দিনাজপুর নামের কিংবদন্তী
দিনাজপুর নামের উৎপত্তি ১৭০৪ -২৭ সালে বাংলা সুবাহকে ১৩টি চাকলায় বিভক্ত করলে দিনাজপুর নামে কোন মহল বা পরগনার নাম পাওয়া যায় না। আকবরনগর ও চাকলা ঘোড়াঘাটের অন্তর্ভুক্ত ছিল। নামের ব্যপারে ২টি কিংবদন্তি – ১। দেবকীন্দন ঘোষ বরধকুটির (রংপুর) রাজা আরজাবরের কর্মচারী ছিলেন। তদপুত্র হরিরাম নামান্তরে (দিনওয়াজ) রাজা গণেশের কর্মচারী ছিলেন। রাজা গনেশের মৃত্তু হলে দিনওয়াজ গনেশ পুত্র যদুনারায়নের পেশকার নিযুক্ত হন। পরবর্তিতে যদু ইসলাম গ্রহন করলে মনের দুঃখে দিনওয়াজ পেশকার চাকরীতে ইস্তফা দিয়ে উত্তরবঙ্গে চলে আসেন এবং সেখানকার শাসনকর্তা নিযুক্ত হন। তিনি যে যায়গায় বসবাস শুরু করেন তার নামানুসারে উক্ত যায়গার নাম হয় দিনাজপুর।(যোগীন্দ্রচন্দ্র চক্রবত্তী, উত্তরবংগ সাহিত্য সন্মিলন,পৃঃ ৩৯৮-৪০০)। ২। দিনাজপুর রাজবংশ ভাতুরিয়ার জমিদার রাজা গনেশের বংশধর। এই গনেশেই পরবর্ত্তিতে বাংলার সিংহাসন দখল করেন। অনেকে আবার রাজা গনেশকে অন্যতম ‘বারভুইয়া’ বলে অভিহিত করেছেন। আরেক সুত্রে জানা যায় যে রাজা গনেশ দনুজমরদন নাম নিয়ে দিনাজপুরে বসবাস করতেন বলে উক্ত যায়গাটি ‘দনুজপুর’ নামে অভিহিত ছিল যা পরবর্তিকালে দিনাজপুর নামে পরিবর্তিত হয়। (সৈয়দ মোশাররফ হোসেন, দিনাজপুরের ইতিহাস – ২য় সং ১৯৬৫ পৃঃ১-৫)। দিনাজপুর জমিদার বংশের সাথে রাজা গনেশের কোন সম্পর্ক রয়েছে এ তথ্য মানতেই অনেকে রাজি নন বিশেষভাবে দিনাজপুর রাজবংশের গ্রন্থকার মেহরাব আলী ও খ্যাতনামা প্রত্নতত্তবিদ আ,ক,ম যাকারিয়া।
9 Speaking Habits That Make You Sound Smarter
There are four kinds of speakers in the business world: The incoherent, who meander, use tons of jargon, and talk of things interesting mostly to themselves.The coherent, who can verbally communicate facts and opinions but seldom say anything memorable.The articulate, who speak succinctly and clearly but whose words are seldom persuasive.The eloquent, who use language and body language to win the hearts and minds of their listeners.Eloquent people sound smart, regardless of how intelligent they are. The opposite is true as well. Smart people who are incoherent (like some engineers I’ve known) often come off as if they’re of limited intelligence. Fortunately, eloquence is a skill that can be taught, practiced, and mastered. Here are nine easily mastered techniques to quickly make yourself more eloquent and smarter sounding. Eloquence is more than just how you use language. It’s also how you use your body language. The position of your back is the foundation of your body language and therefore the root of your eloquence. Slumping communicates a lack of confidence in yourself and your words. The other extreme, a ramrod straight back, says “fight or flight.” A straight but relaxed spine puts you in a mental and physical state from which words flow smoothly and easily. The position of your head is just as important as the position of your spine, a fact reflected in many common expressions. To “hold your head high,” for example, is to show pride and determination. To be “downcast” means you’re already beaten down. An upright head is essential for eloquence for physiological reasons as well. A tense neck (inevitable if your head is facing down) tends to strangle your words, preventing you from speaking clearly. Eloquence is meaningful only if people are listening to you, and they won’t listen if you’re thinking about something else or if your eyes are wandering all over the room. Eloquence without attention is mere speechifying. Two special cases: Avoid glancing sideways; it makes you seem dishonest (shifty-eyed). If you must check your notes, use your eyes to look downward without nodding your head. For maximum eloquence, speak loudly enough so people farthest from you can hear but not so loudly that it’s uncomfortable for those in front. If you’re unsure of your volume, ask somebody in the back if they can hear you clearly. If they answer yes, say “How about this?” in a voice slightly less loud. If they answer no, crank your voice up a notch. However, never raise your voice to a yell. Yelling makes you sound insane rather than eloquent. If you find yourself in that position, either ask for a microphone or request that people move closer. Use your hands to emphasize key points. The easy way to learn this skill is to watch how celebrities and popular public speakers use gestures as they speak. Note how their hand movements seem to “emerge” from their words. If you’re not actively using a gesture, keep your hands still. Fiddling with your glasses, rattling your papers, scratching yourself, and so forth will distract the audience from your message and “cancel out” your eloquence. Add power to your words by moving your body appropriately. For example, if you’re speaking to a group from a stage, you might move from one spot to another to signal that you’re introducing a new idea. Similarly, when sitting at the conference table, incline forward slightly when you want to emphasize a point. Reorient your sitting position when you move from one subject or concept to another. Cliches (especially biz-blab) are the opposite of eloquence. Use unexpected but common words or phrases that illustrate points in a memorable manner. Example: “common as houseflies” rather than “dime a dozen.” Also avoid words that your audience might not understand. Using fancy words makes you sound snobby, not smart. If you absolutely must introduce a term unfamiliar to the audience, define it in plain language. Speaking at a single speed quickly turns whatever you’re saying into a monotonous drone. Instead, slow down and speed up depending upon the importance of what you’re communicating at the time. If you’re summarizing or going over background, speak more quickly than when you’re providing new information. When you’re describing introducing an important concept, slow down to give listeners time to absorb it. Silence isn’t just golden; it’s also the crowning glory of eloquence. For example, a slight pause before you’re about to say something important create suspense. It leads your audience to “hang on your every word.” Similarly, a pause after you’ve said something important emphasizes its importance and gives listeners a moment to reflect on its importance. A perfect example of the eloquence that comes with pausing is Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Developing Everyday Leadership
