Tips Archives - Page 2 of 8 - BOLLYWOOD SURKHIYAN

Home Based Business Startup Tips

Here we have a few tips on how to own home based business startup to earn money online.

1. Create a product

The only secret of success in this home based business startup is to find out what people want to buy and then sell them what they want. Create information-based products or your own digitally delivered product such as ebooks or tapes etc. Develop your own specific strategy to earn money by selling the product online.

2. Setup a payment system

Get a merchant account as soon as you set up the website to accept online payments from day one. Integrate the system by linking to your website via encryption software. Address security issues by using trusted providers. Get detailed reporting and monitoring of the figures regularly to identify any particular areas for concern.

3. Affiliate program

Get mass distribution through an affiliate program. After creating a website, find an affiliate program such as Clickbank for collaboration. Affiliate program websites are companies that promote products relevant to the kind of site you have. You can be paid for every click or for every sale by the merchant and for every registration with the merchant’s company can help you a lot to earn money 24 hours round the clock. How much you get and how successful you are depends upon your choice of affiliate marketing with your home based business startup.

4. Monitor web traffic

Affiliate merchant directs traffic to his website by providing his visitors fresh content that will keep people coming to his website. Techniques like link building and link swapping, and other Search Engine Optimization techniques get your website links onto other sites where more people can find them.

5. Advertise

For your home based business startup, you need a publicity campaign, search engines or reciprocal linking. Keep the website current with fresh content. Contain something that people will want to keep coming back for. Get feedback with direct articles that have information about your site and by starting a new blog.

Success Tips For The Entrepreneurs Profitable Home Business

In today’s financial upheaval where gas prices are on the rise, more people than ever are looking for ways to create a home based business. The Internet is abound with endless opportunities but a person needs to beware of what they get them selves into. I myself found it necessary to create a profitable home business.

There are some things to consider though before you jump right in lock stock and barrel, such as how much cash you need to put up to get started. You need to figure out how much time and work you are going to have to put into it as well. And don’t let anybody tell you different, your time, your money are required to become successful along with a fair amount of work.

In my own business the costs are considered low and the business is not to difficult to promote or to maintain. A business like that tends to have appeal to a larger group of people than one that is very expensive. I suggest in your own research you consider the expense factors involved and how hard it will be to run it. Some people may have the money but not the time to tackle huge learning curves to launch and run a complicated business. Especially if they are going it alone.

Most adults these days with access to the Internet can become an online entrepreneur and start a home based business. The Internet can give reach to potential customers and members from all over the world. 2 or 3 decades ago it would not have been possible to reach out to millions of people world wide in such an easy manner.

You may be thinking that starting your own business means going into business by yourself. This doesn’t have to be the case if you do not want it to be. There are plenty of business opportunities where you can get a lot of support from people who have a financial stake in your success. This is true in a lot of Multi-level Marketing opportunities. If you are concerned about going it a lone, then you might want to look into Network Marketing. It is still a thriving industry and has increased in popularity with the advent of the Internet.

You need to understand also that the people who are promoting their opportunities who have achieved the level of success who you are desiring, have worked hard to get there. You will not start out being all knowing to become a successful entrepreneur. Like others before you a lot of your knowledge will come through trial and error and learn as you go.

And speaking of acquiring the needed knowledge, you should consider is whether a potential business opportunity has training if you require specialized knowledge. Some businesses just assume that task to yourself and do not provide it for their representatives or members. This is true in a lot of affiliate marketing situations. Just be willing to work towards success as you learn and go and do not let the pitfalls or mountains you have to climb deter you.

You have probably heard of the law of attraction and may have watched that popular movie The Secret, well basically that just means you keep a positive mind and a strong belief that you will succeed, Don’t think of your problems as being a negative thing, but more of a positive thing in that you are acquiring the needed knowledge that will help you to your success. If you get up every morning determined to make progress in your business towards the goal of becoming financially better off, then the universe will magnetize you in cohesiveness with what you need to come to you to succeed.

