I share this with you not to brag – but rather because, for me, this has been a pretty significant breakthrough that I think brings lessons I can apply to other areas of my life. For as long as I can really remember, certainly since high school, I have struggled with food and maintaining a healthy diet. For years I have known that I wasn’t eating particularly well – but dealing with it in any sort of lasting and meaningful way – has always seemed more than a little bit overwhelming. At least twice a year, I’ve discovered a new book at Barnes & Nobles, with the latest low carb or high protein or food combining “solution,” and have convinced myself that finally THIS is the diet I am going to follow. THIS one will be the answer to those extra pounds. THIS time I’m going to stick with it. I get started with a vengeance, making lists, hitting the grocery store, sorting through new recipes. And time after time, usually in less than a month, one day “off the diet” turns into 3 days, which turns into a full week…you get the picture.

So what changed? I think there was a powerful shift for me in defining what it means to be disciplined when it comes my diet.  First of all – you notice I said 90% vegan…In the past I have really hurt my chances of success by approaching eating with an “all or nothing” attitude. I tried to eat a certain way ALL of the time. For most of us this leads to feelings up deprivation that we simply cannot maintain long term. Now, if I really want a cheeseburger, I have a cheeseburger. If I go out to a restaurant or a party with friends, I don’t try to convince myself not to have whatever delicious things are being served. If I want them – I have them.

Another important aspect of my success with this diet has been my commitment to actual education. Not the latest fad…but actually finding and reading the research that has been done on the ways our bodies respond to the food we feed ourselves. I’m certainly not suggesting that there is necessarily one right way to eat. However, the key is that I have a clear understanding of why I am making the choices I am making. The more I read, the more committed I am to this change in lifestyle and the results I’m seeing right now, support the belief that I will continue to see amazing long term benefits.

What if we take these two “tips” and apply them to how we approach discipline in our businesses?

Specifically, I think that for many of us there are strong parallels between the ways in which we handle our diets and the ways we handle our money. Like being healthy, consistent money management and financial organization is not something that is going to happen automatically. It does take discipline to ensure that your financials are in order. You can’t organize those receipts or sit down in front of Quickbooks once or twice – and expect to have any last results. Still, acquiring this discipline is without question worth the effort as the rewards will certainly last a lifetime. Strong financial management and organization is the only way  you can expect to have the necessary information with which to make informed business decisions regarding your company.  As entrepreneurs we can also only  reach our financial goals and objectives if we regularly take the time to evaluate our progress, set new targets, and define the tasks required to hit those targets.

But I encourage you to look at whether you have been approaching financial management with the same “all or nothing” attitude that I mentioned earlier in this post. Are you perhaps guilty of having an image in your mind of what it means to really be on top of your financial situation – and then actually doing little or nothing because you recognize you are falling so far short of perfection? Do you dive into financial projects with a vengeance – spending hours  creating charts and sorting receipts – only to exhaust yourself and get so burned out you don’t even look at your bank statements for 3 months? How much better would it be if you tried to take more bite sized, but consistent actions when it comes to handling the business finances?

Also – have you neglected the financial education that is critical for your success? Small business owners often mistakenly believe we can have a loose understanding of money because once we have “lots of it” we won’t need to worry about all that accounting stuff. The problem of course is that it’s extremely unlikely we will ever have “lots of it” because we don’t understand the money rules and activities that will actually bring financial prosperity.

Discipline itself is a characteristic that every entrepreneur should work toward. What business partner, investor, customer or employee for that matter would not want to work with or for someone who has mastered this important quality?  Not only will you feel better about yourself, but your business will be so much more likely to succeed if you are able to develop the discipline necessary to maintain the daily, weekly, and monthly activities that keep your business growing and moving forward. But be kind to yourself. Find the ways you can steadily improve – moving towards the ideal – but not beating yourself up for the ways you fall short.

At Abundance Bound we teach entrepreneurs how to consistently take these small but powerful steps forward. Visit http://www.AbundanceBoundSystem for more information.

