, you are still a success.So try it again!
Enjoy your moments !
Friday, November 20, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Success Strategies For Personal Growth II
As caterpillar changes into an attractive and productive butterfly so also you need to consistently experience growth in your personal life.But you must be willing to change. Every living thing on this earth is designed for growth. However not many people are willing to dedicate themselves to a deliberate program of growth. This is because growth requires change, and most of us are reluctant to change. But without change, growth is impossible. Life is designed for motion not stagnation. Those who put up with stagnation eventually end up in frustration. The average person may not mind change as long as it affects someone else. But we put up resistance when it affects us personally.
Dear friend, if you’re not changing, you’re not growing. Growing means giving up familiar but limiting beliefs, values, and work, relationships or thought patterns. Change is inevitable. Everybody has to deal with it because if we are not growing we start dying.
Life is designed for growth, for continuous improvement. To experience personal development you must make a choice for growth, because growth is a choice. It is impossible for you to try and maintain your current position and make progress at the same time. Don’t dig in, but keep moving. Settle this once and for all. The only way to improve the quality of your life is to improve yourself through consistent growth.
To grow your business, grow yourself. To have a better wife, be a better husband. To have better children be a better parent. To have better friends, be a better friend. One of the greatest discoveries you’ll make in life is this: as you change and improve; things and people will change and improve around you. Since the only person you really have the ability to change anyway is yourself, begin by changing yourself. Make a choice to grow everyday. And start with what you have where you are. The things that you have done to be where you are today very basic. Because they are things you have done daily over a long period of time. Things like breathing, eating, sleeping and going to toilet. Take note they are things you must do for yourself.
You see, growth is a non-transferable responsibility; start now. Feed your mind with the good stuff, buy books,attend seminar, volunteer for community services and any other ways you can think of to improve your self. And begin to apply the things you are learning. Change your attitude and your altitude level will change
There is nothing that brings contentment in life like growth. Whatever or whoever is not growing becomes a source of concern. Growth has many advantages. When we grow we change. And when we change things happen around us. Life becomes more favourable. You see, there are many good opportunities available for us to enjoy. But we cannot gain access to them until we are matured enough to handle them. Growth today guarantees a better tomorrow. Life responds to values not titles. When you add to your personal value everyday, you will eventually attract what you are worth.
Now to grow you must be teachable. The greatest obstacle to growth may not be ignorance. It may be knowledge. The point at which you feel that you know it all is the point is the point at which you stop growing. Really, the more you know, the more you should know that you don’t know. No wonder former basketball coach, John Wooden once said, “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” Always remember that there is a higher level than where you are. And when you remain teachable, your potential is almost limitless.
Make a decision to grow now .
Dear friend, if you’re not changing, you’re not growing. Growing means giving up familiar but limiting beliefs, values, and work, relationships or thought patterns. Change is inevitable. Everybody has to deal with it because if we are not growing we start dying.
Life is designed for growth, for continuous improvement. To experience personal development you must make a choice for growth, because growth is a choice. It is impossible for you to try and maintain your current position and make progress at the same time. Don’t dig in, but keep moving. Settle this once and for all. The only way to improve the quality of your life is to improve yourself through consistent growth.
To grow your business, grow yourself. To have a better wife, be a better husband. To have better children be a better parent. To have better friends, be a better friend. One of the greatest discoveries you’ll make in life is this: as you change and improve; things and people will change and improve around you. Since the only person you really have the ability to change anyway is yourself, begin by changing yourself. Make a choice to grow everyday. And start with what you have where you are. The things that you have done to be where you are today very basic. Because they are things you have done daily over a long period of time. Things like breathing, eating, sleeping and going to toilet. Take note they are things you must do for yourself.
You see, growth is a non-transferable responsibility; start now. Feed your mind with the good stuff, buy books,attend seminar, volunteer for community services and any other ways you can think of to improve your self. And begin to apply the things you are learning. Change your attitude and your altitude level will change
There is nothing that brings contentment in life like growth. Whatever or whoever is not growing becomes a source of concern. Growth has many advantages. When we grow we change. And when we change things happen around us. Life becomes more favourable. You see, there are many good opportunities available for us to enjoy. But we cannot gain access to them until we are matured enough to handle them. Growth today guarantees a better tomorrow. Life responds to values not titles. When you add to your personal value everyday, you will eventually attract what you are worth.
Now to grow you must be teachable. The greatest obstacle to growth may not be ignorance. It may be knowledge. The point at which you feel that you know it all is the point is the point at which you stop growing. Really, the more you know, the more you should know that you don’t know. No wonder former basketball coach, John Wooden once said, “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” Always remember that there is a higher level than where you are. And when you remain teachable, your potential is almost limitless.
Make a decision to grow now .
Monday, November 9, 2009
Success Strategies For Personal Growth
Personal growth is a key requirement for anyone who wanted to go far in life journey .Growth dont just happen.It comes as a result of consistent commitment to life - giving principles that works for anyone ,anywhere who is willing to pay the price.
Many people today desires to grow but few are willing to pay the price.Among all the things that can affect your future, I believe personal growth is the greatest.And there is always a prize attach that if you commit yourself to will greatly influence your life for good.
Why ?
This because even though growth is natural, to be successful you need to become mindful of quite a lot of things that relates to life.In this article,we are going to explore together several failure proof strategies that many outstanding people have used over the years to succeed.Then we see how you can apply them and get the same results in your personal life,family,business,and community.
First we need to define success.
What is success ?
Success have been defined by several great people in diffrent ways,but to me I see success as the progressive achievement of the ultimate purpose of an individual in life.
It does not come cheap ,nor does it come by chance.You need to deliberately desire and plan for it.
Many to are just going around parading the shadows of success not the really thing.To be successful in growing personally,you need the following seven key strategies;
1. S-et passionate, productive and profittable daily goals to promote your major life purpose .
2. U-se your T.A.G.S. (talent,abilities ,gift and skills )to help others succeed.
3. C-ount the cost of working out your life giving purpose.
4. C-ommit yourself to work with others in line with your life purpose.
5. E-mpower yourself through seminars,tapes,workshop,books,magazines etc
6. S-tart your long term goal with what you have,where you are and with those around you.
7. S-how as many people as possible how you succeed.
You must rise to a new level, so you can take your family,career and business to a new level. Pay the price for growth today; you will win the prize of success tomorrow. See you at the top.Look out for " Success Strategies For Personal Growth II " .
Many people today desires to grow but few are willing to pay the price.Among all the things that can affect your future, I believe personal growth is the greatest.And there is always a prize attach that if you commit yourself to will greatly influence your life for good.
Why ?
This because even though growth is natural, to be successful you need to become mindful of quite a lot of things that relates to life.In this article,we are going to explore together several failure proof strategies that many outstanding people have used over the years to succeed.Then we see how you can apply them and get the same results in your personal life,family,business,and community.
First we need to define success.
What is success ?
Success have been defined by several great people in diffrent ways,but to me I see success as the progressive achievement of the ultimate purpose of an individual in life.
