Do Entrepreneurs Need Good Luck?

We once heard a mathematics professor state, "The parameters of luck are unknown to us." In other words, luck can't be explained by any specific factor; it's a matter of chance. We thought the statement made a lot of sense, but we were intrigued by the notion that what we call "luck" could be explained by a set of variables or elements that had not yet been studied. So we carried out our own research.

We spoke with people who thought their lives had been blessed by good fortune to try and figure out what factors they had in common. After four years of research, we could clearly identify a list of five principles for good luck.

What our research revealed can be summarized in a single simple sentence: In business, we make our own good luck.

What do these creators of good luck have in common? How can entrepreneurs make their own good luck as they’re making their businesses successful? The principles are summarized below:

1. Responsibility
Business owners who feel that they have had good luck also feel responsible for their own actions. When things go wrong or the outcome of any given situation is other than intended, they never point the finger of blame at external factors or other individuals. Instead, they look to themselves and ask, "What have I done for this to occur?" Then they act accordingly to solve the problem.

2. Learning from Mistakes
Creators of good luck don't see a mistake as a failure. Instead, a mistake is an opportunity for learning. Thomas Edison is the classic example. More than 1,000 attempts to invent the first long-lasting electric light bulb led to bulbs that only stayed lit for a few minutes. One of Edison's colleagues asked him, "Mr. Edison, don't you feel you are a failure?" Lacking any sense of vanity, he answered, "Not at all. Now, I definitely know more than a thousand ways how NOT to make a light bulb."

Sure enough, just a few days later, he turned his inspiration into a practical concept. By the way, the very first light bulb was invented by Sir Joseph Wilson Swan, who demonstrated the theoretical concept but gave up trying to develop a practical application after only three attempts. By contrast, Edison made his own good luck and designed a working light bulb.

3. Perseverance
Creators of good luck don't give up or postpone. When a problem or situation arises, they act immediately to either solve it without delay, delegate, or forget about it.

These business people don't carry a list of "things to do" in their brain. Instead, they resolve problems and situations as quickly as possible. This enables their energy to be fully focused on their work and avoid conscious or unconscious distractions, which only generate inefficiency.

4. Confidence
The most powerful principle is often the most overlooked. Confidence is divided into two parts: confidence in yourself and confidence in others.

Confidence in yourself is essential, and those who create their own good luck have high degrees of assertiveness and self-esteem. They keep to their purpose, persevere, and work to create the conditions that ultimately help them achieve success. Also, they are great visualizers. They use their imaginations -- specifically, their visualizing techniques -- to form mental images of their goals.

Closely linked to assertiveness and self-esteem is trust in others and respect for them, seeing other people as major sources of opportunity. This doesn't mean that one must be naive and trust just anyone. Instead, it speaks to the trait of seeing others as sources of opportunity for achievement.

Without confidence there is no way to "give yourself" to the situation. If there is no intimacy -- if it is ruled out by paranoia or rampant suspicion, for example -- there can be no opening up to others. Hence, there can be no room for dialogue or for the genuine and sincere exchange of opinions. Without this, any initiative proceeds more slowly until, eventually, it simply withers and dies.

5. Cooperation
Synergy is key. Trust in others leads to solid a network of work colleagues and friends, which, in turn, provides more resources to carry out projects than if they were managed alone. Think cooperation rather than competitiveness. At the most basic level, any project or undertaking takes place in the context of the broader group, and everyone should have the chance to emerge a winner.

As we have seen, whether or not one can create good luck basically depends on an attitude towards oneself, towards others, and towards life. It is also tied to the perception that the individual is much more of a cause than an effect. And above all, to the realization that one must make oneself the creator of the conditions that foster success and the achievement of specific, visualized goals.

We think of luck -- the sort that wins lotteries -- as random. It can be favorable or not, but it is always occasional, brief, and impermanent. We have found that of the people who have won big sweepstakes prizes, many lose everything they gained, typically within four years to seven years of hitting the jackpot. Furthermore, their personal relationships with family, friends, and colleagues often suffer.

On the other hand, since those who create their own good luck owe success only to themselves and their own initiatives, not just to a random roll of the dice, they are acutely aware of the origins of their good fortune. Moreover, having seen it work before, they know how to repeat it.

The problem is that we often seem to forget old principles based on common sense, which basically say that we must work, be aware of our actions, and take responsibility for correcting them when the need arises. The person who grasps that wisdom is lucky indeed.

Resource : http://entrepreneurs.about.com

How to Make a Powerful First Impression

Learn the art of presence and small talk from communications experts who swear you can do it even if you don't think you can.

If it's true that time is money, then it's small wonder business owners find they can never truly clock out. Wherever they go and whomever they meet, entrepreneurs are walking billboards for their companies.

In a tough economy, where advertising budgets are cut to the bone, that kind of person-to-person marketing is more important than ever. But if you're a billboard, how can you be sure you're communicating the right message? How do you get people to notice you without offending, boring or confusing them?

Body language
Lillian Bjorseth, a communications consultant and author of Breakthrough Networking, says people decide many things about you within 10 seconds of seeing you--usually before you even open your mouth. That's why entrepreneurs should always be conscious of their aura, she says.

"The aura is the area around you that you create by what you wear, how you act, how you look," she says. "It all goes together to make one impression. You could wear a very expensive suit, but if you stand slumped over with your head down, you won't give a confident aura."

Though every person's aura is complex and unique, Bjorseth says entrepreneurs can focus on a few simple, non-verbal priorities to appear confident and in control. First, don't slip into a room "all smiles." Instead, "claim your space" in the room by planting your feet six inches to eight inches apart, one slightly ahead of the other--a stance that will make you feel grounded and confident.

After you've established eye contact, Bjorseth says a smile will create an upbeat, positive environment. Maintain eye contact 85 percent of the time during a conversation, she recommends. Doing so will make you seem trustworthy and it will demonstrate that you're interested in what the other person has to say.

To avoid a fumbling introduction, Bjorseth says every entrepreneur should have in mind a "verbal business card"--a quick, 30-word summary of who you are and what you can do. Focus on benefits for the other person rather than job titles or even company names, she recommends. "You want to make sure people remember you as opposed to others who do the same thing you do."

Conversation
When it's time to move beyond the handshake stage, simple conversational skills are the key to a successful first meeting, says Rosalie Maggio, bestselling author of How to Say It and The Art of Talking to Anyone.

"Prepare in advance, then just try to forget yourself," she says. "Being too self-conscious is the quickest way to shoot yourself in the foot. Remember that it's about the other person--that's the best possible way to make a positive first impression."

To help shift focus to the other person, Maggio says a bit of small talk is appropriate in almost every setting. When meeting someone new, the conversation should resemble a tennis match, with each participant taking a quick swing before sending it back to the other person. Too many Americans confuse their sports metaphors treating a conversation "more like golf, where you just keep hitting your own ball over and over again . . . If you've talked for more than a minute, it's too long."

From formal pitches to impromptu meetings at a trade show, no two conversations will ever be the same. But Maggio says one element is critical no matter what the setting: the ability to show appreciation.

"In every conversation, include at least one appreciative remark," she says. Praise the other person's business acumen, charity work, or even her taste in shoes. As long as the appreciation is brief, sincere, and specific, the feeling will be remembered long after the words are forgotten."

Voice
Beyond body language and conversational skills, the actual tone of your voice is an important part of the impression you create, says Sandra McKnight, owner of Voice Power Studios in Santa Fe, N.M.

"In face-to-face conversation, the other person first sees you, then hears the tone of your voice, and only then listens to your words. It can create a negative impression very easily if you're not in control of the way you speak."

Entrepreneurs who speak in monotone will be perceived as uninspiring, while those who speak too quietly will come across as uncertain. But the most common problem, McKnight says, is speed-talking, which dilutes the message and makes the speaker sound anxious.

"Bright people have a tendency to talk fast because their minds move fast," she says. "But it's not about data dumping. It's about communicating so that you're understood."

To ensure that you're speaking at the right pace, McKnight suggests reading aloud from a book for 60 seconds. When time is up, go back and count the words in the selection you just read. The ideal speaking pace, she says, is about 145 words per minute--but don't forget that you probably speak even faster than you read.

The keys to creating a positive first impression aren't secrets that are hidden away and accessible only through visits to an oracle or a high-priced seminar. Body language, conversation and voice are three of the most important aspects of a first impression. The bad news is too many people think they lack skill in these areas. The good news is that most anyone can practice each of them and master their first impression.

Resource : http://www.entrepreneur.com

Success Story Henry Ford

Henry Ford
Founder of
Ford Motor Co.
Founded: 1903

“I will build a motor car for the great multitude…it will be so low in price that no man will be unable to own one.”—Henry Ford



Henry Ford was nearly 40 when he founded Ford Motor Co. in 1903. At the time, “horseless carriages” were expensive toys available only to a wealthy few. Yet in just four decades, Ford’s innovative vision of mass production would not only produce the first reliable, affordable “automobile for the masses,” but would also spark a modern industrial revolution.

Ford’s fascination with gasoline-powered automobiles began in Detroit, where he worked as chief engineer for the Edison Illuminating Co. The automobile offered the promise of a bright new future…a future Ford wanted to part of. So in 1891, Ford began devoting his spare time to building what he called the “Quadricycle”—a crude contraption that consisted of two bicycles placed side by side, powered by a gasoline engine. After working on the Quadricycle for nearly a decade, Ford took Detroit lumber tycoon William H. Murphy for a ride in his hand-built automobile. By the time the ride was over, they were in business.

The Detroit Automobile Company opened in 1899 with Ford as superintendent in charge of production. But the venture only lasted a year. Ford could build a car, but he couldn’t build them fast enough to keep the company afloat. Undaunted, Ford hatched a new plan—to build a racer. Ford saw racing as a way to spread the word about his cars and his name. Through the notoriety generated by his racing success, Ford attracted the attention of the backers he needed to start Ford Motor Co. in June 1903.

Ford set up shop in a converted wagon factory, hired workers, then designed and produced the Model A, the first of which he sold to a Chicago dentist in July 1903. By 1904, more than 500 Model A’s had been sold.

While most other automakers were building luxury-laden automobiles for the wealthy, Ford had a different vision. His dream was to create an automobile that everyone could afford. The Model T made this dream a reality. Simpler, more reliable and cheaper to build than the Model A, the Model T—nicknamed the “Tin Lizzie”—went on sale in 1908 and was so successful within just a few months that Ford had to announce that the company couldn’t accept any more orders—the factory was already swamped. Ford had succeeded in making an automobile for the masses, but only to create a new challenge…how to build up production to satisfy demand. His solution? The moving assembly line.


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* Henry Ford
* Henry Ford Continued
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* The Getaway Car Of Choice

Henry Ford
Founder of
Ford Motor Co.
Founded: 1903

“I will build a motor car for the great multitude…it will be so low in price that no man will be unable to own one.”—Henry Ford



Henry Ford was nearly 40 when he founded Ford Motor Co. in 1903. At the time, “horseless carriages” were expensive toys available only to a wealthy few. Yet in just four decades, Ford’s innovative vision of mass production would not only produce the first reliable, affordable “automobile for the masses,” but would also spark a modern industrial revolution.

Ford’s fascination with gasoline-powered automobiles began in Detroit, where he worked as chief engineer for the Edison Illuminating Co. The automobile offered the promise of a bright new future…a future Ford wanted to part of. So in 1891, Ford began devoting his spare time to building what he called the “Quadricycle”—a crude contraption that consisted of two bicycles placed side by side, powered by a gasoline engine. After working on the Quadricycle for nearly a decade, Ford took Detroit lumber tycoon William H. Murphy for a ride in his hand-built automobile. By the time the ride was over, they were in business.

