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Real Life Entrepreneur Success Secrets

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Someone recently asked me to name my 3 most essential secrets for success as an Entrepreneur.

My initial response is that it is not possible to name the three most essential things / secrets / lessons to being a successful entrepreneur because as soon as you think of three, another three that arguably are equally important will come to mind.

But still I got to thinking – what would I select if I could only have three?

As you will see below it was such a challenge for me that I eventually settled on four ‘secrets’ – mainly because I thought the 4th one which would not normally feature on any list, so important. Also, I am not that comfortable with the word secrets any more, I far rather say they are real world business lessons learned in some cases the hard way by yours truly.

Four Real World Business Lessons for Success

business success secrets

Secrets To Long Term Success In Business

Let’s start with the obvious first….

Success Lesson No1 – Be Passionate!

Self-explantory I hope. Really without passion you are unlikely to get started never mind succeed in business. Passion is what motivates you to work the long hours, take the risks and not give up. People buy passion – if you are not passionate about your products and your mission how can you expect your customers to be?

I always feel Steve Jobs was a great example of a passionate leader — and look how that transferred to his staff and customers.

Passion is so important I am letting you have two of my favorite quotes on it below…

“One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.”
~ E. M. Forster

“Chase your passion, not your pension.”
~ Denis Waitley

Success Lesson No2 – TAKE DECISIVE ACTION

More times than I can count I have wannabe Entrepreneurs come to me with their ideas for a new business – sometimes the ideas are even quite original and good but yet I will meet this wannabe entrepreneurs a few months later or even a year plus later and the still have not got started.

They have taken no REAL action on their idea! Basically they have over thought things, are waiting for the perfect moment (which will never come) and feel more comfortable talking about what they are going to do rather than DOING! Now I’m not saying don’t have a business plan or do research here – what I’m saying is do your research / sound your idea with a few trusted friends and then launch the business.

Even if the business doesn’t succeed I’m a great believer in FAIL FAST (Failure is just road signs on the way to success and honest I promise you it is very rare to find the perfect moment to do anything never mind launch a business!)

Or as American writer Sarah Dessen has put it:

You can’t always get the perfect moment. Sometimes, you just have to do the best you can under the circumstances

Success Lesson No3 – Stay Focused, Stay Calm, Stay Centered

Look there will be plenty of challenges in any business – no matter if it is the start-up phase or you are a long established business. If there is anyone piece of advice I would have preferred to have learned earlier in my business career it is this – Stay Calm / Stay Focused.

You have launched your business – it is succeeding but without the ability to stay focused and calm when challenges arise you cannot hope for long term success.

With hindsight I can say that fortunately for me I learned my lesson about remaining calm as a young entrepreneur (aged 16) when one morning I woke up to discover that my website hosting company (and my website) had disappeared overnight. (Not only that, I had no backup!)

Was I upset – you bet I was! At the time I was super annoyed with the web-hosting company owners – in reality I had been scammed. Now I had every reason to be upset but it was not until I calmed down and started thinking of solutions rather than being upset that a solution came to me.

Sometimes you just have to accept what has happened and move on or as my Irish Grandmother likes to say “no point in crying over spilled milk”

How long did it take me to think of a solution – actually not very long at all once I calmed down. Fortunately it was only a small beginner website (but it meant the world to me at the time) and using Google and the Cache feature I was able to rebuild the bulk of my website very quickly.

Had I not calmed down and got my head around that issue who is to know, I might not even being doing what I am doing today. Being calm and thinking solutions in business is essential for long term success.

Solutions come from Calmness in my experience – rarely from being annoyed and upset.

The thing, when you’re down two sets to love, is to stay calm, even though it’s hard, because people are freaking out, people are worried for you ~ Rafael Nadal

Now for the vitally important last and final secret….and perhaps most important

Success Lesson No4 – Some People Will Disappoint You, Get over it!

This is some what related to No 3 and staying calm but really to me learning this lesson is so important I’d almost be tempted to make it my No1 lesson / secret to success.

OK, lets get this straight, not everyone will disappoint you, in fact very few will disappoint you but those that do can leave you feeling very sore and often angry.

In my business I have content writers, JV Partners, Programmers, Affiliates, Web Designers to name a few that I deal with daily.

Occasionally some of these individuals don’t deliver and what is more when they don’t delivery they will even try and make it out to be your fault. I have had people steal my ideas, copy my websites, abuse my intellectual property, steal my software, fail to pay commissions owed and generally be rat-bags!

When this first happened I will be honest it got me down big time. If I’m really honest, it still gets me down but these days I suppose I have just become more philosophical about it.

Being ‘wronged’ like this is of course not right and really I advise you to take whatever legal remedies are necessary to protect yourself. (We for example use a DMCA service which removes pirated copies of Popup Domination from around the internet)

That said there will be times when legal action is just not practical / worth it, actually a lot of times you just have to GET OVER IT!

Whatever it is that has gone wrong it will almost certainly have cost you time and money – but getting down in the dumps about it and being annoyed will not help much, if at all. Indeed being annoyed and angry is more likely to cost you even more money, because I promise you it is hard to be creative and upbeat and run a business when you are annoyed and angry.