Your growth as a leader starts right now, wherever you are at this very moment. You don’t have to be president of a billion-dollar company to be a leader. You can begin with your present relationships, your family and friends, your community associations, your school or your place of work. Developing your leadership skills can prepare you for larger challenges in the future. If I were to ask you to think of leaders you admired and those who had an influence on your life, who would come to mind? How about your parents or a particular teacher or coach who had a significant influence on you? Or maybe a mentor at work? For most of us, leadership is a day-today matter of how we strive to do our best, as well as how we get others to do their very best. Leadership involves our responsibilities at work, in the community, at church or in our families. Great leaders are often all around us. Very often, it is people closest to us who are doing great deeds with little means. The seeds of greatness exist in any of us who strive to lead, even in the most modest undertakings. It’s quite possible that, until now, you haven’t really considered yourself a leader of any kind. Whether or not that’s so, you may be surprised to learn just how many ways you, indeed, are a leader, especially to those closest to you. You could be a leader to a group or maybe only one or two people. It could be in your work, in a special interest you have or perhaps the quality of a relationship you have with someone, such as your children or loved ones. There are people around you looking up to you, believing in you as a role model and as a leader. Believe me when I say you are already a leader in ways you may not be fully aware. Never underestimate the influence you have on the lives of others. “The ability we have to make our world better starts with how we live our life.” Let me assure you that this is the very moment you have vast power to help shape the lives of others, especially if you choose to lead by example. Never forget this: At least once every day, try to ask yourself whether your life is setting a good example for others to follow. This is part of the contribution you can make to change others’ lives for the better. The ability we have to make our world better starts with how we live our life and the example we set for others. Think about how your vision of the future may be pointing the way for others. Think about people for whom you might be a role model and in what ways you are setting examples for them. To expand your abilities as a leader, become the kind of person others want to follow. You must demonstrate the leadership qualities others are attracted to and are likely to emulate. Leaders must be able to communicate their visions of the future to other people. You don’t have to be a spellbinding orator to be a good leader, but you must be able to express your thoughts clearly, in an orderly way, and to speak forcefully enough that your listeners understand you mean what you say. Developing the efficiency of good listening habits will not only help you hear more, but will help you understand more completely the information conveyed to you. Nothing will enhance your reputation as a leader more than being willing to listen. Remember that listening, not imitation, is really the sincerest form of flattery. I have developed a list of several other attributes identified in good leaders that I want to pass along to you. As you read each one, consider which ones already apply to you and those you’d like to apply: A GOOD LEADER… Accepts responsibility and takes it seriously. Seeks out and listens to others, but makes up his or her own mind. Wants to leave the world better than he or she finds it. Has a genuine interest in others: their joys, sorrows, hopes, hurts, needs and fears. Learns from the past, but focuses on the future. Aims to be of service to others. Expects the best from others, as from him or herself. Learns from role models, but knows who he or she is. Knows the power of yes and no and when to say so. Knows how to set goals and pursue them. Is dedicated to his or her work and achieving goals. Is not deterred by detractors or naysayers. Admits errors, accepts failures, learns from them and moves on. Is not always right, but is right more than wrong. Imparts the moral tone to his or her enterprise. Is honest and strives to be fair. Is enthusiastic and optimistic about succeeding. Motivates others with trust and belief in them. The demand for leaders is always greater than the supply, because most would rather be led than lead. So opportunities are always close at hand. Great leaders are motivated by purposes larger than self-interest. Finally, remember that leaders prepare others to assume their roles. They want their vision to be sustained. Someone once commented to Walt Disney’s nephew, Roy, that it was a shame his uncle didn’t live long enough to see all that he started. Roy Disney replied, “Sir, my uncle was the first to see all of this. We are just building the vision he had years ago.” S Robert Stuberg is an entrepreneur, speaker, consultant and best-selling author of many books, including The 12 Life Secrets, Creating Your Ultimate Destiny and Sell and Grow Rich. Stuberg specializes in helping people find and apply their unique talent—the one thing that they are meant to do. – See more at:
In today’s competitive business world, it’s not enough to be smart. You must be able to sway others to agree with you.
There are four kinds of speakers in the business world: Eloquent people sound smart, regardless of how intelligent they are. The opposite is true as well. Smart people who are incoherent (like some engineers I’ve known) often come off as if they’re of limited intelligence. Fortunately, eloquence is a skill that can be taught, practiced, and mastered. Here are nine easily mastered techniques to quickly make yourself more eloquent and smarter sounding. 1. Stand or sit with spine straight but relaxed. Eloquence is more than just how you use language. It’s also how you use your body language. The position of your back is the foundation of your body language and therefore the root of your eloquence. Slumping communicates a lack of confidence in yourself and your words. The other extreme, a ramrod straight back, says “fight or flight.” A straight but relaxed spine puts you in a mental and physical state from which words flow smoothly and easily. 2. Keep your chin up. The position of your head is just as important as the position of your spine, a fact reflected in many common expressions. To “hold your head high,” for example, is to show pride and determination. To be “downcast” means you’re already beaten down. An upright head is essential for eloquence for physiological reasons as well. A tense neck (inevitable if your head is facing down) tends to strangle your words, preventing you from speaking clearly. 3. Focus on your listeners. Eloquence is meaningful only if people are listening to you, and they won’t listen if you’re thinking about something else or if your eyes are wandering all over the room. Eloquence without attention is mere speechifying. Two special cases: Avoid glancing sideways; it makes you seem dishonest (shifty-eyed). If you must check your notes, use your eyes to look downward without nodding your head. 4. Speak loudly enough to be heard. For maximum eloquence, speak loudly enough so people farthest from you can hear but not so loudly that it’s uncomfortable for those in front. If you’re unsure of your volume, ask somebody in the back if they can hear you clearly. If they answer yes, say “How about this?” in a voice slightly less loud. If they answer no, crank your voice up a notch. However, never raise your voice to a yell. Yelling makes you sound insane rather than eloquent. If you find yourself in that position, either ask for a microphone or request that people move closer. 5. Buttress words with appropriate gestures. Use your hands to emphasize key points. The easy way to learn this skill is to watch how celebrities and popular public speakers use gestures as they speak. Note how their hand movements seem to “emerge” from their words. If you’re not actively using a gesture, keep your hands still. Fiddling with your glasses, rattling your papers, scratching yourself, and so forth will distract the audience from your message and “cancel out” your eloquence. 6. Strategically position your body. Add power to your words by moving your body appropriately. For example, if you’re speaking to a group from a stage, you might move from one spot to another to signal that you’re introducing a new idea. Similarly, when sitting at the conference table, incline forward slightly when you want to emphasize a point. Reorient your sitting position when you move from one subject or concept to another. 7. Use vivid words that everyone understands. Cliches (especially biz-blab) are the opposite of eloquence. Use unexpected but common words or phrases that illustrate points in a memorable manner. Example: “common as houseflies” rather than “dime a dozen.” Also avoid words that your audience might not understand. Using fancy words makes you sound snobby, not smart. If you absolutely must introduce a term unfamiliar to the audience, define it in plain language. 8. Speak at different speeds. Speaking at a single speed quickly turns whatever you’re saying into a monotonous drone. Instead, slow down and speed up depending upon the importance of what you’re communicating at the time. If you’re summarizing or going over background, speak more quickly than when you’re providing new information. When you’re describing introducing an important concept, slow down to give listeners time to absorb it. 9. Use pauses to create emphasis. Silence isn’t just golden; it’s also the crowning glory of eloquence. For example, a slight pause before you’re about to say something important create suspense. It leads your audience to “hang on your every word.” Similarly, a pause after you’ve said something important emphasizes its importance and gives listeners a moment to reflect on its importance. A perfect example of the eloquence that comes with pausing is Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