The Detroit Automobile Company opened in 1899 with Ford as superintendent in charge of production. But the venture only lasted a year. Ford could build a car, but he couldn’t build them fast enough to keep the company afloat. Undaunted, Ford hatched a new plan—to build a racer. Ford saw racing as a way to spread the word about his cars and his name. Through the notoriety generated by his racing success, Ford attracted the attention of the backers he needed to start Ford Motor Co. in June 1903.

Ford set up shop in a converted wagon factory, hired workers, then designed and produced the Model A, the first of which he sold to a Chicago dentist in July 1903. By 1904, more than 500 Model A’s had been sold.

While most other automakers were building luxury-laden automobiles for the wealthy, Ford had a different vision. His dream was to create an automobile that everyone could afford. The Model T made this dream a reality. Simpler, more reliable and cheaper to build than the Model A, the Model T—nicknamed the “Tin Lizzie”—went on sale in 1908 and was so successful within just a few months that Ford had to announce that the company couldn’t accept any more orders—the factory was already swamped. Ford had succeeded in making an automobile for the masses, but only to create a new challenge…how to build up production to satisfy demand. His solution? The moving assembly line.

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Ford reasoned that if each worker remained in one assigned place and performed one specific task, they could build automobiles more quickly and efficiently. To test his theory, in August 1913, he dragged a chassis by rope and windlass across the floor of his Highland Park plant—and modern mass production was born. At peak efficiency, the old system had spit out a finished Model T in 12 and a half working hours. The new system cut that time by more than half. Ford refined and perfected the system, and within a year it took just 93 minutes to make a car.

Because of the more efficient production, Ford was able to cut hundreds of dollars off the price of his car. Cutting the price enabled Ford to achieve his two aims in life—to bring the pleasures of the automobile to as many people as possible, and to provide a large number of high-paying jobs.

But there was one problem Ford hadn’t foreseen. Doing the same task hour after hour, day after day quickly burned out his work force. The turnover rate became such a problem that the company had to hire close to 1,000 workers for every 100 jobs it hoped to fill. To solve the problem, Ford decided to pay his employees $5 per day—nearly twice the going rate. Workers flocked to Ford’s gates.

His labor problems solved, Ford turned his attention to another matter—the issue of who really controlled Ford Motor Co. Believing they were parasites who continually interfered with his plans, Ford bought out all his stockholders in 1919. Free to lead the company as he chose, Ford explored a number of different ventures. In addition to building tractors and single-passenger planes, Ford also operated an early mail route and the first regularly scheduled passenger flights. Undoubtedly the grandest of Ford’s ventures was The Rouge—a factory that was in itself one giant machine. Built on the Rouge River, the 1,096-acre plant was the largest industry complex of its time. Throughout the 1920s, workers at The Rouge pumped out hundreds of thousands of Model T’s, but the marketplace was changing and Ford began to fall behind the times. Ford had met its first serious competitor—Chevrolet. While Ford had dedicated the past 20 years to producing only one model, Chevrolet had developed a counterstrategy of releasing a new, improved model every year. The counterstrategy worked, and Chevrolet soon surpassed Ford in sales. Chevrolet’s success proved that people wanted style, not just utility.

In this new era, Ford’s “Tin Lizzie” was hopelessly outdated. A change was needed, but it wouldn’t come without cost. In May 1927, Ford laid off thousands of workers while he figured out a way to get back into the marketplace. At the age of 64 he was starting over. With the release of a brand new Model A, Ford came roaring back to life. When the stock market crashed in October 1929, Ford Motor Co. was better off than most of its competitors. Thanks to the success of the new Model A, the company rode out the first two years of the Depression relatively untouched. Henry Ford even raised his workers’ wages while dropping the price of his automobile. But he could only hold out for so long.

In 1931, the Depression caught up with Ford. After three years on the market, Model A sales fell dramatically. Chevrolet, with its new six-cylinder engine, and a new model from Plymouth cut into Ford’s market share. Once again Ford was forced to shut down production and send workers home. What brought the workers back was yet another of Henry Ford’s inspirations—the Ford V-8. This innovative eight-cylinder engine put Ford back on top.

But those who went back to work for Ford found that working conditions had changed. The young, humanistic idealist had become a hardened industrialist who believed the average worker wouldn’t do a day’s work unless he or she was trapped and couldn’t get out of it. To ensure his workers put in a full day’s work, Ford created the Service Department, a foreman and a group of supervisors, many of whom were ex-cons and boxers, who ruled the plant through fear and coercion.

When World War II erupted, the government asked Ford to build the B-24 Liberator Bomber. Ford had suffered a stroke in 1941, and due to his rapidly deteriorating physical and mental health, supervision of the project fell largely to Ford’s only son, Edsel. Optimistic Ford spokespeople predicted that B-24s would roll out of the factory at the rate of one per hour. But by the end of 1942, only 56 planes had been built. Plagued by medical problems of his own, the project and the pressure proved to be too much for Edsel. In May 1943, 50-year-old Edsel Ford died. So at the age of 80, in spite of his clearly diminished capacities, Henry Ford once again took up the reigns of Ford Motor Co.

The news alarmed President Franklin D. Roosevelt. As the nation’s third-largest defense contractor, Ford was a major part of the war effort. Aware of Ford’s increasing mental incompetence, Roosevelt toyed with the idea of bringing in outside managers, or even nationalizing the plant. Instead, in August 1943, the Navy sent Ford’s 26-year-old grandson home in hopes that Henry Ford II could bring order to the chaos that Ford had become. For months Clara Ford tried to convince Henry to step down and let their grandson take over. But Ford held out. Finally, Edsel’s widow, Eleanor, threatened to sell her considerable holdings in the company if her son wasn’t immediately named president. Henry Ford relented, and in September 1945 the crown was passed to Henry Ford II.

After stepping down as president, Ford went into seclusion, appearing only occasionally at company events. The raging fire that him driven him for more than eight decades had died out. On an April evening in 1947, Ford laid his head on his wife’s shoulder and died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 84. Tens of thousands of people lined up to view Henry Ford’s body as it lay in state. Some factories closed, while others shut down for a moment of silence. In all, it’s estimated that several million workers were involved in some kind of demonstration of sympathy for the man who had irrevocably changed their lives and taught America to drive.

Ford Motor Co. was the last major automaker to unionize. Initially, Henry Ford kept his workers from organizing by paying nearly twice the going rate, cutting the workday from 10 hours to eight hours and introducing the five-day workweek. But Ford couldn’t keep the United Autoworkers Union (UAW) out forever. When generosity failed, he turned to intimidation.

Ford formed the Service Department to ensure workers did their jobs and to keep the union out of his factory. Under the direction of Henry Bennett, a notorious figure with underworld connections, this group of ruthless thugs brutally repressed any attempt by UAW to organize Ford workers. In 1937, the Service Department mercilessly beat a group of union organizers attempting to pass out leaflets at the Ford factory. The beating left the union leaders battered, but undaunted. It took another four years of pushing before something broke.

On April 1, 1941, Andy Dewar, a worker in the Rouge River plant’s rolling mill, changed labor history at Ford. After an argument with a foreman over working conditions, Dewar began yelling “Strike! Strike!” The call echoed through the plant, and the entire rolling line walked out.

Ford was preparing to do whatever it took to keep the UAW out of his factory until his wife, Clara, demanded he settle with the union. Clara rarely interfered in Ford’s business dealings, but she was genuinely afraid that the situation would explode into real violence. She threatened to leave Henry if he didn’t end the strike. In May 1941, Ford Motor Co. became a union shop. The agreement led to a new era of labor relations in the automobile industry, as workers turned away from their dependence on Ford’s paternalism and fear of Bennett’s Service Department, and toward the union shop steward and the skills of UAW negotiators.

When Ford Motor Co.’s new V-8 hit the streets in 1932, it was an immediate hit with an American public who craved greater luxury and more power. With a top speed of more than 80 miles per hour, it was the fastest thing on four wheels. Not surprisingly, the speedy roadster quickly became a favorite of Depression-era bank robbers and gangsters.

John Dillinger was so impressed with the V-8’s power that he sent Henry Ford a letter which read, “Hello, old pal. You have a wonderful car. It’s a treat to drive one. Your slogan should be ‘Drive a Ford and watch the other cars fall behind you.’ I can make any other car take a Ford’s dust.”

Clyde Barrow of Bonnie and Clyde fame also felt compelled to compliment Ford on his achievement. “Even if my business hasn’t been strictly legal,” he wrote, “it don’t hurt anything to tell you what a fine car you got in the V-8.” Barrow remained loyal to Ford for the rest of his life. When he and Bonnie were shot to death in 1934, they were riding in a Ford V-8. In 1973, the bullet-riddled car sold at auction for $175,000—more than Hitler’s Mercedes Benz.

Resource: http://www.entrepreneur.com

The Economy, Banking and Fear as Motivation

It was October 2005, and I had just resigned from my position as CFO of a US$250 million bank. I wanted to devote full-time efforts to form a new commercial bank headquartered in the Portland, Oregon, USA metropolitan area. Times were good. As Co-Founder and the largest beneficial shareholder, little did I expect when we opened our doors on 15 December 15 2006 that the country was heading straight toward one of the worst environments this industry has seen in any of our lifetimes.

The current economic environment, including legacy issues from the unprecedented volume and loosening of underwriting standards of residential mortgage loans, is resulting in serious strains on the banking industry. Collateral damage from this is felt in the lack of availability of credit to businesses, both large and small. Are banks simply being conservative? Are they in survival mode? Let’s rewind the clock.

As recent as two years ago, credit losses were at historic lows and margins were favorable. Banks were concerned primarily with profitability, but more importantly, they were constantly pressured to maximize return on equity. The most common means of increasing return on equity was by rapidly expanding the loan portfolio, thereby building high-yielding assets and maximizing leverage on equity capital. This oftentimes meant loosening credit underwriting standards in order to compete with securitizations and other non-bank financing vehicles. By the time the national credit markets began to seize in August 2007, most banks found themselves with highly leveraged balance sheets supported by assets that, in some cases, were not of the quality seen in years past.

What many bankers lost sight of was the importance of equity as a cushion to absorb unforeseen portfolio and operating losses. Because of pressure to maximize return on equity, significantly exceeding regulatory minimum levels wasn’t viewed as an efficient deployment of equity, particularly given how ubiquitous and cheap bank equity capital was in recent years. However, dropping below “well capitalized” status presents unwelcome restrictions on operations, the most crippling of which is lack of access to emergency wholesale funding (i.e., the bank becomes highly vulnerable to a liquidity crisis). Banks that fall below “well capitalized” are uncomfortably close to regulatory receivership or a forced sale to another financial institution.

Of the three regulatory capital ratios, the key ratio banks tend to focus on is “total risk-based capital to risk-weighted assets,” which is a regulatory capital ratio that incorporates the risk profile of the banks asset mix. The minimum for “well capitalized” is 10.0 percent. For the past 15 years, the banking industry has averaged around 12.5 percent. This leaves very little room to absorb the sudden asset write-downs or operating losses experienced over the past year.

