Determination And Grit Gets You Through
Determination goes very well together with discipline. Determination is deciding that something is a fact, or that you are firm about your position.
When you are determined to achieve something, you will do whatever it takes to achieve that result. It is a force of your mind that becomes evident, that will not take no for an answer. In your mind and your heart you have determined that there is an answer or solution and that you will discover it.
When you have determination, you push beyond resistance in your mind, which says you can’t do something, and you find a way to do and do it well. With that same determination, you push yourself physically beyond your comfort level, to new heights of success. You have determined in your mind the end outcome and until you have achieved that, you do not stop.
Through sheer determination alone, many people have achieved great results, and you can too. Determination with discipline, patience, focus, and stamina can propel you to great successes and great rewards.
Determination is the grit that gets you through a journey. It is the force of will to do all the little details just as well as the big ones. It is moving through and finding a way when there is no way. It is trying everything and then adding new things to get the results that you want. It is tapping into all your known resources, and pushing past your previous limits, to take the lead. You are constantly focused on how to achieve the results that you have set for yourself.
If you don’t know how to proceed, determination helps get you through the next phase, through the steps of learning, growing, and building, one step at a time and one process at a time. There is a strong place deep within you that you tap into when you are exhausted, stumped, or at a dead end. It is from this strong place that determination is born. It says, “I will not be defeated. I will get this task done.” It is here that you press on, that you make a decision not to quit.
It is because you have decided that what you are trying to achieve is important, and worthy for you to complete. You have felt in your heart that the outcome will be very good, or even great. All dreams require determination to make a reality. Anyone who accomplished something in this life had great determination to do so.
You can accomplish your dreams with determination. You can accomplish anything that you want. Be determined in an outcome and slowly but surely, or even quite rapidly you will see your dreams coming closer and finally become a reality. That is the greatest feeling in the world: when you have achieved something that you have set out to accomplish. No one can take that feeling, or the work that it took to accomplish it, away from you.copyright 2006 Yoga Kat
Yoga Kat teaches children’s yoga ages 3-6, 7-12yrs and Adults in NJ. The Author of the book DAUGHTER BELOVED and created a children’s affirmation CD and an adult affirmation CD. Available for speaking and reached at yogakat@verizon.net or 201 970-9340–COMING SOON -http://www.thecircleofpeace.com
What Is The Best Way To Backup Data?
Although businesses realize the severe loss associated with losing their data, a surprising majority still aren’t backing up. Most people have good intentions of implementing some sort of backup service, but aren’t entirely sure where to begin. Here we’ll take a comparative look at 3 types of information backup plans: direct access storage, tape backup drives, and online storage.
Direct Attached Storage:
The best thing about direct attached storage is that it’s easy to access the information if your main drive is lost. Data in its correct form can be accessed right from the direct attached storage drive and you can quickly go on with you life.
For most small to medium sized businesses, a direct access storage unit is the most logical option. The backups can be scheduled to occur automatically and do their job consistently and regularly without the need for a person to manage it full time. The size of a direct access storage unit is often plenty of room for a small to midsized business.
Tape Backup Drives:
There are 3 main benefits to keeping a tape library with a tape backup drive.
Off Site Storage – The first benefit is that the data can be stored off site to reduce risk of loss of both your primary data and your backup data due to fire, flooding, or other natural disasters.
Unlimited Storage Capacity – For businesses that have a great deal of data, not using tape backup drives means filling up numerous hard disks, which doesn’t make sense economically. Instead of purchasing a new storage unit each time the drive is full, a new tape can be placed into the existing hardware and the full tape can be added to the tape library.
Chronological Records – Direct access storage and online storage solutions often present the storage of only the most current document as an asset. In most cases, having only the most current document is all that matters. However, many businesses require ‘snapshots’ of various documents throughout their lifespan and a tape library is an excellent way to accomplish this. With a tape backup drive, you can look back on a document such as a customer contract during different stages of its development to look for critical variations.
Online Data Backup:
Online data backup services can cost $1500 per year on the low end for just one Window based computer. While convenient, the cost may not be justifiable for many small businesses who can buy a tape backup drive or a direct access storage drive for a fraction of the yearly cost of an online service. Also, you’ll want to do a good deal of investigation as to how safe your data actually is.
The obvious benefit to an online service is that the data is being stored outside of the office and better dispersed. In the event of a fire, it’s best to have your data in multiple locations so to reduce risk. However, this can also be achieved by storing tape libraries in a remote location or fire resistant safe.
Because each business is different, there is no one right way to handle information backup. Companies who specialize in backup products can be a great source for information and consultation as to which type of backup system to choose. If you’re not backing up your information now, make it a goal to have a system implemented by the end of the month. It’s a natural tendency to put off preventative measures as long as everything is fine today. Once you implement a system it can, for the most part run on its own and you’ll be back to business as usual with an even greater sense of security.
Author is a writer for Sunstar Company which specializes in direct attached storage and tape back drives. For additional information you can visit http://www.SunstarCo.com.
