It Takes Two To Tangle

How many times have you heard...

"All you need is two people to join your business..."

But, what does that really mean. If I sign-up two people and they never perform, aren't we back to square one.

Yes, we are! So, what's the whole hoopla about getting two people if they just aren't performers?

I've learned that it should probably be worded something like this instead...

"All you need is the right two people to join your business..."

There is some validity to getting two people, but they have to be the right ones. They have to be go-getters! They have to be visionaries! They have to be optimistic! They have to be ready to embark down the journey of home business ownership!

If you were to look in the mirror can you honestly say that you are all of those characteristics? Or, can you say that you would join yourself in the business if you were someone else?

If you can't answer those questions with a resounding YES, then you're back to square one.

You're starting from scratch, and in that case it's time to work on your self-image, build your team, become a leader, become magnetic, and teach others how to do the same thing. And no, it doesn't matter that your business has gone anywhere. All that matters is that you step up to plate, take a few swings and make it to first base. Then you go for the next base, then the next base, then after a while, that's when you'll be swinging for the fences. (I bet you can tell which sport I like.)

But, the fact of the matter is, if you are intending on becoming someone successful (that homerun hitter) in this industry, then now is the time.

Now imagine, you find two people that are drawn to you and you mentor them, what do you think they will do with their business?

Uhhh! I don't think I need to answer here, but I will for those that aren't catching on. They will be leaders who are performers. Why? Because when you are attracting these people to you, they had liked what they had seen. Whatever it was, your ability to lead, to be confident, to be decisive, or your ability to take control, they could see themselves following you and learning from you.

Again, Why?

BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE JUST LIKE YOU!

It absolutely, most definitely, takes two to tangle, but with the right two.

Are you attracting the right two?

Dedicated to your success,

Jerome Ratliff
Visit JeromeRatliff.com to learn about the fantastic journey he's embarked through his business ventures.

Back From Salt Lake City 2008 Int'l Convention

Now that I've had more than a week to settle down from my trip to Salt Lake City and download my pictures, I wanted to share them with you. This was opening day to the convention. It was a perfect day, sunny and mid-80 degrees.



We also had the opportunity to attend a concert held by the company. They had Grammy award winner Colin Raye perform. He did a fantastic job and made it an enjoyable experience. These are some of the people that attended this concert.



I had a wonderful time and learned new techniques to grow my business. In fact, I had a chance to meet some of the top Business Entrepreneurs like, Robert Kiyosaki, Robert Allen and Tim Sales. I was even able to get a picture with Tim Sales, what a brilliant man. That probably explains why he came up with Brilliant Compensation. Here I am with Tim.



I've had the luxury to attend past conventions, but this years was unforgettable. They really stepped it up.

Since this is only a yearly event, I tend forget how powerful attending these yearly conventions can be for your business. It really recharges your business.

Whatever organization / industry you are a part of, make sure to attend your convention, it will change you and your business.

I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Dedicated to your success,

Jerome Ratliff
Visit JeromeRatliff.com to learn about the fantastic journey he's embarked through his business ventures.

Stop Stressing Out Over Work

• E-mails piling up?

• Behind on voice mails?

• In meetings all day long?

• Not enough time in the day to get your work done?
  

This sounds like your typical worker or business owner, doesn't it!

Why do we do this to ourselves? Is it because we love our jobs / business so much that we put ourselves under these crazy amounts of stress in hope of getting some work done? Or do we hope that by participating and overextending ourselves that we will make a name for ourselves?

Whatever it is for you, there is a reason. But, does it actually help your professional career / business one bit?

No WAY!

By getting backlogged, you become less productive and more stressed.

We really need to stop stressing out over our work and relax.

It's not worth it to be stressed. Stress has been linked to many diseases, such as cancer. The next time we find ourselves stressed out and behind in work, try doing the following:

1. Relax and take deep breath. (This is the reality check moment)
2. Prioritize your list. (This is the planning moment)
3. Do what you can in the order. (This is the execution moment)

Slowly but surely you will get caught up and will become less stressed. Sure, you will get stressed again, but what you decide to do when you begin to feel stressed is what really matters. Don't let stress take over your life.

Stop stressing out over work! If you don't, you will always be stressed and will never be happy with what you do.

Since we spend half of our awake hours working, why not make it a good experience.

Dedicated to your success,


Jerome Ratliff
Visit JeromeRatliff.com to learn about the fantastic journey he's embarked through his business ventures.

