Business Insights

I have met a couple of hundred business people and met a couple of hundred others.

They are not all the same. They have diverse characters and identities.

There are a few qualities that the fruitful business people offer.

They see something that others don't.

They have faith in something that nobody else does.

They are not hesitant to commit a few errors.

They don't see an error as a disappointment.

They don't see a disappointment as the end.

They frequently do things for what shows up absolutely silly to 'intelligent personalities'.

It is safe to say that you are a business person?

Next Post :

FOOLS & EXPERTS ON CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING TEAM

Interview with business owner and business author, Wayne Vanwyck.

Wayne Vanwyck is the owner of three businesses – a training company, a call centre and a franchise business.

He is also the author of “The Business Transition Crisis”
————————————
Insights from this interview with Wayne Vanwyck

71% of business owners in Canada plan to retire in the next 10 years

This book is for baby boomers who own businesses and are or should be thinking about leaving the business.

Why would a successful business owner sabatage his own retirement?

Took a six month sabatical to travel around North America and research the book.

Your buisness is a product. One day you might want to sell it for a profit.

There are five million businesses in Canada. 98% of them employ less that 10 people.

Of the businesses that are for sale – only 1 in 5 will sell.

Your business is not you and you are not the business. It’s tough for an entrepreneur to separate the two.

Listen to this radio interview with Wayne Vanwyck


George Torok

Host of Business in Motion

Motivational Business Speaker

Who is this book for?

This book is a must read for entrepreneurs and business owners who are thinking about their succession plan or drafting an exit strategy. Every business owner must plan for that transition. Unfortunately not everyone does. If you don’t plan your business transition someone else will make the decisions for you.


What is the urgency?

This book sounds a timely warning to the baby boomers within that group. Many of those business owners will be forced into a fire sale. Baby boomers have affected so many aspects of our culture and economy as they’ve grown older.

If you are a boomer you might recall the mortgage rates of the eighties hitting the high teens. I felt lucky to lock in at 14% for five years. Prices skyrocketed when boomers were ready to buy – and they will plummet when they are ready to sell.

This book offers some startling statistics. One that might chill you is “71% of business owners plan to retire within the next 10 years, yet only 7% have a written plan for succession.”

Imagine the financial, emotional and health tolls on the unprepared business owners. Perhaps the most traumatic issue for entrepreneurs is to let go of the business they built. That’s the case at the best of times. Imagine the pandemic when the massive baby boomer crowd decides to exit en mass. That’s the crisis.


Why should you read it?

The Business Transition Crisis is a good read for any business owner even if the only thing it does for you is to help you recast your business as a product – not as your baby. That major perspective shift is necessary for you to begin and successfully complete your transition.

The book continues to offer perspective checks and guidelines for the successful business owner. You can follow this systematic approach to prepare yourself and your business for successful transition. Even if you think that it’s too early to start planning your transition it will be worthwhile to read the book, address the questions and start preparing yourself for the process.

The book is written in a business-owner-talking-to-business-owner candor. Wayne Vanwyck offers you insights from his experience as an owner of three businesses. That includes lessons from his mistakes and successes. He reveals his own painful wakeup call that forced him to address his business transition.

The author provides insights from the interviews that he conducted with hundreds of business owners across North America. The excerpts from some of these conversations are revealing. Some examples will make you cheer while others might sadden you. In every case the lessons are clear and simple. This is reflective experience speaking to you.

If you are thinking about your business transition then this book is a powerful yet clear and simple step-by-step guide to personal and financial success. You are presented with probing questions that must be addressed at each step of the process. There are checklists, action lists and tips.

There’s help on how to build your transition team and ensure that all the relevant players are working for your best interest. The book introduces the intriguing concept of working with a Business Transition Coach. This is a role that offers more comprehensive support than one would receive from a lawyer, banker, accountant or business broker.

The book lists and explores several options of retiring from your business. In each case there are important steps you must follow to ensure the success of your health, financial security and important relationships.

The Business Transition Crisis is a book that every business owner needs to read before they retire so they can retire successfully.


© George Torok is the host of the radio show Business in Motion. He has interviewed over 450 business leaders. You can listen to those interviews free at http://www.businessinmotion.ca/ You can also listen to those Podcasts on iTunes. George is a motivational business speaker. Arrange a speech or presentation at http://www.business-speaker.biz/ or call 905-335-1997



Book review by George Torok

Learn more about The Business Transition Crisis

Interview with Steve Petrovic, Country Manager (Croatia) Pedersen & Partners Executive Search.

Steve Petrovic is an inspiring man in career motion. He graduated with a degree in science and became a government scientist working on environmental issues. He went back to school to earn his MBA specializing in IT. That led to a few years in IT consulting.

A frank discussion with his dad and uncle encouraged him to start and run his own business in metal fabricating.

Later an interest in exploring opportunities in his family’s homeland of Croatia led him to accept the role as country manager for an international executive recuiting firm. That led to an opportunity to join a modernized 100 year-old steal mill.

