Last Lecture

I have learned some amazing methods in business and entrepreneurship.  There is some great value in sharing what you learrn and this is what I have learned. Businesses more than money business is more than power. Business is about making the change and doing something for somebody else. It was Earthly life we all have patterns that we will take and those paths will lead us to places that will help us be able to help others. The greatest joy we can find in a business sense is being able to help somebody. If we can find somebody or someone or something that we can help we're on the right track. I think about entrepreneurs we're trying to develop a product to make life easier for somebody or something.

One certain product could be a game-changer for somebody. But on the back end of that is an entrepreneur who created the app designed it financially backed and found a way to help others. Business, and entrepreneurship equals out to a place where we can find a good place financially and be financially sound. The greatest Comfort we can get with money is to be financially free have enough means to take care of our needs and our family and find a place in this world where we can help someone else.  When we can help land serve others.  We are on the right track.

The biggest hurdle is just trying to find a balance. What's the balance between family and work and success and enjoyment? He found that as he focused on the simple things which were his family and his wife and his marriage. He's on a really important to do the simple things white bring flowers that made all the other stresses go to the way side.  Perspective on the gifts of his life are what he focused on. Money you gives us something. It does give us some freedom and it definitely gives us some peace of mind. Having Peace of Mind helps us to have some freedom from stress is then let's our minds go to a place that we can enjoy knowing that little bit of freedom. Money and wealth are two different things for me well can cause a state of mind of freedom and put you in a position to be able to help others grow their well. I took out of these readings one simple thing.  Sacrifice.  What are we willing to sacrifice for business?  What are we willing to sacrifice to help others that might not be the ones we should be helping?  What are willing to stand up for?  

Family is the most important thing.  When we make commitments to family, those take precedence over everything else. Making commitments in our lives helps us to stay focused on our word and loyalty.  Where does our loyalty lie? I think we find ourselves changing through the years, mostly prioritizing our life as we go, but when we keep our focus on the things that matter most.   We can't be willing to back down from our commitments.  Now sometimes, not all the time, we have to help others.  We have to be able to balance our work and family lives.  Sometimes depending on our profession, things come up.  We have to be willing to give our all to work as well.  

Money doesn't mean you are wealthy.  Wealthy is a place of freedom because all of your ducks are in a row and there is financial freedom. 

Money is something that's important to be able to pay for things. There are times in our lives where we have options we've got things that we can do because there's a little bit of freedom …financial freedom that is. 

Go and do....Don't be afraid

This week was amazing learning from a franchisee.  Learning what matter to him boiled down to the fact he wanted to balance. He wanted to make sure that his life was balanced. It wasn't about money, or sales. It's all about the value of finding a balance with God, family, and work, then finding time to relax and breathe in life a little. This is an excerpt from my interview.  

"He think the most important idea or thought is if you have a great idea go for it don't be afraid to put yourself out there and give it a shot. He shared that you never know you might be successful and have a great career for a long time in this man that space or you might fail but you're going to learn some valuable lessons from it. This will make you even better than next time you run with a great idea. Don't be afraid to take a risk."

This was inspiring to realize that dream and hopes can be accomplished even when you dont put your life on the line for work.  You can balance it all out. 

Business is so important to provide for your family, but at what cost?  Focusing on your priorities is the pinnacle of making sure you can enjoy life.  There is hard things that has to happen, but life is not perfect. Doing the right things and focus on your family.   I love to learn that there is people who love what they do, and focus on loving others, while living their lives and working hard for those people. 

Prison

I was so impressed by Catharine Rohr and her kindness towards prisoners. She was an incredible example of perseverance.

Learning about her and something profound was that she said her transformation wasn’t overnight.  Her hard point was being shut down and not able to move forward and had to wait a month until they were ready to get moving forward.  She said that being knocked down is what helped her the most.  She just needed to be faithful to the vision and move forward. She said she had a great group of advisors to council her.  She said that she has a support group to help her. America is the land of chances and she feels like the American dream is reachable.  She saw the good in the men in prison and the transformation of these men and help turn them around.   She is inspiring and she is incredibly insightful in her vision to help these men without questioning it. 

Do we question ourselves?

Do we work til we are exhausted?

So we love what we do and give back?

getting off the bus.

 To find the right people for a company is really important, No need to rush, take it slow and steady and find the RIGHT people that you wont have to get them off the bus.   There is times where the culture of a company will not jive with what you are thinking and how the direction  of your company is going and that is the beauty of the bus, you can get people off the bus. 

Getting people off the bus matters because there is an essential part of business to have the right people in place. When the wrong people are in the company, they don't have passion. They don't love what they are doing and it can cause emotions and struggles with disassociation. Any break in the link can cause trouble.  Whether people want to leave or not. 

The loss of income can bring stress to anyone. The right people can cost alot to pull them from another company it can cost you.  It can also be tricky to get the right people because they just dont know yet, they are a perfect fit.  I love this quote from Good to great, " “Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline."  You have to have the right people working to get the right people. 