It was wonderful watching him try so hard and as I stood there, I realized that even 35 years later in life, I too struggle to wait – and to let things happen in their own time. As I speak with entrepreneurs, I find that a common ailment amongst us, is patience. We want our efforts to pay off now! We want to see our labor unfold into immediate success. Small business owners often must work months and even years at a time before achieving the goals we’ve set for ourselves. And while it’s not quite as simple as sitting on our hands, we too must find a way to stay the course, even when things take longer than we would like.

A related lesson for entrepreneurs – one that  we also work to teach our children – is Persistence. It’s not just a question of waiting for the things we want. We must also persist in whatever work it takes to achieve our goals. And of course the work isn’t always fun and inspiring. Sometimes it’s tedious and challenging and just plain hard. And yet, if we give up when it gets rough, in all odds we won’t be long in business. Ultimately, persistence pays off. And if I can just be terribly annoying and use a favorite bedtime story as an analogy: Are you going to be the little engine who could, OR the entrepreneur who can’t?

Especially when it comes to financial education, persistence and patience are qualities an entrepreneur simply cannot do without. While effectively dealing with money is rarely something that comes naturally, it is like learning to ride a bike or anything else that’s new. If you stick with it, you will ultimately master money management and the tools you put in place to stay on top of your business financials will become like second nature.

Success rarely happens overnight. And yet, of those business owners willing and able to stay the course, most look back with gratitude for the patience and persistence that brought them across the finish line. At Abundance Bound we believe that these two virtues come significantly easier to those entrepreneurs who surround themselves with support systems.  To learn more about the ways we can support you in the patient but persistent growth of your business, visit http://www.AbundanceBoundSystem.com.

I spent a great deal of time in thought about the whole situation. I turned to other business colleagues asking for their honest opinions about what had occurred. In the end, I absolutely accept that mistakes were made on my part AND can honestly say that I fundamentally disagree with the accusation that my actions, at their core, were in any way unethical.

At the end of the day, as painful a time as this was, I think it raised an important question that we must all address as business owners: How much are you thinking about business ethics? The truth is that the more your business grows – the more you will face decisions about the “right” way to handle things.

There will be times where right and wrong are pretty clear and straight forward.  Hopefully, we all grew up learning not to lie, cheat or steal – basic principles that of course hold true in all aspects of business. There are certainly no grey areas when it comes to how you handle your money. As business owners we must ensure our financial record keeping is clear and honest, that our customers are billed accurately, and charged fair prices for quality products and services. Accurate reporting of your earnings and prompt payment of any taxes owed – will allow you to avoid costly penalties and ensure the longevity of your business.

However, there will also be situations where the “right path” might not be as clear. Will you take on a client whose company competes with a friend or business associate? What about a client with political opinions drastically opposed to your own? Would you consider outsourcing a service you need to a foreign country to significantly cut business costs – even in the midst of an economic crisis in your own country? These are just a few examples, but it is quite possible for two fundamentally honest and ethical business owners to disagree on one or all of these questions.

The only successful people are those who can sleep at night after a hard day’s work. Just because someone can reach their financial objectives quicker by cutting corners does not mean that they won’t be giving up something priceless along the way. Spend some time thinking about who you want to be and what you want your business to represent.  Then if there is ever a question of your ethics being tested, you can turn back to – and remember your ultimate goal.  Everyone is not going to like and agree with your choices. But it is important that YOU can stand behind them.

While there has been much in the news as of late that might make us think otherwise, the truth is that you can achieve all the success you want in your small business, with your ethics fully intact.  For resources to support you on your journey visit http://www.AbundanceBoundSystem.com.

Owners who have experienced success in their small business are often masters of being creative. Thinking outside the box creates endless opportunities. Entrepreneurs who cannot force themselves to be inventive  and to become “creative problem solvers,” have a long, tough road ahead of them.

While it may come easier to some more than others, creativity is possible and attainable for all of us and in fact can be the key to solving problems, moving forward and growing in every way.  When it comes to marketing your products and services, are you just following the pack (boring!) or do you constantly brainstorm ways to stand out from the crowd?  What makes you unique?  How can you use your imagination to capture the attention of your target audience?