Steve Petrovic’s story is inspiring and full of important insights.

Listen to the radio interview with Steve Petrovic

Listen to Business in Motion podcasts

George Torok is the host of Business in Motion

Audio interview with Walter Booth, Chairman of The Timberland Group

Walter Booth started at Timberland as a young Project Engineer more than 40 years ago. He rose to the rank of President, bought the company, sold the company and is now Chairman. He is an engineering graduate of McMaster University. He has donated at least $3 Million to the Faculty of Engineering.

The Timberland Group grew signifcantly during those years. Originally a company that manufactured winches for the logging industry, they now provide special winches and hoists for mining, power distribution, underwater exploration and off-shore oil.
———————————–
Insights from this 30-minute interview with Walter Booth:

“The business still excites me after 40 years.”

“They hired me because I had experience in the ski lift business.”

“Buying the company – we worked on that deal for at least a year. You want it to move faster
but it just took longer.”

“My boss encouraged me to join the Young Presidents Organization. I got to hang around successful business owners.”

“As chairman my chief role is mentoring and developing the new owners.”

"You have to bend the rules if you want success.”


Listen to the radio interview with Walter Booth


George Torok
Host of Business in Motion
Canadian Business Speaker

Business in Motion Podcasts

Business in Motion on iTunes

Enjoy these motivational insights from motivational speaker, George Torok. He delivers motivational keynote presentations for associations and corporations. He is hired for his expertise and remembered for his motivational messages. He is a business speaker with expertise in marketing and business growth – yet he is often quoted on his motivational insights.

If these quotes help to motivate you and your staff then feel free to repeat them. But be sure to quote George Torok as your source.


Motivational Insights from Motivational Speaker, George Torok


“Running your business is a lot like running a marathon. You don’t build your business by sprinting. You build it by being steady over the long run.”


“You don’t need to do every little thing perfectly. You just need to do them.”


“There is a myth that if you do what you love the money will follow. You should do something that you love, but the money will only follow if you also do some things that you hate.”


“An imperfect system is better than no system at all.”


“Success is simple but never easy.”


“Some of the things in your business are frustrating, embarrassing and painful. That builds character. To build your business you need to build your character.”


“Talent runs hot and cold. Don’t rely on talent. Follow systems.”


“Success comes from doing little things consistently well over time. It’s not about the lucky break.”


“Building a business is a race. But it is not about a race to the finish line – it is a race to keep running.”


“Watch what successful people do and don’t simply copy them. If you do, you will always be a follower. Watch what successful people do and ask yourself, “Why do they do it that way?”


If you like these motivational quotes – use them – along with crediting George Torok. If you want your people to hear these messages directly then arrange for George Torok to speak to your team.


Motivational Insights from George Torok
Motivational Business Speaker
George Torok

George Torok is a motivational speaker who specializes in marketing and presentation skills.

Interview with Ray Simmons, President of CableTest Systems Inc.

CableTest Systems tests the wiring systems of military jets, high speed trains and the Space Shuttle (the exterior fuel tank has 8,000 connenctions). They provide a complex version of an electritian’s multi meter.

Ray Simmons has been the president and owner of CableTest Systems for the past nine years. Previously he was President of CRS Robotics. After a two year “retirement” he got edgy and longed to get back into business so he bought CableTest Systems.

Insights from this interview with Ray Simmons:

“Going public with CRS … was not me. That’s why I retired.”

“Retirement was quite challenging. I felt like I was disconnected.”

“55% of our business last year was in Europe. Asia is our next frontier. We like India.”

“Regrets? Two…”

“I think that in a technologly company a president that is totally focussed on technology is dangerous.”

“We’re on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.”

Listen to interview with Ray Simmons on Business in Motion.

These 12 lessons from John Reese resonated with me. I think you will find them to be valuable.

-------------------
In light of my upcoming 40th birthday, I want to share 12 valuable mini-lessons that I've learned so far as an entrepreneur...

These range from mistakes to avoid, to making strategic decisions, of how to get cash flow to come in the fastest, etc.

They are in no particular order...

1. ALWAYS DO MORE THAN IS EXPECTED OF YOU
I learned this at an early age from my Dad. He had a very successful career as a business executive and engineer, and this the core principle that created his success.

You can apply this to your business in many ways... over-delivering to your customers, giving unexpected bonuses to your employees or outsourced workers, and more. Most people do just the bare minimum. Do more than is expected of you and it will doamazing things for your business.

2. STOP DREAMING AND START DOING
Too many entrepreneurs get caught up in the big dreams of how they will one day be rich and how their life will be amazing......but they never end up doing anything. They buy courses, read all they can, jot down little notes and ideas in a notebook, but nothing ever actually gets created. A web site doesn't get made. Advertisingisn't run. Markets aren't tested. Nothing.

If you want to make a lot of money the only way that happens is getting stuff done. Period.

3. DON'T LET LEARNING DELAY ACTIVITY
Most people that have studied Internet Marketing much already have the basic skills that are needed to build a million-dollar business.