7 traits of successful leaders who break barriers to create opportunity
Not long ago, one of my employees referred to me as a “bulldozer.” It didn’t sound great at first, but after listening to his reasoning, it became clear that he meant it as a compliment. Whether you’re a CEO or a president, a business development officer or an employee at any level, you’re going to have to get past major barriers to accomplish goals and create opportunity for your company. And to get past those barriers, you need a bulldozer. That said, it’s hard to encourage anyone to be a bulldozer because, simply put, it’s really hard to break through some barriers. It takes more than wearing a bulldozer badge to get yourself on the path to success; you’ve got to truly hone your skills to get past those hard-to-break-through barriers and build lasting trust. As I’ve studied those in my network, as well as partners, employees, and fellow company leaders who have the ability to knock down trust barriers, I’ve discovered some common traits. Here are the seven characteristics of people who expertly destroy trust barriers: 1. They are confident in their abilities. This might age me a bit, but I compare this characteristic to “The Dukes of Hazzard.” If Bo and Luke were constantly thinking they couldn’t make a big jump in their car, I’m certain they would have crashed a lot more. You have to believe you can make the big jump, too. Now, I don’t mean you should be naive about it. You’ve got to put in the work to build your skills before you can believe they’ll take you to the goal you want to achieve. Once you put in the work, have confidence in your abilities. 2. They don’t get embarrassed easily. I don’t know whether it’s just me getting older, but I hardly ever feel embarrassed anymore. And when I look at other people who are able to build strong business relationships, create opportunity, and dominate their industries, they’re typically fine with a little bit of awkwardness or discomfort, too. You have to be able to put yourself out there without worrying about how you might look to others, and don’t let yourself become distracted by embarrassment or dwell on mistakes. 3. They value the relationship above all.I’m sure you’ve known people who help you out and then immediately ask for something in return. I’ve run into my share of those contacts myself. But the people who get past my trust barriers (which are typically pretty strong) are the ones who help for the sake of being helpful. They value relationships and put the time into nurturing them; they’re not interested in short-term wins at the expense of a mutually helpful, long-term relationship. 4. They brand themselves and build credibility around their companies. No matter how old you are or how far away from that middle school gymnasium you get, you can still feel like the kid picked last in dodgeball when your brand is weak and no one in your industry knows who you are. You’ll get passed up for opportunities the same way you got passed up for dodgeball. In my experience, if you aren’t making the kinds of connections you’re looking for, it’s because no one knows you or why they should trust you. So invest in your own brand to build familiarity with your audience and influence in your industry — that’s how people break down trust barriers. 5. They don’t think what everybody else is thinking. Part of the reason people put up barriers is to keep out unoriginal and disingenuous people who haven’t earned their trust. So if you want to get around those barriers, you can’t just do what everyone else is already doing; you’ve got to think creatively. One of my friends who runs a print magazine was having trouble getting a university official to respond to a simple email, and I told him to customize one issue toward that person next time to grab his attention. Not everybody has the ability to personalize an issue of a known publication. It completely differentiated him. 6. They take risks. Some of the biggest opportunities often come as a result of the biggest risks. For example, a friend of mine flew across the country to GE’s office and waited six hours outside the office just to potentially get his foot in the door for a meeting. That kind of risk took guts, especially because the outcome wasn’t guaranteed to be successful. But he ended up getting his meeting. People who break barriers know that if you don’t take risks or put yourself out there, you’ll never know the full potential of what you’re capable of doing for yourself and your company. 7. They have strong support. At a construction site, a bulldozer is just one part of the project. It still needs a crew of other machines to clean up and build on the site. Fortunately, I have a strong co-founder and a team with complementary operational strengths. Together, we’re able to push our company forward. Breaking through barriers isn’t the end result; it’s vital to create a support structure to help you accomplish your goals once you’ve cleared the path. Otherwise, you’re just creating a mess. Do you exhibit any of these characteristics? Take a hard look at yourself and the way you approach your business, and be honest with yourself. Truly, these seven traits are what set successful leaders apart from those who stay trapped behind trust barriers. John Hall is the CEO of Influence & Co., a keynote speaker, and the author of “Top of Mind.”