Financial objectives and financial organization can also be greatly influenced by the use of creativity. Now don’t get me wrong, the last thing you should do is stretch the truth in your reports. Using fair and honest accounting principles is essential. But what about finding creative ways to cut costs? Use non-name brand office equipment. Take a late flight instead of paying for a hotel. Find a talented and motivated student to create your website rather than paying top dollar for an established designer. These are just a few examples where creativity with your finances can really pay off in the long run.

Creativity is the starting point for innovation, which is the force that drives small businesses to the top. As I work to meet the needs of my clients, I strive to find new ways to make the information engaging. Let’s face it – just the words “financial education” can make people’s eyes glaze over as they fight back an enormous yawn. So I’m faced with a choice. I can just try to hammer home the point that understanding money is important OR I can take risks – try new things and be open to outside input, constantly seeking creative ways to make the learning accessible and even fun.

Throughout the sea of constant change, endless road blocks and the curious unknown, being open to creative solutions  will likely provide all of the answers any entrepreneur will need. Learn more tips to bringing creativity to every aspect of your business operations at http://www.abundanceboundsystem.com.

So here’s the thing: I had the very best intentions and absolutely NO customers.

I spun my wheels for months. There’s no question I was working hard. The problem was that I didn’t really know what I was doing. You see – I was an expert at financial education – I wasn’t an expert at marketing and client attraction and all of the elements of building a business that ensure you have a steady stream of prospects who can benefit from your products and services.

All of that changed the day I found a marketing mentor. I made the decision to invest in my business and signed up for 8 months of private coaching with someone who had a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs attract clients. I listened, learned and applied her teaching and my business grew with a speed and consistency I could not have imagined. There’s nothing better than learning from someone who can honestly say they’ve been there and done that. Something about hearing from someone who has conquered the very hurdle you’re about to jump gives you an edge you would not be able to get any other way. Let’s face it, it’s faster (and less painful) when we have the opportunity to learn from mistakes that were made by those who have gone before us, rather than always learning from the mistakes we make ourselves.

Unlike the game of chess, the business world does not really have specific rules. Because of the lack of rules, those who have experienced the challenges you are about to face first hand are your best allies, in navigating the often unpredictable waters.  Sure, you know a lot. But do you know everything? Of course not. There will always be things you can learn that will help you take your business to the next level. This is why constantly seeking out and working with mentors is so crucial in your pursuit of success.

Never take the job of selecting a mentor lightly. You want to learn from individuals who have themselves created success. Small business owners who are considering working with a mentor, should take the time to speak with them directly. Ask if you can talk to one or more of their former or current clients. Make sure their coaching style is a fit for you and your personality. Remember that over time you will most likely have multiple mentors – experts in different areas who can help you to develop the skills you need to keep moving forward. The magic of the internet and the ability to receive quality coaching via teleseminars and webcasts, means we are not limited by geography as we seek out the best people to help us learn and grow.

At Abundance Bound we strive to create a community that brings the experience, mentoring and encouragement you need to be successful in your business. Visit http://www.AbundanceBoundSystem.com to learn more about this powerful support network today.

In the years that I worked for other people, I was so frustrated by the complete lack of control that I had over my life. We all know the drill…showing up and leaving at the same time each day, being told when we can have lunch or take a vacation, trying to look busy even when we’ve finished our work because heaven forbid we should just be able to go home early…

It was a desire for independence that led me to start my first business. I certainly had good intentions and a strong work ethic but I also had absolutely no clue what I was doing. The truth was that I lacked the fundamental understanding of money that was required to keep a business afloat. Once I realized this, I focused on studying with the best financial experts I could find, gaining the financial tools, knowledge and understanding I needed to be a successful entrepreneur.

The results I saw in my own life were what led me to the creation of Abundance Bound – a company that focuses specifically on the niche of helping people start and build their own businesses with the strong financial foundation and planning in place that allows them to grow and thrive as entrepreneurs. I love being able to spare my clients from some of the many, many costly mistakes I made in my early years of being small business owner.