Believe me – I have tried it!

As long as we are in business we will be learning – even when it goes wrong we learn something, even if it is only that we have discovered a method that does not work!

Instead about being angry ask yourself positive questions like…

What have I learned from this? (I have had a chance to practice not letting anger get the better of me!)
What is good about this situation? (really!!?)
What is there to be happy about right now? (I am still alive and building a better more profitable business from the lessons I have learned)

I won’t honestly say that I am over that feeling of disappointment that comes when an individual you trusted lets you down – or even one you don’t know rips of your products but I will say this, I am committed to minimizing the effect on my business and on me personally by getting over it DOUBLE QUICK these days.

Want a longer list?

I appreciate this is not the usual long list of points that I might be better known for in a post but I do hope you agree there might just be something new here that can benefit you and your business. What is more I’d love to have your thought in the comments below and even if you have something that is usually not mentioned to add yourself.

 

Frankly I wish I’d written it myself – it sums up so many of my own thoughts precisely. Real world advice that I fully recommend to you.

And one final quote that really resonates with me at present…from Paulo Coelho and his novel: Brida

When you find your path, you must not be afraid. You need to have sufficient courage to make mistakes. Disappointment, defeat, and despair are the tools God uses to show us the way.

FAQ about becoming successful in business

1. What are the most important qualities for success in business?

Some of the most important qualities for success in business include determination, perseverance, adaptability, creativity, leadership skills, and the ability to take calculated risks.

2. How can I develop a winning business strategy?

A winning business strategy should be based on a thorough analysis of your market, competitors, and customers. Develop a clear understanding of your unique value proposition and focus on delivering exceptional value to your customers. Continuously monitor and adjust your strategy as needed.

3. What are the best ways to build and maintain customer relationships?

Building and maintaining strong customer relationships requires effective communication, consistent delivery of high-quality products or services, and a commitment to providing excellent customer service. Listen to your customers, respond to their needs and feedback, and make sure that you are always exceeding their expectations.

4. How can I effectively manage my time as a business owner?

Effective time management is critical for business success. Prioritize your tasks based on their importance and urgency, delegate tasks whenever possible, and utilize tools and resources such as calendars, to-do lists, and project management software to help you stay organized and on track.

5. What should I do if my business encounters challenges or setbacks?

Challenges and setbacks are inevitable in business. It is important to stay positive, remain focused on your goals, and be willing to adapt to changing circumstances. Seek advice and support from other business owners or mentors, and don’t be afraid to make tough decisions if needed to keep your business on track.

Comments

  1. Thank You Michael, You always inspire me. I always refer your content to my readers and friends. You again inspire me with your new article. I got your points. Regards,
    Umar

    • Talha Khurshid Siddiqui says

      Well Michale, You’ve given 4 points but in my viewpoint first 2 points were enough which did mention.
      Point 2 and 4 are absolutely must to get real results, as Jim Rohn said “Motivation is not enough, if you have a idiot, and you motive him, now you have a motivated idiot”.

      So along with point 1, point 2 and 4 are really important, yet I agree point 1 always comes first.

  2. Great post Michael!

    I really like point #3. I’ve recently had to change over hosts thanks to a shabby company and I found myself wasting time trying to justify it by saying it wasn’t my fault so I shouldn’t fix it. End of the day, the company isn’t going to do anything to help me so I have to take action.

    Always looking ahead! Cheers.

  3. Darnell Jackson says

    Good one Michael,

    The best way to be decisive is to already have a plan.

    This is the biggest benefit of planning when you get to important intersections you know which way to turn.

    But still people get lost with a GPS?

  4. m.Faisal Iqbal says

    Good post Mike. It’s good to see you after a long time. I wanna know what projects are going on. Think you are busy in other ventures??

  5. Amazing !! Very true.. I’m sure this happens to everyone, my first website guy took over a 1000 and didn’t want to do anymore updates after the first revision.. So I scraped it ad found someone else…now I have unlimited updates..solved
    People are discusting, COD always with new customers.. Every time something goes wrong I just make a new rule, I spot the fakes so fast now… I use to be nice but i think business just turns you into a machine.. you like it cool You don’t go somewhere else.
    It’s unfortunate that I have to be tough now, but if your a nice guy people
    Walk all over you. Ya your right mistakes are amazing everything I didn’t succeed in brought be closer to where I’m at
    Great article I enjoy reading this stuff !!!
    Thanks
    J

  6. Hey michael,
    This is really cool post and particularly point 4. You can’t run a business angry, I have also tried it and it cannot work. Great post indeed!

  7. Good post as always. Inspiring….helpful!

  8. My Wealth Desire says

    I agree with number 3, stay focus. Successful entrepreneurs prepare a series of plans, steps and stay dedicated and focused towards their goal no matter what. They avoid any distractions that will burden or delay in attaining a profitable business.

  9. Very well said Michael. Thanks for these tips – staying centered is the best way to stay focussed and on target. With so many distractions online, this can be a difficult one to master.

  10. Great Post, man. We internet marketers have to realize that online it’s not easy but it takes work. Everything is a formula offline and in the internet marketing world.

  11. Nice post , you have to add another lesson
    “never quit”

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