One other thing in examining a potential is you need to look at who your market will be and how you will contact them. You need to study this market as well to determine if you will be able to successfully compete in it. Some markets are just to popular for the average person to compete with unless he has a tremendous amount of resources at his disposal to try and win in that market.

I hope you found these tips helpful. I myself went through just a process before I launched into my own successful home based business.

Tips for Lucrative Business Ideas That Are Available Online

There are many ways to make money on-line and you should pick the opportunities that are legitimate and rewarding. Life sometimes surprises us with an unexpected bill or the car breaks down so it can be very comforting to have lucrative business ideas set up to generate income. There are not very many things worse than running out of options and having a backup plan can help eliminate that from happening. Here are several tips that I believe can help you center on what is important when choosing and building your business:

• Look for opportunities that allow you to use sweat-equity and not very much cash investment up front. You are your biggest asset when starting something new. Choose a business where you can learn, grow and earn money without a large initial cash investment. You should study and work hard in the beginning to make it really pay off. For example, rather than hiring someone else to advertise or promote for you, I found that it is possible to get low-cost or free advertising on-line. Once you know how to create an interest in your service or product the sky is the limit. This brings me to another step to your success.

• Choose ideas that can be promoted on-line using the power of the internet and start by setting up a website. In my opinion, you must use your time sensibly for lucrative business ideas to be successful and flourish. Once you set it up your website will work for you 24 hours a day.

• Consider working with a company that offers free website start-ups. There are companies on-line that are devoted to helping people start new websites for an extremely low-cost. They are rewarded by making sales on upgrades or additional services later on down the road. This works out good for both you and the company helping to start your new website. A few years back, I started a website from scratch by using site building tools that are available on-line. These are great for putting together your own custom website, but it took a long time to add all the content that was needed to get it finished and ready to do business.

• Look for companies that offer websites with lucrative business ideas built-in and ready to start selling. This is a good choice for those of us that need income but do not have anything to sell.

• Learn how to use simple marketing techniques such as using keywords, article writing and banner ads that will generate traffic to your website. Some of those who visit your site will buy what you are offering and you will receive income on each sale.

• There will be some fees after you get a website started, so learn as much as you can about what you are getting before handing over your hard-earned money.

In summary, lucrative business ideas are available on-line and are easily tapped into by getting involved with one that peaks your interest. Start by using your current skills and continue to learn while you build your business.

PR Brainstorming Tips

Tip 1: Make a list of objectives that you want to achieve before starting the process. You don’t want to limit your idea and thought process, but you do want to define objectives to accomplish. When it comes to PR brainstorming, your goal is to come up with a list of the most important story ideas including new business concepts, the unique value you offer, important information you can give, and anecdotal stories. Also spend some time focusing on how and why you can be presented as an expert regarding your company, your business, and your overall field.

Tip 2: This is a group process. Don’t simply brainstorm on your own, set up a brainstorming session with your PR consultant, or, if you’re doing this in-house, meet with members of your staff that understand your business. If you’re a one man, or one woman show, bring together some friends or associates who understand your business. You want people you can bounce ideas off. You want feedback, plus you want energy. Make it fun; make it a game, but one with a purpose.

Tip 3: Allow everyone involved to speak freely. Set up an agenda but let the information flow. Start with a list of the obvious stories, then drill down to more unique stories; also review different ways to present stories. You don’t want to spend the bulk of your time on concepts or stories that are too left (or right) of center, but do let it get a bit crazy. Think out of the box. Be creative. Remember you don’t have to use all of these stories, or ideas but the deeper you drill, the better the chances of finding a great story, so let the ideas fly. Let yourself bandy about story ideas that chances are you’ll never use. You never know, those might actually turn out to lead you to some golden PR nuggets.

Tip 4: Once you’ve created a list of possible ideas, now start thinking like the media. Let’s say you’re an editor or a producer; which of the stories you’ve come up with would be the most appealing. How and why will those ideas work? Now drill down even further, which ideas will work specifically as TV pitches? Remember TV is a visual medium; you want to present stories that offer more than just a talking head. When pitching TV, think in terms of the strongest visual stories you can present.