Fear is a strong motivator. Bankers are preserving equity capital at any cost, and many are doing what would have been unthinkable until now: deleveraging their balance sheet. I participated in a recent CFO roundtable and all but one bank in attendance were ceasing or drastically reducing lending activity, and in many cases, selling good-quality seasoned loans to “de novo” institutions who are still in growth mode. During the past 45 days, our bank has received multiple requests to purchase loans like this. Almost all are to businesses that would fit the demographics of those in EO, which leads me to believe that credit will not be readily available for small businesses at reasonable levels for at least another year or two.

Despite defensive actions taken by many banks, there is a high likelihood that we have only seen the beginning of a long line of bank failures, and even worse for the economy, the continued inability for many businesses to access credit. What the banking industry needs and what would free up banks to begin prudently lending is the ability to raise equity capital. Unfortunately, bank stock prices are at near historic lows and there is little desire to invest. While I am not a fan of a nationalized banking system, I do think that the most viable alternative now is preferred equity investments by the Treasury in healthy but capital-starved banks. Only then can we expect to see the availability of credit begin its slow march to normalcy.

Yes, we live in interesting times.

Trey Maust, CEO of Lewis and Clark Bank

EO Portland

Resource :http://www.eonetwork.org

Negotiating with Contractors During Tough Times

When times are tough—as they are now—and money is tight, many savvy business owners look to outsource work to contractors. Using a reliable contractor can help you control costs and give you time to focus on marketing and business growth. But outsourcing is effective only if you can get the results you want at the price you want to pay. For that reason, your ability to negotiate good deals with contractors is critical.

Though many business owners feel stressed when faced with major negotiations, the truth is that we're all negotiators. And a lot of us are better negotiators than we think we are. The ability to negotiate kicks in almost as soon as we learn to speak. Think about it: You wanted the cookie. You're mom had the cookie. That's where it all started.

Whether you're a child negotiating with your mother for a cookie or business owner negotiating with a consultant for a project or service, it all boils down to creativity. You learn to look at things from angles that may not be direct. You have to come up with an alternative plan that gets you to the same place by another route.

First, know what you want
I make extensive use of contractors to handle day-to-day business activities, allowing my team to focus on business growth. I've learned that when negotiating with contractors, you need first of all to keep your own interests in mind—after all, getting your work done is why you're hiring a contractor in the first place. Make sure you have a strong understanding of your wants and your needs and the end results you expect the contractor to produce.

Once you're clear about what you want, you can open the negotiations with an initial terms sheet. This piece of paper lays out the results you want, the structure you want, and what you're willing to pay.

Then, figure out what they want
Keeping your own needs firmly in mind, observe and get to know the person you are negotiating with. The more questions you ask and the more answers you get, the better off you are. (Don't confuse negotiation with sales. Sales is often about talking and convincing; negotiation is about listening.)

For instance, suppose you’re talking with a contractor about staffing your booth at a trade show. Their prices have gone way up from previous years, and your offers of modest increases are refused. Finally you talk with the owner and find out she’s trying to shift the business to focus on trade show packages that include staffing, booth set-up, and production of fliers and other handouts—work you’d planned to outsource to other contractors. Suddenly the negotiations are back on track because you’ve can give the contractor an opportunity to demonstrate their new service package at an affordable price.

In a good negotiation, you get what you want. It just might not look like what you'd been looking for.

Negotiating toward a contract
There's no question about it: Good paper makes good friends. As the negotiation proceeds, turn that terms sheet you used at the start of the negotiation into an actual contract. If you are involved in a fairly straightforward deal, you can have a paralegal modify a standard contract template to fit the particular situation. Having the contract drawn up at your end is a negotiation advantage; many contractors don't want to go to the trouble or expense of having a contract drafted and they're anxious to make the sale. This means they're more likely to accept your terms.

Milestones
Be sure to include in your contract agreement significant milestones for the project work. I was reminded of this not too long ago when we failed to establish milestones, and at the completion date discovered that the final product didn't meet our specifications. We ended up having to hire another firm to do the work the way we wanted it, but we lost time and money as a result. If we'd had milestones in the contract, we would have known in a short period of time that the deal was a bad deal.

Good negotiations mean good business
Consulting relations are like personal relationships: Business is easiest when you're engaging in relationships that are easy, productive, and enjoyable. If you notice during the negotiation itself that you're not getting along or that you have to spend your time chasing them, heed the danger signs. If the negotiation is miserable, the project itself is likely to be even worse.

It’s to your advantage to take the lead in keeping the negotiation on track. That means keeping your eye on the end result, while being adaptive and flexible about how you attain that result. In most cases, you’ll find that the negotiation process is an economical and efficient way to get what you want.

Resources: http://www.eonetwork.org/

Succeeding During Tough Times

Why do some businesses fail during tough times while others succeed?

I have searched for the answer to that question since I began my business 16 years ago. In my search for knowledge and professional guidance, I have worked with and learned from hundreds of successful entrepreneurs and top-level executives. The more time I spent getting to know these people, the clearer it became that each of them shared three common characteristics that ultimately defined their success: focus, faith and effort (FFE).

Focus
There is an amazing power in focus. Just think of a laser beam— a narrowly focused beam of light that is so powerful it can cut through steel. Focus in business has similar powers. What do we need to be focused on?

Let’s start with the entrepreneur. Few entrepreneurs have made it big by focusing on multiple industries or products. We all have limited time and limited bandwidth. Dividing your energy among different businesses or different projects greatly reduces your momentum.

Focus on customers. I see this fail all too often in our business when a franchise partner thinks he will get better results trying to market to everyone quickly. I teach our franchise partners to pick an audience, to narrow their focus. Will it be homeowners, property managers, realtors or contractors? Pick one audience and own it.

Faith
Without faith, you are finished before you start. First and foremost, people need to believe in themselves. If you do not believe in yourself, it is certain no one else ever will. You then need to have faith in a vision. Every exceptional, successful leader has a crystal clear vision— whether they are an athlete, an entrepreneur or a politician. Without faith, it becomes much harder to execute with focus and effort.

As a leader, you also need faith in your team. I have met a few entrepreneurs who do nothing but complain about their team. When you have lost faith in your own team, I can guarantee they have lost faith in you.

Effort
This one is easy— good, old-fashioned hard work. It does not matter how focused you are or how much faith you have in yourself, your vision or your team: you will not be successful without putting in consistent effort over time.

We come from a society in which we want instant results, but we cannot buy a short cut on this one. I have a rule that we use to find team members and franchise partners who are strong in the area of effort: We hire motivated people. I do not believe leaders can motivate. They can inspire and empower, but motivation comes from within. I will say it again, hire motivated people.

Success is a very personal thing and means different things to each of us; however, every person I have met who considers himself to be extremely successful is practicing a high level of focus, faith and effort. What you do is important, but I believe how you do it is even more important. The next time you meet someone who you believe is exceptionally successful, take a closer look at his or her approach. I bet that person is making practical use of focus, faith and effort. It works.

Resource :http://www.eonetwork.org

How Great Leaders Thrive in Tough Times

Chester Arthur, who served as President of the United States from 1881 to 1885, will never be regarded as one of America’s great leaders. In fact, many Americans would be hard pressed to identify him as one of our presidents!

Arthur, who served after President Garfield’s assassination, may well have possessed the basic qualities of a great leader. However, the time of his presidency was fairly stable, so he was never called upon to step up. What have I learned from President Garfield and my years of business? It’s simple: tough times breed great leaders.

If you look at many of the famous leaders throughout history, you'll notice they became famous because they navigated through seemingly impossible times. They held the flashlight at the end of the tunnel. Legendary leaders such as Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony and Franklin Delano Roosevelt come to mind. All historical figures were faced with incredibly complex or catastrophic situations. Instead of cowering in indecision, they reacted boldly and aggressively. They threw conventional wisdom out the window and developed their own playbooks on the spot.

So what does this have to do with entrepreneurs? I’ve discovered that being a good leader is all about being able to rise to the occasion during difficult times. It’s the ability to step up, fight for your employees and prepare for the future. I have been faced with several instances where my flight or fight thinking kicked in, and while it seems very hard to brave the difficulty, it’s important to tackle it head on.

A good example is the recent state of the global economy. A lot of people are talking about recessions, tax increases, falling stocks and other points of importance. What is a business leader to do? The reflexive action is to take a hatchet to the budget, impose layoffs and halt all plans for growth. These steps are relatively easy to take, so leadership skills rarely come into play. And often, I’ve found, they are exactly the wrong things to do.

Great leaders know that only dead fish swim with the current. So they work harder to get through trying times, searching for more creative solutions and inspiring their coworkers to stay engaged. They also take some time to pause and think, because they know that they shouldn't react impulsively. Only after careful consideration and preparation do they act.

How am I trying to live up to this leadership ideal? It’s a mammoth undertaking, but it’s worth it if it means I can keep my staff and company on the path toward continued success. When it comes to something like a struggling economy, here are the steps I take when the going gets tough:

1.
I ask my coworkers to help me look at our expenses and figure out where we can cut. Engaging the staff in this process is crucial. They need to understand that it's a time for sacrifice, and they'll be happy to be part of the process if I let them.

I look for new opportunities that arise from the problems we're facing. For example, new trends or market needs that will rise up because of the hard times.
2.
I enhance customer service to make sure the people who already love what we do don't slip away. It might be hard to find a lot of new business during a recession, for instance, so we need to work even harder to convince our current customers to sit tight.
3.
I do more marketing, not less. Many companies reflexively shut off their advertising efforts during tough times. I'd rather shut off the water supply than my marketing. With fewer customers in the market, we need to fight even harder for those that remain! Plus, if my competitors stop advertising, I'll get more bang for my buck in the ad market. And if the market is less cluttered, our marketing efforts stand a better chance of getting noticed.

All in all, I try not to get depressed about the tough times ahead. No one said running a business would be easy, and things will always get better in time. I try to stay patient, remain excited about my business and view tough times as an opportunity to test my skills as a leader.