10 Things You Must Do Before Quitting Your Job to Start Your Company
So you’ve decided you’re ready to take the plunge, quit your job, and get your own company up and running. You have an amazing “>business idea you are ready to launch. You’re probably excited and nervous at the same time, which is perfectly understandable. If this is the case, you need to take a step back and remember that you simply can’t walk into work tomorrow with your resignation letter. Being impulsive could be a huge mistake so you need to create a list of the advantages and disadvantages you will face when quitting your job. If you decide it’s still what you want to do, there are a few things you must put in place before you quit. To help you get ready before your big day of freedom, I’ve highlighted 10 things you should do before quitting your job and starting your own company. 1. Do research. Quitting your current job before getting your company off the ground may seem like the best option, but trust me, it’s not. The best way for you to get the wheels rolling in a safe and profitable way is to grow your business while you are still employed. This will make your transition from an employee to an entrepreneur a little smoother. You can’t jump head first into building your new office block or warehouse if you haven’t done your research. You need to know that you have a product or service that you know the ins and outs of, that is unique, and above all, that will sell. Background research you need to do includes, but is not limited to: Learning everything about your product or service Knowing your audience and buyer personas Researching your competitors Finding the right teams Knowing what your most profitable sales and marketing channels will be. 2. Create a business plan. Once you’ve done your research, you need to put it on paper. Laying out a business plan before taking the plunge will be a key success driver. Your business plan will be something you will show to potential investors, partners, and other company stakeholders. It typically includes: An overview An executive summary A company description Your objectives, vision, and mission statement Information about the market and industry into which you are entering The strategy you are going to follow to enter the market The team you will have A marketing plan An operational plan A financial plan An appendix with more detailed information 3. Outline Your Funding Options Before looking at funding for your company, you need to have your own personal finances in check. If you quit with just a couple of hundred dollars in your pocket, with rent, insurance, and your phone bill to pay, you may find it difficult to focus your efforts on your new company. In addition to planning your personal finances, you will need to have a plan for your startup. You’ll typically have three options: One or multiple investors Your personal savings A grant or award for your project Either way, you need to plan in advance because if you can’t get the capital to get started, your business will stagnate and you will be faced with very few options. Related: 4 Lessons Learned in Getting Bank Financing 4. Create the structure for your business. You need to have the structure for your startup in place before you can quit your job, specifically, your legal structure. There are various types of businesses entities you could become: A corporation A limited liability company A partnership Sole proprietorship You need to consider: The operational complexity Liability Taxes Control Capital Licenses, permits and regulations 5. Leverage your resources. Of course, you do not want to spend money if you can avoid it. You need to look at the resources that are currently available to you. For example, you may have a friend who is a web developer; they might be able to give you special rates and work for you on a need-to-know basis. You should contact friends who have started their own business and ask them if they know a good accountant, marketing expert, and so on. Think about joining an online book club to learn more about entrepreneurship, try Read with Entrepreneurs by Cynthia Johnson. Lastly, contracting all your experts could become expensive. Consider investing in online education for your team that will teach them skills, such as SEO, email marketing, and much more. 6. Leave on a good note. Quitting your job without working your notice period, gossiping across the office, not completing your final assignments, and not training your replacement could be the worst decision of your life. Of course, you are leaving to start your own venture, but you cannot be sure that tt will be a success or that your old company won’t come in handy one day. Leave without burning any bridges amd you may be able to cash in a favor one day. Your old employer may even send clients your way knowing that you are a trustworthy businessperson. Related: 7 Things You Must Do Before Quitting Your Job or You’re Screwed 7. Don’t forget the smaller planning details. As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to become the type of person that can see the big picture. Unfortunately, if you don’t focus on the small details, you won’t be able to mold the perfect company. Planning is key, and little things such as choosing the right social media channels, keeping up to date with emails, or even remembering to file your taxes are vital to your success. 8. Choose your new office space. When planning the day when you quit your job, many assume that they will work from home until their company is off the ground and they have a team backing them up. Although this could work in the short term, it’s not a feasible option in the long run. If you choose to work from home, you need to find a balance between your personal space and work space. Working in bed, on your computer, all day, every day will lead you towards