It does not come cheap ,nor does it come by chance.You need to deliberately desire and plan for it.
Many to are just going around parading the shadows of success not the really thing.To be successful in growing personally,you need the following seven key strategies;
1. S-et passionate, productive and profittable daily goals to promote your major life purpose .
2. U-se your T.A.G.S. (talent,abilities ,gift and skills )to help others succeed.
3. C-ount the cost of working out your life giving purpose.
4. C-ommit yourself to work with others in line with your life purpose.
5. E-mpower yourself through seminars,tapes,workshop,books,magazines etc
6. S-tart your long term goal with what you have,where you are and with those around you.
7. S-how as many people as possible how you succeed.
You must rise to a new level, so you can take your family,career and business to a new level. Pay the price for growth today; you will win the prize of success tomorrow. See you at the top.Look out for " Success Strategies For Personal Growth II " .
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Motivating Quotes - Start Your Day Off Right With a Daily Quote By Julia K. Walters Platinum Quality Author
Nothing sets your day on a higher note than reading an inspirational or motivational quote. Have you ever got out of bed, thinking 'it's going to be one of those days? If you knew that every day could be a great day, would you think a little differently before getting out of bed each day?
There are literally hundreds of quotes that you could tap into that will set your day off on the right foot and put you in a positive frame of mind that will last the entire day. You will feel happier, more self-confident, and better able to serve others once you have reflected over your quote of the day.
You may be thinking, 'how can one little quote change my whole day?" It's a very simple concept. Every morning, before you do anything else (ok, you can pour a cup of coffee first), log into your computer and read a motivational quote. It doesn't have to be paragraphs long - it can be as short as 5 or 10 words. The important factor is the meaning, not the length. Now, take five minutes and write this quote down in your journal or a notebook. Reflect on it - what does it mean to you? How can you apply this to your day today? How can you apply it everyday? Put together a plan of action of one thing you will do differently because of the quote you read.
In a short time, after doing this every day for 5 days a week, you will have a notebook full of quotes, and an action plan on how to improve your life and take action to make sure you achieve your goals. Don't be afraid to add notes, pictures and magazine cut-outs to help you create your vision.
So, how do you find these daily quotes that can have a profound effect on your life? A simple internet search will provide you with many sites that have a comprehensive list of quotes. Some will let you sign up to receive a quote in your in box; some you will have to visit and get the quote from the website; whichever method you choose, the result is the same. You will become a much more positive-minded person and you will be able to take positive experiences out of every negative situation. You will start to see opportunity where others see failure.
You will be happier, healthier, and better able to handle any challenge that comes your way. And all from a little daily quote!
There are literally hundreds of quotes that you could tap into that will set your day off on the right foot and put you in a positive frame of mind that will last the entire day. You will feel happier, more self-confident, and better able to serve others once you have reflected over your quote of the day.
You may be thinking, 'how can one little quote change my whole day?" It's a very simple concept. Every morning, before you do anything else (ok, you can pour a cup of coffee first), log into your computer and read a motivational quote. It doesn't have to be paragraphs long - it can be as short as 5 or 10 words. The important factor is the meaning, not the length. Now, take five minutes and write this quote down in your journal or a notebook. Reflect on it - what does it mean to you? How can you apply this to your day today? How can you apply it everyday? Put together a plan of action of one thing you will do differently because of the quote you read.
In a short time, after doing this every day for 5 days a week, you will have a notebook full of quotes, and an action plan on how to improve your life and take action to make sure you achieve your goals. Don't be afraid to add notes, pictures and magazine cut-outs to help you create your vision.
So, how do you find these daily quotes that can have a profound effect on your life? A simple internet search will provide you with many sites that have a comprehensive list of quotes. Some will let you sign up to receive a quote in your in box; some you will have to visit and get the quote from the website; whichever method you choose, the result is the same. You will become a much more positive-minded person and you will be able to take positive experiences out of every negative situation. You will start to see opportunity where others see failure.
You will be happier, healthier, and better able to handle any challenge that comes your way. And all from a little daily quote!
Famous Quotes and Best Life Quotes:
We are proud to be the best and most comprehensive hand-built famous quotes site in the world. Millions of students and researchers use our unique education and information resource annually. All our quotations have been carefully researched, collected and verified for your use and pleasure.
Nearly 700,000 people can't be wrong! That's the number of monthly visitors who use our resource of inspirational life sayings from the world of literature, politics, celebrity, movies and much more!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julia_K._Walters
10 Motivational Quotes That Inspire You to Take Action By Anthony D Carter Platinum Quality Author
Motivational quotes can inspire you to do great things. If you have ever felt down and out before coming across an inspirational saying then you know what I mean when I say that motivation quotes can change your attitude instantly.
Inspirational quotes give you motivation to stay consistent in the pursuit of your dreams and goals.
It is a good practice to start collecting a huge reservoir of quality quotes that you can pick from when you find yourself in need of emotional uplifting. Your character and strength will improve from the constant association that you have with the written thoughts of successful people.
Whenever I get tired or weary in my journey I lean on inspirational quotes to pick me up. I gain wisdom and encouragement from them. Sometimes all we need is a saying or words of wisdom to reinforce or resolve to press on.
Here are ten great motivational quotes that are sure to inspire you to take action:
1- You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. ~Zig Ziglar.
2- Try not to become a man of success but a man of value. ~Albert Einstein.
3- Do the thing you are afraid to do and the death of fear is certain. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson.
4 -We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. ~ Aristotle.
5 -Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. ~Jim Ryun.
6- Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm. ~Winston Churchill.
7- One learns by doing a thing; for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try. ~Sophocles.
8- People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily. ~Zig Ziglar.
9- Worry got us nowhere. What did? Action. ~Paul & Tracey McManus.
10- Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking. ~William B. Sprague.
You can read these quotes and others like them to quickly change your perspective and improve your attitude throughout the day.
Motivation quotes can often make the difference between success and failure. You may want to give up or procrastinate in times of difficulty. But if you will take the time to reflect on an inspiring quote you will gain extra energy and enthusiasm to keep moving forward.
You can also use these quotes like affirmations. Read them daily and dwell on the meaning that they provide to you. Link the uplifting message to what ever situation that you may be facing. Affirm that you are improving and growing stronger every day.
You will find that you belief, confidence and motivation increase in direct proportion to the amount of positive messages that you consistently reflect on.
And now I would like to invite you to claim your free access to my special report "Motivation Keys" by going to http://www.motivationkeys.comInspirational quotes give you motivation to stay consistent in the pursuit of your dreams and goals.
It is a good practice to start collecting a huge reservoir of quality quotes that you can pick from when you find yourself in need of emotional uplifting. Your character and strength will improve from the constant association that you have with the written thoughts of successful people.
Whenever I get tired or weary in my journey I lean on inspirational quotes to pick me up. I gain wisdom and encouragement from them. Sometimes all we need is a saying or words of wisdom to reinforce or resolve to press on.
