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Gain Control of Your Business & Life

It is easy at this point in time to feel out of control. With the economic climate, client shortages, lack of funding it is no wonder that we hear that 80% of businesses fail within the first year. Half of the time we are running in a direction that leads us to a place we no longer want to be. Life is busy and technology that was meant to free up our time is costing us valuable time.

However, there are things we can do to move our business forward. Re-evaluating our business, and ensuring we are doing the right things, taking the right action and living within our truth. Is your brand working? If not then getting out there to market is vital during this time. Be seen and help others to understand your business, market yourself so people see you as the expert to go to. Networking also is important at this time as relationships are key.

Excellent customer service and customer tracking will help keep you and your team on the same path. So now you have control over your company but you are still looking for satisfaction. You’re trying to figure out if what you are doing is really what you want to do!

Well, focus can be a wonderful thing however in today’s economy and technological advancements and speed, having multiple skill sets is vital. Being adaptable and a quick study can mean the difference between wanting success and achieving it. What are the new trends, keep your eyes open to jump on opportunities that compliment your business.

Learn about technology and embrace the changes that are occurring in today’s world. This can all be done while still honouring your spirit, staying connected with mind and body. Being at peace with yourself will help you and your business be successful.

It all starts with you and your Attitude. Your customers will also sense it. Do your customers want to buy your products over the competition? Are you recognized as an expert in your field? The best question is are you in the right industry doing the right things at the right time? Do you love what you do and if you don’t… why are you there? I once read that if you are experiencing conflict between your business and personal life, that it’s a sign that you are in the right business. Meaning if you spend so much time working you lose track of time… this is a good indication that you love what you do. Now of course remember that family and friends are what carry you through and are most important however loving what you do will create business success for you.

You have to have passion in order to succeed in the way that happiness will bring. If you don’t love your business it will show and everyone around you will suffer for it. If that happens do what you can to work it and get it ready to sell and get rid of it. Waiting until your unhappy will only add to your suffering and the business will suffer as a result. You want to feel exuberated, exhilarated not drained and worried.

Understanding the problems and fixing them can help you move forward and achieve what it is you really love and are passionate about, and that is worth everything. It will help others in your life be much happier, and will lead you towards your brilliance.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? Feel Free. Simply include this blurb with it: Darcelle Runciman is Author, Mentor and CEO of Strategic Biz Builder. Darcelle mentors entrepreneurs and small business owners how to use systems and their brilliance to increase their profits and create mo*ney making businesses by showing you steps to take to gain clarity and retain that balance that we all strive for. Darcelle works with groups, through tele-classes, through her online products, and her Adventure Mentoring Programs. For more information visit www.darcellerunciman.com and sign up for her Fr*ee audio on 12 -Tips to Profiting in Business, and her Fr*ee Ezine “Inspired Business”. Also check out www.strategicbizbuilder.com.

Networking 101

NETWORKING

There are many groups out there and locally that you could go to and join for meeting people and networking.You can find local groups on facebook, linkedin, and meetup just to name a few, are all business networks which are all online leads for meeting people. Here are some basics for people just starting out, or looking for a refresher.

BENEFITS:

So what are the benefits of networking and how is it done? Well networking allows you to meet others in business, ask questions about how you can assist them and how they can help you. It is a win win and give and take scenario.

It is important when going to a network meeting or event that you have an understanding of what your business is trying to portray, what’s called your “30 second” elevator speech. That is what you would say if you were in an elevator and had only 30 seconds to tell someone about your business and have them interested enough to want more information from you.

It is also good to have in your mind before you go into a room 2 or 3 goals that you would like to accomplish for that event. Whether it is to find the answer to a question, get a lead for your business or make a new customer. Of course remembering that you are having that intention however you are going in with an open mind and not the “pushy type.”

It enables us to have self mastery which is about making the most of the resources that are available to us. There are tons of ways you can get free advice and support on a variety of topics that will help you when you are starting out in business. For example local small business centres, offer a wide range of free services. You’re your local centre for more information. It is about taking action for yourself and being prepared for your new business or present business.

My father in law is a farmer so I think of it like a farmer’s field. If the first row of ploughing is off, then the rest of the field will be off. So we need to look at the starting point which is ourselves and what is happening with us first. Networking will help us get out there and show people what we all have to offer.

So what is the best way to network? Well having great eye contact when you meet the person, smiling, and having a firm handshake is extremely important because that first impression is important. There is nothing worse than shaking a limp hand! Or a wet one! So being aware of your presense, body language, voice inflection and how you say things are all important to making a great first impression.