8 Essential Personal Characteristics to Leading Your Business to Success
People always want to know what makes a good leader. It’s normally because they’re trying to become a leader, or they’re trying to find a leader to work for their company. Some people are naturally good leaders. Other people have the potential to be leaders if they’re willing to develop their leadership skills. But, you need to recognize that leadership is more than standing at the front of a room, having an office or getting people to do things for you. Leading isn’t as easy as it looks. Leaders take on more work, more stress and more demands than meet the eye. But, if you have the characteristics of a leader, you are equipped to be successful. To be clear, there isn’t an exact set of leadership traits someone must have. I’ve found that good leaders in my company, Patriot Software, have the characteristics below. I’m positive anyone who has these characteristics has the potential to be a good leader. 1. Detailed One attribute of a good leader is an attention to detail. Leaders must have accurate and thorough work performance. They must scour every inch of plans and finished products to make sure all bases are covered. Nothing should go untouched. Good leaders should spot little things that go unnoticed by others. Good leaders must also think through all the details. They must think far out into the future and consider the impact of their decisions. Leaders must consider all the possible paths. 2. Organized The qualities of a good leader definitely include organization skills. They know what is on their plate and when things need to be done. They have a timeline and deadline for all their tasks. They also know what their workers are doing and what projects are coming up. Leaders need some sort of organization system. They don’t let important papers lay around or make meetings without setting a reminder. Organized leaders know exactly what is going on around them and know where to find everything. 3. Knowledgeable Knowledge is one of the most noticeable attributes of a good leader. Leaders should have a vast knowledge of the industry they are working in. And if they specialize in something, the leader should have deep knowledge in their specialization. Other people should go to leaders to ask for advice and opinions. Leaders should also have a passion for continuously learning. Leaders should want to expand their knowledge and improve their skills. 4. Leads by example The ability to lead by example is yet another of the attributes of great leaders. Workers should look at a leader and know exactly what is expected of them. If a leader wants workers to put in extra time, the leader should put in extra time. If workers should communicate with each other in a certain way, the leader should lead by using that communication method. A leader must always be aware of their actions because their workers will mimic them. 5. Servant’s heart Not only should a leader lead, but they should also serve. Leaders need to take care of their workers. Leaders should ask their workers about their needs. A good leader should be attentive to worker happiness and motivation. They care about the people around them. Leaders must also focus on customers. Customers have needs and desires, too. Leaders should find out what customers want to please and serve them. 6. Integrity Integrity is a trait of good leaders. Leaders must be honest. They should never lie, cheat or steal. You should be able to trust a leader. Leaders often are trusted with more important or sensitive tasks. Other workers must trust the leader to be truthful in their work and make the most honest decisions. The leader should have some transparency to let people know what they are doing. And the leader must be comfortable with being held accountable. 7. Give Time Leaders are willing to give up their time for the good of their job and business. Leaders finish the job they’re doing, no matter what. If that means they take extra time to finish the job, they’ll do it. Leaders are not clock watchers. They will put in more time than what’s expected. But putting in more time doesn’t mean leaders waste the standard work hours. Leaders use their time wisely and are focused. They organize their tasks to get the most work done in the time they have, and they’re always looking for ways to increase productivity at work. 8. Passion Leaders have pride and ownership in their work. For leaders, their work is more than a job. Their work is their passion. Leaders love what they do and encourage others to become passionate about it, too. Leaders are never satisfied with their work. They are constantly driven to improve. They are consumed and are constantly thinking about their work. And, leaders push others to get better at their work.