Here are ten great motivational quotes that are sure to inspire you to take action:
1- You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. ~Zig Ziglar.
2- Try not to become a man of success but a man of value. ~Albert Einstein.
3- Do the thing you are afraid to do and the death of fear is certain. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson.
4 -We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. ~ Aristotle.
5 -Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. ~Jim Ryun.
6- Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm. ~Winston Churchill.
7- One learns by doing a thing; for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try. ~Sophocles.
8- People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily. ~Zig Ziglar.
9- Worry got us nowhere. What did? Action. ~Paul & Tracey McManus.
10- Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking. ~William B. Sprague.
You can read these quotes and others like them to quickly change your perspective and improve your attitude throughout the day.
Motivation quotes can often make the difference between success and failure. You may want to give up or procrastinate in times of difficulty. But if you will take the time to reflect on an inspiring quote you will gain extra energy and enthusiasm to keep moving forward.
You can also use these quotes like affirmations. Read them daily and dwell on the meaning that they provide to you. Link the uplifting message to what ever situation that you may be facing. Affirm that you are improving and growing stronger every day.
You will find that you belief, confidence and motivation increase in direct proportion to the amount of positive messages that you consistently reflect on.
From Anthony D. Carter - a leading expert on motivation.
How to Get Motivated and Stay Inspired by Ann Martinez
Sometimes life is rough and it's hard to see the light at the end of a dark tunnel. Fortunately, it's easier than you think to find a source of inspiration that will motivate you and keep you on the right path toward your goals.
Here are a few quick and easy ways to find inspiration:
1. Use motivational quotes and affirmations. It seems that no matter how many times you read or hear your favorite quote, it resonates with you almost as much as the very first time you heard it. Adding to your collection will bring you an ever-flowing streams of new inspiration.
As your goals change, look for quotes and affirmations that reflect your new path so you can gain the inspiration to persevere in your new direction.
2. Find inspirational images. Sometimes you come across inspiration by observing nature, like a beautiful sunset, an ocean shoreline or leaves turning brilliant colors in the fall. Other times you may be inspired by a photograph, an image in a book, or a painting at an art gallery.
Perhaps the beauty of an image will inspire you to create something beautiful of your own. In the process, you'll find new excitement and motivation to carry over into the other areas of your life.
An image can be placed on your vision board to remind you of your destination, which will motivate you to work more quickly with targeted focus to reach your goal.
Once you find an image that inspires you, rely upon it during stressful or difficult times as a visual reminder to keep moving forward. Feel the energy of love pouring from your heart and project it on to the situation you want to heal.
3. Let other people inspire you with their stories. When you hear someone's story of personal triumph or hardship while standing in line at the neighborhood post office or sitting in the waiting room at your local doctor's office, you just may be able to relate to this person.
Listen to other people and really pay attention to what they are saying. This will take the focus off of your own problems. Sometimes the answer to a problem of yours will come from listening to other people. When you listen to another person, seek out their stories and let them inspire you! When you are inspired by another person, this opens the channels in you to become more creative in solving your own problems.
4. Watch motivational videos. Websites like YouTube offer a variety of motivational and inspirational videos. Some videos, such as the late Randy Pausch's poignant "Last Lecture," has inadvertently inspired millions, even though it was originally intended for a much more personal audience. People often use YouTube to tell their stories, share successes, and offer advice or encouragement. When facing a challenge, or if you need some words of wisdom from someone who's been there, done that, you'll surely find inspiration there.
1. Use motivational quotes and affirmations. It seems that no matter how many times you read or hear your favorite quote, it resonates with you almost as much as the very first time you heard it. Adding to your collection will bring you an ever-flowing streams of new inspiration.
As your goals change, look for quotes and affirmations that reflect your new path so you can gain the inspiration to persevere in your new direction.
2. Find inspirational images. Sometimes you come across inspiration by observing nature, like a beautiful sunset, an ocean shoreline or leaves turning brilliant colors in the fall. Other times you may be inspired by a photograph, an image in a book, or a painting at an art gallery.
Perhaps the beauty of an image will inspire you to create something beautiful of your own. In the process, you'll find new excitement and motivation to carry over into the other areas of your life.
An image can be placed on your vision board to remind you of your destination, which will motivate you to work more quickly with targeted focus to reach your goal.
Once you find an image that inspires you, rely upon it during stressful or difficult times as a visual reminder to keep moving forward. Feel the energy of love pouring from your heart and project it on to the situation you want to heal.
3. Let other people inspire you with their stories. When you hear someone's story of personal triumph or hardship while standing in line at the neighborhood post office or sitting in the waiting room at your local doctor's office, you just may be able to relate to this person.
Listen to other people and really pay attention to what they are saying. This will take the focus off of your own problems. Sometimes the answer to a problem of yours will come from listening to other people. When you listen to another person, seek out their stories and let them inspire you! When you are inspired by another person, this opens the channels in you to become more creative in solving your own problems.
4. Watch motivational videos. Websites like YouTube offer a variety of motivational and inspirational videos. Some videos, such as the late Randy Pausch's poignant "Last Lecture," has inadvertently inspired millions, even though it was originally intended for a much more personal audience. People often use YouTube to tell their stories, share successes, and offer advice or encouragement. When facing a challenge, or if you need some words of wisdom from someone who's been there, done that, you'll surely find inspiration there.
About the Author
Ann writes inspirational tips for personal development and creating the right mindset for a successful business. Her newly released eBook is "Inspired Life Entrepreneur, Awaken Your Passion and Profit Online" http://www.inspiredlifeentrepreneur.comHow to Put First Things First In Your Business
Certainly, entrepreneurship is appealing to anyone who's looking for a low-cost business opportunity. But, no matter what anyone tells you, entrepreneurship is no slam dunk. To succeed as an entrepreneur, you need to keep these three basic priorities in mind:
*GOOD PRODUCT: Without a decent product, the whole plan
collapses. You can have thousands of distributors, but
you need consumer sales to generate income. That means
you need a product that consumers will want to buy and
that will live up to its expectations after it is sold.
Generally, the best products are unique, not
available through traditional retail stores. The real
test: Would you or a family member buy the product at
the suggested price?
* SMART HARD WORK: Don't think that money
will just roll in as long as you find the right
product. Succeeding in any business requires diligence, persistence
and innovation; in that respect, your chosen business is no
different from any other enterprise.
* YOU MUST BE CHARGE ENOUGH TO TAKE CHARGE
You have charge yourself always to deal with their personal problems,
handle complaints, and so on. You have more
flexibility and less responsibility than you have in a
corporate management position, but you still have to
get the most out of your business.
Remember, too, that all who succeed in business get off to a bad start, and pass through many heartbreaking struggles before they ‘arrive.’ The turning point in the lives of those who succeed, usually comes at the moment of some crisis, through which they are introduced to their ‘other selves.’ If you really want to do something you will always find a way. But if you don't want to do it, you will find execuses.
*GOOD PRODUCT: Without a decent product, the whole plan
collapses. You can have thousands of distributors, but
you need consumer sales to generate income. That means
you need a product that consumers will want to buy and
that will live up to its expectations after it is sold.