A small business that tries to do too much can, often times, have difficulty achieving success.  Small business ideas that focus on a niche market can quickly surpass competitors who only dabble in that area.

Take for instance a small business that makes only rice pudding.  But they make rice pudding in every flavor imaginable.  Or a restaurant that only serves macaroni and cheese, but the combinations of flavors makes it a unique treat.  If I want great rice pudding or macaroni and cheese (two of my personal favorites by the way…) I am far more likely to seek out the specialists than I am to just run into my local grocery. Those two companies are focused on a niche market and even if a large chain restaurant opened on the same street and offered macaroni and cheese plus rice pudding on their large menu, those two small businesses would still rake in the customers who want the specialty that they offer.

The ideas mentioned above are real examples of two businesses that exist in Manhattan that have achieved success.  Small business owners can follow this type of focused model can achieve and maintain the same success.  The secret is to find something that you have a passion for and will appeal to many people, add something unique to it and focus solely on making it the best that it can be.

A great niche business with a web presence has an advantage over a small business on the web with no specialty.  It is easier to get targeted web traffic to make a purchase than general web traffic going to a site that has a variety of products or services to offer. Small business websites that offer their niche product in a unique way can turn a great profit in a small amount of time.

I encourage you to make sure that as an entrepreneur you are not trying to be all things to all people. Visit http://www.AbundanceBoundSystem.com – We can help you to find that need that you fill better than anybody else, focus your efforts there, and you’ll be well on your way to success with your small business.

It’s important that we cultivate a sense of gratitude for everything good that exists in our lives NOW.  Where affirmations speak into the future you plan to create, gratitude is about being thankful for what is currently so.  In her wonderful book, Zero to Zillionaire, Chellie Campbell suggests, “Thank whatever Higher Power you believe in for all that you have.  Gratitude is the only thing that studies have proven increases happiness.”

We get more of what we focus on.  If you start consciously paying attention to your thoughts, it may surprise and frighten you to realize how much time you spend thinking about everything that is wrong in your life and your business, and beating yourself up for everything you should have done differently.  What might happen if you started taking time every day to focus on what is good, what you have done right, what you love about who you are and what you have?  Personal growth expert, Anthony Robbins, suggests starting everyday with a gratitude exercise.  This may not come easily at first.  You can focus the exercise by “working from the inside out”, either speaking out loud or silently to yourself as follows.  First, state all of the things you are grateful for, focusing only on yourself.  “I am thankful for my health.”  “I am grateful for my commitment to regular exercise.”  “I am grateful for my beautiful singing voice.” (Or your ability to paint, or your work ethic, or your intellect – whatever you feel are positive traits you have.)  Really take the time to think of everything you can.  Perhaps you are a brilliant mediator.  Do you consistently strive for and achieve high levels of integrity and honesty.  Are you kind, a loving mother, a good friend?

Now you are going to expand your circle of gratitude.  Move outwards to your family and close friends.  Perhaps you are grateful for all your parents did to raise you, or the health and happiness of your brothers and sisters.  Do you have friends that are always there for you – who love you – and make you laugh?  Continue the exercise, just growing the circle wider and wider to encompass everything for which you give thanks in the sphere of your business, then your community, followed by society and even the world.

The fact is, if you do this exercise genuinely, not making things up, but sincerely looking at all that is good, it is literally impossible to come away without feeling happy, positive and truly energized.  Imagine what would be different if you truly made the commitment to start your day, every day, this way.

We can all find things to be grateful for.  Once you get started, the floodgates will open and you’ll discover that having an “attitude of gratitude” can actually become a natural state.  And from that state – absolutely anything is possible! At http://www.AbundanceBoundSystem.com we’ll help you create the lasting mindset and space of gratitude to support your ongoing growth as an entrepreneur.

“The secret to my success is determined by my daily agenda – by the daily decisions I make, and the daily disciplines I practice.”– Dr John C. Maxwell

I heard that statement a few years ago, and it is something that has always stuck with me, because I fundamentally believe that it is true. Another way of saying it is that, if what and where I am today is a direct result of my previous actions, what I am tomorrow depends on what I do today. The problem is, most people underestimate what they can do today, and over estimate what they can do tomorrow.

