All Time Essentials for Entrepreneurs

100 Things to Know and Do to Make Your Idea Happen

Jonathan Yates

• Publisher: Capstone
• Year: 2009
• Print ISBN: 9781906465476
• eBook ISBN: 9781907312342
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Entrepreneurship
• Index: Business

A pocket-sized pep-talk packed with inspiration and motivation.

Got an idea for a business? Just started out? Or wondering what to do next? From planning and setting up, to raising finance and making a profit, All-Time Essentials for Entrepreneurs is your one-stop shop for advice and tips on everything you need to know and do to get your business off the ground.

Jonathan Yates is a serial entrepreneur who understands that when you're launching or running your own business, you need ideas and answers fast. He runs regular seminars showing people just like you how to achieve their goals. His top 10 tips for success have been compared to those of business mogul and Apprentice TV show chairman, Sir Alan Sugar.

Blending indispensable advice and short bursts of inspiration with motivational quotes from the world's greatest thinkers, All-Time Essentials for Entrepreneurs is the smart little sidekick you'll find yourself turning to again and again.

'Jonathan has tremendous energy and drive. You can tap into that energy in this book.' Sahar Hashemi, co-founder of Coffee Republic

'Jonathan is one of those rare individuals who has great business acumen as well as entrepreneurial insight. His passion to succeed is infectious.' Mike Clare, Dreams

MOTIVATION

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950

Irish playwright, the only person to have received both the Nobel Prize for Literature
(1925) and an Oscar (1938).

21

Be responsible for change

Entrepreneurs embrace change, create change and enjoy change.

Imagine what the world would be like if all the people with brilliant ideas did something with them instead of just talking about them.

Stop moaning that you don’t like the way things are - instead, make an effort to make small changes to improve your daily routine.

Change is difficult for many people to embrace because the life they have led so far is comfortable and change causes disruption to routine.

In contrast, entrepreneurs welcome changes from the norm and are excited about the opportunities caused by disruptive behaviour. If you don’t create change, then who will?

“The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.”

Nolan Bushnell, 1943-

American electrical engineer and entrepreneur, who founded computer company Atari
and the Chuck E. Cheese’s chain of pizza restaurants.

22

Don’t just dream, do it

Sitting and talking about your ideas is all well and good, but you need to get out there and do the hard work to make them happen.

This is the part that most people misunderstand. It is easy to find a reason not to take action to make something real.

I hear many, many great ideas every day of the week and you can tell by the person’s enthusiasm whether they have a real chance of success or are doomed to failure.

There are talkers and there are doers. The person rather than the idea is the critical ingredient.

Make the hard choice and decide to do, not dream.

“Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.”

William S. Burroughs, 1914-97

American novelist and social critic, member of the Beat Generation
and author of Naked Lunch and Cities of the Red Night.

23

Take a day off

Running a business is all consuming of your effort and energy. So take a day away from the office from time to time, and have the discipline to switch off your phone and e-mail.

Go for a walk or enjoy some other activity. Do something completely different to your normal routine.

It’s healthy to be away from work and it helps recharge your batteries. It’s often in times of quiet contemplation that we generate the best ideas - keep a notebook and pen with you at all times so you can record your moments of genius.

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

Marcel Proust, 1871-1922

French novelist, essayist and critic, author of the seven-part novel
In Search of Lost Time.

24

Set goals to achieve them

Create a collection of pictures and cuttings and set them up in your office or on your fridge to remind you of your grand plans.

There might be a picture of a car, a description of a holiday destination or something representing a deal with a particular client. Always visualize targets specific to your aspirations.

Some people are afraid of setting goals as they might fail to hit them, but by setting goals you are creating motivation. Ensure that your goals have deadlines driving them.

What do you want in life? If you can see where you want to get to, you can plan the best route to get there.

“Every day, you’ll have opportunities to take chances and to work outside your safety net. Sure, it’s a lot easier to stay in your comfort zone … in my case, business suits and real estate … but sometimes you have to take risks. When the risks pay off, that’s when you reap the biggest rewards.”

Donald Trump 1946-

Chairman and CEO of property developer the Trump Organization and
owner of Trump World Tower in NewYork.

25

Enjoy feeling uncomfortable

We are comfortable with experiences we are familiar with. Introduce something new and we feel vulnerable and unable to control the situation.

In contrast, it is vital that you feel comfortable with reinventing yourself in the eyes of your peers.

Many people often enjoy the look of surprise from friends, family and colleagues when they achieve something unexpected. This has happened to me on many occasions during the writing of this book. The reaction seems to be ‘You? Writing what?’

Shock value is a powerful emotion.

“Losers visualize the penalties of failure. Winners visualize the rewards of success.”

William S. Gilbert, 1836-1911

English dramatist, poet and illustrator, best known for
his 14 comic operas including HMS Pinafore and The Mikado.

26

Visualize achievements

Visualization helps you place yourself in unfamiliar circumstances in advance. When the time comes for you to perform, whether presenting an idea to a forum or signing a business deal, you’re some way to being prepared.

When you visualize the goal, tr...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• WHY YOU NEED THIS BOOK
• HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
• START
• IDEAS
• MOTIVATION
• OPPORTUNITY
• CHALLENGES
• MONEY
• STRATEGY
• MARKETING
• SALES
• SUCCESS
• ABOUT THE AUTHOR
• Acknowledgements