Generally, the best products are unique, not
available through traditional retail stores. The real
test: Would you or a family member buy the product at
the suggested price?
* SMART HARD WORK: Don't think that money
will just roll in as long as you find the right
product. Succeeding in any business requires diligence, persistence
and innovation; in that respect, your chosen business is no
different from any other enterprise.
* YOU MUST BE CHARGE ENOUGH TO TAKE CHARGE
You have charge yourself always to deal with their personal problems,
handle complaints, and so on. You have more
flexibility and less responsibility than you have in a
corporate management position, but you still have to
get the most out of your business.
Remember, too, that all who succeed in business get off to a bad start, and pass through many heartbreaking struggles before they ‘arrive.’ The turning point in the lives of those who succeed, usually comes at the moment of some crisis, through which they are introduced to their ‘other selves.’ If you really want to do something you will always find a way. But if you don't want to do it, you will find execuses.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Life Mapping: A Vision of Success
Success is more than economic gains, titles, and degrees. Planning for
success is about mapping out all the aspects of your life. Similar to a
map, you need to define the following details: origin, destination,
vehicle, backpack, landmarks, and route.
Origin: Who you are
A map has a starting point. Your origin is who you are right now. Most
people when asked to introduce themselves would say, "Hi, I'm Jean and I
am a 17-year old, senior highschool student." It does not tell you about
who Jean is; it only tells you her present preoccupation. To gain
insights about yourself, you need to look closely at your beliefs,
values, and principles aside from your economic, professional, cultural,
and civil status. Moreover, you can also reflect on your experiences to
give you insights on your good and not-so-good traits, skills,
knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. Upon introspection, Jean realized
that she was highly motivated, generous, service-oriented, but
impatient. Her inclination was in the biological-medical field.
Furthermore, she believed that life must serve a purpose, and that wars
were destructive to human dignity.
Destination: A vision of who you want to be
"Who do want to be?" this is your vision. Now it is important that you
know yourself so that you would have a clearer idea of who you want to
be; and the things you want to change whether they are attitudes,
habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself, then your vision
and targets for the future would also be unclear. Your destination
should cover all the aspects of your being: the physical, emotional,
intellectual, and spiritual. Continuing Jean's story, after she defined
her beliefs, values, and principles in life, she decided that she wanted
to have a life dedicated in serving her fellowmen.
Vehicle: Your Mission
A vehicle is the means by which you can reach your destination. It can
be analogized to your mission or vocation in life. To a great extent,
your mission would depend on what you know about yourself. Bases on
Jean's self-assessment, she decided that she was suited to become a
doctor, and that she wanted to become one. Her chosen vocation was a
medical doctor. Describing her vision-mission fully: it was to live a
life dedicated to serving her fellowmen as a doctor in conflict-areas.
Travel Bag: Your knowledge, skills, and attitude
Food, drinks, medicines, and other travelling necessities are contained
in a bag. Applying this concept to your life map, you also bring with
you certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These determine your
competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a
need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at
present and what you need to gain along the way. This two-fold
assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or measures of
success. Jean realized that she needed to gain professional knowledge
and skills on medicine so that she could become a doctor. She knew that
she was a bit impatient with people so she realized that this was
something she wanted to change.
Landmarks and Route: S.M.A.R.T. objectives
Landmarks confirm if you are on the right track while the route
determines the travel time. Thus, in planning out your life, you also
need to have landmarks and a route. These landmarks are your measures of
success. These measures must be specific, measurable, attainable,
realistic, and time bound. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such
as earning a master's degree and a doctorate degree within a period of
three years, since the minimum number of years to complete a master's
degree is two years. Going back to Jean as an example, she identified
the following landmarks in her life map: completing a bachelor's degree
in biology by the age of 21; completing medicine by the age of 27;
earning her specialization in infectious diseases by the age of 30;
getting deployed in local public hospitals of their town by the age of
32; and serving as doctor in war-torn areas by the age of 35.
Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes
The purpose of your life map is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the-moment
decisions that can make you lose your way. But oftentimes our plans are
modified along the way due to some inconveniences, delays, and other
situations beyond our control. Like in any path, there are turns,
detours, and potholes thus; we must anticipate them and adjust
accordingly.
success is about mapping out all the aspects of your life. Similar to a
map, you need to define the following details: origin, destination,
vehicle, backpack, landmarks, and route.
Origin: Who you are
A map has a starting point. Your origin is who you are right now. Most
people when asked to introduce themselves would say, "Hi, I'm Jean and I
am a 17-year old, senior highschool student." It does not tell you about
who Jean is; it only tells you her present preoccupation. To gain
insights about yourself, you need to look closely at your beliefs,
values, and principles aside from your economic, professional, cultural,
and civil status. Moreover, you can also reflect on your experiences to
give you insights on your good and not-so-good traits, skills,
knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. Upon introspection, Jean realized
that she was highly motivated, generous, service-oriented, but
impatient. Her inclination was in the biological-medical field.
Furthermore, she believed that life must serve a purpose, and that wars
were destructive to human dignity.
Destination: A vision of who you want to be
"Who do want to be?" this is your vision. Now it is important that you
know yourself so that you would have a clearer idea of who you want to
be; and the things you want to change whether they are attitudes,
habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself, then your vision
and targets for the future would also be unclear. Your destination
should cover all the aspects of your being: the physical, emotional,
intellectual, and spiritual. Continuing Jean's story, after she defined
her beliefs, values, and principles in life, she decided that she wanted
to have a life dedicated in serving her fellowmen.
Vehicle: Your Mission
A vehicle is the means by which you can reach your destination. It can
be analogized to your mission or vocation in life. To a great extent,
your mission would depend on what you know about yourself. Bases on
Jean's self-assessment, she decided that she was suited to become a
doctor, and that she wanted to become one. Her chosen vocation was a
medical doctor. Describing her vision-mission fully: it was to live a
life dedicated to serving her fellowmen as a doctor in conflict-areas.
Travel Bag: Your knowledge, skills, and attitude
Food, drinks, medicines, and other travelling necessities are contained
in a bag. Applying this concept to your life map, you also bring with
you certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These determine your
competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a
need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at
present and what you need to gain along the way. This two-fold
assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or measures of
success. Jean realized that she needed to gain professional knowledge
and skills on medicine so that she could become a doctor. She knew that
she was a bit impatient with people so she realized that this was
something she wanted to change.
Landmarks and Route: S.M.A.R.T. objectives
Landmarks confirm if you are on the right track while the route
determines the travel time. Thus, in planning out your life, you also
need to have landmarks and a route. These landmarks are your measures of
success. These measures must be specific, measurable, attainable,
realistic, and time bound. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such
as earning a master's degree and a doctorate degree within a period of
three years, since the minimum number of years to complete a master's
degree is two years. Going back to Jean as an example, she identified
the following landmarks in her life map: completing a bachelor's degree
in biology by the age of 21; completing medicine by the age of 27;
earning her specialization in infectious diseases by the age of 30;
getting deployed in local public hospitals of their town by the age of
32; and serving as doctor in war-torn areas by the age of 35.
Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes
The purpose of your life map is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the-moment
decisions that can make you lose your way. But oftentimes our plans are
modified along the way due to some inconveniences, delays, and other
situations beyond our control. Like in any path, there are turns,
detours, and potholes thus; we must anticipate them and adjust
accordingly.
HOW TO START YOUR OWN PAPER RECYCLING BUSINESS
One of the easiest - and in fact one of the oldest ways of
One of the easiest - and in fact one of the oldest ways of
making extra money is by collecting old newspapers and selling them to
a recycling plant in your locale.
Believe it or not, you can develop a very respectable income
collecting and selling paper to the recycling centers. It certainly does
not take any education, specialized training or experience; it's as
simple as saving your old newspapers and turning them in to a central
collection depot.
Some "paper recyclers" are making more than $100,000 a year in
this business. If other people are doing it, then there's no reason you
can't do it! About the only equipment you'll need is a pickup truck or
trailer that you can pull along be hind your personal car. We even
found one "old timer" who was collecting paper in this era with a
pushcart! While interviewing him, we found that he was deliberately
choosing not to expand, although he very definitely could have.
The prices being paid for paper these days by the recycling
centers will astound you (and remember that the quotations we give here
may have escalated sharply since our research). For instance, old news
papers are commanding $50 per ton and more; used cardboard, $75 a ton;
and high grade office paper as much as $120 per ton. This kind of money
for used paper that you can generally pick up for free can move you onto
Easy Street in a hurry. Everything, of course, depends on how well
organized you are, and how hard you work at building your business.
Make no mistake about it, we live in a paper world. Americans
use 200 million tons of paper each year - for everything from daily
newspapers to books and cardboard boxes. After quick use, we throw away
at least 100 million tons of this paper, almost all
of which could be recycled. This means that there's about 8 billion
dollars worth of paper out there that can be collected and recycled each
year. So if you are looking to start a business with real profit
potential, what are you waiting for?
Just look around your own home. In the garage or basement, for
instance. What do you do with the old newspapers after you've read
them? How about all the mail you get each week? Chances are this waste
paper just piles up in some corner of the garage or
basement until one of the kids asks if he can haul it off for the school
or cub scout paper drive. Or maybe your wife and kids get ambitious some
weekend, clean out the garage and haul it all off to the collection
truck at one of the local shopping centers. (We said maybe!)
It's true that selling stacks of newspapers you've accumulated
during the past couple of months or so won't make you rich. In fact,
it's doubtful your own accumulation of paper will add up to a ton a
year, and that certainly won't amount to much in extra
income. But think about the tonnage involved in the stacks of old
newspapers you could collect from your relatives, friends and neighbors.
You could easily collect a l00-pound sack of old newspapers from the
people in your neighborhood each week - and that's your immediate
neighborhood.
And then think about the total extra income you would have when
you have hauled all this paper down to the recycling depot. If you're
serious, and get yourself properly prepared, you can easily make $300 or
more every weekend, and it won't involve all
your time. Some planning and effort on your part are the prime
requisites.
Start by clearing a space in your garage for storage. One side
of a two-car garage, or any 8 by 12 foot space should be sufficient. If
you have a garden shed that's dry, that would work well also. Some
paper collectors even rent space in a neighborhood mini-warehouse.
We've even seen some paper collectors store their collected paper on
pallets in their backyards, using tarpaulins over it to keep it dry.
The important thing is to have a space available to store your collected
paper until you're ready to haul it to the recycling depot.
Being a firm believer in doing as little as possible of the
physical work involved in any business, I recommend you hire people to
do a lot of this for you. By that I mean you should contact all the cub
scouts, girl scouts, and civic organizations in your area; tell them
you'll pay them money for the paper they collect and turn in to you. At
the same time, contact the counselors at the schools and colleges in
your area and tell them you'll pay them for all the paper they collect.
The idea is to get everyone in your area collecting paper for you,
eliminating the need to do the actual collecting yourself.
How much of the gross profit you allow or pay these people who
do the actual collection is up to you. The average rate is $25 to $30
per ton when you are getting $50 per ton.
In the beginning, you may have to make up a sign and tape it to
the side of your pick-up or car, and "pound the pavement" yourself, but
you would expect to do this in starting any business. Basically,
there's nothing to this excepting that it takes time you could be using
to do other things; but is there anything more important than getting
your new business "off the ground?"
A simple sign such as JOE'S PAPER RECYCLING SERVICE - Phone
123-4567, is about all that's necessary. You could have this made up on
a magnetic mat at most quick print shops. Have a college art student
make one up for you on butcher paper, or have a professional sign
painter produce one for you on heavy card stock.
With this sign on the side of your pickup, car, or trailer,
simply drive through the residential neighborhoods of your area. Park
in the middle of a block, get out and start knocking on doors, asking
the residents if they have old newspapers or cardboard boxes they'd like
for you to haul away for them. Generally, you'll get an armload of old
newspapers at every house. Simply carry them to your pickup or trailer,
then go on to the
next house.
If you'll set up a definite route to follow, certain streets on
certain days about once every two weeks, you'll find the homeowners will
have stacks of paper waiting for you. Regardless of whether the person
answering the door gives you a stack of papers, always leave a business
card at each home.
Some paper recyclers offer to pay the people saving newspapers
for them, and having it ready for them when they make their collection
rounds. Generally, this isn't necessary. If you'll develop regular
collection days for each street or neighborhood,
you'll find the people putting papers out for you just as they set out
their garbage for collection.
There are even some paper recyclers who charge the people to
haul their paper away. This isn't advisable, because once you start
hauling rubbish, you'll end up doing clean-up work, and hauling more to
the dump than you do to the recycling depot.
Once you have your collection routes organized, you can hire
students to make your collection rounds after school, and haul the paper
to your storage center. You can set up crews of three - one to drive
the truck or car while the others knock on doors on each side of the
street.
Depending on how much paper each route gives you every two
weeks, you could have a crew working several routes each day for minimum
wage, probably so much per truck or trailer load, and expect to collect
a couple of tons of paper for every three hours
they work.
Again, by hiring other people to do the actual collection work
for you, you'll not only free yourself for other work, but you'll be
making more money: Three people can do more in less time than one
person.
The next thing is to set up an area-wide collection depot. This
could be a pre-fab building on a vacant lot, a vacant used car lot, or a
closed service station.
In setting up an area-wide (or neighborhood) collection depot,
you will need space - some sort of shed to store or stack your papers in
until you load them up and haul them to the recycling center where you
sell them. You'll need a scale to weigh them, and some sort of office
or desk space to manage your cash and books.
You'll need space enough for your customers to drive in beside
the scale and unload their papers, and at the same time an arrangement
whereby you can pay them immediately. A vacant service station would be
ideal. Your customers can pull in just as if
they were going to purchase gasoline; you could have your scales set up
between the driveways where the gas pumps are usually located, and store
your accumulating loads in the service area of the building.