Resources :http://www.eonetwork.org

KISAH SUKSES SURYA PALOH SUKSES ANAK KOLONG DALAM BISNIS MEDIA

Surya Paloh, 40 tahun, lahir di Tanah Rencong, di daerah yang tak pernah dijajah Belanda. Ia besar
di kota Pematang Siantar, Sumut, di daerah yang memunculkan tokoh-tokoh besar semacam TB
Simatupang, Adam Malik, Parada Harahap, A.M. Sipahutar, Harun Nasution. Ia menjadi pengusaha
di kota Medan, daerah yang membesarkan tokoh PNI dan tokoh bisnis TD Pardede. Aktifitas
politiknya yang menyebabkan Surya Paloh pindah ke Jakarta, menjadi anggota MPR dua periode.
Justru di kota metropolitan ini, kemudian Surya Paloh terkenal sebagai seorang pengusaha muda
Indonesia.
Surya Paloh mengenal dunia bisnis tatkala ia masih Remaja. Sambil Sekolah ia berdagang teh, ikan
asin, karung goni, dll. Ia membelinya dari dua orang toke sahabat yang sekaligus gurunya dalam
dunia usaha, lalu dijual ke beberapa kedai kecil atau ke perkebunan (PTP-PTP). Di Medan, Surya
Paloh mendirikan perusahaan karoseri sekaligus menjadi agen penjualan mobil.
Sembari berdagang, Surya Paloh juga menekuni kuliahnya di Fakultas Hukum Universitas Sumatera
Utara dan Fakultas Sosial Politik, Universitas Islam Sumater Utara, Medan. Di kota yang terkenal
keras dan semrawut ini, keinginan berorganisasi yang sudah berkembang sejak dari kota
Pematang Siantar, semakin tumbuh subur dalam dirinya. Situasi pada saat itu, memang
mengarahkan mereka aktif dalam organisasi massa yang sama-sama menentang kebijakan salah
dari pemerintahan orde lama. Surya Paloh menjadi salah seorang pimpinan Kesatuan Aksi Pemuda
Pelajar Indonesia (KAPPI)
Setelah KAPPI bubar, ia menjadi Koordinator Pemuda dan Pelajar pada Sekber Golkar. Beberapa
tahun kemudian, Surya Paloh mendirikan Organisasi Putra-Putri ABRI (PP-ABRI), lalu ia menjadi
Pimpinan PT-ABRI Sumut. Bahkan organisasi ini, pada tahun 1978, didirikannya bersama anak
ABRI yang lain, di tingkat pusat Jakarta, dikenal dengan nama Forum Komunikasi Putra-Putri
Purnawirawan Indonesia (FKPPI).
Kesadarannya bahwa dalam kegiatan politik harus ada uang sebagai biaya hidup dan biaya
perjuangan, menyebabkan ia harus bekerja keras mencari uang, dengan mendirikan perusahaan
atau menjual berbagai jenis jasa. Ia mendirikan perusahaan jasa boga, yang belakangan dikenal
sebagai perusahaan catering terbesar di Indonesia. Keberhasilannya sebagai pengusaha jasa boga,
menyebabkan ia lebih giat belajar menambah ilmu dan pengalaman, sekaligus meningkatkan
aktifitasnya di organisasi.
Menyusuri kesuksesan itu, ia melihat peluang di bidang usaha penerbitan pers. Surya Paloh
mendirikan Surat Kabar Harian Prioritas. Koran yang dicetak berwarna ini, laku keras. Akrab
dengan pembacanya yang begitu luas sampai ke daerah-daerah. Sayang, surat kabar harian itu
tidak berumur panjang, keburu di cabut SIUPP-nya oleh pemerintah. Isinya dianggap kurang
sesuai dengan Kode Etik Jurnalistik Indonesia.
Kendati bidang usaha penerbitan pers mempunyai risiko tinggi, bagi Surya Paloh, bidang itu tetap
merupakan lahan bisnis yang menarik. Ia memohon SIUPP baru, namun, setelah dua tahun tak juga
keluar. Minatnya di bisnis pers tak bisa dihalangi, ia pun kerjasama dengan Achmad Taufik
Menghidupkan kembali Majalah Vista. Pada tahun 1989, Surya Paloh bekerja sama dengan Drs. T.
Yously Syah mengelola koran Media Indonesia. Atas persetujuan Yously sebagai pemilik dan
Pemrednya, Surya Paloh memboyong Media Indonesia ke Gedung Prioritas. Penyajian dan bentuk
logo surat kabar ini dibuat seperti Almarhum Prioritas.
Kemajuan koran ini, menyebabkan Surya Paloh makin bersemangat untuk melakukan ekspansi ke
berbagai media di daerah. Disamping Media Indonesia dan Vista yang terbit di Jakarta, Surya Paloh
bekerjasama menerbitkan sepuluh penerbitan di daerah.Pada umurnya yang masih muda, 33 tahun, Surya Paloh berani mempercayakan bisnis cateringnya
pada manajer yang memang disiapkannya. Pasar catering sudah dikuasainya, dan ia menjadi the
best di bisnis itu. Lalu, ia mencari tantangan baru, masuk ke bisnis pers. Padahal, bisnis pers
adalah dunia yang tidak diketahuinya sebelum itu. Kewartawanan juga bukan profesinya, tetapi ia
berani memasuki dunia ini, memasuki pasar yang kelihatannya sudah jenuh. Ia bersaing dengan
Penerbit Gramedia Group yang dipimpin oleh Yakob Utama, wartawan senior. Ia berhadapan
dengan Kartini Grup yang sudah puluhan tahun memasuki bisnis penerbitan. Ia tidak segan pada
Pos Kota Group yang diotaki Harmoko, mantan Menpen RI. Bahkan, ia tidak takut pada Grafisi
Group yang di-back up oleh pengusaha terkenal Ir. Ciputra, bos Jaya Group.
Kendati kondisi pasar pers begitu ramai dengan persaingan. Surya Paloh sedikit pun tak
bergeming. Bahkan ia berani mempertaruhkan modal dalam jumlah relatif besar, dengan
melakukan terobosan-terobosan baru yang tak biasa
dilakukan oleh pengusaha terdahulu. Dengan mencetak berwarna misalnya. Ia berani menghadapi
risiko rugi atau bangkrut. Ia sangat kreatif dan inovatif. Dan, ia berhasil.
Surya Paloh menghadirkan koran Proritas di pentas pers nasional dengan beberapa keunggulan.
Pertama, halaman pertama dan halaman terakhir di cetak berwarna. Kedua, pengungkapan
informasi kelihatan menarik dan berani. Ketika, foto yang disajikan dikerjakan dengan serius.
Faktor-faktor itulah yang menyebabkan koran ini dalam waktu singkat, berhasil mencapai sirkulasi
lebih 100 ribu eksemplar. Tidak sampai setahun, break event point-nya sudah tercapai.
Ancaman yang selalu menghantui Prioritas justru bukan karena kebangkrutan, tetapi pencabutan
SIUPP oleh pemerintah. Terbukti kemudian, ancaman itu datang juga. Koran Prioritasnya mati
dalam usia yang terlalu muda. Pemberitaannya dianggap kasar dan telanjang. Inilah risiko terberat
yang pernah dialami Surya Paloh. Ia tidak hanya kehilangan sumber uang, tetapi ia juga harus
memikirkan pembayaran utang investasi.
Dalam suasana yang sangat sulit itu, ia tidak putus asa. Ia berusaha membayar gaji semua
karyawan Prioritas, sambil menyusun permohonan SIUPP baru dari pemerintah. Namun
permohonan itu tidak dikabulkan pemerintah. Beberapa wartawan yang masih sabar, tidak mau
pindah ke
tempat lain, dikirim Surya Paloh ke berbagai lembaga manajemen untuk belajar.
Pers memang memiliki kekuatan, di negara barat, ia dikenal sebagai lembaga keempat setelah
legislatif, yudikatif dan eksekutif. Apalagi kebesaran tokoh-tokoh dari berbagai disiplin ilmu atau
tokoh-tokoh dalam masyarakat, sering karena peranan pers yang mempublikasikan mereka.
Bagaimana seorang tokoh diakui oleh kalangan masyarakat secara luas, kalau ia di boikot oleh
pers. Dengan demikian, bisnis pers memang prestisius, memberi kebanggaan, memberi kekuatan
dan kekuasaan. Dan, itulah bisnis Surya Paloh.

