How to know if you’ve stayed too long?

How to know if you’ve stayed too Long?

Have you ever stayed at a JOB that you knew very well that you were being taken advantage of, you were expected to do things that typically two people would be asked to do? Are you massively underpaid? Was your last raise $0.18 and hour? Are you so stressed that you take 90% of your work home with you each night and only get 20% of it done so the next day is just a compounding problem? If the answer to any of these questions is: YES, you my friend have stayed too long.

I did it!

I had stayed too long at a job where I logged countless hours doing work that paid far more in stress than money. The other was the recurring thought that if I were hit by a bus I would regret how I spent my last months on earth. I finally quit, but that’s the last time I’ll wait for such a dramatic breaking point to take my leave. “People think the time to leave is when things become unbearable, or is a function of the time you’ve been there. It’s not,” said Dory Hollander, a career coach, workplace psychologist and author of “The Doom-Loop System.” For the sake of comparison, here’s how to define being satisfied with your job: you can see yourself in three or four years still liking your work, you like the company culture and your coworkers, and the job isn’t interfering unduly with the rest of your life. (And no, “unduly” doesn’t mean having to show up every day.) With that, here are some telling signs that you should start thinking about making an exit – or at least pursue more rewarding opportunities at the same company.

• You have a lot on your mind, just not work. The work doesn’t challenge you and time hangs. “Boredom is a big factor,” “When It’s just a job, it’s time to leave.” Find your passion, keeping the following in mind, some passions don’t pay very well, however they are very fulfilling.
• Things change, not to your advantage. The boss you got along with so well leaves, or worse, gets a new favorite employee. Eventually that person gets layered in above you on the corporate ladder, intercepting your access to the boss, taking over plum projects and moving you out of the decision-making loop. This is called “death by a thousand cuts.” The change is subtle at first, but your loss of status compounds over time.
• Your boss takes you for granted. You do something so well that you get pigeonholed as the company expert in that area. Or you’re no longer seen as having potential for new projects. Or, just as bad, you’re known as the good corporate citizen who’ll do whatever you’re asked – including relocating multiple times. 
• You pigeonhole yourself. These top performers choose to stay at their jobs because they don’t believe they could succeed elsewhere. “The longer you’re at a place, the more you think your success depends on your environment.” Or you lose confidence that you can do anything else, you get comfortable.
• Your mood ranges from angry to angrier. No matter how well-regarded your work is or once was, if you develop a reputation as a depressing crank, colleagues will distance themselves. And that isolation can make you more vulnerable in a layoff.
• You feel like hell. Unhappiness can undermine your health. The early signs of excess stress: stomachaches, upset stomach, headaches and insomnia.

‘Okay, but get real’

I’m fully expecting angry comments and emails from readers who’ll complain that it’s a luxury to think that you can “just change jobs” if you feel you’ve been there too long. Hiring may be sparse in your field. You may be supporting a family and need the money — to say nothing of the insurance. You only have a few years before fully vesting in your stock options. Or you’re retiring in fewer than 15 years and want to maximize the pension you get. All valid excuses, if that’s the case and you plan to stay, do more than just suck it up. Change your attitude; don’t just see yourself as a wage slave. “See your job as a funding source for what you want to do next.” “Do what’s required and do it as quickly as you can, then network with those who can give you the growth you need for the next job or even your own company. Try to develop new skills that will serve you well when you do leave.

Before you go a thought:

“The trouble with waiting – waiting to vest, waiting to retire, waiting to get a promotion, waiting till you grow up, waiting till I’m older, waiting till the kids are out of the house, waiting till I … – is that it doesn’t always pay off. Someday never comes, you keep waiting for it to happen instead of planning for it and making it happen.

Now go make someday happen for you!

Are You Creating a Job or a Business?

Are You Creating a Job or a Business?

Picture three would-be entrepreneurs, each signing up for a seminar on Starting Your Own Business.

· The first one thinks, “Great. I’d love to leave my job and work for myself. I’d rather work hard and be my own boss, even if it’s risky.”