Tip 5: Finally, start segmenting the media. Different media outlets have different needs. You need to keep that in mind when pitching and presenting your story ideas. This is where most stories meet their doom. You need to not only pitch great story ideas, you need to pitch stories that a particular journalist who writes for a very specific target market understands. For example you might come up with a great pitch idea that you could present to women’s magazine, men’s magazine and general interest magazines, but how you pitch your story to each particular outlet is going to decide whether the media is going to cover it or not. So spend some brainstorming time practicing how to build those media bridges. It will be time well spent.

Helpful Tips on Business Gift Giving Etiquette in Latin America

Being prepared for an international business meeting requires information and knowledge of what will be discussed or presented at this meeting. A nice social gesture when meeting an international company for the first time, usually, is giving a gift. Take the time to research local customs before making a purchase, though, as some countries find it insulting to receive a gift. Knowing what to do before you go will not only show that you cared enough to learn about your destination’s etiquette, but may also open up all kinds of new doors and opportunities for you and your company.

Many multi-national businesses and their governments have very strict policies when it comes to business associates accepting gifts. Many Asian countries are concerned about corporate corruption and see gift giving as a bribe, so holding off on gift giving until you get to know the company and its policies may be a good idea. You should know that in Malaysia, most businesses require you establish a working relationship with them before giving a gift. Even here in the United States, our government sets a $25 spending limit on how much a business gift can cost.

An important fact to know about Latin American culture is that it is predominantly patriarchal, and very rigid divisions between work and home exist. Men are in business, and women are at home. If you happen to be visiting Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia, Chile, Nicaragua, or Peru make sure you familiarize yourself with the current affairs and political dealings that are going on within those countries and avoid any discussions about these subjects for it most certainly will destroy any business dealings you hope establish with any companies therein.

When first meeting prospective business clients, handshakes are important so be firm but brief, and always make sure you keep constant eye contact throughout the handshake. When shaking hands with a woman, remember to be courteous and allow her to extend her hand first. Expect the person you’re speaking with to stand close to you and look you in the eyes, don’t move back or break eye contact because you could offend the person talking to you.

Below are some social taboos you should be aware of since using any of the following gestures can cause problems.

1. The “OK” sign made with your forefinger and thumb is an offensive gesture in Brazil.

2. Placing your hands on your hips in Argentina means you’re signaling a challenge.

3. Raising your fist to your head in Chile is a sign of Communism.

Latin America enjoys the business lunch and they are usually pretty long, at least two hours or longer. Dinners are considered purely social events and start late at night, usually around 10:00 or 11:00 pm. When at a social dinner, remember to keep your hands above the table at all times when eating and always pass food with your right hand

Time Management Tips for Women – Making Time for Work, Family and Friends

Years ago when I worked for a technology consulting firm in the mid-80’s, I learned what would become of many hard earned lessons in time management. This was an exciting period me as well as the industry due to the lightning speed advances in technology. Our mid-sized firm was rapidly growing and I had recently taken on the role as Human Resources Director. This was a newly created role for the company and boy was I excited. However, my go-with-the-flow natural tendency would be challenged by the rigors and demands of my schedule.

I traveled extensively to top-tier universities scouting for super-smart talent, all the while, training all new hires, developing an HR system, raising two small children, and attending school at night. Yes, I was over my head. Well one day the owner sat down in my office, (as he could see my projects were piling up) and asked me to write down in 30 minutes increments what I was doing. Can you imagine that! I felt totally humiliated! That is a moment I will never forget, as then I realized I had never been taught to manage my time- effectively.

Flash forward to 2011, I’m now a work-from-home entrepreneur running an Internet Marketing firm and Style Coaching business. And things couldn’t be tougher to stay on task, and produce projects (such as this newsletter) on time.