KISAH SUKSES WALT DISNEY MEMBANGUN KERAJAAN HIBURAN KELUARGA

The Wonderful World of Disney dan merupakan gambaran seseorang yang telah berhasil mencapai
segala sasaran cita-citanya. Kehidupan Walt Disney dapat diringkas dalam pedoman yang diikuti
oleh semua orang kaya. Barang siapa ingin suskes, harus bekerja berat, pantang menyerah, dan
lebih mengikuti kegandrungan. Walter Elias Disney dilahirkan di Chicago pada tanggal 5 Desember
1901. Ibunya, Flora Call, adalah wanita Jerman, sedangkan ayahnya, Elias Disney, seorang
keturunan Irlandia Kanada
Namun ada satu gagasan yang selalu mengusik pikiran Walt Disney gagasan bekerja sendiri
terutama karena ia telah mendengar bahwa sebagian karyawan akan tidak diperlukan bila musim
sibuk berlalu. Ia gembira dengan prospek itu karena dua hal. Pertama, ia ingin berdiri sendiri, dan kedua, ia sangat ingin melakukan sesuatu yang baru dan orisinil, tidak hanya memenuhi keinginan
bos dan para pelanggan. Disney, bersama dengan seorang teman, Ube Iwerks, mendirikan agen
seni periklanannya yang pertama. Pelanggannya yang pertama adalah suatu rangkaian restoran.
Disney dan temannya berhasil membuat kesepakatan dengan restoran untuk membangun bengkel
kerjanya di bangunan restoran baru itu tanpa 84
membayar sedikit pun. Sebagai imbalan, mereka harus membuat poster-poster iklan untuk
restoran itu.
Di samping bekerja untuk memenuhi kontrak ini, mereka bebas untuk mengerjakan proyek lain.
Untuk menarik pelanggan, Walt merancang suatu rencana khusus. Ia akan pergi ke suatu toko atau
perusahaan dan mencari tahu apakah mereka mempunyai suatu bagian seni. Orang yang
memegang pimpinan mungkin menjawab bahwa bagian itu tidak diperlukan. Lalu Walt akan
menawarkan jasanya atas dasar freelance, hubungan lepas. Kalau perusahaan itu tidak mempunyai
pekerjaan yang harus dikerjakannya, tidak apa-apa. Tetapi kapan pun ada pekerjaan semacam itu
yang harus dikerjakan, Walt dan temannya siap memberikan jasanya. Dalam waktu singkat, cara
kerja semacam itu memungkinkan Walt dan temannya menabung cukup banyak uang yang tak
mungkin dikumpulkannya andaikan mereka bekerja pada satu perusahaan saja.
Bisnis ini tampak memberikan harapan besar, tetapi pada suatu hari Walt menemukan suatu iklan
dalam koran yangmenyatakan bahwa Kansas City Film Ad Company memerlukan seorang kartunis.
Ia menghadapi dilema: Apakah ia akan mempertahankan bisnisnya dengan Ube atau akan
mencoba memenuhi impian sejak masa kanak-kanaknya untuk membuat animasi kartun? Sekali ia
telah menguasai kemahiran baru, tak ada yang akan menghalangi dia memulai usahanya sendiri
kembali.
Pertimbangan ini mendorong dia memberatkan menerima pekerjaan itu. Pada tahun 1920, Disney
akhirnya memasuki dunia animasi kartun. Ia akan segera menciptakan sebuah nama bagi dirinya
di bidang itu, dan tokoh-tokoh perannya akan menjadi populer di seluruh dunia.
KC Film Ac Company memegang tanggung jawab atas segala aspek iklan film dan tak berapa lama
menyadari kemampuan kartunis muda ini. Tak lama sesudah mulai, Walt diberi tugas membuat
poster seorang pria yang mengenakan topi menurut mode mutakhir. Walt menggambar poster itu,
tetapi hidung orang itu digantikan dengan gambar bohlam! Ketika poster itu ditampilkan di layar,
bos berseru: akhirnya muncul sesuatu yang baru di tempat ini: Saya sudah bosan dengan wajah-
wajah cantik ini.
Keorisinilan dan visi Walt tentang barang-barang di sekelilingnya membuat beberapa teman dan
atasan kurang senang. Mereka sebenarnya iri dan menganggap dia pengacau. Oleh sebab itu,
mereka tidak mau membiarkan dia mencoba suatu teknik baru untk menyempurnakan kartun-
kartunnya. Ia mempunyai gagasan cemerlang membuat beberapa lukisan dan seluloid, lalu
memotretnya dan menumpuknya dan akhirnya memfilmkannya. Pimpinan tidak mau mendengar
hal semacam itu. Mereka merasa bahwa cara kerja mereka yang lama sudah cukup memberikan
hasil sampai saat itu. Mereka tidak melihat alasan untuk mengubah teknik-teknik mereka, karena
dengan cara itu pun para pelanggan sudah puas. Walt Disney tahu bahwa dia benar. Setelah
berbulan-bulan membujuk bosnya, Walt akhirnya diperbolehkan membawa pulang salah satu
kamera perusahaan untuk melakukan beberapa 86
percobaan. Sejak saat itu, Walt Disney tidak pernah lagi berpaling ke belakang.
Di sebuah garasi kosong yang sudah dirombak jadi studio, ia mulai membuat film-film animasi
pendek dengan menggunakan teknik hasil rekaannya. Ia kemudian memperlihatkan hasilnya
kepada seorang pemimpin bisokop terkenal. Orang itu sangat terkesan. Sketsa-sketsa dan teknik
film Walt sangat berbeda dengan yang sudah-sudah. Film kartunnya yang pertama segera diputar
di bioskop-bioskop.Pada mulanya kartun-kartun ini dimaksudkan untuk menggantikan iklan-iklan agar penonton
terus menikmati apa yang muncul di layar selama selang waktu. Walt menyebut film-film itu
Laugh-O-Grams. Film-film kartun Walt disenangi penonton dan sejak itu di Kansas City Walt
Disney tidak lagi diejek sebagai si orang muda eksentrik tetapi disegani. Gajinya naik. Dalam
waktu singkat Disney menjadi orang terkenal di kota itu.
Ia mengembalikan kamera yang dipinjamnya dan membeli kamera sendiri dengan uang
simpanannya. Film-film kartun menjadi semakin populer. Walt Disney menyewa ruang kantor yang
lebih luas untuk usaha kecilnya, Laugh-O-Grams Corporation dengan modal awal sebesar
$15.000. Ia mempekerjakan beberapa magang dan seorang salesman untuk mempromosikan
Laugh-O-Grams di New York City. Impiannya untuk mandiri menjadi kenyataan pada waktu ia
baru berumur 20 tahun.
Ia kemudian memutuskan untuk keluar dari KC Film untuk bekerja sendiri sepenuhnya. Tetapi
sukses tidak terjadi dengan sendirinya. Biaya produksi tinggi dan sikap perfeksionis Walt Disney
(yang membuat dia menanamkan kembali semua uang hasilnya untuk memperbaiki hasilnya),
disamping pasaran yang sangat terbatas, segera mengakibatkan kebangkrutan.
Ini merupakan masa suram dalam hidupnya; ia telah beranggapan bahwa masa sulitnya akhirnya
berlalu. Ia tidak beruang sedikitpun dan terpaksa tinggal di bengkel dengan makan dan tidur di
sebuah bangku kecil, satu-satunya perabot yang dia miliki. Lebih jelek lagi, sekali seminggu ia
harus pergi ke stasiun kereta api untuk mandi.
Akhirnya ia berhasil mendapatkan kontrak pembuatan kartun animasi untuk mendidik anak-anak
pentingnya menyikat gigi. Pada suatu malam, dokter gigi yang memesan kartun ini datang
menemuinya dan mengajak dia ke kantornya. Tidak bisa, jawab Disney. Mengapa? tanya dokter
itu. Karena saya tidak punya sepatu. Satu-satunya sepatuku ada di tempat tukang sepatu untuk
direparasi, dan saya tidak punya uang untuk mengambilnya.
Walaupun menghadapi keadaan yang serba menyusahkan. Walt Disney tidak putus asa. Ada
sebuah gagasan di otaknya. Pada suatu malam bulan Juli 1923, dengan membawa semua uang di
dalam saku baju setelan tuanya dari kain minyak berwarna abu-abu, pemuda kurus kering ini naik
kereta api menuju Hollywood. Ia bertekad kuat untuk menjadi orang penting dalam dunia
perfilman.
Ketika tiba di Hollywood, Walt Disney hanyalah satu di antara banyak orang yang mengharapkan
mewujudkan cita-citanya. Kakaknya Ray telah tinggal di California beberapa waktu lamanya,
dan ia dengan senang hati mengundang adiknya tinggal di rumahnya. Walt mulai mengunjungi
studio-studio film satu per satu. Ia bersedia bekerja apa saja asal ada hubunganya dengan
berfilman.
Untuk maju dalam suatu bidang keahlian khusus, orang harus masuk ke dalamnya apa pun
pengorbanannya. Disney segera menyadari betapa sulitnya masuk ke studio-studio film
Hollywood. Banyak orang lain sebelum dia telah melamar kerja, tetapi ditolak. Walt Disney tidak
menjadi patah semangat karenanya. Kalau ada orang lain yang berhasil masuk, mengapa ia tidak?
Di matanya, ada dua macam orang: Mereka yang merasa kalah dan terlantar bila mereka tak dapat
menemukan pekerjaan dan mereka yang dapat mencari penghasilan dengan cara apa pun dalam
masa sulit. Disney selalu berusaha keras agar termasuk dalam golongan kedua.
Pengalaman mengajar dia bahwa orang harus sepenuhnya mengandalkan diri sendiri. Ia kembali
ke papan gambar dengan kemauan keras untuk mencari tempat bagi dirinya. Ia menggambar film-
film komik dengan maksud dijual kepada pengusaha bioskop. Ia hanya menggunakan kembali
pengalaman yang sudah diperolehnya di Kansas City dengan Laugh-O-Grams. Ada seorang
pemilik gedung bioskop yang begitu tertarik sehingga ia membeli berseri-seri film komik. Ia
bahkan memesan rangkaian cerita Alice in Wonderland yang telah mulai dibuat oleh Walt Disney di Kansas. Kepada Disney ditawarkan uang $1.500. Jumlah sebesar itu jauh lebih besar daripada
yang diharapkan. Rangkaian seri Alice in Wonderland ini diputar berurutan sampai tiga tahun.
Dengan hasil penjualannya Walt Disney bisa membeli rumah dan bahkan membangun studio
filmnya sendiri. Sesudah film-film Alice in Wonderland, Walt ingin menciptakan sesuatu yang baru
dan yang benar-benar orisinil. Maka lahirlah makhluk kecil cerdik yang disebutnya Mickey
Mouse , nama yang diberikan oleh istri Disney, Lillian Bounds. Mickey Mouse dengan cepat
menjadi bintang tenar di seluruh dunia, dan bahkan lebih terkenal daripada banyak bintang
Hollywood. Walaupun demikian, pada mulanya para produser menyambut kedatangan Mickey
dengan kurang bersemangat.
Kira-kira pada waktu itu, film berbicara mulai muncul dan orang mulai memboikot film bisu.
Disney pun bereaksi. Dengan kelompok pembantunya, ia memperkenalkan suatu metode baru
untuk mensikronkan suara dan animasi. Walt terus mencari teknik-teknik baru untuk memperbaiki
kemahirannya. Ia menerapkan pula proses: teknikolor yang baru. Dengan teknik baru ini ia tidak
perlu lagi menggunakan kombinasi dua warna. Dalam film Bambi, ia menggunakan 46 rona warna
hijau untuk hutannya. Kartun berwarnanya yang pertama, Silly Symphony, membuat para
penggemar film kegirangan.
Disney makin menyadari bahwa kalau ia mau terus berkarya dengan skala yang lebih besar, ia
harus membangun suatu kelompok berotak cerdar, artinya ia harus mengelilingi dirinya dengan
asisten-asisten orang pintar yang mampu menawarkan produk bermutu. Untuk memantapkan diri,
kami tahu bahwa kami harus melatih sendiri para asisten. Disney merasa bahwa para kartunis
yang bekerja padanya terlalu sering menggunakan cara-cara tipu daya kuno. Ia tahu bahwa satu-
satunya cara mengubah keadaan ini adalah dengan mengadakan kursus-kursus latihan bagi
mereka. Tujuannya sederhana: memperbaiki mutu lukisan dan teknik animasi. Ketika
perusahaannya terus bertambah besar, ia memutuskan pada tahun 1930 untuk mendirikan
sekolahnya sendiri, tempat ia akan mengajarkan segala teknik animasi kartun kepada calon-calon
kartunis. Sekolah itu segera mulai tampak seperti kebun binatang. Soalnya, untuk membuat
tokoh-tokoh kartunnya lebih realistic Disney telah mengubah ruang kelasnya menjadi
laboratorium biologi kehidupan nyata dengan berbagai binatang yang diamati oleh para siswa
dalam aneka perilaku dan sikapnya selagi tidur, jaga, makan, dan lain-lain. Pengamatan ini akan
membantu dia pula untuk membuat film-film dokumenter tentang keajaiban alam pada waktu
yang akan datang. Pada tahun 1938, Disney memperkenalkan film animasi panjang tajuk
karangannya yang pertama, Snow white. Untuk membuat film ini ia membutuhkan waktu dua
tahun penuh kerja keras. Film tersebut merupakan salah satu karya besarnya.
Tidak lama sesudah itu, ia membangun studio film modern di Burbank, California. Di tempat itu ia
akan mempekerjakan sebanyak 1.500 orang. Sampai di situ ia tampaknya telah mencapai apa yang
diimpikannya. Setahap demi tahap ia menjadi apa yang diinginkannya dahulu. Saya hanya bekerja
dengan baik kalau ada hambatanm yang harus kuatasi. Saya khawatir bila segala sesuatu 91
berjalan dengan terlalu lancar karena saya takut terjadinya perubahan mendadak dalam situasi ini.
Setelah Perang Duinia II, Ray dan Walt Disney menerima beberapa kontrak dari ketentaraan untuk
membuat film dokumenter dan poster perang. Begitu perang selesai, bisnis makin sibuk bagi
Disney Studios, dan Walt semakin mencurahkan perhatiannya pada keahlian seninya. Ia sering
bekerja sampai larut malam. Konon, ia sering membongkar-bongkar keranjang sampah kertasnya
untuk melihat isinya. Pada keesokan harinya ia akan menyuruh aistennya untuk meneliti apa yang
ditemukannya; katanya, potongan-potongan kertas ini sering kali mengandung gagasan besar.
Pada masa itulah Walt Disney menciptakan kebanyakan film besarnya, antara lain Cinderella, Peter
Pan dan Bambi.
Pada tahun 1950-an, impian fantasmagorik Walt Disney-Disneyland mulai berkembang. Pada waktu itu, semua temannya, terutama bankir-bankirnya, menyatakan bahwa proyek ini gila-gilaan.
Sekali lagi, Disney akan menunjukkan bahwa impian manusia dapat menjadi kenyataan.
Gagasan menciptakan Disneyland muncul, ketika ia berjalan-jalan di taman dengan kedua
putrinya, Sharon dan Diana. Ia membayangkan sebuah taman wisata sangat luas tempat anak-
anak dapat bertemu dengan tokoh kartun yang mereka sayangi. Ketika Walt Disney akhirnya
memutuskan untuk proyek tersebut, tidak ada seorang pun atau apa pun dapat mengubah
keputusannya.
Disneyland akhirnya terwujud di Anaheim, California, pada tahun 1955. Hari itu hari besar bagi
Walt Disney. Ia berkata:
Andaikata saya mendengarkan saya sendiri, tamanku ini tidak akan selesai. Inilah, akhirnya,
sesuatu yang dapat saya sempurnakan terus-menerus. Pada tahun 1985, Disneyland menyambut
pengunjungnya yang ke-250 juta. Ketika Walt Disney meninggal pada tahun 1966, bioskop
kehilangan salah seorang penciptanya yang paling besar. Dua prinsip penting telah memotivasi
seluruh hidupnya: melakukan apa yang dia nikmati dan percaya akan gagasan-gagasannya. Tanpa
prinsip-prinsip ini, ia tak akan pernah menjadi Walt Disney yang besar: penerima 900 tanda
kehormatan, 32 Oscar, lima Emmy, dan lima doktor honoris causa, perintis sejarah animasi dan
salah seorang manusia terkaya di dunia. Ia telah mewujudkan impian-impiannya jauh melebihi
harapannya yang paling muluk.