Who you are, what you do and what problem you can solve will give the person a quick indication of what you do. Always ask the person what they do and how you can help them. It opens up a dialogue for conversation and good flow.

Here are some other questions as suggestions:

1. What is your business and what do you do?
2. What is your target market?
3. How can I help you?
4. What is the best marketing method that has worked for you?
5. What kind of referrals are you looking for your business?
6. What social media networking works best for your business?
7. What problem in the market do you solve?
8. Where is your business located and how long have you been in business?

All of these questions open a dialogue and will help you if you are not used to networking.

EXERCISE: As an exercise in a networking situation, pick a partner, someone you do not know. You are going to walk up to them and make eye contact, shake their hand and in 1 min. tell them who you are, what your business is or what business you want to explore, and what help you are looking for. Then switch-  you are going to do it again for your partner. The goal here is to be aware of handshake, smile or not, approach and then you can talk about it generally afterwards and give the person feedback.

So example, I’m Darcelle and I help business owners and entrepreneurs create financial growth and sustainability for their business, and I offer strategic steps to help them ensure they are accessing their brilliance.

So build your business by finding great partnerships and not trying to do it all on your own. Building great relationships and having open communication with people and learning from them. Networking and getting out there and realizing that everyone is in the same boat when they enter the room and have to think about what small talk they are going to have so being prepared is important.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? Feel Free. Simply include this blurb with it: Darcelle Runciman is a Mentor, Author and CEO of Strategic Biz Builder.  Darcelle  mentors entrepreneurs and small business owners how to use systems and their brilliance to increase their profits and create mo*ney making businesses by showing you steps to take to gain clarity and retain that balance that we all strive for. Darcelle works with groups, through tele-classes, through her online products, and her Adventure Mentoring Programs. For more information visit www.darcellerunciman.com and sign up for her Fr*ee audio on 12 -Tips to Profiting in Business, and her Fr*ee Ezine “Inspired Business”. Also check out www.strategicbizbuilder.com

Partnerships

This is part one of a 2 part series on Partnerships & Networking. Today, I will be talking about Partnerships. 

We all have heard the saying “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Well we are going to touch on how to use collaboration, relationships and Networking to move your business forward.

When we talk about Partnerships there are various topics we can talk about. Here are a few we can touch on. There can be;

Business Partnering- where you have a partner in your business and it is registered as such. The official definition is a legal association of two or more persons who share in the risks of financing and managing a business and in its profits. In order to establish the terms of the relationship and to protect partners in the event of a disagreement or dissolution of the business, a partnership agreement should be drawn up with the assistance of a lawyer.

There is a general partnership, where two or more owners share the management of business, and each is personally liable for all the debts and liabilities of the business. This means that each partner is responsible and must assume the consequences of the actions of the other partner (s)

 A Limited partnership may involve limited partners who contribute capital only. Limited partners do not contribute to the management of the business and are personally responsible only for the amount of capital they have contributed. A limited partnership may also involve general partners. They are fully liable for the debts and obligations of the business, but may be entitled to a greater share of the profits. Partnerships also come under provincial jurisdiction.

 Advantages of a partnership:

Ease of formation

Low Start up costs

Additional sources of investment

Possible tax advantages

Disadvantages

Unlimited liability

Divided authority

Difficulty of raising new capital (based on the individual more than the company)

 Other forms of Partnerships can be:

Joint venturing- Joint Venture Partner’s is another way you may have heard it called. It is where you join hands with another business to move forward on a project but that person may not be involved in your business from a legal standpoint.

An example of this is working on a project together like Strategic Biz Builder does with Real Life Changes Productions to produce an educational business CD or IPod and ITunes, the examples are endless. They are separate entities but joined hands to deliver today’s information to the world.

Bartering- This is where a company works hand in hand to offer the other something that they need in exchange for something. This is very useful for small businesses who may not have the extra funds for instance to pay for a service but has the need. Here you are not bidding for price but sharing expertise equally for the good of both parties.

 The benefits of these types of partnerships are it can help you generate ideas. It can open new markets that you may never have thought of, and you can share risks and costs of whatever venture you are working on with that person or company.