You Got An Idea So What Do You Do Next?–Tips On Starting Your Own Business Part 1
So you are a young entrepreneur with a hot idea that you are sure that will be the next big thing. You are gung ho to start your own business but you don’t know what any of that entails.
How do you begin? From the very first moment you have to decide where you want to end up and you have to visualize the end result and begin to analyze the cost before you proceed. What is your goal? Is it just to have a business? What kind of business will you have? Will you sell something or deliver service? Is it your own invention or someone else’s product? Will this be part time or full time? From an office? Storefront? Home? Or door to door?
Before you begin to spend your last dollar you need to visualize, as much you can, the steps you will need to take to get you where you would like to be. Doing this will help you understand what you want and what you don’t want and where you really need to spend your money.
Some of the questions that you will ask yourself are; What am I selling? Who is my most likely customer? How will my customer find me? How will I get my product to my customer? Which method of selling will it entail? Post card and direct mail? Stores? Wholesale? Face to face contact? Phone sales? Flyer delivery? Push Cart? What do you feel most comfortable with? What is the part of the business that you most like to do? If you are a chef and you are too shy to talk to your customers and just prefer to work your magic in the kitchen, then you will need to hire someone who a) likes people, b) genuinely likes selling and c) may even have a professional background in selling. At the very least it should be your partner or your friend who has a gift of the gab and is thrilled with your product. Once again determine how much it will cost you, before you begin.
If you write a business plan most of these questions will be answered. This is a good thing to do because it keeps your goals and your plan immediately in front of you, and it show your target spending goals and earning goals. If you find yourself slightly off course or far off course, reflecting back on your business plan can bring you back on track and keep you organized and pushing forward towards your goals. It also helps you to make adjustment if your original idea was bluey!
You should know that most small business owners out of necessity have to wear many hats. They have to manage the books, create the product, talk the talk, create the promotional and marketing material, create new avenues of selling and product distribution, and close the store, or lock up the push-cart at the end of the day.
You also have to do some homework to find out if there is a similar product being marketed and how is that product being marketed and at what cost? They would be your direct competition. But just because they are competition doesn’t mean that you can’t also succeed with your product or services. The exact opposite is most often true. If there are a few out there selling or marketing similar services, it usually means that yours will also sell. If someone doesn’t like one place they can move down the block to the next person or business that is selling the same. If you are in the right place at the right time, and your price is right, that could be you. That is one of the keys to succeed in business.
The other is consistency. If you begin to develop a customer base, they have to be able to find you consistently; and you have to be able to deliver consistently what you promise, and you need to stay in touch with them on a consistent basis.
If you have the push-cart first on Second Ave and then on Tenth and then back on Lemoine, your customer will give up trying to find you to buy the sandwich or tostada from you. Day in and day out you have to be at that designated spot, and you have to be there in the rain, in the snow, in the hot sun and with ample product. If you get your product from some other source, you have to have a reliable distributor, if not you have to find one who is reliable and who takes your account or business as seriously as you do even if you are only placing relatively small orders. If you are consistent at delivering, and keeping in touch with your customers, and consistent at ordering pretty soon you will be placing larger and more frequent orders. copyright 2006 Yoga Kat
Yoga Kat teaches children’s yoga ages 3-6, 7-12yrs and Adults in NJ. The Author of the book DAUGHTER BELOVED and created a children’s affirmation CD and an adult affirmation CD. Available for speaking and reached at yogakat@verizon.net or 201 970-9340–COMING SOON -http://www.thecircleofpeace.com
You Got An Idea So What Do you Do Next?–Tips On Starting Your Own Business Part 2
Probably in the beginning everything will be small. So act accordingly. Do not make monster orders without knowing that you will be able to sell all of the order. You don’t want to have a huge inventory in the beginning so that you can keep your cost down.
Sell out most of what you got and get orders coming in before you invest in thousands of dollars of merchandise. Test everything; the products with your customers or potential customers, test ads that you run to see how many orders it pulls in, test location, test method of marketing, test small changes in wording, logos, designs etc…
Still before you begin you have to decide how you will create your business entity. Will you be a sole proprietor? An LLC? A Corporation or a general partnership? At first this may not be necessary but it will be necessary further down the road. Focus on what you would like to achieve? If your goal is to work at home so that you can be with your kids, and you just want to make a few hundred dollars per week, it probably is not necessary to incorporate.
Planning as much as possible is key, analyzing the cost that is absolutely imperative for you to start, maintain, and to grow your business consistently. Next you must get orders, you must get your name in front of the buyers in the most cost effective manner possible, work a plan of action to do so. Take consistent steps, cut your cost as much as you can without cutting quality, and you must keep in your mind exactly where you wish to end up. Visualize yourself and your business from beginning to end.