Tipe Wirausaha

Menjadi wirausahawan mandiri
Untuk menjadi seorang wirausahawan mandiri, berbagai jenis modal mesti
dimiliki. Ada 3 jenis modal utama yang menjadi syarat :
· Sumber daya internal, yang merupakan bagian dari pribadi calon
wirausahawan misalnya kepintaran, ketrampilan, kemampuan
menganalisa dan menghitung risiko, keberanian atau visi jauh ke depan.
· Sumber daya eksternal, misalnya uang yang cukup untuk membiayai
modal usaha dan modal kerja, social network dan jalur demand/supply,
dan lain sebagainya.
· Faktor X, misalnya kesempatan dan keberuntungan. Seorang calon
usahawan harus menghitung dengan seksama apakah ke-3 sumber
daya ini ia miliki sebagai modal. Jika faktor-faktor itu dimilikinya, maka ia
akan merasa optimis dan keputusan untuk membuat mimpi itu menjadi
tunas-tunas kenyataan sebagai wirausahawan mandiri boleh mulai
dipertimbangkan.
 Mencari mitra dengan “mimpi” serupa
Jika 1 atau 2 jenis sumber daya tidak dimiliki, seorang calon wirausahawan
bisa mencari partner/rekanan untuk membuat mimpi-mimpi itu jadi
kenyataan. Rekanan yang ideal adalah rekanan yang memiliki sumber daya
yang tidak dimilikinya sendiri sehingga ada keseimbangan “modal/sumber
daya” di antara mereka. Umumnya kerabat dan teman dekatlah yang
dijadikan prospective partner yang utama sebelum mempertimbangkan
pihak lainnya, seperti beberapa jenis institusi finansial diantaranya bank.
Pilihan jenis mitra memiliki resiko tersendiri. Resiko terbesar yang harus
dihadapi ketika berpartner dengan teman dekat adalah dipertaruhkannya
persahabatan demi bisnis. Tidak sedikit keputusan bisnis mesti dibuat
dengan profesionalisme tinggi dan menyebabkan persahabatan menjadi
retak atau bahkan rusak. Jenis mitra bisnis lainnya adalah anggota keluarga,
risiko yang dihadapi tidak banyak berbeda dengan teman dekat. Namun,
bukan berarti bermitra dengan mereka tidak dapat dilakukan. Satu hal yang
penting adalah memperhitungkan dan membicarakan semua risiko secara
terbuka sebelum kerjasama bisnis dimulai sehingga jika konflik tidak dapat
dihindarkan, maka sudah terbayang bagaimana cara menyelesaikannya
sejak dini sebelum merusak bisnis itu sendiri.
Mitra bisnis lain yang lebih netral adalah bank atau institusi keuangan
lainnya terutama jika modal menjadi masalah utama. Pinjaman pada bank
dinilai lebih aman karena bank bisa membantu kita melihat secara makro
apakah bisnis kita itu akan mengalami hambatan. Bank yang baik wajib
melakukan inspeksi dan memeriksa studi kelayakan (feasibility study) yang
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kita ajukan. Penolakan dari bank dengan alasan “tidak feasible” bisa
merupakan feedback yang baik, apalagi jika kita bisa mendiskusikan dengan
bagian kredit bank mengenai elemen apa saja yang dinilai “tidak
feasible”. Bank juga bisa membantu kita untuk memantau kegiatan usaha
setiap tahun dan jika memang ada kesulitan di dalam perusahaan, bank
akan mempertimbangkan untuk tidak meneruskan pinjamannya. Ini
merupakan “warning” dan kontrol yang bisa menyadarkan kita untuk segera
berbenah. Wirausahawan yang “memaksakan” bank untuk memberi
pinjaman tanpa studi kelayakan yang obyektif dan benar akhirnya sering
mengalami masalah yang lebih parah. Agunan (jaminan) disita, perusahaan
tidak jalan, dan hilanglah harapan untuk membuat mimpi indah menjadi
kenyataan. Kejadian seperti ini sudah sangat sering terjadi, dalam skala
kecil maupun skala nasional. Pinjaman seringkali melanggar perhitungan
normal yang semestinya diterapkan oleh bank sehingga ketika situasi
ekonomi tidak mendukung, sendi perekonomian mikro dan makro pun turut
terbawa jatuh.
 Menjual mimpi itu kepada wirausahawan lain (pemilik modal)
Jika teman atau kerabat yang bisa diajak bekerjasama tidak tersedia (entah
karena kita lebih menghargai hubungan kekerabatan atau persahabatan
atau karena memang mereka tidak dalam posisi untuk membantu) dan tidak
ada agunan yang bisa dijadikan jaminan untuk memulai usaha anda, ada
cara lain yang lebih drastis, yaitu menjual ide atau mimpi indah itu kepada
pemilik modal. Kesepakatan mengenai bagaimana bentuk kerjasama bisa
dilakukan antara si pemilik modal dan penjual ide. Bisa saja pemilik modal
yang memodali dan penjual ide yang menjalankan usaha itu, bisa juga
penjual ide hanya menjual idenya dan tidak lagi terlibat dalam usaha
itu. Jalan ini biasanya diambil sesudah cara lainnya tidak lagi
memungkinkan sedangkan ide yang kita miliki memang sangat layak
diperhitungkan.
Ketiga cara di atas selayaknya dipikirkan sebelum seseorang mengambil
keputusan untuk menjadi wirausahawan. Tanpa pemikiran mendalam,
pengalaman pahit akan menjadi makanan kita. Banyak usaha yang akhirnya
gulung tikar sebelum berkembang. Contohnya, pada tahun 1998, penduduk
Jakarta tentu masih ingat akan trend “kafe tenda” sebagai reaksi atas
Pemutusan Hubungan Kerja (PHK) yang saat itu banyak terjadi. Tiba-tiba
saja banyak mantan karyawan perusahaan beralih profesi menjadi
wirausahawan. Bahkan usaha tersebut ramai-ramai diikuti oleh pula oleh
para selebritis. Trend ini tidak mampu bertahan lama. Banyak “usaha
dadakan” ini terpaksa gulung tikar. Entah kemana para wirausahawan baru
kita ini akhirnya menggantungkan nasibnya sekarang.


Sumber : http://www.depkop.go.id/sipp-kukm/

Strategi Meraih Kemenangan

Apakah Anda selalu menganggap diri sendiri sebagai seorang
pecundang ? Cara mengatasinya, belajarlah menjadi pemenang seperti impian
Anda. Jika Anda punya kekuatan untuk menang, Anda dapat mencapai karir
dan mimpi-mimpi Anda selama ini. Berikut tipsnya :
a. Kekuatan untuk menang berasal dari pikiran Anda sendiri
Teddy Roosevelt, mantan presiden AS, berujar, “Seluruh sumber daya yang
kita perlukan ada dipikiran.” Anda telah memiliki segala yang diperlukan
untuk jadi seorang pemenang.
b. Yakinlah pada diri Anda
Tanpa kegagalan, Anda harus yakin bahwa Anda dapat mencapai tujuan
dalam hidup ini. Jika tak yakin memilikinya, maka Anda tidak akan
mencapainya.
c. Ketahuilah sesuatu yang membuat Anda bahagia
Jika Anda adalah orang yang senang berada di tengah orang banyak
sementara Anda bekerja di sebuah gudang penyimpanan, silahkan Anda
memikirkan kembali pilihan karir Anda.
d. Evaluasi talenta Anda dengan jujur
Jika Anda tidak tahu kekuatan dan hal-hal apa saja yang perlu ditingkatkan,
Anda mungkin saja salah menilai pekerjaan yang tepat untuk Anda. Mungkin
saja Anda yakin memiliki kemampuan untuk melayani konsumen dengan
baik, tapi bos dan mitra kerja menilai Anda butuh berlatih lagi.
e. Jangan biarkan latar belakang menentukan masa depan Anda
Jika pengalaman kerja Anda tidak terlalu mulus, jangan biarkan hal ini
mempengaruhi prospek karir Anda. Bila Anda telah memiliki tujuan, fokuslah
pada hal ini. Jangan terpaku pada sindroma “saya ini orang malang” jika
tidak berhasil mencapai sukses.
f. Ikuti teknik visualisasi cepat ini : gambarkan diri Anda tengah berlari dengan
tim sepak bola
Bayangkan gawang adalah tujuan karir atau keinginan pribadi Anda.
Bayangkan pula diri Anda yang berhasil menggolkan bola ke gawang lawan.
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g. Kekuatan untuk menang adalah di tangan Anda
Tidak ada seorang pun yang dapat menyerahkan kesuksesan itu pada Anda.
Andalah yang harus mewujudkan itu. Melakukan sesuatu adalah satusatunya
cara untuk mencapai tujuan.


Sumber :http://www.depkop.go.id/sipp-kukm/

Kunci Sukses Usaha

William A. Ward pernah berkata, "Ada empat langkah mencapai sukses,
yakni perencanaan yang tepat, persiapan yang matang, pelaksanaan yang baik,
dan tidak mudah menyerah." Gunakan falsafah Ward ini agar sukses.
Perinciannya sebagai berikut :
· Ikuti perkembangan jaman
Bergabunglah dalam organisasi yang berkaitan dengan bisnis Anda. Banyak
membaca dan gali informasi sebanyak mungkin. Internet akan banyak
membantu Anda.
· Buat rencana keuangan
Catat semua pemasukan dan pengeluaran setiap harinya. Buat target
jangka pendek dan jangka panjang. Jangan pernah menyerahkan kondisi
keuangan pada nasib. Perhitungkan dengan matang.
· Perkirakan aliran uang tunai
Anda harus bisa memperkirakan aliran uang tunai, paling tidak tiga bulan ke
depan. Jangan membuat anggarkan pengeluaran yang lebih besar dari itu.
· Bentuk dewan penasehat atau cari tenaga ahli, untuk memberi ide, saran
atau kritik terhadap Anda dan produk yang ditawarkan
Mereka bisa berupa teman-teman atau anggota keluarga yang dipercaya.
· Jaga keseimbangan antara kerja, santai, dan keluarga
Tak perlu ngoyo, karena sesuatu yang dikerjakan dengan ngoyo, hasilnya
tak akan maksimal. Lagi pula, badan dan otak butuh istirahat.
· Kembangkan jaringan (network)
Tak ada salahnya berkenalan dan bergaul dengan orang-orang yang
berhubungan atau bisa mendukung bisnis Anda. Siapa tahu ada ide yang
bisa digali.
· Disiplin/motivasi
Aspek terberat dalam menjalankan usaha sendiri adalah disiplin atau
motivasi untuk bekerja secara teratur. Untuk mengatasinya, buatlah daftar
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apa saja yang harus dikerjakan hari ini dan esok. Tentukan target yang
harus dicapai dalam minggu ini.
· Selalu waspada dan siap
Rajin-rajin melakukan evaluasi terhadap pasar, produk dan sistem
pemasaran. Kalau perlu, ubah cara kerja agar lebih efisien. Perbaiki cara
pemasaran atau kualitas produk.
· Cintai pekerjaan Anda
Bagaimana akan sukses, jika Anda tak punya “sense of belongin” pada
pekerjaan dan produk yang dihasilkan. Cintai pekerjaan dan produksi sendiri,
dan uang akan mengikuti Anda.
· Jangan mudah menyerah
Para pengusaha sukses pun pernah mengalami kegagalan. Jika ingin cepat
berhasil, segeralah bangkit dan belajar dari kegagalan. Jangan bersedih
terlalu lama, apalagi menyerah.