When I see pictures of moms holding kids at a computer, I shake my head in sadness. That image has turned out more stressed out non-productive people you can imagine! There was a time I used to be one of them, but not anymore. Let me share with you the top time management tips of some of the most successful people I know.

1) Completely clear the clutter from your work space. Nothing creates more mental stress than to see piles and mounds of half completed projects. Immediately clear them away and notice the immediate peace that will overtake your spirit.

2) Work in solitude free from distractions. No TV, No music, No surfing the net, if your serious about working from home, achieving the success you desire you have to commit this no excuses. Now this was a tough one for me, because I love me some good music! Don’t get me wrong, I still crank up the music, but not while concentrating on completing a project.

3) Do not answer your phone. If your like me and have children, put the phone on silent and look at it every 15-30 minutes to see if you have missed THEIR call, no one else. Kids love to text- so use that tool to keep in touch. I’m baffled by parents who do not like to text, especially with their children. How on earth can they and you stay on task by engaging in distracting phone conversations throughout the day?

4) Choose a time of day to respond to email. We live in a society of email overload by stuff you’ve signed up to receive and loads of other mystery email that show up in your box. Whatever email account you use, most offer sophisticated tools to help sort and prioritize your emails. Don’t respond randomly throughout the day or you’ll lose precious moments staying focused and on task to complete what you really should be focused on.

5) Block out time in 30 minute increments for projects-then take a stretch. It’s important to know where your time is going and what you’re doing so you can adjust to stay on track. If your like me, your managing several blogs, writing newsletters, coaching clients, board responsibilities, all the while creating new and exciting projects. You cannot overemphasize the importance of time and energy control when you are trying to run your own business or simply be productive. You need to learn the value of time blocking, activity batching, and scripting your day. Stretching sends vital oxygen to your brain and energizes your cells. Try it, it really works!

6) Put your family and friends on notice about your schedule changes. This is a hard one for them to accept. Most people don’t believe you can make money from home, but oh are they dead wrong. By responding to their every request, you’re giving them permission to devalue what you do. What’s even worse is that you’re not getting the results your hoping for, and we all know what that leads to-frustration, fighting and non-productivity.

7) I strongly recommend going to bed early. Even “cool and hip” New York Times best-selling author and celebrity Neil Strauss admitted that an early morning schedule allowed him to get more done. You’ll find that you’ll get “2 hours of afternoon work” done in 30 minutes of morning productivity. Again, I was sure success hinged on the idea of working myself to a pulp. Yep, that’s about what you will become. Pulp!

It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom. ~Aristotle

If working from home to you means relaxing with a laptop and coffee in hand at your local Starbucks or mentally fussing about things that need to get done at home, your aren’t going to create the life you’re hoping for. I’m sorry to tell that’s just not going to happen.

Here’s how to get MORE done. PERIOD.

You need to get serious about simple planning and a time management checklist.

The very last thing you should do each workday is to prepare a schedule/checklist for the next day’s work. Develop a template based on your current projects and literally block time for each task.

In order to “create” this schedule, you’ll need to use a journal to record how you are spending your time right now. Recall my opening story of having to “track my time?” Carry a notebook with you for a couple of days and write down exactly what you are doing every 15 minutes. Do this all day for three straight workdays. You will then identify the things that cause you to waste time, and you can work on eliminating those.

You may notice patterns of falling into the trap of checking emails that then taken you to far away places, like sports sites, fashion newsletters, twitter, etc. You see where this is going and so is your time. See that’s why having your schedule is so important. It will bring you right back to where you need to be.

Lastly identify the time of day when your most productive. What I’ve found is this may interfere with another family task. This is where family and friend support is so important to fill in those spaces of time so you can stat on task. Otherwise, you may find success eludes you for a long time, until you apply these time tested principles.

Top 10 Tips to Align Your Authentic Business With Your Passion And Purpose

This week’s article is about how to align your authentic business with your passion and purpose. The truth is one of the biggest questions most enlightened entrepreneurs (Coaches, Authors, Speakers, Trainers, Leaders, and Experts) what I love to call, Enlightened C.A.S.T.L.E., have is whether or not their business fully expresses their true passion and unique purpose. For example, they often wonder: “Is this the work I was born to do?” Or “Is this REALLY what I’m here to be doing?” Or even “Is this business what I was meant to create?”