· Another one smiles, as he imagines the endless possibility of being able to pursue his hobby as a business. “I could take the early retirement my company is offering, and make a little extra money doing something I enjoy.”

· The last one envisions something entirely different. She’s been working on a new invention. She thinks to herself, “If I can get the funding, I know I can build a business that will make millions of dollars.”

Each of these entrepreneurs might use the same words, but they have quite different concepts in mind when they say, “I want to start my own business.”

My experience

When I first went to work for myself 12 years ago, I fell into the first category. Like most self-employed individuals, I was looking for a way to be my own boss, to make sufficient income to support myself, and to have interesting work to do. But I didn’t want to have any employees or added responsibilities. It worked. For well over a decade, I provided consulting services as a self-employed individual. I had independence, interesting clients, challenging work. I worked hard, but also had enough spare time. I made enough money to support myself. But eventually, I realized that, as a consultant, I was selling my time, not leveraging my work into more lasting value. The minute I stopped working, the money stopped.

That’s when I decided to start a different kind of business, not just have a job. I wanted something of lasting value not just current income.

The Four types of Businesses

Based on two primary factors — the role of the business for the entrepreneur and their long-term plans for the business — I developed a set of four classifications to describe the different scale and scope of businesses. These are:

1. Additional Activity: Entrepreneurs who are launching an “Additional Activity” business have additional sources of income or can survive on very little income. These fortunate entrepreneurs are able to choose which business to start based primarily on how it meets their personal goals, not their financial requirements.
2. One Man/Woman Band: The largest group of businesses falls into the classification of “One Man/Woman Band” companies. These are simply one-person businesses that provide critical income for only the entrepreneur. You know many people who have One Man/Woman Band businesses — consultants, hair dressers, construction workers, doctors, Lawyers, and on and on.
3. Career Business: Overwhelmingly, the majority of businesses with employees fall into the category of “Career Business.” By “Career,” I don’t mean that they have gone to school to do this, although I certainly wouldn’t blame them if they did. Instead, what I mean by “Career Business,” is that the goals of the founders/owners for the business are fairly well balanced: the business is designed to be a career for the owner, and it provides jobs for others. The business provides current income and may be capable of providing lasting value. The business is big enough to support growth but small enough for the owner to be able to control it. You deal with “Career Businesses” every day. They generally have two to 25 employees, in all kinds of industries.
4. Visionary: These are the businesses that get all the press — the exciting, sexy, risky new businesses that aspire to great heights. The entrepreneurs who starts a “Visionary” business hopes to grow huge and one day sell the business or go public. They require greater amounts of money to fund. Obviously, only a very small number of companies succeed as Visionary businesses. Many fail completely; others are revised into more manageable, career businesses.

Remember, having a bigger business isn’t the right choice for everyone. When I decided to change my “One Man/Woman Band” company into a “Career Business”, it didn’t solve anything, my problems and my debts increased, and my income and spare time decreased.

So find the right kind of business for you and your needs and lifestyle. And remember, your goals may change over time — just as mine did.

Your Standing in your OWN way!

You are Standing in your own way!!!

The Biggest Problem Standing In Your Way Is..

You. When it all comes down to it, you are the only thing that is stopping you from achieving whatever it is your heart desires. Success is a attitude. It is not money, wealth or power. Take away the money of a successful person and he’ll have it all back and more in a few years. Give an unsuccessful person a million dollars (lottery winner) and chances are he’ll lose it all within a few years. The difference is their attitude.

The unsuccessful person blames his misfortune on outside factors – it’s the tax man’s fault, the economy is bad, prices are too high, my wife won’t let me, etc. He’ll blame everything else except the one thing that is truly keeping him down. The success person doesn’t blame outside factors for failing. He accept failure as a requirement for success and learns from it.

