Do you know your reputation?

 We are all known for something. However in many instances, it would appear that we ourselves may be unaware of the reputation we carry. It may be due to many of us not paying attention to ourselves and what we portray. 

We often have opinions of others based on our interaction with them. Yet, we don't seem to be always aware of what others think of us, and often in the cases when we do, we are often wrong in our determinations. 

It's time to become conscious of who we are and whose we are. What are the standards we have developed and inculcated over the years of our existence? 

In 2020, we were forced to stop at times and reflect on our lives, our environment and the situations we faced. We reflected on the lives of those who passed away and the impact that it had on us. I wondered, if they were ever heard/were told any of the things we hear of them when the tributes came in. As a friend of mine, long gone from this life said to me when I was growing up; "were they alive to smell the roses". 

Many of us will receive bouquets when we die, but does it mean that we haven't truly lived if we never received a bouquet while we are alive? When we do, how do we take in the moment and crystalize the experience in our psyche?

Do people know us in a lopsided manner? Only by our work, our family lives, our church personas? How many of us can say that we are known totally by anyone where those who know us can truly speak of our character? 

We compartmentalize so much that many of us can be Saints-on-Sunday and Sinners-the-rest-of-the-time. 

Sometimes, we as a people lament that we are not appreciated by others. Yet, have we take the opportunity to appreciate ourselves for just who we are? 

We don't seem to be learning! Just recently there was a gun battle between youth, who aren't even old enough to have experienced life in its fullest; yet they were so willing to take the life of another. In the media, as someone who impacted us significantly in one way or another move on, we only then take the time to appreciate them after they've gone. 

Let's live life on new terms:

• Become a greater supporter of our fellow man;
• Exceed the expectations of others in your service to others;
• Recognize it's not the big things that seem to be in the spotlight that mean the most, but those seemingly insignificantly things that may seem to go unnoticed that make the biggest differences; 
• Love unconditionally; 
• Do things "Just-because". E.g. we sometimes get together for family celebrations, just because, we can. It doesn't have to be commemorating anything other than the freedom of life to commune and share with each other. There's so much that can be learned about each other just by sharing a meal. The generation gap is bridged, family values are shared, we get to value others as we share a kind word/moment. 

Start today to determine and shape the reputation that you want to have. Yes, you'll make mistakes along the way; it's part of the process. Get to know, who you are and whose you are; and live! 

Self Talk for the Self Employed

Self employed people even when they work in businesses that interact with people tend to live rather lonely lives. Yet they loathe to attend functions that would take them away from their work; often with the train of thought that they're just too busy. Sadly, these are even in instances where there is organized mentorship available through technical assistance programs.

So what makes a self employed person behave in this manner, especially when they complain that no one helps them. What is really going on in their minds? What kinds of thoughts do they have; positive / negative? Do they feel as if you're thoroughly prepared? Can they really handle the power of this two letter word - NO!?

How you speak with yourself goes beyond wishful thinking. It sets the tempo and they rhythm that will determine whether you will win / lose. Often the event is not filled with spectators, but with your own self; who will see the results of your attempts - Can you strive or merely survive?

1. Why do seemingly identical situations facing different people have different outcomes? One succeeds, whereas the other sucks salt.
2. Is attitude all it's cracked up to be? Identify which is better - good attitude with action / good attitude without action. 
3. There are times we question, why are we doing this? Would it not have been better to get s job and be paid more money?
4. Why does it feel like we work to pay everyone except ourselves?

By now you should have noticed that I've made a faux pas and changed tenses; why? It's because I too am in small business, I too am self employed. It can be difficult to continue in the third person for something that impacts so directly.

For instance, you can write employment letters for employees to take to various institutions for them to obtain financial benefit of hire purchase or even loans. Yet when you have to do likewise for oneself, even when the business is thriving there's always some excuse / objection to be realized. You know the categories, but they all align themselves to justify why you cannot obtain the assistance you require. The objections are easily categorized under; cash-flow, revenue potential [too great / too small, too fast / too slow], age of business, age of applicant, collateral backing the finance request, and the list goes on.

There are times when it seems like we're not celebrated for our efforts, despite all that we do. It also seems that our work must go unrewarded, and profit is a sin. Most small businesses are uncomfortable with the word profit, often leaving their hard earned value at the negotiation table for their products / services. I don't do this anymore, as I have had the opportunity to contemplate the value that I bring to any situation. I also function by the premise that not all money's good money. It has saved me from entering ridiculous deals.

What do you say to yourself? I want to ensure that I am worthy of providing the best solutions that are practical, leading the client and our own business into mutually beneficial territory in terms of revenues, earnings, profits, and opportunity. This has to be done while maintaining privacy, wholesome relationships, health and wellness, and a true sense of purpose. One thing is certain - Success is not an overnight process.