From my own experience, when you create a thriving business around your authenticity, passion and purpose, you not only do what you love and you love what you do, you also make a GREATER positive impact and income – all while transforming your life and the lives of those you touch. You also feel like your mind is ENLIGHTENED, your heart is EMPOWERED and your soul is INSPIRED to fulfill what you are DIVINELY destined to fulfill and then become who dream of being – the best version of your authentic self. (That’s exactly the way I feel now!)

So how do you do that and experience the same enlightening feelings? In this week’s article I want to share with you my top 10 tips to align your authentic business with your passion and purpose so you too can experience both spiritual fulfillment and financial success in your business.

Top 10 Tips to Align Your Authentic Business With Your Passion and Purpose

1. Apply the Law of G.A.D.I. (Go And Do It!) – without struggle, INSTEAD with integrity, grace and ease.

When you GO AND DO IT with integrity, grace and ease, you know you are authentically aligning your passion and purpose with your business because your creativity, focus and productivity flow. Magnificent material, what I call “divine downloads,” literally pours out of you. And your commitment to making quicker decisions, asking better questions and taking inspired, authentic action (what feels true, genuine to you!) doesn’t feel like a challenge any more.

2. Attract Your Authentic Audience – ideal clients who want to hire you to help them succeed in what you are thriving.

When you attract your authentic audience – your ideal clients – look at you as their role model, trusted authority, and you become a positive example for your community because you are someone special for them (like an inspired leader) and they want to hire you to teach them exactly the same steps you went through to thrive and certainly create your results too.

3. Make Money Doing What You Love – even though you are not always focused on it.

Now I’m a BIG believer in focusing on merging money and meaning, turning your passion into profits and prosper from your purpose because that’s how you turn your inner wisdom into your outer wealth and develop a healthy relationship with money. So, the more your head, heart, hands and hope (thoughts, emotions, behaviours and beliefs) are in holistic harmony with transforming your passion and purpose into prosperity and profitability, the less you feel frustrated, struggle or worry about money.

Basically, the doors of opportunities and windows of possibilities start opening up to more and more people wanting to collaborate, contribute and promote your work. That alone generates either more potential clients or more cash flow in your authentic business. The transformational truth here is the more you align your passion and purpose with your authentic business, the more money-magnet you become.

4. Let Your Mind Be Enlightened, Your Heart Be Empowered and Your Soul Be Inspired with BEST Practices, PROVEN Models and VALUABLE Resources. (What you feel is true, right and authentic to you!)

This is a BIG blessing, but it could be a curse too. In fact, I often drive myself and my husband (also my business partner!) crazy because I wake up every morning feeling enlightened, empowered and inspired to implement all these “Success Secrets, Spiritual Principles and Universal Laws” which make me feel so excited, passionate and purposeful.” That’s true (no kidding here).

When you know, feel and trust what you are doing is aligned with your passion-and-purpose-based business, you feel ALIVE, CENTERED and CONNECTED. Therefore, you continue to see more and more practical ways to grow and expand your BIG vision, BIG mission and BIG message. It’s like you become an idea factory that is constantly producing new insights to align, expand and succeed. To a certain degree, you can’t and you don’t want to turn it off.

5. Turn Your F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real) Into FAITH – be comfortable with the “uncomfortable” feelings that arise as you move forward.

Turn your FEAR into FAITH, and make it more important for you to move through your obstacles, challenges and concerns quickly than it is to dwell on them, complain about them, or wish they were easier. You must simply deal with that specific situation AND trust the Universe, Source, the Divine, Energy, God, Mother Nature, whatever you may call your FAITH is (use your intuition, gut feeling here!) and know that you are being DIVINELY guided and that all those uncomfortable feelings (False Evidence Appearing Real) would slow you down or keep you stuck.