Get Inspired To Do Something Great

Do you find yourself having a hard time getting inspired in life, in your job or your business?

Before you get alarmed, I assure you this a normal feeling. Most people have either felt this way before or are currently feeling this way.

Let's face it, sometimes it's hard to get inspired.

I recently discovered this article about getting inspired from Entrepreneur.com, about Jim McCann, founder of 1800flowers.com and it really hit home with me. I hope it does the same for you as it has done for me.

By Geoff Williams at Entrepreneur.com

When you're a small-business owner yearning to be big, it's easy to get discouraged--especially if you compare yourself to the bigger companies that are already successful. But it's useful--for your morale, your sanity and your strategizing--to remember that most big businesses were once small, too.

So in that spirit, we decided to seek out Jim McCann, founder of 1-800Flowers.com, who symbolizes the idea of starting from an acorn and turning into a tree.

On his ubiquitous TV commercials, McCann may seem more like a spokesperson than someone unafraid to dig his hands in the entrepreneurial dirt--but that's exactly what McCann, 56, does every day and has, ever since opening his first flower store in New York City in 1976. Back then, it was called Flora Plenty, and McCann didn't even have a 1-800 number.

So if your business seems like a tiny acorn, how can you make it grow into a big, beautiful--rose bush? (Look, we wanted to go with oak tree, but that wouldn't have fit in with an article about the flower business.) McCann doesn't claim to know the secret, but looking back on how he did it, he does have some advice.

"Fire yourself right away, so you can hire people and focus on doing the things that you can do," McCann says. When he opened his flower shop, he was running a nonprofit for at-risk teenage boys, and he decided that he and his family would be better off financially if he kept his day job. So he hired someone to work at the store during the work days, and then from 9 p.m. to midnight, and during the weekends, he spent his time at Flora Plenty.

"My wife called these 'death-defying hours,' " McCann says."But it turned out to be good that I wasn't the only person in the shop." McCann says these hours forced him to work on the systems and processes of the business, not just run the store.

"Too often, you see entrepreneurs get hung up on doing the best job that they can, instead of creating an environment where their employees can do better," McCann says. "It was an accidental lesson."

Risk is part of being in business. Keeping his day job at the nonprofit and starting another business minimized his risk. But after 10 years, when McCann had about 15 stores throughout New York City, he took a much bigger gamble. It was, McCann says, his riskiest move in the history of his business. He bought the name 1-800 Flowers from another entrepreneur who hadn't been successful in owning the number.

"I found myself $7 million in debt, without realizing that it really was a colossally stupid deal," McCann says.

"But the good news was that Chris [his younger brother] had joined the company, and we paid down the debt over the next five years, and while it was a stupid deal, it was also the best thing we ever could have done."

It goes to show that taking a risk is a part of growing a business, but it needs to be a calculated one.

"You can be creative in your business without having a creative bone in your body," McCann says. He offers an example how years ago, he created a program called Fresh Rewards, where if you bought nine bouquets, that 10th one was free.

"People get a kick out of getting a free bouquet, and I remember people said that'll never work; nobody's going to use the card," McCann says. Of course, these rewards coupons are prevalent everywhere now.

McCann got the idea after walking into Dunkin' Donuts and buying some tea and a donut with his own loyalty card. He thought: How is this shaping my behavior?

"I'll look to other categories and industries and see if it's something I can try in my category," McCann says. "It's always helpful when you get three or four trade magazines from another industry, and look at the stories and their issues and think, 'How can I adapt that to my world?' Let someone else do the creative thinking for you."

Use paranoia as a business strategy.

McCann attributes his paranoia to Andy Grove's book, Only the Paranoid Survive. It compelled him and his brother to pay off their debt promptly and splurge on creating a website when the internet started getting popular.

"Staying paranoid is a good thing," asserts McCann, who mentions that recently, he had a meeting cancelled and used that time to rework a list he has of technology projects and plans for the company.

"I'm feeling like we're in a 1990 re-do actually," says McCann, who notes the next step is mobile technology. "We're in the business of helping people express themselves and connect, and we do that with floral and other gifts, by helping them act on their thoughtfulness. So if we can help them with mobile technology act more frequently on those thoughtful ideas, it's better for them, it's better for the people they're giving the gifts to, and it's good for us as a florist."

--------

Dedicated to your success,

Jerome Ratliff
Visit JeromeRatliff.com to learn about the fantastic journey he's embarked through his business ventures.