Now, if you think about this for a minute, you will see how true it is.  You constantly hear “I’ll do it tomorrow.”  I know I say that, and then, when it doesn’t happen tomorrow, it becomes “the next day,” then the next, then the next, until either we hit a crisis and do it at the expense of something else, or we just never quite get around to it.

Let’s take an entrepreneur building a coaching business as an example: how can you get new clients if people don’t know who you are? And how can people know who you are if you’re not publishing informative articles on your area of expertise, and attending networking events to expand your circle of contacts? So how many articles are you posting on the internet this week? What networking are you doing today? But maybe you’ve got writer’s block, so you put the article off to tomorrow, and traffic is really bad tonight, so that networking event can wait.  You get the picture.

The same is true in your finances. If I am struggling with debt, what can I do to get out from under it? Can I call the credit card companies and beg for a break? Can I tear up my bills, move, and hope they won’t find me? You certainly could, but it wouldn’t be recommended. Instead, wouldn’t it be better to look for ways to generate multiple streams of income, shave some money off your expenses, learn how to pay a little less in taxes, put a solid debt plan in place, and move forward freely, rather than constantly worrying about how you are going to handle those student loans?

What expenses can I track today that can be used as tax deductions? How can I work a bit more today to earn the money I need to cover those expenses? What financial seminar can I take or what book can I read today to build the money management skills I need to take control of my finances?  How can I alter my spending habits today so that I have to worry less tomorrow?

Oscar Wilde said “every action of the common day makes or unmakes character,” and, beyond that, everything you do today affects where you will be tomorrow.

All of this is a process. No one expects you to flick a switch and suddenly have amazing organizational skills, perfect credit and financial savvy.  But there are two kinds of pain in this arena: the pain of discipline, and the pain of regret. Now, especially when it comes to ensuring a strong financial foundation, we can play now and pay later, or we can pay now and play later. The problem is, payment compounds, and increases with time and missed opportunities. So if you suffer the pain of paying now – of discipline, of doing the things you need to do long after the mood in which you said them in has gone, of paying attention to your actions today – tomorrow’s rewards will come far sooner than you imagine.

Visit http://www.AbundanceBoundSystem.com and join our community of entrepreneurs, committed each moment to creating the success that they deserve.

We have spent the past few blog posts teaching you how to prepare yourself for success as a small business owner.  You know how to treat your business finances as an entity separate from your personal finances, you know how to organize and keep track of your expenses, and you know where you are starting on this financial journey. Great!  Now what?

Not a thing in your financial lives will change if you do not do the footwork.  You need to consistently devote the time necessary to improve your financial situation.  As entrepreneurs so many of us are great starters.  We begin to gather knowledge and make great plans, thinking of the ultimate outcome, but then we often do not fulfill our plan by taking the step-by-step actions required to bring us to that outcome.

Have you ever uttered, “I’m too busy”?  Maybe “I can’t afford it” sounds familiar.  These are excuses and you need to look closely at where they have gotten you so far.  Are you even one step closer to the financial prosperity you wish to have in your life? The financial pressure that exists for many small business owners is so distracting it brings an almost unbearable amount of stress into our lives and our minds.  If we make a little time every week to take care of our financial situation – such as reading, attending a seminar, updating your financial records, working on investing, adding extra income streams to your business model – we would actually free up time later on.

So what exactly does “priority” mean.  A priority is a “must”, something we “must” do, and a “must” is very different from a “should”.  We all have lists of things in our lives that we “must” do and we all have lists of things we “should” do.  There is a critical difference between the two.  For instance, I must pay my bills every month on time.  This is something I would never allow myself not to do.  However, I really feel I should exercise every day.  Somehow, as much as I know I should exercise, I often allow other things to get in the way.  For others, exercising every day is a must, and they are prepared to sacrifice to get that exercise time in.