John Chow you nailed it! A MillionaireFailure accepts failure as a requirement for success and learns from it. John wrote a great article, and confirms the MillionaireFailure methodology, which is: failure is an important part of a Entrepreneur and business’ journey to success. You have to Fail your way to Success. Way to go John.

Computer CRASH

So i had to borrow my best friends computer tonight, my has been corrupted by a virus, as i only have one computer, my Laptop, i am out of commission until i get it back. More to come.

First Comment = WINNER!!

The first comment = WINNER!

I received my first comment today, and to celebrate I’m going to award the 1st commenter with 2 FREE movie tickets. This is the real deal, I’ve asked that after the tickets are received and what movie was seen as a result. I have also decided to randomly select other comments for additional prizes. I have come up with a list of possible prizes.

2 Free Movie tickets
$20 Itunes gift certifiacate
$10 gift certificate to Amazon
$50 gift certificate to the restaurant of your choice
$50 gas card
$100 gift certificate to wherever
Iphone
Ipod touch

And I have also selected a surprise for a specific number of comments, Let’s see if this generates more comments?

Your Partnering Pre-nup!

A Partnership whether Business or Marital needs a Pre-nup!

It’s like a good marriage, having a pre-nuptial agreement only makes the relationship better. It simply lays out what “is” going to happen when it all comes apart. No one is wondering what will happen and it makes each partner feel like there is sincere motivation to be in the relationship. Over the years of Partnering with too many people you get to the point where you can judge “character” from 100 feet away, but when you are beginning, or you are about to enter your first partnership, it can be difficult to know who to choose. So I have come up with 10 quick questions to get the ball rolling with a partner.

1. What will your role in the business be, and what do you expect mine to be?

   The co-CEO game can be difficult, so consider putting one person in charge.

2. How will we split up ownership, how will we divide profits and losses, and how will we each be paid?

   Some experts suggest avoiding a 50-50 ownership split. But if you are equal partners, be careful about giving ownership to an employee–it effectively gives the employee the swing vote in any partners’ dispute.

3. How are we going to make decisions?

   Are we going to rationally discuss it or are we going to fight it out?

1. What are your values?

   Yes, it sounds touchy-feely, but there are important issues to be discussed: Will you outsource? Will you employ illegal immigrants?

2. How do you like to communicate?

   Do we talk in person? Do you chicken out and only email me when you know it will lead to a fight? Do we have regular meeting together?

1. Are you against a “vesting” period for your ownership?

   Typically this is smart if you are putting in the money and someone else is doing the work!

1. What’s your spending style–and what’s your credit rating?

   Remember, lenders are likely to check the credit history of both business partners.

2. Where do you want this business to be in five, 10, and 20 years?

   Make sure you’re aligned on growth plans (including hiring, regional expansion, and so forth) and possible exit strategies.

3. Can I have references?

   You have to know the partner’s personality and business reputation. Check with vendors, check with Google, meet the spouse, meet the family, and meet the friends. Go on non-business outings. In other words, date before you commit.

4. Now, can you sign this buy-sell agreement?

   Sleep on it. Give it a chance to finalize in your mind then if you still want to do it, go ahead.

Bad Idea #5

The 5^th best failed business I’ve had is a great one!

I absolutely loved the name, now I haven’t quite figured out how to insert a picture of the logo or how I had the page layout out, but I’m learning something every day and will know soon enough, so if you really want to see it leave a comment and I’ll figure it out.

Any way the name of my 5^th biggest failure is:

Pants Down Advertising!

Tagline: “Where do you go to catch a “captive” audience? You go where their pants are down!”

horrible, I know but I really thought this one had a chance.

The Opportunity!

If you haven’t figured it out, we were advertising in the bathroom. Yes, you walk in, you find an open stall and you sit down and, BAM there it is, the Pants Down Advertising board, a perfectly fitted plastic board mounted to the inside of the stall or over the urinal. This was a great idea; I even invented a plastic board more of a frame that held an 11×17 inch piece of paper perfectly that was used to print the upcoming info for a local college. We basically told the student what was happening in the next two weeks!