In most cities or counties, you'll need a business license or
permit. For more details, see our report, Basic Steps To Starting Your
Own Business.
You'll need a couple of signs, one on each side of your
driveway. These will announce the fact that you buy old newspapers.
They need not be anything fancy, just simple attention-getting
announcements that you're open for business and paying money for paper.
Generally, the going rate for newspapers dropped off at a central
collection depot is $.02 per pound, and the papers need not be bundled.
This will give the sellers $40 a ton for dropping them off, and at $50 a
ton, that will work out to $10 per ton profit for you. (Again, these
rates are rising, so be sure you are absolutely current by checking out
the going price in your area.)
In addition to old newspapers, you should organize your time and
schedule to call upon all the businesses, stores and warehouses in your
area. Talk to the business owners or store managers and ask them if you
can haul away their old cardboard boxes.
If there's competition in your area, you might end up having to
pay for these boxes, provided they're clean. The thing to do is to call
upon everybody who uses paper products or cardboard boxes. Remember,
the more people you have giving you paper, the
more money you are going to make. Many already established recycling
services do not bother with the smaller stores and warehouses, but these
add up quickly if you are diligent in finding a number of them.
Check close by in your surrounding area, and find out if the
businesses are satisfied with their present pick-up service. Ask first
if you can "have" their old boxes; many of the smaller stores will give
them to you because it decreases the load for their rubbish service to
haul away. Where necessary, offer to pay per pound if they'll save them
for you.
As mentioned before, the important thing is to get everyone
providing paper for you - people collect and have it ready for you to
pick up when you drop by on your designated collection day. Besides
that, you start making really big money when you can park your truck in
one place and fill it up from a group of closely located stores or
businesses. With this is mind, you could conceivably drive through four
blocks, making one stop in the middle of each block, and have a ton or
more of paper or cardboard
boxes every fourth block.
One other thing you'll need in order to efficiently handle
cardboard boxes is a sharp knife with which to slit the sides of the
boxes and flatten them Out as you load them onto your truck or trailer.
A simple "handyman's utility knife" costing about $5 will handle this
chore for you with ease. When you buy one, though, be sure to buy an
extra supply of blades as well, because cutting through cardboard will
dull your knife very quickly.
Another paper products source: the offices in your area,
particularly those with computers. The age of computers has ushered in
more reports for offices than ever before, adding reams and reams of
paper to the average office trash basket. When you
visit these offices, take along a couple of "Save-a-Tree" boxes and ask
the office people to discard all their waste paper into these boxes for
you - letters, envelopes, outdated reports and files. You can usually
get the "Save-a-Tree" boxes at your recycling depot, and when full,
we're talking about 35 to 45 pounds of paper. Most offices will fill
one of these boxes in a week or two, depending, of course, upon their
volume of paperwork. And while you're on this kind of "foraging" trip,
don't forget to check in at all the print shops. They waste and throw
away almost as much paper as they sell.
It will pay you to contract for a quarter page ad, or the
largest ad available that you can afford, in the yellow pages of your
area telephone and business directories. Whether or not you advertise
the prices you pay in the ad is entirely up to you, but
generally it's not a good idea to do so, because you would be stuck with
those rates for over a year. You might word your ad to explain that you
pay one rate per pound when paper is brought to you, and another rate
when you pick up and haul away.
At the same time, you should run a regular classified ad,
perhaps even one with more words in the Contract Jobs section of your
daily paper. Your best advertising days will be Thursday through
Saturday. These are the days when people are specifically
thinking about cleaning up around the house or their offices. Also,
these are the days when people think about what they can do to earn
extra money.
This is the kind of business that "snowballs" with visibility
and word-of-mouth advertising. It will definitely benefit you, then, to
join the various civic and service clubs in your area, attend their
luncheons and mingle with the business leaders in your area. Volunteer
to assist in some fund-raising events, and whenever possible, become a
guest speaker and tell about your business.
It isn't hard to stand up before a group of people and talk
about your business, particularly if you know what you're talking about
and believe in what you're saying. It does take at least an outline of
a script, perhaps a few notes, a rehearsal and the essential ingredient
of enthusiasm.
Make your talk interesting and informative. Do some research
and present statistics on how much paper the people of this country use
each year. Explain the limited supply of timber, and the need to
recycle as much as possible. Detail how these facts
and figures opened your eyes, and caused you to do something about it -
to open your own recycling center. And then, lead your talk into
explaining how the recycling business is an avenue for everyone to
benefit: the ideal fund-raising endeavor; a cleaner environment; and a
chance to preserve some forest land.
Getting free publicity for a recycling center can be easy. In
addition to serving as guest speaker before civic and service groups in
your area, you may find radio and television stations and newspapers,
and even weekly shopping guides anxious to give
you time or space.
By all means, try to get a story into these people detailing
your grand opening, follow-up with appearances on talk shows, and press
releases about the different organizations raising money by collecting
newspapers and turning them in to you. Set up a contest among the
different organizations, with prizes for the teams or organizations
collecting the most paper. Hold special "Seniors' Days" when you pay
extra for all paper turned in by persons over a certain age. Keep an
eye out for angles such as the largest amounts turned in, and stories
about your regular collectors who keep turning in paper regularly until
they attain money goals.
Emphasize in your publicity contacts that recycling is a kind of
community service that benefits all citizens. You're cleaning the
environment, conserving timber, and putting money into the pockets of
all who participate. Think about it; submit press releases to the
media; calling them and inviting them to cover human interest stories
emanating from your business!
This business takes organization, some energy on your part, and
at least in the beginning, your time. But if you put forth the effort
as we have outlined, there's no reason you shouldn't easily realize a
very comfortable income with your own RECYCLING BUSINESS. It takes
effort on your part, but if you're looking for a lucrative business, you
have here a plan to act on!located stores or businesses.
One of the easiest - and in fact one of the oldest ways of
making extra money is by collecting old newspapers and selling them to
a recycling plant in your locale.
Believe it or not, you can develop a very respectable income
collecting and selling paper to the recycling centers. It certainly does
not take any education, specialized training or experience; it's as
simple as saving your old newspapers and turning them in to a central
collection depot.
Some "paper recyclers" are making more than $100,000 a year in
this business. If other people are doing it, then there's no reason you
can't do it! About the only equipment you'll need is a pickup truck or
trailer that you can pull along be hind your personal car. We even
found one "old timer" who was collecting paper in this era with a
pushcart! While interviewing him, we found that he was deliberately
choosing not to expand, although he very definitely could have.
The prices being paid for paper these days by the recycling
centers will astound you (and remember that the quotations we give here
may have escalated sharply since our research). For instance, old news
papers are commanding $50 per ton and more; used cardboard, $75 a ton;
and high grade office paper as much as $120 per ton. This kind of money
for used paper that you can generally pick up for free can move you onto
Easy Street in a hurry. Everything, of course, depends on how well
organized you are, and how hard you work at building your business.