Hero... Ken Zolot

Every week as I learn about the heroes in Entrepreneurship.  This week learning about 

Ken Zolot 

we learn that he isn't necessary all about him or his great accomplishments.  Its more about what he has learned.  He talks about how he stretches the boundaries of entrepreneurship trying to make them understand what has helped him to be effective  in his work environment. He is a little rebellious and really likes to help others and trying to make sure that they are accountable.  I love that he said that his family worked hard on being accountable to each other. As a family unit they needed to be reliable on each other and yet help each other. The strategy of WHO CARES question puts that into the mind to be able to help each other out.  Learning to be dedicated is essential to be accountable and wanting to be successful. 

a person who buys goods and services from a store or business

The front line of customer service is one of the key essential points to making sure that the customer segment is taken care of.

cus·tom·er

ˈkəstəmər/

noun

plural noun: customers

1. 1.

   a person or organization that buys goods or services from a store or business.

   "Mr. Harrison was a regular customer at the Golden Lion"

   synonyms:

   consumer, buyer, purchaser, patron, client, subscriber;  shopper "Mr. Kanter is one of our best customers"

2. 2.

   a person or thing of a specified kind that one has to deal with.

   "the fish is a slippery customer and very hard to catch"

   synonyms:

   consumer, buyer, purchaser, patron, client, subscriber;  shopper "Mr. Kanter is one of our best customers"

The way to turn mediocracy into a success is to listen to what the customers want desire and need. Be open to their ideas. It can be big things or Little Things but it's really important a matter what it is. You need to evaluate those new ideas that you've been exposed to and make sure that the employees follow along the segments is fine

You have to look at the type of customers that you have figured out how to make them happier and keep those customers by keeping them happy. Building those relationships and keeping those relationships is the most effective way to keep sales

love of a new adventure

I'm enjoying this class and enjoying the challenge to get money to start this business. At first I thought should I do cookie dough or should I make cinnamon rolls that I get requests on all the time and I thought you know I'm going to do something a little bit harder that would challenge me where I have to start with $20. And then sell and then take those profits to get a couple more I'm really anxious to see how many I'm able to sell and when I'm able to do with this coordinating partner who is going to make wood picture frames. Trying to figure out do I sell one for a higher price with a higher profit or sell two or three for a lower price with a better chance of selling all three and see where I can go from there I'm super excited to see where this will go and how much I'm able to make to donate.

Integrity Doing the right thing

Budgeting is so important. Integrity is so important, and this week learning about budgeting is really a big thing.  Keeping within the means that are needed honesty is important, will this help you get enough success in your company.  Can you be successful while be honest and not compromising?


Here is a few things I am willing to do and not do.

I will always

1.Be honest

2. listen

3. have integrity

4. Give all I have to work

5.put family first

I will never

1. work on Sundays

2.  care more about money than the customer

3. look for help from those I don’t trust.

4. be dishonest

5. compromise on quality standards

These are some things that are important to me.  I am not willing to give.  It made me think about Chick Fil A.  they will not compromise.  They are closed on Sundays.  They will not work and they have found that they have success because they are closed.  There is more to integrity or standards then not working on Sundays, but it is what it is. Sundays are a special day and when we are obedient, we will have success. 

Finding your calling

Entrepreneurship is is more than just having a business. It is more than making money.  Its's about finding your calling.  What do you want to do and share with the world. Is is a desire, a talent, an interest? It could be many different things. but the journey is what is important.

I want to start this journey by looking at a situation as though Im in their shoes and can figure out ways to make a difference. I think that first you have to find what you want to do.  Once you do.  You have do what it takes to make it happen. long hours, and lots of worry and tears, and great adventures and eventually freedom. with great trials come great joy.  It is really important to recognize the hero that is changing in the process.

I stumbled upon something that was pertinent to this weeks message of finding the calling in your journey is  from Leonardo da Vinci....

We have to not over complicate things.  We have to find simplicity in our business adventures so that we don't go crazy in the over complicated things that will naturally come along the way.  Business is a big complication and keeping things simple is important. 

Starting up but hold on for a long ride.

How can you keep the balance with your family and a new start up?
Steve Blank said, stay single.  In the church is this a doable thing?  It is a difficult concept to think about that being possible. There are things to do to preserve your family, but ultimately it has to be a family thing if this is what you desire to do.
Make rule, or start up will take over
you can balance... it just takes work.

You have to have a really good mentor, backup, support system.

I found this really great resource to find a business mentor...
https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/what-we-do/contact-sba

You can sear a small business mentor helper.  You can get on their signup as well to get responses back on the new information they have going out.

75% of all startups fail and with that you have to know that their is going to be times that are touch.
Every business plan is not going to be perfect, therefore you need people who can help advise you and and help you see how your movement is moving forward.  In Harvard business review, it says that typically it's five years for any income and profit ans cash flow.  That is a long time, so you have to be ready for the long haul.
Find the trust in those you support.  Find the backing in those that will tell you from experience
that you are doing good or where changes need to be made.




https://steveblank.com/
https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/what-we-do/contact-sba
https://hbr.org/2013/05/why-the-lean-start-up-changes-everything