Expanding your thinking about how partnerships can work for you will bring many opportunities in your life. Your business can be in a completely different industry and you can still benefit from the relationship. So begin to build those partnerships and relationships, as collaboration is one of the keys to running a successful business.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? Feel Free. Simply include this blurb with it: Darcelle Runciman is a Mentor, Author and CEO of Strategic Biz Builder.  Darcelle  mentors entrepreneurs and small business owners how to use systems and their brilliance to increase their profits and create money making businesses by showing you steps to take to gain clarity and retain that balance that we all strive for. Darcelle works with groups, through tele-classes, through her online products, and her Adventure Mentoring Programs. For more information visit www.darcellerunciman.com and sign up for her Free Ezine “Inspired Business.”Also check out www.strategicbizbuilder.com.

What Really Matters

Being inspired is something that comes naturally to me. I love being outdoors, enjoying life, family, and friends and learning everyday. However with a successful business, or should I say….businesses there are times when that can take a back seat. Being in business for over 11 years as a successful entrepreneur, I have learned what it takes to run a successful company, the importance of systems, and the importance of relationships in business.

This year so far has personally been about having the right relationships, with the right people, during the right time, and personal growth. Now I am not just talking about business here, but also your family and about knowing when is the right time to put the focus back on family and their value. I believe having a passion for your business is extremely important. I often discuss discovering your brilliance and how it is passion that drives us. However, having a recent death in the family and remembering to take time with loved ones which I did, is what’s really important.

I have been accused of being overly passionate about my work, but I do also believe that balance is what keeps us sane. This is the inspiration for me, behind “Inspired Business”. It is about having that passion for your business, and your life and being able or at least willing to be in balance with both. It is about understanding that while we are in business to profit and excel in life, that real true pleasure and fulfilment come from the balance with spirit, nature, and the ones we love including ourselves.

I look forward to this journey with you while we explore the variety of ways to excel in business, life, and learn from each other as we are all connected for this short time on this earth.

My personal slogan is “Live Life on Fire”. Enjoy life and live it to the fullest. Remember you can have it all if you want it you just need the right balance to support having it all, the drive to move forward, great relationships, and persistence to see it through.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? Feel Free. Simply include this blurb with it: Darcelle Runciman is a Mentor, Author and CEO of Strategic Biz Builder. Darcelle mentors entrepreneurs and small business owners how to use systems and their brilliance to increase their profits and create money making businesses by showing you steps to take to gain clarity and retain that balance that we all strive for. Darcelle works with groups, through tele-classes, through her online products, and her Adventure Mentoring Programs. For more information visit www.darcellerunciman.com and sign up for her Free Ezine “Inspired Business.”Also check out www.strategicbizbuilder.com.

Is Your Business Right for You?

Remember the days when you could say what you wanted to do and you would have that job for life if it suited you? Well, those days are gone with the age of technology and now there are many skill sets we must have or delegate out. Getting out of old patterns and do something different to move your business forward are keys aspects of business today.

Spending time on your marketing, getting the word out about your brand, your product and service are all vital. Having a basic knowledge of the skills necessary to run a business and being adaptable are keys. Learning new things, new ways of marketing and keeping up in today’s market can define how competitive you are. Are you filling a need with your business? If not create one for customers so they see your value. Today there is a technology gap that is creating various differences in how companies operate, so knowing your customers and understanding technology to move forward will make you stand out. Standing out is not all that is necessary though, you also need to know that you are in the right business for you.

Are you passionate about what you do? If there is a conflict between your personal life and your business life in that you meld the two, then this is probably the right business for you. Being passionate about your work, or business is a lead into your brilliance. You have to be passionate about what you do, or you will be doing a disservice to your customers, and the relationships around you.

I describe passion or finding your brilliance as something that you love to do, it gives you a “suffering” of sorts, and you would do it even if you were not paid to do so. It speaks to the very core of your being. For example, I love to help people in business and see the change in people when they begin to move forward in a clear direction toward a path that they wanted to achieve and just needed help to get there. It gives me great satisfaction to know I am helping the person, their business and indirectly their customers and family in the process. As a mentor assisting and watching people flourish and take action is my passion.

So are you fit for your business? Do you still have passion for what you are doing? Do you love to find out more information on your subject, stay up reading and learning about how to run your business better with drive and love for what you do? Is your business or you known for your expertise? Does your company engage in the current technology? If you can say yes to these questions then you love what you do and it shows. We were always meant to start at doing what we love. Loosing time with what you love to do is a sure sign that you are in the right field and it still speaks to your spirit. It is so vital to your future happiness.