The Cost!

I gave a majority of the space to the college for free; in order to sucker them into letting me put these damn boards everywhere and then sold advertising spots to local businesses. I went so far to have a Plastic injection mold made, spent about $25,000 on that part.

The First Sales Pitch!

I had to present to the local College campus board, which was easy I’m a great presenter, no lie, the old ones on the Board hated it, but the Campus Board is run by students, and when they voted, they loved it! I secured a 1 year contract with them and begun put the boards up everywhere.

The FAILURE!

Everything was great… until the first night. The first problem was I didn’t think of telling the janitors, and neither did anyone else, not that I’m blaming anyone, but hey I thought there would have been a memo or something! So the janitors didn’t know I was authorized to put them up so they spent the entire first night taking them all down! Wow, that was a waste of about $500, and a whole day’s worth of my time. You see the problem wasn’t that they took them down; the problem was I didn’t know they had been taken down until one of my advertisers went to see what they were paying me for and there weren’t any ad boards! Holy $h!t! (Sorry for that) I had to rush to the College and find that 100% of the boards had been removed from their place and had been tossed in the garbage the night after!

The FAILURE cont.

I then had to go through meeting after meeting and talk to the facilities manager and then to the janitors to find out what had happened and then reapproach the Board with the janitors concerns, they had some and they were valid, each night they use a pressure washer to clean out each bathroom. Problem was my Boards weren’t water proof, like ok? So I had a choice either redesign them or take them down, or actually not put them back up, so I made the most logical choice, I redesigned them, reproduced the boards and hung them back up! The problem was I had wasted so much time the year was almost up and by the time it came to renew the contract, the College Board choose not to renew the contract.

 

The MillionaireFailure Lesson:

If your lucky enough to get a signed contract, be ready to perform, and if you fail make up for it with enthusiam and then change quickly and give 110%.

Failure – Defined

February 23rd, 2008

In order to understand failure you must understand success. To get the full benefit of being a success, you have to get the full benefit of being a failure. To start off right I went to Wiktionary, and they defined failure as:

Failure (plural failures)

1. State or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, opposite of success.
2. An object, person or endeavor in a state of failure or incapable of success.
3. Termination of the ability of an item to perform its required function.

And to finish off the definitions, here is the one of success:

Success (plural successes)

1. the achievement of one’s aim or goal.
2. (business) financial profitability.
3. a person who achieves his or her goals.

For most of the time it is Failure that is Successful, no pun intended. But honestly, how many times have you succeeded versus Failed? I can only speak for myself here, and wow, I think I have failed 100 times more than I have succeeded, yet the successes have more than made up for the failures, both in terms of experience and financial return.

The best part of being an Entrepreneur is the fact that you are going to fail, that is where you get to put your skills to work, for a Successful Serial Entrepreneur they know that failure is simply the way the business modifies itself to achieve success, the problem that most wanna-be Entrepreneurs have is they don’t understand the nature of failure, nor do they see it as a good thing, they simply keep doing the same thing and expecting different results, and by the time they realize the failure is necessary the business is to far past the ability to recover and over-come the failure. Thus the failure becomes Final.

A Missed Opportunity!

February 22nd, 2008

I can’t believe I missed this opportunity, I found out today that there is an Affiliate Summit going to be right here in Las Vegas this weekend, which you would think would be awesome, because I live right here and wouldn’t need to spend $400 on an expensive hotel to stay at, or fly from somewhere else in the world, and rent a car etc, etc. but I only found out about it from Zac Johnson’s blog today and when I hurried and checked it out I found out that the whole damn thing is sold out. From what I was able to find out it looks like a really great thing! The will be some of the Super Affiliate’s like Zac Johnson, Amit Mehta, John Chow and Kris Jones in the same session. It sure looks like a great opportunity. I promise you I won’t miss the next one! It looks like it is in Boston, on August. 10-12, 2008 and there is another one in New York City.

Here’s an excerpt from ZacJohnson, blog today,

Are You Ready for Affiliate Summit? It’s Here!