6. Hone In Your Skills, Talents and Natural abilities – and get better and better until you master your craft.

The transformational truth is that there is no overnight success. Nobody ever uncover their “God-given” gifts, passion and purpose overnight. So be sure to take your time to discover your authentic voice, true passion and unique purpose and continue making progress until you master your craft so your authentic business fully expresses who you TRULY are. For example, whenever you get a glimpse, hone it and then you keep going, keep practicing, and keep showing up. Over time, little by little, slowly but steady, you notice yourself becoming the best next version of your authentic you. It’s PROGRESS, not perfection that really counts as evidence to you and to others.

7. Become Healthier and More Vibrant – and know that your energy will help you be a better leader and more powerful creator.

Eat healthier, take long, deep breaths, sleep better, exercise more (at least move your body often) and most important, live life like you mean it. It all contributes to a more ENLIGHTENED way of being, doing and having. Everything counts. So don’t waste your time, effort or energy. On the opposite, make it a TOP priority to keep your mind, body, and energy levels at their highest state. Because the reason why you are here in this world (your BIG vision, BIG mission, BIG message) is too much important to do anything but show up at your best, fullest potential.

8. Feel GRATITUDE and Be PROUD of What You Create – You Deserve It.

You definitely align your authentic business with your passion and purpose when you feel grateful and are proud of the positive impact you are creating in the world. Because when you do so, you create A LOT of new, different, FRESH ideas. So know you do deserve it and be unafraid to experiment, test and try out new things. And whether it does work or not, feel grateful for the INSPIRATION and be PROUD of what you create.

9. Believe In The BIG Ripple Effect – transform yourself, transform others and trust that other people are positively impacted by the people you transformed with your work.

In other words, trust the process, transform and thrive, all while helping others on the way. When you do so, you create a community (your transformational tribe) where people become your SUPER students, BEST buyers and RAVING fans (they “LIKE” you on Facebook, follow you on Twitter, Circle you on Google +, subscribe to your YouTube channel, refer your services to others, share your work, and more!). A BIG ripple effect happens each time people stop by to tell you what a difference you’ve made in their lives and in the lives of their loved ones or the people they touch. And above and beyond all that, you know that what you’re doing is not only aligned with your AUTHENTICITY, PASSION and PURPOSE, but also providing an incredibly valuable contribution to the world.

10. Last but definitely not least, Awaken To Your True Power – Let Your Inner Guidance – Higher Power (that SOUL CALLING that’s telling you to keep going not matter what) – Shine Through Your Authentic Business.

As I’ve mentioned before, aligning your authentic business with your passion and purpose, in other words, answering your deeper calling by creating a thriving business you love is not something that happens overnight. In fact, I’ve been working on it since I had my deepest wake-up call and started my own “soul searching” journey in 2008, because it isn’t really “a thing” but more like an ENLIGHTENED EXPERIENCE that happens where you can feel it mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually and energetically.

Your Authentic Business Success In Action

Start sharing your passion (whatever it is you LOVE to share), living your purpose (whatever it is you feel INSPIRED to be) and creating a thriving business doing your “labor of love” – the work you were born to do. Above all, listen to your authentic voice (your intuition, gut feeling!) and transform it into something special for you, for your life, for your ideal clients, for the world.

Your outer world may not yet reflect the magnificence of your inner vision, but that doesn’t mean it’s not right. It takes time to align your authentic business with your passion and purpose. So, keep on listening to your inner wisdom, inner guidance, inner compass above all else to tell you if you’re moving in the right direction. I’ll say it again: align your authentic business with your passion and purpose is more of an enlightened experience than an outcome. (It’s the JOYful JOURNEY, not the destination that really matters!)

I hope you enjoyed this week’s article and had several “AHA” moments and breakthroughs that will help you become more aware of all this ENLIGHTENED energy. May it empower you to keep moving in the right direction. And please share this article with your friends or other people you feel like can appreciate the value of it – let’s help more people share their PASSION, live their PURPOSE and create a THRIVING business doing what they LOVE!