So take time and explore what you are doing in your current role and if you are truly happy with it or just going with the motions. As I have said to many people, you can still find that love in a business or job that may not completely speak to you until you find out what you are brilliant at. To do this start to look at the small tasks you do in each day that did speak to you and that you lost time in. See if you can convert more of that into your present job or business. If there is just no way to do this over time, only then should you look at possibly making a change.

This is a process that takes time so be patient with it and know that once you do find your passion, that your work, your job, your business, will give you a feeling of bliss. Being open to process is the first step. Enjoy the journey and let spirit guide you on the path to achieving harmony in your business and your life.

“Discovering your brilliance gives you energy, and rewards you and others, more than anything else you will do.” Darcelle

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? Feel Free. Simply include this blurb with it: Darcelle Runciman is a Mentor, Author and CEO of Strategic Biz Builder. Darcelle mentors entrepreneurs and small business owners how to use systems and their brilliance to increase their profits and create money making businesses by showing you steps to take to gain clarity and retain that balance that we all strive for. Darcelle works with groups, through tele-classes, through her online products, and her Adventure Mentoring Programs. For more information visit http://www.darcellerunciman.com and sign up for her Free Ezine “Inspired Business.”Also check out www.strategicbizbuilder.com

From Fear to Confidence

Walking through what your fears are, your values, and where your limiting beliefs came from are vital to you moving forward in your business. You may think ok, these are just things I need to figure out but it has nothing to do with my business.

Business Mentor- Author- Speaker

It has everything to do with it. If your limiting belief is that I can’t achieve what I want in my business because;

I’m too busy, It’s just the way I am, or people just don’t understand me… reflecting on where these ideas came from and looking at if you are being authentic with yourself…. and if they are truly your beliefs…. may reveal something different for you.

Who are you really? What do you really believe? Lorraine Harvey has a wonderful story she tells in our recorded teleseminar which you can download by visiting one of our websites about how her daughter had a limiting belief around a simple subject that was passed down for generations. Generations! It is a great funny story of how true this can be for all of us! How one idea that is passed down determines how we see the world and what we accept as truth but whose truth is it really?

Where are you in your own way? What steps can you take to move forward? Understand your values, know where those beliefs came from and challenge everyone of them until you know at your core that those values are yours because only you are going to make the choice of how you will live.

Understanding that you are the reflection of who you believe you are is significant especially if you are looking for lasting change. So look at those beliefs to make damn sure they are yours and not your ancestors is a great place to start. lol

Yes…then there is something else….  A Big one….    

Confidence in ourselves and our abilities is everything! Becoming self aware you realize what you are really hiding, and what things are really limiting you from moving forward.

I talk about discovering your brilliance in the powerful thinking teleseminar and about how understanding your strengths is all about energy and creating that space of acceptance and self worth that then allows you to look at yourself in a whole new way.

Believing in yourself your skills and your brilliance, understanding your values and limiting beliefs …and pushing through your fears despite them… are all the vital ingredients for that success you are looking for in your business and personally… and when you find that strength in yourself you will begin to believe that anything is possible.

Now on the business side, once you are ready to take action for your business, here are 5 quick steps to help:

1. Ensure you have an exit strategy,
2. Make your marketing message clear,
3. Take advantage of social media and use it for promotion of your business
4. Understand who your target market is, and what their triggers are, and show them the benefits while creating emotion.
5. Think BIG!!! What are your big goals for the remaining year and next? You have to have big goals in order to move forward if you want to tap into more than just a small portion of the local market. What is your plan? What’s your strategy?

Some of my goals are to help people worldwide, and to become one of the biggest philanthropists in the area. So this will take work, perseverance and dedication, and my Drinks with Darcy program is one of the things that helps me get there. Some of the proceeds go to KIVA Loans, which help working poor around the world.

My Passion is working with business owners and entrepreneurs and looking at their business strengths to assess if they are working with a solid strategy for growth, and if not to plan ways to help them Rock their business.

You can hear more about these topics by downloading two different products which are  7 Blocks in Business and how to fix them! With Rose-Anne Kumpunen and myself.  You can go to www.businessblockbustersnow.com to access the free download and then purchase the full teleseminar recording. Our full program is coming Nov 20^th so keep posted!!!!

You can also learn about Power Thinking, and steps to personal and business success by visiting www.strategicbizbuilder.com  or www.lorraineharveyseminars.com to purchase the download.  You can also find out more about what I do and sign up for my weekly EZINE on www.darcellerunciman.com  These programs are meant to help you get your business closer to the success you deserve by taking concrete steps towards learning how to create that framework for your business.