After months of anticipation and excitement, Affiliate Summit is nearly here. With over 2500+ attendees this time around, this will be the biggest Affiliate Summit yet. Even before the event has begun, excitement and frustration has ensued.. for everyone in the North East that is. Waking up this morning to a few inches of snow wasn’t too thrilling. Luckily for me, my flight is Saturday morning, so everything should be cleared up. Unfortunately for many others making their way to Las Vegas, delays and cancellations are just the start of their adventure to Affiliate Summit West 2008. Flight cancellations and travel aside, I can’t wait till Affiliate Summit finally kicks off!

I’ve got nearly 6 hours to burn on my flight from NJ to Las Vegas, so I will probably spend most of that time writing up some exciting blog posts. Over the next several days, I will also be providing full blog coverage from Affiliate Summit. Some areas that I will cover are the killer parties, networking sessions and exhibits area, which speakers I really enjoyed and any tips I come across that would benefit my readers. So in addition to my posts on the event, I also want to release a few non-Affiliate Summit posts for the blog as well. That’s where you come in! I still have another 10 hours or so before I leave to catch my plane, so start leaving comments or send me an email through the contact page on what you would like me to write about this upcoming week!

I am thankful Zac will be posting the contents of the Summit as it is going to be the only way for those of us who Missed this Opportunity, to get the wealth of information I’m sure is being discussed. Look for me there next year!

The beginnings of a Free E-book

It amazes me, how last night after I posted my first blog post, I drove home excited, not because of anything in particular, but beginning something new has always excited me.  I couldn’t wait to add to the content of what I have to offer.  SO here it is:

As I began my introduction into the world of Blogging, the first blog I have ever read was the insightful JohnChowDotCom blog.  John’s blog has a TON of information on it, too much for me at this point,  but at the top of his page he has a free e-book, it is used as a promotional tool, as the e-book has probally spread all over the world and he intentionaly has links back to his blog. 

This led me to share with you the introduction to an e-book that I’m writing, thanks John for the great marketing idea, but working on my own e-book has brought a lot out of me from an internal perspective stand point, as I have been through my share of Failures and successes and I have always wanted to give the perspective that you can become a Millionaire Failure too.  Here is a sneak peak at it, let me know what you think. 

FACT: Your New Business will Fail 

Introduction

The Idea to start a new business comes with a moment of blinding insight.  Tadaah!! This is my opportunity!  I could do that!  OR simply the current product or service is insufficient for a majority of the users needs, and you can make it better.  Some start ups have begun as accidents or come from an unintentional mistake, while others may take years of effort simply to uncover the underlying business concept and then to develop it into a working model.  However you came to this point of great inspiration and excitement, most businesses are followed by an abrupt journey to a bottomless pit that leads into insignificance.  FAILURE.  It takes a Millionaire Failure, which is rare, to capitalize on a mere concept and turn it into a realized business, reaching the full potential of the original inspiration. Why is it that so many business ideas FAIL?  The answer is simple; however the solution is much more complex.  Typically you see a gross pattern of a pessimistic behavior that would indicate the failure is not only misunderstood, but there never any intention to discover the root of the Failure, thus perpetuation the cycle. 
 
Being a Gambling man, from my observation, most people play a dangerous game of Russian roulette, or a sub-version of it with their business ideas.  If I pull the trigger enough times, I’ll miss the bullet, but in reality, they get the bullet on almost every trigger pull.  It seems that a small percentage of the population is affected by this problem, the “failures”, but the funny part is that it affects everyone. A Millionaire Failure just knows how to process it, and the unsuccessful ones don’t.  It is how you deal with a specific Failure that affects the direct outcome.  This problem affects most large businesses and even smaller corporations deal with this problem, but on a much larger incident rate. The main problem lies with the little start up businesses, because the individual failures affect the business model on a much larger scale. A simple failure on marketing can have a detrimental effect to resources, capital, consumer confidence, etc.