7 Top Tips From the Bible Business Woman Rahab for Today’s Woman of God

Rahab was a Bible woman entrepreneur who lived in the city of Jericho. She was a Cannanite who also operated an inn where visitors to the city (probably mostly men) would stay. She worked with flax, a type of fiber that was used for ropes and cloth. This woman of the Bible would have been in a non-traditional business for women during those days. You can find Rahab mentioned in several areas of the Bible but her main story is found in Joshua 2:1-22 and Matthew 1:5. Rahab was a quick thinking business woman who kept her ears open and communicated with her customers. This is how she learned vital information that eventually allowed her to save the life of two Israelite spies, which resulted in saving her own life and the life of her family when her homeland was captured.

Rahab’s story is a powerful one of a Bible business woman who experienced the grace of God in a dangerous situation because of her faith and wise actions. Even though she had been a prostitute, she had faith in God. As a result, she became the mother of Boaz, the Kinsman Redeemer, and eventually the mother-in-law of Ruth. Rahab was the great, great, great grandmother of King David and ancestor of Jesus Christ. She has much to share with the modern woman of God in business. Here are seven tips from the Bible woman, Rahab for today’s Christian business woman.

1. Succeed in spite of your past. Rahab was a woman who was given a negative label of prostitute in the Bible, probably for her lifestyle or other reasons that are not described. Still, she had the courage to successfully operate a non-traditional business and to face a dangerous situation by faith in God. Many women have experienced difficult situations in life. Some have been labeled with a negative reputation or called names that may or may not be deserved. Often, it could mean pulling back from society to avoid being hurt or ridiculed. But God is bigger than a title or a regretful past. If you have a calling on your life, don’t let a shaky past keep you from a successful future.

2. Learn to communicate with others. Rahab kept her ears and eyes open while operating her business. When customers came in she watched them; when they spoke she listened as much as needed. That is how she saved her life and the life of her family members. Business women must know how to watch and listen while doing business. Pay attention to others so you understand their professional needs and can gain necessary information for your business.

3. Gain negotiation skills. Rahab knew how to negotiate with tough soldiers and with spies in a life and death situation. Having operated a non-traditional business in her city, she had gained skills in making deals with all types of people. Business might require engaging in tough talks with competitors or adversaries. Practice the skills of making right deals so you will be ready to use them when necessary.

5. Be flexible and ready to change. Rahab could have tried to ignore the information she learned about the upcoming attack on her city or refused to believe that the army of the true God would succeed. Instead she quickly decided to change her comfortable life to respond to what was going to happen. A business woman of God should be flexible. She should be willing to make changes in her life and business according to the leading of God even when it first seems difficult to do.

6. Remember your priorities when things change. Rahab could have saved herself and never looked back. But she had her priorities in order; she remembered her family and saved all of them too. Very difficult circumstances can create a lot of stress. It is possible to forget your priorities during these times if you are not clear on your values. What would you do in the event of a highly stressful situation? A smart business woman thinks through various ways she can avoid being caught off-guard by unexpected events that can happen in business.

7. Use resources you have. Rahab used plants she had on her rooftop do what she promised in protecting the Israelite spies from capture by soldiers. What do you have around your location that might seem useless or without multiple uses? Take a new look at raw materials to see possible creative uses for them or consider creative marketing strategies to get business moving. You might have access to more inventory, ideas and potential than you first imagined to conduct your business in new ways.

Rahab is a woman of the Bible who went from living a life of sin to become one of the matriarchs of the Christian faith. She used strong business skills in a time of trouble and offers lessons for the modern business woman on how to think quickly when a bad situation seems almost impossible to overcome.

Some Useful Tips On How To Start A Small Catering Business

Since a lot of people love to eat, many entrepreneurs view this is an opportunity for them start a business that can be quite profitable. However, setting up and opening a restaurant or food truck can be an expensive and time-consuming venture. If your heart is into succeeding in the food industry but don’t want to go through the hustle and bustle of opening a restaurant or food truck, starting a catering business may be your best option.

