Business Expert

Have you ever wondered why some people achieve small business success while others find themselves sitting on the sidewalk waving flags as the parade passes by?

Unfortunately, there are many external reasons why people fail.  But the good news is that most can be simply remedied through external solutions.  For instance, if your business lacks cash then you may need to seek creative financing methods.  

Or if lack of time is holding you back, then perhaps a few time-management courses are in order, or maybe it will take hiring an assistant.  The first step in breaking down external barriers is identifying them.  Then you can craft solutions that work best for you.  Once you remove those external barriers, success is simply a matter of time and perseverance.

On the other hand, internal barriers are a little more difficult to identify and to overcome – which is why it’s the topic of our discussion today.  

I have found that the biggest barriers to success are the internal ones we place on ourselves  that we dredge up from the deep, shadowy recesses of our minds.  In particular, these three are especially nasty:

Barrier #1:  Fear

Hands-down, fear is the biggest barrier to small business success.  Fear has kept countless millions of people from achieving their dreams – cowering in the corner afraid to venture outside the safe.  Some of these people fear failure; others fear success.  Some fear change, some fear sameness.  There are as many fears as there are people.  But one thing is for certain, all fears can be paralyzing if we allow hem to get a foothold in our thoughts and actions.

The best way to overcome fear is through cultivating courage.  

-    Start being deliberately courageous in the decisions you make regarding growth, risk, and day-to-day operations.  The more you practice courage the more courageous you will become.

-    Resolve to never again “take the easy road.”  Have a clear understanding of your beliefs and core values, so when situations come up, you know where you stand.  

-    Accept personal responsibility for the decisions you make, and encourage those around you to do the same.

-    Make sure the people you hire and promote are also courageous people.  Surround yourself with fearless people you’ll discover what a powerhouse organization you can become.

Courage can conquer fear and help speed us on our way to small business success.

Barrier #2:  Lack of Vision

Unfortunately, many small businesses are so focused on the day-to-day business of keeping the doors open  that they neglect this incredibly important  aspect.

Vision.

Vision is what defines who you are as a company, your core values, and your future aspirations.  It truly is your “reason for being.”  

Additionally, having a clear, strong vision motivates, inspires, and empowers your employees.  A vision that starts at the top and threads through the organization is an excellent loyalty and retention tool because employees like being part of a company that knows where it’s going and how to get there.  Remember, too, that your employees – more than anyone else – will be the driving forces behind your vision.  They will be the ones to bring your vision to fruition.  

If you don’t have a vision for your company, it’s time to develop one.  After all, if you don’t know where you want to go, how can you expect to get there?

Barrier #3:  Lack of Faith

I’ve heard it said by many wise people that you can only achieve that which you believe.  

Do you believe you can achieve your dreams of success?  Do you really believe it?  If not…why not!

If we don’t believe in ourselves and our ability to achieve, then success will always be just beyond our reach.  If you don’t have faith in yourself and your dreams, how can you expect anyone else to believe in you?

Truth is, some people lack faith because they are afraid to hope too much, fearing that they will be disappointed.  I say don’t just hope…expect!  Expect good things to happen! Have faith that you success is imminent!  

Let me tell you something:  wide-eyed optimism will take you and your company a heck of a lot further than always viewing life through the eyes of Eeyore.  

Believe in yourself.  Believe you can achieve…and you will.

On your road to success, don’t let barriers – either external or internal – detour you or stand in your way to realizing your dreams and  goals.  Face them down and get on with it.

© Copyright 2009, BusinessBurrito.  All rights reserved.

Most small business owners would agree that they want their businesses to grow. In order to achieve this desired growth, the small business must become recognizable; it must brand itself. There are literally millions of other organizations trying to steal your customers away from you on any given day. One simplistic method for enhancing your recognition is to obtain a toll free 800 number.