I suggest to entrepreneurs that, for the period they are working with me in private coaching or in our Prosperity Bootcamp, they make implementing the steps of The Prosperity System^TM a “must.”  Generally, once we see our financial pictures start to shift, we will not go back to doing things the way we did before.

So, analyze your time.  How do you use it?  Where do you waste it?  Be completely and brutally honest with yourself.  At http://www.AbundanceBoundSystem.com you’ll learn our step by step process, which makes it easy for entrepreneurs to set aside a few hours every week to devote solely to the endeavor of creating financial prosperity.  This practice will help you develop the sound knowledge that will allow you to start building the financial wealth you deserve and desire.

The next critical step to creating success as a small business owner, is figuring out exactly where you would like to end up.  Where you are going is almost as important as your starting point.  It gives you a destination, a target, a place on which to set your sights.Think about an entrepreneur that you really admire – whose business has the size, scope and profits that you imagine for yourself. You can be very sure that behind the scenes there is a business plan, one that was put in place when the organization was born and one that is centered on a Vision.  In this business plan, the entrepreneur will have laid out where they want to be in 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years.  They will know what their ultimate goal is in very specific terms.

But for many small business owners, our Vision doesn’t extend that far beyond just wanting more money.  We know we are tired of struggling to pay the bills.  We hate the fact that we’re buried under debt.  But because our financial vision is not SPECIFIC, our plans tend to be equally vague – leaving little mystery around why they are often never actually implemented.

Think of your financial life as a road trip.  You know where you are starting – New York.  How many of us would actually get in our cars and start driving, without having actually decided where we want to go?  Now let’s say that you choose Miami.  Well, because you have your starting point AND your destination, you can plan exactly how you’ll get there.  You may plan it in stages.  You may stop to see some of the sights along the way.  You may even take a wrong turn now and again, but because you know where you’re headed, you’ll quickly be able to make corrections that will put you back on track.

Continuing this analogy, let’s say that you had indeed made a wrong turn on your way to Miami, and ended up in New Orleans. You might like it there, maybe even enough that you consider staying, and giving up on ever getting to Miami at all. You have a nice place, are happy with the climate, and have made a few friends. If your concept of Miami is simply “somewhere nice”, then you may be content to stay where you ended up, because it is simply too much effort to move on. What does it matter if the weather isn’t exactly what you wanted, or your house is not quite what you had imagined? Where you are is an improvement over where you were, so you give up your travel plans, and settle in.

How different would it be if your general dream of “Miami” became an actual vision of what your life would be when you got there? What if you had researched and found the exact condo you wanted on South Beach? You knew the purchase price, the mortgage payments, what your view would be, what the good local restaurants are. You knew what friends you had down there, what car you would drive, what you would wear on the beach, and where to find the best snorkeling. Your vision of your life in Florida encompasses everything, from lifestyle to partner, business success to financial abundance. How content would you now be to settle in New Orleans? Chances are, not very. And yet that is what we all do. Repeatedly. Because where we are is better than where we were, and the immediate discomfort it might take to move on overshadows the pain of staying.

At Abundance Bound, we take entrepreneurs through an exercise of creating a “3-Year Vision.” This involves writing down a detailed vision of where we want to be in 3 years time, and being as specific as possible about it. It is not enough to say “I will be rich”: you need to know what that means. To some that may be a passive income of $8,000 per month, living in a condo in a respectable part of town, and driving a new Jetta. For others, making $20,000 per month, and living in a house in Beverly Hills with a Porsche in the driveway would only be halfway there.  When you read your Vision you should feel happy – you should feel a sense of excitement and joy as you paint a vivid picture of where you want your life to be. And you should use that excitement to fuel you as you move forward.

Writing down your Vision will play a huge role in whether or not you reach your destination. From this will develop your action plan, which is your journey broken down into manageable pieces, and the specific, measurable goals that will comprise each step of that plan. It is absolutely critical that you fully visualize the end result and know clearly and vividly where you want to go.

Come to http://www.AbundanceBoundSystem.com for all the help you need drawing your personal entrepreneur’s  road map from point A to point B. We’ll support you along the journey and make sure you reap the benefits of careful planning and hard work.