The good thing about opening a small catering business is that you can operate one right in the comfort of your home. This means you won’t have to spend more money on buying certain cooking or baking equipment and wares since you already have the basic items or even everything you may need for this venture.

To make sure that you are on the path to starting a small catering business the right way and to ensure its success, there are certain useful tips you can follow. These tips include the following:

Make sure you meet the local health and safety codes for home-based catering. Although you are not opening a restaurant, you still need to apply for and get a business permit or operating license. Learn about the process of getting one and the different health and safety codes that you will have to meet or pass as well.

Create a list of all the equipment and wares you need and make sure you have them. The equipment, wares, and supplies you will need for your kitchen will depend on your type of operation. If you plan on cooking your food at the venue’s kitchen for a particular event, you will only need the most basic commercial prep supplies in your home. The same principle will also work if you will be cooking from a mobile kitchen or creating a temporary kitchen at the event sites. In such instances, you will need mobile coolers or refrigeration units, basic kitchen supplies, steam table pans, kitchen work tables, disposable catering supplies and food carriers. You will have to invest in cooking equipment like a fryer, convection oven, and range (if you don’t have them yet) if you will not be using a temporary or mobile kitchen for the events you are catering. Since you are just starting, you can rent other items such as chafing dishes, catering display items, and table skirts. Once your business is going well, you can consider buying these items to save money in the long run by reducing your rental costs.

Invest in catering software. Using the right software for catering can help you a lot in keeping track of and managing your business. Catering software can help you quickly and effectively calculate your costs. It will help you become more organized with all the tasks and information that you need to manage since this will provide you a platform where you can document contacts, data, budgets, team schedules, activities, etc. Finally, with this software, you can come up with and present your clients with professional and impressive proposals.

Finally, work on getting clients for your catering business. Using catering software can already help you out in getting clients. Aside from this, come up with a solid marketing strategy, capitalize on your low profile (ie. sell your business as providing “the best homemade comfort food”) and offer tastings so that you can win some clients.

Learn more about optimizing the right catering software and other useful tips to have a successful catering business here.

5 Powerful Tips to Consider Before You Start a Catholic Business

There are about 1.2 billion Catholics in the world. With that many people with something in common, there is a great opportunity not only to build a great business but one that is socially good virtuous.

Now, in reality, a Catholic business shouldn’t be any different from any other business aside from its goals. When devout Catholics want to start a business, you’ll often see them create a book store. That’s great, but often these small shops get dominated by larger online chains.

Here are some tips for starting a business that carries with it the conviction that comes with faith:

The most important thing to realize that everybody needs a solution to something, and if you can fulfill that need you are making their life better. Your business does not have to be overtly Catholic (i.e. a Catholic book store, or a Catholic bakery), rather your mission statement and the soul of your business should be geared toward holiness. That way, you could start a web development, show shine, or online fishing store and still carry with it the impact of your faith.

You need to learn effective selling and marketing skills. I can’t tell you how many Catholic businesses I’ve seen that have horrible promotional campaigns, terrible websites, and still wonder why they can’t get any customers. Just because your business is faith-based it doesn’t mean that you can ignore the fundamentals.

Engage in social media. There are a lot of folks out there that are willing to spread the word of your business, especially if you’ve engaged them on a consistent basis. Do not ignore the revolution that is taking place, and take a course on social networking if you have to.

Find a mentor – even if they are not Catholic. You need someone to bounce ideas off of and to ensure that your ideas are realistic and doable. A mentor will act as a guide and will make sure that you are successful.

Join a mastermind group and share ideas. The best way to learn something new is to learn it from someone else. There are meetup groups all over the place and for almost every industry, and you need to take advantage of them. One additional benefit is that you’ll be networking with other people who may become future clients.

The point of this article is that you need to do everything that a secular business person needs to do. Just like being religious won’t help you to be a better soccer player, if you intend to join the game of business you need to learn the rules of business. So get out there, and start learning.