Having an 800 number can benefit your business in many ways. Let’s examine a few of them now:

• Perhaps most importantly, having a toll free number helps your business to establish the trust of potential consumers. Research has shown that consumers are 30 times more likely to offer their personal information when calling an 800 number. It makes them feel that they are dealing with a trustworthy organization that will be there for the long run.

• Customer satisfaction makes and breaks small businesses every day. The failure rates for small businesses are staggering. When you show your customers that you care enough to provide them an 800 number to call toll free, they feel appreciated. Studies show that consumers complain heavily of being made to pay long distance charges for customer service. Even in this modern age where phone calls are literally a dime a dozen, they expect a business of quality to provide this service.

• There’s a lot of competition in the world for all businesses – small or large. You need to stand out. A toll-free 800 number helps you to do that. Ask yourself if this is true. Which type of number stands out to you?

• 800 numbers are simply more professional than non-800 numbers. The consumer’s perception of your business’s professionalism means everything. Don’t make them feel like they’re dealing with a newcomer – an organization that is just trying to establish itself. Let them know that your organization is based on professionalism and customer service.

• Assuming your desire to grow your small business, you need to recognize that every single fortune 500 company has a toll free 800 number. Learn from the success of the successful.

• Fact: an 800 number is far easier to remember for people. They may not want to call or be able to call immediately upon hearing or seeing your number. The better that they can remember your number, the more likely they will be to call it. Do not make the mistake of placing too much faith in the memory of the general public. Burn your number into their minds – make it toll-free 800.

• In addition to the 800 prefix, it is good to use a vanity/custom phone number. This will be more easily embedded into their long-term memories. This enhances your branding. Think about 1 800 FLOWERS. Enough said.

• Having a toll free 800 number allows you the ability to communicate with your customers from anywhere. It broadens your reach.

• 800 numbers are not affected by changes in area codes. Besides being free to call, they are not location dependent. You will never have to change your business cards or the information on your other advertising mediums again.

If you are the owner of a small business and desire to increase your profits, recognition, professional image and branding, then you definitely need to obtain a toll free 800 number today. Why wait any longer? The benefits are many. The price is negligible. Take this first step in making your small business become the superstructure that you envision.

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Small business startup loans aims at providing financial help to people who want to start their own small business. Small business startup loans can be availed by both good credit holders and bad credit holders. It is basically of two types, secured and unsecured. To avail a secured small business startup loan you’ll have to place one of your properties as collateral against the loan amount. This can be any of your personal property like car, jewelry, bank balance or can be your commercial property also. On the other hand you don’t have to place any collateral in order to avail an unsecured small business startup loan, but the interest rate is slightly higher compared to secured small business startup loan. The loan amount that can be availed with small business startup loans ranges from £ 5000- £75000. The loan amount depends upon various factors like credit status, repayment ability, value of collateral etc. The repayment duration of small business startup loans is quite flexible and ranges from 5 – 25 years. The interest rate of small business startup loans is quite low. You can further lower it opting for secured small business startup loans. Lenders charge slightly higher interest rate from bad credit borrowers due to the risk factor.

There are certain prerequisites fro availing small business startup loans. These are

1. Business profile document- you will have to mention all the details regarding the type of business you want to start, what are the requirements, your plans to make it successful venture etc.

2. Loan request document- in this document you will have to mention the details regarding the type of loan, amount of loan, period for which you want to avail the loan etc. you can also mention any special perk that you want in this document.

Small business startup loans are very beneficial for people who want to start their own business. Small business startup loans carry competitive interest rate and flexible repayment duration. With small business startup loans you can avail large amount of money by placing collateral of high equity. If you want to pay smaller monthly installments, you can opt for longer repayment duration. Bad credit borrowers are also eligible to apply for small business startup loans. People suffering from bad credit status due to arrears, defaults, CCJ, IVA etc can increase their credit score by paying the loan installments on due time. Small business startup loans are the best option for people who want to start a new venture.