Kiat Memulai Usaha

1. START WITH A DREAM
Mulailah dengan sebuah mimpi. Semua bermula dari sebuah mimpi dan
yakinkan akan produk yang akan kita tawarkan. A dream is where it all
started : Pemimpilah yang selalu menciptakan dan membuat sebuah
terobosan dalam produk, cara pelayanan, jasa, ataupun ide yang dapat
dijual dengan sukses. Mereka tidak mengenal batas dan keterikatan, tak
mengenal kata “tidak bisa” ataupun “tidak mungkin”.
2. LOVE THE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES
Cintailah Produk Anda. Kecintaan akan produk kita akan memberikan
sebuah keyakinan pada pelanggan kita dan membuat kerja keras terasa
ringan. Membuat kita mampu melewati masa-masa sulit. Enthusiastism and
Persistence : Antusiasme dan keuletan sebagai pertanda cinta dan
keyakinan akan menjadi tulang punggung keberhasilan sebuah usaha yang
baru.
3. LEARN THE BASICS OF BUSINESS
Pelajarilah fundamental business. BEYOND THE “BUY LOW, SELL HIGH,
PAY LATE, COLLECT EARLY”: Tidak akan ada sukses tanpa ada sebuah
pengetahuan dasar untuk business yang baik, belajar sambil bekerja, turut
kerja dahulu selama 1-2 tahun untuk dapat mempelajari dasar-dasar usaha
akan membantu kita untuk maju dengan lebih baik. Carilah Guru yang baik.
4. WILLING TO TAKE CALCULATED RISKS
Ambillah resiko. The Gaint that u will be able to achieve is directly
proportional to the risk taken : Berani mengambil resiko yang diperhitungkan
merupakan kunci awal dalam dunia usaha, karena hasil yang akan dicapai
akan proporsional terhadap resiko yang akan diambil. Sebuah resiko yang
diperhitungkan dengan baik-baik akan lebih banyak memberikan
kemungkinan berhasil. Dan inilah faktor penentu yang membedakan
“entrepreneur” dengan “manager”. Entrepreneur akan lebih dibutuhkan pada
tahap awal pengembangan perusahaan, dan manager dibutuhkan akan
mengatur perusahaan yang telah maju.
5. SEEK ADVICE, BUT FOLLOW YOUR BELIEF
Carilah nasehat dari pakarnya, tapi ikuti kata-kata kita. Consult Consultants,
ask the experts, but follow your hearts. Entrepreneur selalu mencari nasehat
dari berbagai pihak tapi keputusan akhir selalu ada ditangannya dan dapat
diputuskan dengan indera ke enam-nya. Komunikasi yang baik dan
kepiawaian menjual. Pada fase awal sebuah usaha, kepiawaian menjual
merupakan kunci suksesnya. Dan kemampuan untuk memahami dan
menguasai hubungan dengan pelanggan akan membantu mengembangkan
usaha pada fase itu.
6. WORK HARD, 7 DAY A WEEK, 18 HOURS A DAY
Kerja keras. Etos kerja keras sering dianggap sebagai mimpi kuno dan
seharusnya diganti, tapi hard-work and smart-work tidaklah dapat
dipisahkan lagi sekarang. Hampir semua successful start-up butuh
workaholics. Entrepreneur sejati tidak pernah lepas dari kerjanya, pada saat
tidurpun otaknya bekerja dan berpikir akan bussinessnya. Melamunkan dan
memimpikan kerjanya.
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7. MAKE FRIENDS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
Bertemanlah sebanyak banyaknya. Pada harga dan kwalitas yang sama
orang membeli dari temannya, pada harga yang sedikit mahal, orang akan
tetap membeli dari teman. Teman akan membantu mengembangkan usaha
kita, memberi nasehat, membantu menolong pada masa sulit.
8. DEAL WITH FAILURES
Hadapi kegagalan. Kegagalan merupakan sebuah vitamin untuk
menguatkan dan mempertajam intuisi dan kemampuan kita berwirausaha,
selama kegagalan itu tidak “mematikan”. Setiap usaha selalu akan
mempunyai resiko kegagalan dan bila mana itu sampai terjadi, bersiaplah
dan hadapilah !
9. JUST DO IT, NOW!
Lakukanlah sekarang juga. Bila anda telah siap, lakukanlah sekarang juga.
Manager selalu melakukan READY-AIM-SHOOT, tetapi entrepreneur sejati
akan melakukan READY-SHOOT-AIM ! Putuskan dan kerjakan sekarang,
karena besok bukanlah milik kita.

Sumber:http://www.depkop.go.id/sipp-kukm/

Step Alter Desire Of Us Become Real Successfulness

Following some sure and practical step to realize our desire become real successfulness:

1. Specifying in mind You form definitive the than successfulness which You wish. Ascertaining success like what You reach for
2. Ascertaining correctly what You give instead of for successfulness which You wish. Mean You have to dare to pay for successfulness price, like striving, learn more energetic, and always zeal for life
3. Specifying time or when You have an eye to reach for successfulness which You wish. Taking example I will reach successfulness [at] three year to come, that is on, month, and year you Which have specified
4. Block in matured to reach successfulness of the You and You should have ready for executing the plan
5. Make and read statement written with louder You twice one day, once morning after You wake up sleep and once at night when You will wake up sleep. while You read, feel and also assure yourself that You have got the successfulness

Langkah Mengubah Keinginan Kita Menjadi Kesuksesan Yang Nyata

Berikut ini adalah beberapa langkah praktis dan pasti untuk mewujudkan keinginan kita menjadi kesuksesan yang nyata:

1. Tetapkan dalam pikiran Anda bentuk yang pasti dari kesuksesan yang Anda inginkan. Pastikan sukses seperti apa yang Anda raih.
2. Pastikan dengan tepat apa yang Anda berikan sebagai ganti untuk kesuksesan yang Anda inginkan. Berarti Anda harus berani membayar untuk harga kesuksesan tersebut, seperti bekerja keras, belajar lebih giat, dan selalu bersemangat dalam hidup.
3. Tetapkan waktu atau kapan Anda bermaksud untuk meraih kesuksesan yang Anda inginkan. Misalkan saya akan mencapai kesuksesan pada tiga tahun yang akan datang, yaitu pada tanggal, bulan, dan tahun yang telah Anda ditetapkan.
4. Buatlah rencana yang matang untuk mencapai kesuksesan Anda tersebut dan Anda harus sudah siap untuk melaksanakan rencana tersebut.
5. Buat dan bacalah pernyataan tertulis Anda keras-keras dua kali sehari, satu kali pagi hari setelah Anda bangun tidur dan satu kali pada malam hari ketika Anda hendak bangun tidur. Sementara Anda membaca, rasakan serta yakinkan diri Anda bahwa Anda sudah mendapatkan kesuksesan tersebut.

Success In Business With Positive Mental Quality

Dream is placement first stone to make a luxurious building.

If you want go on a trip in anyplace and anywhere, certainly you must have planning where place with good and right. You must know that route place if you want to can fulfill your purpose place. Also with your purpose life, You must know that route place if you want to can fulfill your purpose life. But a half of them people don’t have purpose life. Try your imagination if you want enter to a plane, after that see the pilot, you ask question, “Sire, where this plane leave?”. Then The pilot,” I don’t know, maybe depend with where air blow, if air blow go right, I want bring this plane go right, then if air blow go left, I want bring this plane go left. Like that sire.”
If pilot say like that, What are you audacious to fly with plane?. Actually ours body like plane and ours self is a pilot. If we want gain ends, we must have purpose life and we must know that route place if you want to can fulfill your purpose life or target. I compare purpose life with dream. Dream is not really, and likewise purpose which planning don’t complete. But it’s real if you don’t have purpose, you will blow towards real failure, like that plane. You will abreast with blow air without navigation in map to purpose, finally will make plane fly with dangerous. So you must have dream or purpose life yourself.
In here, I want invite you to have Dream Big, don’t be afraid have dream big, it’s free, so you can dream at the farthest. First president of Indonesia emphatically say,” Hanging your aspiration at the farthest.” Aspiration like dream, So what your aspiration, you must have dream big. At the meeting, anyone say question,” Sire, If I have dream big, the next I will fell down and it’s sore.” I see many people afraid to dream because afraid fall down or failure result their dream. But if we learn at ourselves. Upon we still child, upon we learn to stand up, and walk, after that fall down, are we get up again to learn stand up and walk?, are we don’t feel fail and can’t walk again?. It’s sore, but we try to get up, stand up and learn again to pace, so we can stand up and walk with good. Like that when we learn to ride bicycle, certainly we ever fall. I have experience with my father who can learn me to ride bicycle. At the moment when I learn to ride bicycle and fall, my leg is injury with seriously. After that my father say,” Hold your ill and patiently, because after that you can ride bicycle.” I confused and ask to my father,” I just fall, Why I already to ride bicycle?” With Smart my father say,” Anyone can ride bicycle if he/she fall when he/she learn to ride bicycle. I also certainly fall from bicycle.”
It’s really when my leg heal, I try to learn ride bicycle again, only few a minute I can ride bicycle. The word’s father sometime ago, I hold on until now, that anyone can success with good if he/she ever fall or failure. It’s positive mental quality we needful. Although ever fall and failure, our mental always consist hold out to get our dream.

Mr. Krisnamurti give wise word about failure ,"always planting your mind. Win or learn, so you will never fail." If failure you always certain attitude with positive mental quality, that is viewed as a lesson with very worth, so you will never feel to fall very ill in realizing your dream.
When I or you once fall ill, Actually have two selection: Do continuing to learn to ride bicycle at risk to falling again, or come to a full stop to learn to ride bicycle. We can learn from that, because actually difference of successful people or one who fail, very thinly. One who success is dare to try again, while one who fail to stop for to try again. So actually people fail that don’t realize that actual successfulness / efficacy have within front of eyes.
You ever watch film or read comic of Donal Duck or of Mickey Mouse. You know who is creator of that famous cartoon figure? He is the famous big dreamer, that is Walt Disney. Walt Disney dream about a playground which can be used for all age, of moppet until adult. Finally he succeed to found a famous playground, that is Disneyland. Finally dream Walt Disney become fact. Now a lot of one who visit Disneyland as recreation and playground can gravity for all age. Walt Disney have said, " If You dare to pursue dream, all dream You can form."
So if You dare to pursue Your dream, trust your dream form. Whom even also you which wish to reach for successfulness, have to dare to and have big dream ( To Dream Big Dare). If You have big dream, mental which are positive will always together You. Taking example you are a artist, You have dream to become artist which that masterpiece very admired by throng, it is of course all positive mental will always follow where you go, like owning the spirit of discipline to learn to paint better again, is not never give up, always motivated to realize your dream.
Ability to dream is one of the positive mental quality which only owned by mankind and don’t have by other species. Therefore, continue to dream and remain to your target. Make your dream become bigly. Any of its dream, with positive mental, your dream become fact.
Everybody can succeed if have owned definitive target or dream and conscript entire/all strength, power and struggle to support its target.
If dream which wish you reach for will yield productive and positive value, and You sure ,"continue your walk and get now." Going on your dream and there is no need to mind anyone others tell. And if you meet failure, Let's say that a process learn, because You don’t know that along with each ;every failure, commensurable successful seed dating.
Thomas Alpha of Edison ponder / envisioning a bulb which can be animated with electrics. Edison start from where place he stand up to alter its dream become fact with action. Although meet 10.000 failure, he remain to hold its dream firmness until he make it a fact. Hope to be remembered, " never give up practical dreamer". Top-Drawer do with action.
Whelan envision a network of took cheroot and alter its dream become action. That moment of United Cigar Stores occupy some best town angle; corner in America.
Become, from now on, dream big, remarkable, awful, and become best with quality of bouncing which are positive