Make no mistake about it, we live in a paper world. Americans
use 200 million tons of paper each year - for everything from daily
newspapers to books and cardboard boxes. After quick use, we throw away
at least 100 million tons of this paper, almost all
of which could be recycled. This means that there's about 8 billion
dollars worth of paper out there that can be collected and recycled each
year. So if you are looking to start a business with real profit
potential, what are you waiting for?
Just look around your own home. In the garage or basement, for
instance. What do you do with the old newspapers after you've read
them? How about all the mail you get each week? Chances are this waste
paper just piles up in some corner of the garage or
basement until one of the kids asks if he can haul it off for the school
or cub scout paper drive. Or maybe your wife and kids get ambitious some
weekend, clean out the garage and haul it all off to the collection
truck at one of the local shopping centers. (We said maybe!)
It's true that selling stacks of newspapers you've accumulated
during the past couple of months or so won't make you rich. In fact,
it's doubtful your own accumulation of paper will add up to a ton a
year, and that certainly won't amount to much in extra
income. But think about the tonnage involved in the stacks of old
newspapers you could collect from your relatives, friends and neighbors.
You could easily collect a l00-pound sack of old newspapers from the
people in your neighborhood each week - and that's your immediate
neighborhood.
And then think about the total extra income you would have when
you have hauled all this paper down to the recycling depot. If you're
serious, and get yourself properly prepared, you can easily make $300 or
more every weekend, and it won't involve all
your time. Some planning and effort on your part are the prime
requisites.
Start by clearing a space in your garage for storage. One side
of a two-car garage, or any 8 by 12 foot space should be sufficient. If
you have a garden shed that's dry, that would work well also. Some
paper collectors even rent space in a neighborhood mini-warehouse.
We've even seen some paper collectors store their collected paper on
pallets in their backyards, using tarpaulins over it to keep it dry.
The important thing is to have a space available to store your collected
paper until you're ready to haul it to the recycling depot.
Being a firm believer in doing as little as possible of the
physical work involved in any business, I recommend you hire people to
do a lot of this for you. By that I mean you should contact all the cub
scouts, girl scouts, and civic organizations in your area; tell them
you'll pay them money for the paper they collect and turn in to you. At
the same time, contact the counselors at the schools and colleges in
your area and tell them you'll pay them for all the paper they collect.
The idea is to get everyone in your area collecting paper for you,
eliminating the need to do the actual collecting yourself.
How much of the gross profit you allow or pay these people who
do the actual collection is up to you. The average rate is $25 to $30
per ton when you are getting $50 per ton.
In the beginning, you may have to make up a sign and tape it to
the side of your pick-up or car, and "pound the pavement" yourself, but
you would expect to do this in starting any business. Basically,
there's nothing to this excepting that it takes time you could be using
to do other things; but is there anything more important than getting
your new business "off the ground?"
A simple sign such as JOE'S PAPER RECYCLING SERVICE - Phone
123-4567, is about all that's necessary. You could have this made up on
a magnetic mat at most quick print shops. Have a college art student
make one up for you on butcher paper, or have a professional sign
painter produce one for you on heavy card stock.
With this sign on the side of your pickup, car, or trailer,
simply drive through the residential neighborhoods of your area. Park
in the middle of a block, get out and start knocking on doors, asking
the residents if they have old newspapers or cardboard boxes they'd like
for you to haul away for them. Generally, you'll get an armload of old
newspapers at every house. Simply carry them to your pickup or trailer,
then go on to the
next house.
If you'll set up a definite route to follow, certain streets on
certain days about once every two weeks, you'll find the homeowners will
have stacks of paper waiting for you. Regardless of whether the person
answering the door gives you a stack of papers, always leave a business
card at each home.
Some paper recyclers offer to pay the people saving newspapers
for them, and having it ready for them when they make their collection
rounds. Generally, this isn't necessary. If you'll develop regular
collection days for each street or neighborhood,
you'll find the people putting papers out for you just as they set out
their garbage for collection.
There are even some paper recyclers who charge the people to
haul their paper away. This isn't advisable, because once you start
hauling rubbish, you'll end up doing clean-up work, and hauling more to
the dump than you do to the recycling depot.
Once you have your collection routes organized, you can hire
students to make your collection rounds after school, and haul the paper
to your storage center. You can set up crews of three - one to drive
the truck or car while the others knock on doors on each side of the
street.
Depending on how much paper each route gives you every two
weeks, you could have a crew working several routes each day for minimum
wage, probably so much per truck or trailer load, and expect to collect
a couple of tons of paper for every three hours
they work.
Again, by hiring other people to do the actual collection work
for you, you'll not only free yourself for other work, but you'll be
making more money: Three people can do more in less time than one
person.
The next thing is to set up an area-wide collection depot. This
could be a pre-fab building on a vacant lot, a vacant used car lot, or a
closed service station.
In setting up an area-wide (or neighborhood) collection depot,
you will need space - some sort of shed to store or stack your papers in
until you load them up and haul them to the recycling center where you
sell them. You'll need a scale to weigh them, and some sort of office
or desk space to manage your cash and books.
You'll need space enough for your customers to drive in beside
the scale and unload their papers, and at the same time an arrangement
whereby you can pay them immediately. A vacant service station would be
ideal. Your customers can pull in just as if
they were going to purchase gasoline; you could have your scales set up
between the driveways where the gas pumps are usually located, and store
your accumulating loads in the service area of the building.
In most cities or counties, you'll need a business license or
permit. For more details, see our report, Basic Steps To Starting Your
Own Business.
You'll need a couple of signs, one on each side of your
driveway. These will announce the fact that you buy old newspapers.
They need not be anything fancy, just simple attention-getting
announcements that you're open for business and paying money for paper.
Generally, the going rate for newspapers dropped off at a central
collection depot is $.02 per pound, and the papers need not be bundled.
This will give the sellers $40 a ton for dropping them off, and at $50 a
ton, that will work out to $10 per ton profit for you. (Again, these
rates are rising, so be sure you are absolutely current by checking out
the going price in your area.)
In addition to old newspapers, you should organize your time and
schedule to call upon all the businesses, stores and warehouses in your
area. Talk to the business owners or store managers and ask them if you
can haul away their old cardboard boxes.
If there's competition in your area, you might end up having to
pay for these boxes, provided they're clean. The thing to do is to call
upon everybody who uses paper products or cardboard boxes. Remember,
the more people you have giving you paper, the
more money you are going to make. Many already established recycling
services do not bother with the smaller stores and warehouses, but these
add up quickly if you are diligent in finding a number of them.
Check close by in your surrounding area, and find out if the
businesses are satisfied with their present pick-up service. Ask first
if you can "have" their old boxes; many of the smaller stores will give
them to you because it decreases the load for their rubbish service to
haul away. Where necessary, offer to pay per pound if they'll save them
for you.