I look forward to working with more of you to help take your business to the next level. “Remember to Inspire yourself daily, Plan your business wisely, and Create a Living worth living for.” Darcelle

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? Feel Free. Simply include this blurb with it: Darcelle Runciman is a Mentor, Author and CEO of Strategic Biz Builder.  Darcelle  mentors entrepreneurs and small business owners how to use systems and their brilliance to increase their profits and create mo*ney making businesses by showing you steps to take to gain clarity and retain that balance that we all strive for. Darcelle works with groups, through tele-classes, through her online products, and her Adventure Mentoring Programs. For more information visit www.darcellerunciman.com and sign up for her Fr*ee audio on 12 -Tips to Profiting in Business, and her Fr*ee Ezine “Inspired Business”. Also check out www.strategicbizbuilder.com

Wake up and do what it takes!

Being INSPIRED is about more than just feeling good. It is about having a passion or drive to do what it is you do best, and the ability to transform it into your business to help and fulfill others on their quest to become what they choose. Strategic Biz Builder helps to inspire Plan and Create by taking action. Doing what it takes! This is what we love about Entrepreneurs. When we start out in business we are told we should do a business plan, set up a website and some products and begin our business. However is this really what will move us forward or do it does it set us up for failure? The great debate continues…. What we do know is that having a vision of your company, living with intention, and taking concrete steps with some out of the box thinking is what gives you the momentum toward success. If you have the passion, and the drive to make things happen along with the intention and the balance to do it, all is possible. There is a shift out in the world and those that embrace it will be successful not only in business but in creating what will lead us to a new generation of “being”. Here are 5 quick steps to help you create the path to your vision.

1. We have choices, take action to move forward.

2. We must have Patience, control your limited beliefs.

3. Never Give Up, persistence is key.

4. Be a problem solver with “out of the box thinking”.

5. Have a purpose and a passion for what you are doing. When we have more reasons to climb that mountain to see the beautiful view from the other side, the fun of the exploration, and the confidence it will bring, that is when our desire outweighs the loss of a bit of comfort. Take the chance on yourself and achieve what you were meant to do by following your passion.

More on this article at TPE website on their blog which was originally written for Vividlife.me.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? Feel Free. Simply include this blurb with it: Darcelle Runciman is Author, Mentor and CEO of Strategic Biz Builder. Darcelle mentors entrepreneurs and small business owners how to use systems and their brilliance to increase their profits and create mo*ney making businesses by showing you steps to take to gain clarity and retain that balance that we all strive for. Darcelle works with groups, through tele-classes, through her online products, and her Adventure Mentoring Programs. For more information visit http://www.darcellerunciman.com and sign up for her Fr*ee audio on 12 -Tips to Profiting in Business, and her Fr*ee Ezine “Inspired Business”.

7 Biggest Business Blocks and How to Fix Them

Uncovering what are your blocks and how to fix them can be a daunting task. That is why Rose-Anne Kumpunen and myself are looking to help get you past those blocks to move forward in your business. 7 biggest business blocks and how to fix them is about understanding what blocks your thought process and how to move forward and shows you lessons learned from big business and our experiences so you too can move on to BIG success!!!

To find out more and receive a free gift go to www.businessblockbustersnow.com

Darcelle Runciman & Rose-Anne Kumpunen

How I Ran a Million Dollar Company

The power of our thoughts and how it relates to what we can achieve is astounding. I am going to briefly touch on the things that helped me take a thought of owning a business to creating a multi-million dollar company. It all started off with a dream, a dream of leaving my job at the time to move into something exciting and new. As one never to sit still for very long, I was ready to see if I could make it in the business world. I had worked in many great companies and management roles, and knew people really well so I thought why the heck not!  

What I didn’t know was that being an Entrepreneur and small business owner can be tough work! But I was going to find out about that very quickly! So here is the quick version…. Started with a bit of money, got investors, had a vision, had a solid system, build the company with mediocre employees, then learned how to have great employees and really build a team environment. We were the first in the areas we chose and filled a need, took action and advertised like crazy and tried new things. We showed the customer we cared, valued our staff and investors, and had TONS of ups and downs until we got it right! It took many years to build it up to what it was and the biggest hurdle and success was finally selling it and letting it all go.

Now this business after year 2 was making great money, and investors were happy, however there were times when things were tight and economics, unforeseen construction, renovations, staff turnover really caused downturns in the business. Trust me there were many struggles as well as many great opportunities for money to be made. The main problem for my partner and I was that it was something we no longer wanted. We realized that it was not our passion and that the industry had a stigma that would take many more years to change. The industry was being regulated and we were what seemed to always be proving that we were indeed a legitimate company helping people and really valued our integrity and ethics in the business. Our vision was to help people and make money however this was not the business that would complete that for us. So regardless of the financial gain we decided to sell and move on to do it again in what was our individual passions.

