Let’s face it. A not-so-successful business venture is a sad story. Things such as assets, efforts and even hope can be lost once a business fails. And perhaps, the owners of those businesses can’t stop wondering how their energies have resulted in such a waste.
Even though it’s rather easy to dwell in a sad and tearful state, moving on and “doing better next time” are actually the better options to do. So if you find yourself in such a seemingly-hopeless state today, just read this article. It’s never too late to start all over again and take these insightful pieces of advice into consideration:
1.) Imbibe and Cultivate Commitment, Optimism, & Knowledge
“The most noteworthy thing about gardeners is that they are always optimistic, always enterprising, and never satisfied. They always look forward to doing something better than they have ever done before.”
– Vita Sackville-West
In order for your business to be successful, you need to have a foundation that is invincible and invulnerable—one that starts within yourself. This is something that’s not easily found or developed, but nevertheless, it is learned and earned through experience.
The three basic ingredients for that strong foundation are commitment, optimism and knowledge. Without these components, you’re like superman with a kryptonite on a chest– easy to break, easy to lose. You need commitment, to move you in action; optimism, so your faith will lead you to achievement; and knowledge because without it, action is useless and faith is nonsense.
2.) Never Run Out of Ideas
“You are surrounded by simple, obvious solutions that can dramatically increase your income, power, influence and success. The problem is, you just don’t see them.”
– Jay Abraham
Nowadays, there is a variety of business ideas that you can start with. You can sell either a product or service. Just remember, being unique does not necessarily mean that you have to be 100% original. You’ll just have to make your offerings special so you have something that your competitors don’t have. Furthermore, brilliant business ideas are mostly based on diversity– people want what is new and popular. For instance, if you’re thinking of offering one of the “basic needs”– food, clothing or shelter, then you may want to lay down some style that’s new and interesting in order to get the attention of your market.
The secret here is to take a peek on reality. Everything is just in front of you. Learn to look around and listen deliberately in order to see what people need and want.
3.) Know Your Target Market
“The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.”
– Peter F. Drucker
Business is a battle field. You need a weapon, a shield and everything that could help you survive. Your ideas are your weapon and your shield is your mental outlook. This is where you’ll start your journey as a warrior.
Just like in a war, the next step after you’ve wielded your sword and armor is to figure out your targets. Should you start with the weak or with the tenacious ones? But in this case, you’re not going to literally fight! You’re just going to determine to whom your weapon will effectively work.
So let’s say your business idea turns out to be a product– is it more marketable to teenagers, adults, or kids? What if it turns out to be a service– is it in demand? You need to know the appropriate questions to ask and you should be able to answer it yourself. If you do, then you’ll have a better perception on who your target is.
Remember, you have to understand and identify what are your customer needs and always create a solution that will yield satisfaction to the marketer and to the end user.
Target locked?
4.) Prepare for Change and Employ Innovation
“We’ve never worried about numbers. In the market place, Apple is trying to focus the spotlight on products, because products really make a difference. You can’t con people in this business. The products speak for themselves.”
– Steve Jobs
One of the least simple, but nevertheless the most complex thing that you will ever encounter in this war zone is change. What you know today might not be the same tomorrow. In this case, you have to be prepared. Make sure that you will always choose quality over quantity because sooner or later you will see what reward it holds.
These are the fundamental things needed for one to start a business. These are simple, yet concrete concepts that you should remember to apply. Just like life and reality, first get hold of the basic commodities: food, clothing and shelter; and everything else will follow.
“The secret of business is to know something that nobody else knows.”
– Aristotle Onassis