As mentioned before, the important thing is to get everyone
providing paper for you - people collect and have it ready for you to
pick up when you drop by on your designated collection day. Besides
that, you start making really big money when you can park your truck in
one place and fill it up from a group of closely located stores or
businesses. With this is mind, you could conceivably drive through four
blocks, making one stop in the middle of each block, and have a ton or
more of paper or cardboard
boxes every fourth block.
One other thing you'll need in order to efficiently handle
cardboard boxes is a sharp knife with which to slit the sides of the
boxes and flatten them Out as you load them onto your truck or trailer.
A simple "handyman's utility knife" costing about $5 will handle this
chore for you with ease. When you buy one, though, be sure to buy an
extra supply of blades as well, because cutting through cardboard will
dull your knife very quickly.
Another paper products source: the offices in your area,
particularly those with computers. The age of computers has ushered in
more reports for offices than ever before, adding reams and reams of
paper to the average office trash basket. When you
visit these offices, take along a couple of "Save-a-Tree" boxes and ask
the office people to discard all their waste paper into these boxes for
you - letters, envelopes, outdated reports and files. You can usually
get the "Save-a-Tree" boxes at your recycling depot, and when full,
we're talking about 35 to 45 pounds of paper. Most offices will fill
one of these boxes in a week or two, depending, of course, upon their
volume of paperwork. And while you're on this kind of "foraging" trip,
don't forget to check in at all the print shops. They waste and throw
away almost as much paper as they sell.
It will pay you to contract for a quarter page ad, or the
largest ad available that you can afford, in the yellow pages of your
area telephone and business directories. Whether or not you advertise
the prices you pay in the ad is entirely up to you, but
generally it's not a good idea to do so, because you would be stuck with
those rates for over a year. You might word your ad to explain that you
pay one rate per pound when paper is brought to you, and another rate
when you pick up and haul away.
At the same time, you should run a regular classified ad,
perhaps even one with more words in the Contract Jobs section of your
daily paper. Your best advertising days will be Thursday through
Saturday. These are the days when people are specifically
thinking about cleaning up around the house or their offices. Also,
these are the days when people think about what they can do to earn
extra money.
This is the kind of business that "snowballs" with visibility
and word-of-mouth advertising. It will definitely benefit you, then, to
join the various civic and service clubs in your area, attend their
luncheons and mingle with the business leaders in your area. Volunteer
to assist in some fund-raising events, and whenever possible, become a
guest speaker and tell about your business.
It isn't hard to stand up before a group of people and talk
about your business, particularly if you know what you're talking about
and believe in what you're saying. It does take at least an outline of
a script, perhaps a few notes, a rehearsal and the essential ingredient
of enthusiasm.
Make your talk interesting and informative. Do some research
and present statistics on how much paper the people of this country use
each year. Explain the limited supply of timber, and the need to
recycle as much as possible. Detail how these facts
and figures opened your eyes, and caused you to do something about it -
to open your own recycling center. And then, lead your talk into
explaining how the recycling business is an avenue for everyone to
benefit: the ideal fund-raising endeavor; a cleaner environment; and a
chance to preserve some forest land.
Getting free publicity for a recycling center can be easy. In
addition to serving as guest speaker before civic and service groups in
your area, you may find radio and television stations and newspapers,
and even weekly shopping guides anxious to give
you time or space.
By all means, try to get a story into these people detailing
your grand opening, follow-up with appearances on talk shows, and press
releases about the different organizations raising money by collecting
newspapers and turning them in to you. Set up a contest among the
different organizations, with prizes for the teams or organizations
collecting the most paper. Hold special "Seniors' Days" when you pay
extra for all paper turned in by persons over a certain age. Keep an
eye out for angles such as the largest amounts turned in, and stories
about your regular collectors who keep turning in paper regularly until
they attain money goals.
Emphasize in your publicity contacts that recycling is a kind of
community service that benefits all citizens. You're cleaning the
environment, conserving timber, and putting money into the pockets of
all who participate. Think about it; submit press releases to the
media; calling them and inviting them to cover human interest stories
emanating from your business!
This business takes organization, some energy on your part, and
at least in the beginning, your time. But if you put forth the effort
as we have outlined, there's no reason you shouldn't easily realize a
very comfortable income with your own RECYCLING BUSINESS. It takes
effort on your part, but if you're looking for a lucrative business, you
have here a plan to act on!located stores or businesses.
HOW TO OVERCOME FAILURE
One of the greatest obstacles to business success is fear, especially the fear of failure. Unsuccessful people are usually so afraid of failure they avoid risks that could lead to failure. To increase your success rate, you need to be willing to increase your failure rate. The fear of criticism is one of the deadliest forms of fear. We are usually afraid of someone coming up to show the defects in what we do. Most of us do not enjoy criticism at all and that is natural. But we cannot jeopardize our God-given dreams because of the opinions of other people. We must handle criticism wisely.
Sometimes, there are lessons to learn from criticism if we carefully examine what is said. Some other times we should just forge ahead despite whatever has been said. Critics will only run out of business when we stop achieving our God-given goals. We cannot stop because of them.
Another cause of failure is the fear of death.
It seems like the fear of death kills more people than death itself. We must have a correct attitude to death. While death is inevitable, we must believe by faith in God that we will not die before our time.
Dear friend, say to yourself right now: “I will not die, but live to declare the works of God.” Amen.
There is also the fear of ill health. We must combat this also with faith in the Word of God. Jesus took our sicknesses and pains on the cross and by His stripes we are healed.
Another major reason why people fail is the lack of a definite purpose.
Where there is no vision, the people perish. There is power in having a definite purpose in life. All things work together for good for those who live according to God’s purpose. If you are carrying out God’s assignment for your life, He will back you up all the way. Do you believe that what you are doing is what you were born to do?
Now, the first thing to do when we experience setback is to examine the reason for our setback. We must ask questions. This will help us, where possible to avoid a re-occurrence.
Secondly, we must seek counsel from those who have overcome similar setbacks in the past. The value of mentoring cannot be overemphasized for an entrepreneur. Someone has been through the same situation before.
Thirdly, we must develop a positive attitude again.
Failure is never final and a trial is never terminal. We cannot afford to identify ourselves by our failures. Failure as an event is different from failure as a person. That a venture has failed does not make us failures as persons. Don’t run yourself down. Just tell yourself you will do better next time.
Then, we need to make new choices. Success is not a matter of chances; success is a matter of choices. Success or failure is determined by decisions. Whenever we experience setbacks, there must be a change in the choices we have made. We must be prepared for change. Failure can be a sign we need to change direction. And we must choose first of all, to begin again. Learn as much as possible from your mistake, but focus on your vision. That will help you to put the situation in proper perspective.
Dear friend, it does not matter what the situation is today. You can rise again. It is not how high you fall that matters but how high you bounce. Begin to work out a new strategy. Be prepared to take a risk again. It is better to fail at something than to succeed at nothing.
Finally, take action. Do it again and again and again until it works out. We cannot fail until we fail to try. And I pray that your next attempt, under God’s guidance will be a resounding success.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