8 Online Careers You Can Start Today From Home
Want to start a business and avoid having to lease commercial space and take out massive business loans? Well, thanks to the internet, there are several online businesses that you can start with very little to no money. In order to help you find the right opportunity for yourself, I spoke with eight successful entrepreneurs, asking them to provide me with their best home-based business idea. Use these suggestions to find an online business opportunity that interests you. 1. Blogger. “If you are very passionate about a particular topic or subject, start a blog. There are several ways you can monetize it if you build a loyal audience, and the only way to accomplish this is by truly understanding the subject matter. When you combine passion and knowledge, you position yourself as an expert on the subject, attracting loyal readers. From there, you can monetize through advertisements or by selling your own products or service.” — Andrea Anaya, Founder of Boom Seminars Related: 8 Reasons a Powerful Personal Brand Will Make You Successful 2. Social media consultant. “Social media has become such a viable outlet to attract new customers and promote your business, requiring more full-time attention than it did in the past. I see several older companies that haven’t quite yet grasped the concept, proving there is a large demand for social media savvy experts to come in and take the reins. For Millennials especially, a social media marketing consultant is an online home business that has the potential to be fun as well as financially rewarding.” — Evan Haines, Co-Founder of Alo House Recovery Centers 3. Search engine optimization (SEO) consultant. “As a small business owner who understands the importance of organic website traffic, there are two things I can tell you about search engine optimization. First, most small business owners are already spread very thin handling multiple responsibilities, so there isn’t time to spend on SEO. Second, there are far more bad SEO companies out there than good ones. If you have the knowledge and skills, there are endless customers available.” — Mark Mason, CEO of Breckinridge Heating and Cooling 4. Website designer and developer. “As more entrepreneurs are starting online businesses, there is an increased demand for freelance website designers and developers who are capable of delivering attractive and functional websites at a lower price point than offered by larger agencies. If I could offer one piece of advice for those interested in pursuing this, it would be to build a couple websites for local businesses for free. This gives you a portfolio that you can use to sign new clients, and local raving fans of your work will provide priceless word-of-mouth advertising for you.” — Maxinder Soni, CEO of Zooomr Related: How to Start a Business With (Almost) No Money 5. Affiliate marketer. “Affiliate marketing is an online career that has unlimited scaling potential. You will need to find an offer and traffic source that converts, but once you have a winning combination, it’s easy to scale your efforts. With e-commerce giants like Amazon implementing affiliate programs, it isn’t long before even more traditional industries like ours begin to roll out programs that award online promoters and marketers. With a steep learning curve, this is a path that is best taken by someone with some testing and development capital available.” — Ryan Hulland, President of Netfloor USA 6. Freelancer content writer. “As content marketing evolves, the demand for quality writers has skyrocketed along with their fees, and I see that demand continuing to increase over the next several years. If you have excellent writing skills, matched with a full understanding of grammar and the different types of content businesses utilize, then a very rewarding career can be started with literally a laptop and internet connection. You can begin to source clients immediately through various freelancer marketplaces.” — Kris Lippi, Owner of Get LISTED Realty 7. Virtual assistant. “Thanks to the internet, business has shifted from 9 to 5 Monday through Friday to 24/7, 365 days a year. Simply put, businesses need more help these days, and many are turning to virtual assistants to help their businesses flourish. It’s quite possible to work full-time for one business owner, spread your availability across several businesses or work on a limited part-time schedule. There’s no shortage of companies looking to hire VAs, and it’s a career you can start with little to no startup costs.” — Johnny Carpet of Dallas Flooring Warehouse Related: Habits of the World’s Wealthiest People (Infographic) 8. Drop shipping reseller. “One of the most popular e-commerce trends is to build a drop shipping business. If you do it right, it can be a viable source of income that can grow along with your efforts, including larger product lines and multiple stores. You can get up and running thanks to options like Shopify, giving you access to pre-built e-commerce themes designed to provide pleasant user experiences on all types of devices and easy to manage on the back end.” — Jake Braun, Co-Founder of Kapok Marketing
Don’t Follow Your Passion: 4 Reasons Why Making a Business Out of Something You Love Is a Mistake