So what are the lessons learned that you as a small business owner can take away from all of this? Let’s look at it in a list form for easier learning;

1. I was a small business owner with BIG Thinking!

So let’s look at BIG thinking. I had a vision for what I thought a business should look like and I worked towards putting in place all the right things to make it happen. The right backing, finances, business plan because we were going for financing, and we looked at what the competition doing, who were they serving and where was the need. We had a vision of being a million dollar company right from the start and kept that vision strong in our minds.

     2. I had a Solid Systems.

Then it was onto how would we run the company? How is it to be structured? Should it be a partnership or a corporation? What systems could we use that would ensure that we did not lose our shirts. We looked at what kind of system we could run under and developed a back end database program to track and take care of our clients. We made sure we had a solid policy manual (which was also developed further over the years) that would explain how we wanted the company ran for our employees so that they understood what we were asking of them. Then we ensured we gave solid, consistent training and that each office was a replica of the next. Call it a cookie cutter method if you will.

      3. We took Smart, Deliberate, Quick Action when needed.

Being able to adapt to changing market and not wallow in problems is vital for an entrepreneur. Working smart, having good systems and taking deliberate action was an important factor to being able to keep up with the giants in the industry. We advertised and marketed like crazy and did some amazing things like huge billboards and pre-event marketing that had clients lined up at the doors on opening day.

      4. We were able to solidify great relationships.

We created communication with the competition where we shared ideas and information within limits. We created additional product sources and had great relationships with who we were working with, and those relationships helped give us credibility in the industry. We kept the philosophy of win/win ever present in our minds.

      5. We stopped trying to do it all on our own. Let go of Ego.

When we started to learn that in order to run a successful company we needed to trust, and let our employees do what they were best at doing, that is when things began to fall into place. We had to leave our egos at the door and understand that we had taught them, and that even though they needed us still, we had to loosen the strings in order for them to flourish and show how much they valued the company, and what they were doing. We used the skills of each employee and they grew better for it.

     6. We showed we cared, and added value to our customers.

We encouraged our customers, showed them we cared, gave referral bonuses, talked with our customers, advertised and made them feel like they were not alone. We heard more stories about people’s lives then I will share here, but what it did was let people from all walks of life know that they were valued as people.

       7. We understood the numbers.

We had done our business plan and knew what we needed to grow. We had a balanced framework with our product, our marketing and our financial operations. Whenever we lost touch with that again, it showed. Understanding where you stand, and what you need to achieve your end goal is important and really the key.

      8. We were great problem solvers.

Being a great problem solver is important. Issues come up in any business and knowing what you will do and seeing your end result helps make it easier to predict how you will react and what steps you can take to rectify the situation.

      9. We were always learning and watching our industry.

We knew what was changing in the industry, we focused on what was working, and we made sure if we could that we were the first. We showed value to our customers even though our price may have been different than others.

     10.  We had perseverance.

We stayed our course, and were committed to the business. Sometimes this was a difficult thing to do but in the end overall it was a success because we did have perseverance.

Now, did we always do the right thing? No absolutely not! But we did have the ability to see the mistakes and attempt to fix them. Did our employees always love us? No not always, but we did care about people and did our best to create a team environment where they felt included and valued and when we let that slip, it showed in performance from the team.  The things we learned from this business have been incredible for future success and have allowed me to now help others in their journey for fulfillment in their lives. For more on this subject, you can find it in my 10 Complete Secrets to Business Success, or my Business Blockbusters Now product coming out this October. For more information please visit my websites and let me know how I can help you create your million dollar business.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? Feel Free. Simply include this blurb with it: Darcelle Runciman is a Mentor, Author and CEO of Strategic Biz Builder.  Darcelle  mentors entrepreneurs and small business owners how to use systems and their brilliance to increase their profits and create mo*ney making businesses by showing you steps to take to gain clarity and retain that balance that we all strive for. Darcelle works with groups, through tele-classes, through her online products, and her Adventure Mentoring Programs. For more information visit www.darcellerunciman.com and sign up for her Fr*ee audio on 12 -Tips to Profiting in Business, and her Fr*ee Ezine “Inspired Business”. Also check out www.strategicbizbuilder.com