According to the Small Business Administration, most small business fail because they are undercapitalized. That means they don’t have the money to jump on an opportunity for growth, or to keep their products well stocked, or spend money when it is imperative for their business. Instead of jumping head first into a new business, and losing your shirt, it might be better to plan it and put away some money for a period of time, such as six months, one year or two years for the eventually launching of your business. You need to have enough money to be able to sustain yourself and your business for about six months to one year.
Another way of acquiring capital is with a joint venture partner who puts up the money, or through a loan. If you have a home equity line of credit you could use it to capitalize your business. If you don’t have those avenues available to you, you may have to maintain a full time job and do your own business on the side until it can be your only source of business.
You should decide upon a brand or logo and signage for your business so that you can build product recognition. This is also a cost effective solution of advertising if your personnel, trucks and packages have your contact info, logo and phone number on everything that goes out. Make it clear for your customer to read, get in touch with you and order or reorder.
You would be surprised at how careless people are with their signage. This is a reflection of you and the quality of your products. I have seen signs with misspelled words, incomplete phone numbers, disconnected or no phone number at all. I have seen signs with the words crammed together, or with scratch-outs, to make it unreadable, and confusing. You don’t want your potential customer walking past you because he/ or she doesn’t know what you offer.
If you’re marketing, keep it simple. For an example at a quick read, “TASTY CHICKEN TOSTADAS” is more effective than Marguarita’s and Dave’s tasty extraordinary, famous, Mexican Tostadas in chicken with a fine sauce or meat in a cream sauce. You have about ten to thirty seconds to make an impact and consequently a sale with your customer.
All this planning prior to your launching is not to intimidate you but for you to know how much it will cost you, to clearly target your customer, and what marketing method will work best in getting them, and keeping them, what products do you need on hand immediately, and to plan an effective campaign that will take you to your goals of starting and of course succeeding in your business. Even though you have to do the work prior to, during, and on an on-going basis don’t let this stop you from fulfilling your dreams of your own business.
Take some time today to envision yourself and where you want to be in one year, three years, five years or ten. If you don’t like the outcome, now is the only time you have to change your future. You can make it happen!! Take action and do it now!!!! At least start!! There is really no perfect time to start. You will not have all the elements perfectly in place but if you don’t start to take steps to accomplish your goals now, the years will come and go swiftly whether you are fulfilled or not. copyright 2006 Yoga Kat
Yoga Kat teaches children’s yoga ages 3-6, 7-12yrs and Adults in NJ. The Author of the book DAUGHTER BELOVED and created a children’s affirmation CD and an adult affirmation CD. Available for speaking and reached at yogakat@verizon.net or 201 970-9340–COMING SOON -http://www.thecircleofpeace.com
70 Ways For Home Buyers To Save Money When Buying A Home: Tip #7
Tip #7 in our series on how to save money when buying a house is: Use Down Payment Assistance
Not enough money for the down payment? You might be surprised to hear that there are people who are willing to give you money for your down payment. How much they give you varies, but in many cases you do not have to give this money back.
There are several non-profit organizations that provide grant money to homebuyers. There is usually a small fee if you get approved. The amount given to you does not need to be repaid ever and can be as much as several thousand dollars. Some organizations limit the amount to $50,000. Others limit it to 6% of the sales price of the house.
If you are having trouble saving enough for the down payment, it might be wise to check into these types of programs They are available in almost every city.
You do not need to be a first-time homebuyer either. But there are a few limitations. Normally the house you purchase might have to be in a certain part of town. Secondly the loan you get must allow down payment assistance. FHA loans and conforming loans are usually ok. But these require pretty good credit to qualify for so this might be a problem if you have less then perfect credit. Also, your lender must be approved with the agency that is providing the down payment assistance to you. There is also a limit on the purchase price.
Finding a down payment assistance company to work with is relatively easy. If you have a real estate agent or mortgage broker that you are already working with have them look into it. You can also do a quick search on the internet. Just use your favorite search engine and do a search on “your town down payment assistance”.
Most of the down payment assistance programs will have you complete some sort of homebuyer education class before they give you any money. Some even review all your debts with you and try to help you position yourself better for getting a loan.
In most cases there is a processing fee. The fee is not returned if you do not qualify for the program. This fee can be paid by you, your lender, or the seller of the house.
In some programs, in order for the buyer to quality the seller of the house must agree to make a donation to the program if the house closes. Many sellers are not willing to do this. But you might be able to talk a seller into it by telling them to raise the sales price of the house. In this way, you can get into the house with zero money down. Or the down payment assistance program might be able to help you locate homes with sellers that have already agreed to participate in the program.
Many builders love these programs because they can use them to sell their inventory homes that are hard to sell to regular buyers. And since builders make so much money on each home they can easily agree to participate in a down payment assistance program. For them, it is better to make a little less on a house and sell it, instead of it sitting empty getting older, and paying interest on the money they borrowed to build it.
Abby Kamadia, is a mortgage consultant, and real estate broker in Houston Texas. For the 69 other free articles on saving money when you buy a house visit http://www.2percentback.com