I may not be the world’s most romantic person, but I am definitely realistic. And in the realm of business, a healthy dose of realism is helpful, especially when the majority of businesses fail. This means that I have to spend a lot of time countering the idea that you should follow your passion into business. Here are four reasons why you should not let your passion lead you into business ownership. 1. You’ll do less of what you love to do. If you love to bake, you should open a bakery! If you love kids, you should open a nursery school! Everyone thinks that if you love to do something, by opening a business, you’ll get to do more of it. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is that when you open a business, you have to run the business. In doing so, you have to do and oversee many functions from marketing to accounting to handling employees to dealing with customer service and more. So, the hard truth is, at the end of the day, you actually spend less time doing whatever it is you enjoy doing, whether it’s baking, spending time with children or otherwise. Your responsibility as an entrepreneur is not to do one task — it’s to run a business. If you are excited about wearing multiple hats and want to tackle the challenge of managing all aspects of an operation, and you think you’ve got the chops to do it, you’re headed in the right direction. But, your passion can lead you astray if you think that you will be spending your time focused on that one particular passion. 2. Passion doesn’t pay the bills. No matter how passionate you are about a product, service, idea or otherwise, it doesn’t pay your bills and you can’t use it as a currency to buy things. No amount of following your passion helps you to hire great employees. Passion doesn’t necessarily translate into finding customers. Passion doesn’t create systems to streamline your operations. While you need to have a passion about the business to do those things, don’t think that relying on passion alone will get them done. 3. You can extinguish the flame. Passions are great because they are whimsical and fantastical. They add to your life and help make it complete. But, nothing can extinguish the flame of passion faster than having to earn a living from that passion. If you have something that you do to relieve stress or add joy to your life, do you want to have it pay for the food on your family’s table or pay your mortgage? Once you do that, it changes the entire nature of your relationship. Sometimes, work can be fun, but it’s called “work” t for a reason. Plus, we need time to relax and to create balance in our life. Passions are magical, but businesses are not. Do you remember when Dorothy and the gang peered behind the curtain to find out that the Wizard of Oz wasn’t an all-powerful being, but rather, kind of a loser? Or, when you found out that Santa Claus wasn’t real? Or, when you figured out that your parents weren’t superheroes, just people with flaws? It sucked, right? Our hobbies are about escapism. There is a bit of magic and fantasy in them. When you make that your business, you are privy to the nuts and bolts. That tempers the magic. 4. Successful businesses aren’t about you — or your passion! The most successful businesses happen when there’s an unmet need in the market — some problem that needs to be solved — and someone with the right set of experience, network and strategy tries to solve it at the right time. Businesses are borne out of a market need. It doesn’t start with you. We have more products and services available to us than we would ever want or need, which makes today’s entrepreneurial landscape very different than it was just 50 years ago. If there is a gap in the market that customers are desperate for a solution to and willing to pay for, that’s a darn good reason to start a business. Following your passion is exactly the opposite. It’s about indulging your wants and needs to make you feel fulfilled. If you want fulfillment, you may be better off with a hobby or a job than opening a business.
4 Habits of Highly Successful Business People
Successful entrepreneurs and business people are found in every trade and dominate many different industries. But if you take those differences away you will soon discover that all these business people have a few things in common. By understanding the way they work you can apply those lessons to your own life. 1. Focus on learning, not profits. I agree that profits are what we all want, but it should never be the focus. Becoming obsessed with profits is one thing, but if you don’t know how to get there you’re never going to acquire any success. The answer is in learning because this is how you acquire the tools needed to reach your goals. I take some time away every day to learn something new. I don’t worry if I’ll reaching my financial goals because the lessons I’ve learned have laid the foundation. Related: 3 Lessons About Mental Toughness You Can Learn From Yoda 2. Become a master saver. Cash flow is the number one reason businesses fail. It’s nerve-wracking when, in the past, I’ve needed to pay for something only to have it nearly drain my whole bank account. It was after that I realized I needed to build up substantial cash reserves and maintain those cash reserves. After you have that first big success, don’t be tempted to just blow it all. Keep a portion of your income back so you can insert it back into your business to promote further growth. Related: 14 Ways to Save Money When Starting or Growing a Business 3. Be a good listener. It’s easy to get carried away in your own hype. If you close your ears you’re missing important lessons and crucial allies. In my article where I describe what a good stock trader is, I mention that one of my students credits his success to listening to me and a variety of other mentors. That’s why I say be a good listener and actively seek out those who know more than you. Find a mentor who can educate you. Soak it all up like a sponge and remember every word. Related: 6 Ways to Show People You’re Really Listening 4. Network as much as possible. I’m a firm believer that natural talent and knowledge can only take you so far. Ultimately, the way to be successful in business is to know the right people. You may meet someone who can introduce you to a potential client. You may meet someone who turns out to be a supplier. I have unlocked doors that I could never do without someone else’s help. And the only way to meet those people is to put yourself out there both online and offline. Use social media platforms, like LinkedIn, to link up with new faces and reconnect with old ones. Keep the most important relationships strong and they can be a big help to you in business. Last word: Becoming a success in business. These four lessons demonstrate how to be successful in any industry. Yes, there are other important factors, but ultimately these are the four principles that I believe make a good businessperson.