Sukses di Bisnis Dengan Kualitas Mental Positif Bagian I ( BERMIMPI YANG BESAR )

Mimpi adalah peletakan batu pertama untuk membuat suatu bangunan yang megah


Jika Anda ingin bepergian ke suatu tempat di mana saja, tentu anda harus merencanakan tempat tujuan Anda dengan baik dan benar. Abda harus mengetahui rute mana yang akan ditempuh untuk mencapai tempat tujuan Anda.
Demikian pula dengan tujuan hidup, Anda harus merencanakan rute mana yang akan Anda tempuh untuk mencapai tujuan hidup Anda. Namun sebagian belum merencanakan rute yang akan digunakannya dan sebagian orang lain masih belum memiliki tujuan hidup.
Coba Anda bayangkan, Anda masuk ke dalam pesawat terbang, kemudian bertemu dengan pilot. Anda bertanya kepadanya, “Pak, pesawat ini akan terbang ke mana?” Kemudian sang pilot berkata, “Saya tidak tahum, tergantung pada angin yang bertiup. Kalau ke kiri, pesawat ini akan saya bawa ke kiri; kalau ke kanan , saya akan bawa pesawat ini ke kanan. Begitu, Pak.”
Kira-kira jika sang pilot mengatakan demikian, apakah Anda masih berani menaiki pesawat tersebut?
Sebetulnya tubuh kita seperti pesawat dan diri kita adalah sang pilotnya. Jika kita ingin mencapai tujuan, kita harus memiliki tujuan hidup dan kita harus merencanakan rute mana yang akan ditempuh untuk mencapai tujuan kita.
Saya mengibaratkan tujuan hidup itu adalah sebuah mimpi/visi. Mimpi memang belum nyata untuk dirasakan, demikian juga dengan tujuan yang masih direncanakan dan belum tercapai.
Namun jelas sekali, jika Anda tidak mempunyai tujuan. Anda akan mengalir ke arah kegagalan yang nyata. Seperti pesawat terbang tadi, Anda akan terombang-ambing mengikuti arah angin tanpa navigasi pada peta ke tampat tujuan, yang akhirnya akan membuat si pesawat terbang semakin berbahaya.
Jadi Anda harus memiliki mimpi/tujuan hidup Anda sendiri. Dalam bahasan mengenai berani bermimpi besar ini, saya akan mengajak kita semua untuk memiliki mimpi yang besar. Jangan takut untuk bermimpi yang besar, karena mimpi itu gratis, jadi silhkan Anda bermimpi setinggi-tingginya.
Bapak pendiri Republik Indonesia, Bung Karno, pernah mengatakan dengan tegas, “Gantunglah cita-citamu setinggi langit.” Ibaratkan cita-cita sebagai mimpi, jadi apa pun mimpi Anda, mimpilah yang tinggi/besar.
Suatu ketika ada seseorang yang yang bertanya “ Pak, kalau saya bermimpi setinggi-tingginya, nanti kalau jatuh sakit sekali.”
Saya mengerti sekali, banyak orang yang takut untuk bermimpi karena takut mengalami jatuh atau kegagalan karena mimpinya.
Namun, kalau kita boleh belajar pada diri kita sendiri, ketika kita masih anak-anak, ketika kita belajar untuk berdiri dan berjalan, kemudian mengalami jatuh, bukankah kita bangun lagi untuk belajar berdiri dan berjalan? Bukankah kita tidak merasa gagal dan tidak bias berjalan lagi?
Tentunya ketika anak-anak, jatuh yang kita rasakan memang sangat sakit. Namun kita tetap berusaha bangkit, berdiri, belajar lagi untuk melangkah, sehingga kita dapat berdiri dan berjalan dengan baik.
Begitu pula ketika kita belajar untuk naik sepeda, tentunya kita pernah mengalami jatuh. Saya punya pengalaman dengan Ayah saya yang mengajari saya naik sepeda. Suatu saat ketika saya belajar naik sepeda dan jatuh, kaki saya mengalami luka yang cukup sakit, lalu ayah saya berkata,”Tahan sakitnya dan sabar, karena sebentar lagi kamu sudah bias naik sepeda.” Saya bingung dan bertanya kepada ayah saya,”Saya kan baru jatuh, kok sudah dikatakan sebentarlagi sudah bias naik sepeda?”
Ayah saya dengan bijak berkata,”Orang baru bias dikatakan bias naik sepeda dengan baik, kalau dia pernah jatuh saat belajar naik sepeda. Ayah sendiri juga pernah jatuh dari sepeda.”
Benar sekali, ketika luka di kaki saya sudah sembuh, saya mencoba untuk belajar sepeda lagi. Hanya diajarkan sebentar, saya sudah lancar bersepeda dengan baik.
Kalimat ayah saya tadi, masih saya pegang baik-baik sampai saat ini, bahwa seseorang baru bisa dikatakan berhasil dengan baik ketika ia pernah mengalami cobaan/kegagalan. Ini adalah kualitas mental positif yang kita perlukan. Meskipun kita mengalami kajatuhan atau kegagalan, mental kita tetap bertahan dan tahan uji untuk mencapai mimpi-mimpi kita.
Bapak krisnamurti memberi kata bijak tentang kegagalan,”Tanamkan selalu dalam pikiran Anda. Menang atau belajar, maka Anda tidak akan pernah kalah.” Jika kegagalan selalu Anda sikapi dengan sikap mental positif, yaitu dipandang sebagai sebuah pelajaran yang sangat berharga, maka Anda tidak akan pernah merasa jatuh yang sangat sakit dalam mewujudkan mimpi Anda.
Ketika saya atau Anda mengalami jatuh yang sakit sekali, sebetulnya ada dua pilihan: Apakah terus belajar naik sepeda dengan resiko jatuh lagi, atau berhenti sama sekali untuk belajar naik sepeda.
Kita bisa belajar dari pilihan tersebut, karena sebetulnya perbedaan orang sukses atau orang yang gagal, sangatlah tipis. Orang yang sukses berani untuk mencoba sekali lagi, sedangkan orang yang gagal berhenti untuk mencoba lagi.
Jadi sebetulnya orang gagal itu tidak menyadari bahwa sebetulnya kesuksesan/keberhasilan sudah sangat dekat di depan mata.
Anda pasti pernah menonton film atau membaca komik Donal Duck atau Mickey Mouse.Tahukah Anda siapa pencipta tokoh kartun yang terkenal itu? Ia adalah sang pemimpi besar yang terkenal, yaitu Walt Disney.
Walt Disney memimpikan sebuah tempat bermain yang bisa digunakan untuk semua usia, dari anak kecil sampai dewasa. Akhirnya ia berhasil mendirikan sebuah tempat bermain yang terkenal, yaitu Disneyland.
Akhirnya mimpi Walt Disney menjadi kenyataan. Sekarang banyak sekali orang yang mengunjungi Disneyland sebagai tempat bermain dan rekreasi yang sangat menyenangkan untuk semua usia.
Walt Disney pernah berkata, “Kalau Anda berani mengejar impian, semua impian Anda bisa terwujud.”
Jadi jika Anda berani mengejar mimpi Anda, percayalah mimpi Anda akan terwujud.
Siapa pun Anda yang ingin meraih kesuksesan, harus berani dan memiliki mimpi yang besar (Dare to Dream Big).
Jika Anda memiliki mimpi yang besar, mental yang positif akan selalu bersama Anda. Misalkan Anda seorang pelukis, Anda memiliki mimpi untuk menjadi pelukis yang karyanya sangat dikagumi oleh orang banyak, tentunya semua mental positif akan selalu mengikuti kemana Anda pergi, seperti memiliki semangat disiplin untuk belajar melukis yang lebih baik lagi, tidak pantang menyerah, selalu bersemangat untuk mewujudkan mimpi Anda tersebut.
Kemampuan untuk bermimpi adalah salah satu kualitas mental positif yang hanya dimiliki oleh umat manusia dan tidak dimiliki oleh spesies lain.
Oleh karena itu, teruslah bermimpi dan tetap tujuan Anda. Buatlah impian Anda menjadi besar. Apapun impiannya, dengan mental positif , mimpi Anda akan menjadi kenyataan.
Semua orang bisa berhasil apabila telah memiliki mimpi atau tujuan yang pasti dan mengerahkan seluruh kekuatan, tanaga, dan berjuang untuk mendukung tujuannya.
Kalau mimpi yang ingin Anda raih akan menghasilkan nilai positif dan produktif, dan Anda meyakininya,”Jalan terus dan lakukan sekarang juga.” Teruskan impian Anda dan tidak usah pedulikan apapun yang orang lain katakan. Dan jika Anda menemui kegagalan, anggaplah itu suatu proses belajar, sebab Anda tidak tahu bahwa seiring dengan setiap kegagalan, dating benih sukses yang sepadan.
Thomas Alfa Edison melamunkan/memimpikan sebuah bola lampu yang bisa dihidupkan dengan listrik.
Edison memulainya dari tempat ia berdiri untuk mengubah impiannya menjadi kenyataan dengan tindakan. Walaupun menemui 10.000 kegagalan, dia tetap memegang teguh impiannya sampai dia menjadikannya sebuah kenyataan. Harap diingat, “pemimpi praktis pantang menyerah”. Yang paling penting lakukanlah dengan tindakan.
Whelan memimpikan sebuah jaringan took cerutu dan mengubah impiannya menjadi tindakan. Saat itu United Cigar Stores menempati beberapa sudut kota terbaik di Amerika.
Jadi, mulai sekarang, bermimpilah yang besar, yang luar biasa, yang dahsyat, dan jadilah yang terbaik dengan kualitas mental yang positif.

Doa Hari Ini Untuk Sukses di Bisnis

Hari ini adalah awal dari hari yang baru.
Saya selalu bersemangat dan menggunakan hari ini dengan sebaik-baiknya.
Saya menggunakan hari ini untuk selalu memperbaiki diri, meningkatkan kualitas mental diri saya.
Saya membahagiakan orang-orang di sekeliling saya.
Saya bersungguh-sungguh untuk selalu memiliki kualitas mental positif dalam diri saya.
Saya berjanji untuk mengubah hari esok ke arah yang lebih cerah, melalui hari ini.
Karena saya sadar, ketika esok tiba, hari ini akan segera hilang.
Semoga saya selalu berusaha untuk melakukan terbaik untuk diri saya dan banyak orang
Terima kasih banyak Tuhan atas hari ini yang begitu indah dan bermanfaat

Prayer Today For Success In Business

Today is first from new day.
I always concious and use today with as well.
I use today to always correct my self, and raise my mental quality.
I make happy people in around me.
I seriously to always have positive mental quality in my self.
I promise to change tomorrow as well from today.
Because I conscious, if tomorrow arrive, today will be lost.
I hope, I always try for get the best for my self and many poeple.
Thank you very much my GOOD for beautiful day
and useful