Know that you have what it takes to succeed in a big way. Know that success is what you want it to be for you, and not the world's definition of it for you. When you speak with yourselves, speak in the can do, the I can, the willingly doing it.

Take time to work on your business rather than be constantly working in it. Remember when polishing anything, you have to step back to see the shine. Self employment is not easy. There are lots of uncertainties, but know that there is help along the way. People who are willing to also celebrate your success in as much as you prepare to embrace it.

iLuv WoRk

There's something about work that excites and intrigues me; especially when it is exciting work. Sometimes when groups of us discuss business, invariably someone would ask, "What makes you want to get out of bed every morning?"

On the surface, it seems like a relatively easy question to address until you really look a little deeper. Many people go through life unhappy and unfulfilled since they never took the time to question themselves in this manner.

Here are ten (10) reasons why I love work:

1. I love the challenges that are presented to me daily within various situations, especially when I'm able to solve what others couldn't. 
2. The money isn't bad either, I can live if I plan carefully. 
3. It's my contribution to poverty alleviation, since I help others empower themselves economically and see them get on purpose about their lives. 
4. It's enjoyable to see people develop an idea and have it emerge into a thriving business from which they can support themselves and others. 
5. It's gratifying to negotiate successful deals for business ventures. 
6. Giving back through charitable serving is always a plus. 
7. It's great to be able to use technology to speed up the processes with which solutions can be provided.
8. Work is not limited to current geographic location. 
9. Effective planning within your work can make it easier to realize accomplishment. 
10. Helping businesses make profits so that they can successfully help more people through the expansion of their operations. 

The personal side of the entrepreneurship lifestyle

As an entrepreneur, everyone expects that you'll always be the strong one - striving for success, achieving set budgets, having a surplus of profits that contribute to a really great lifestyle.

You get letters from various people who want you to contribute to their causes, customers / clients who believe that you have enough money so they will pay you in the next batch. The governments of the day who burden you with staggering taxes, prohibiting you from properly paying themselves, but contributing to their planned schemes and projects where the money's wasted and nothing seems to be accomplished. They don't see the hustle, the sleepless nights, the inability to afford the basics; the fact that your personal quality of life is nowhere near where they or yourself expected.

When I get to see the inner information pertaining to entrepreneurs, the pictures are not pretty. In many cases, they try to conceal the true situation even from their families and loved ones. So who knows the entrepreneur?  It often comprises of themselves and their banker.

Entrepreneurs often face these situations:

• No salary / wage
• No benefits 
• No vacations 
• No specialty team of advisors 
• No group huddle of others in similar relationships to discuss how to deal with the challenges
• No reserve funds 
• No proper organizational structure 

Additionally, technical assistance that's available often has a lot of requirements to be fulfilled to qualify for the assistance. Another area requiring lots of information before assistance is grants. 

Will they ever be a system that allows the entrepreneurs to do what they do best - work, while the other activities get completed by professionals in the requisite fields? 

The next time someone offers you the opportunity to be an entrepreneur, think long and hard. The investment of time and resources can be enormous, and not obvious at first neither. 

Despite the drawbacks, there can be benefits such as:

• Control of your time if you're organized. 
• Networking opportunities, where you can work with the more desirous of your contacts. 
• Projects developed can be better controlled by you using the timeframes as you allocate based on your scheduling. 
• Serving multiple markets reduces and removes the element of boredom as there's always something to learn.
• On going education, where you learn elements of the business that you would be never exposed to if you worked in a job. 
• If you get to make money, you get first pick at spending, then the government gets theirs. Way different than when you're an employee. [NB. Employees are taxed heavier than corporations in some jurisdictions] 

Entrepreneurship is not all that it's cracked up to be, unless it is done well. You have to be prepared to make some investment of time / money / other resources along the way. If you're good at it, the personal side of the entrepreneurship lifestyle may be worth it for you. 

Take stock and revamp

When you're doing business for any length of time, it's easy for some things to fall through cracks. What do I mean?

• You deviate from your planned/established procedures
• Damaging behaviours creep in, especially when taken for granted that it's a one off experience 
• Your systems are not really systems, only an ad hoc set of behaviours clumped together 

What do you do?

• You will feel overwhelmed
• You will experience the frustration of not truly making progress 
• Stress levels will increase in all facets of your life - you get the picture 

STOP AND TAKE STOCK

• Examine what you're doing and the results you're getting 
• Identify where changes need to be made; get help if you need to
• Make the changes, and then evaluate to see if they're working 

Here's what you'll find

• You may become more organized achieving more in less time
• Your stress levels will decline
• You will feel more in control of what you're doing and what you wish to achieve 
• Ever so slight, you'll start to experience some successes 
• Stopping and taking stock often enough will even result in your becoming a bigger success than you've ever been

Don't take my word for it. Try it for yourselves. You owe it to yourselves, your family, and your business; whatever it may be. Begin to take steps today to improve the quality of your living.