That's worth REPEATING... Most people that have studied IM much ALREADY HAVE the basic skills that are needed to build a million-dollar business. You can get stuck learning new stuff FOREVER. There will always be new methods and techniques that get discovered. The Internet changes on a DAILY BASIS. This is a given.

Don't get caught in the trap of "I'm going to start building my business right after I go through this next course..."You can start building your business TODAY while you are studying and learning new things that you can easily apply TOMORROW. Things will NEVER perfectly align for you and your business. There's no such thing.

So don't wait. Get started NOW and take action. Get some stuff going and go from there

.4. MULTIPLE IDEAS CAN BE THE KISS OF DEATH
It's okay to work on multiple projects and ideas. It's almost impossible to stop entrepreneurs from having tons of new ideas at the same time. BUT...

No new money comes in the door until you get ONE project launched and making money. Something has to be launched FIRST

.5. MAKE JUST ONE DOLLAR FIRST
No one has ever made a million dollars in sales without generating $1 first. ALL successful businesses start with that first sale and then grow from there. It doesn't matter what your income goals are. The faster you make your first dollar, the faster you will reach your goals.
PERIOD.

6. DO THE IMMEDIATE CASH PROJECT FIRST
What should you work on next? Whatever will bring in cash the fastest for your business -- and of course, I mean that in a moral/legal/ethical way. If you analyze all the great ideas you are probably sitting on, I bet you can realistically prioritize them in the order of which ones would actually make money come in the fastest (if it succeeds.)

THAT is the project you need to focus on. Cash is the lifeblood of your business (and your life.)Save some of those "big" ideas for the future. Focus on the ones that stand the best chance of getting new money to come in right away. Once you have some stable ongoing cash flow in your business, then you can take a chance on that project that may take longer to pay off.

7. EMAIL MARKETING KICKS THE CRAP OUT OFEVERYTHING ELSE
When it comes to growing a business online, nothing generates long-term cash flow like an email list of engaged subscribers & customers. Email marketing is the best way to generate traffic. It's the best way to 'recycle' the same visitors again and again to any of your projects. It's also the best way to convert prospects into buyers.

RSS, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, BLAH BLAH BLAH Yes, those methods can generate leads. Yes, those methods can generate some sales. But time and time again little old email marketing kicks their butts -- by a long shot.

So make building a list, and a solid relationship with it, a top priority in your business.

8. RUN A LEAN OVERHEAD MACHINE
I can't stress this one enough. When you start growing a successful business it's really easy for your overhead to get out of hand. It's easy to start hiring a bunch of people and committing to a bunch of expenses. Take it from me, when you have months whereyour fixed expenses (doesn't include advertising, etc.) are well over $100,000/MONTH (and growing) it can put you in a tough position to make healthy profits.

I used to have fixed overhead that high but never again. I realized there were smarter ways to do things. What you need to realize is that REVENUE doesn't mean jack squat. It's your profit (income) that matters. So while running a $10,000,000/year business (sales) is impressive, I know people running a $1,000,000/year business that nets MORE than the person that ownsthe $10MM/year business. It all comes down to your expenses.

Sometimes it certainly DOES take heavy expenses in order to make a lot of money. But that's not my point...

My point is, your overhead can really get away from you. If your sales experience some dips, and it's almost guaranteed they will at some point, then you can LOSE YOUR BUTT very quickly. So add to your overhead as a last resort.

9. MAKE ACCOUNTING A PRIORITY
This is a big mistake that most entrepreneurs make -- and I've been guilty of it as well. Keeping the books and doing accounting work is the LAST thing that most entrepreneurs want to mess with. We have more fun by coming up with new ideas and trying to make them grow --not spending hours of our time inputting receipts and figures into QuickBooks. If you don't like accounting, immediately pay someone a few bucks to handle it for you. Just make sure your accounting is always up to date. It's very important.

As an extension of this, make paying your taxes a priority -- even if you pay them in advance. I have paid a small fortune in tax penalties because of being lazy and filing late. And it's too easy to let one delay turn into another and for the problem to get worse. So make it a priority.

Don't "rob Peter to pay Paul." This is a trap most entrepreneurs fall into -- again, I've been guilty of it in the past myself. It's easy to start making a bunch of money and think "I'll just use this money to make more money instead of paying my taxes on it now and I'll just pay the taxes later after I've made even more money."Or the same thinking is applied towards delaying payments to a vendor, or some other expense that needs to get paid. This is probably the #1 mistake entrepreneurs make that can create problems and a lot of wasted money in paying penalties and interest. So make sure your accounting is taken care of and your taxes get paid on-time for you.

10. DON'T LEASE OFFICE SPACE(If possible.)
As tempting as this might become if your business starts to grow, avoid it at all costs. If you're like me, what will happen is that you will eventually stop going to the office and just work from home where you always were more comfortable anyway. And/or you will end up realizing you really didn't need it.

Having an "office" is not required to have a successful business. We live in a Digital World now and it's just not important anymore. Even if your business grows and you need employees, you still don't necessarily need an office. There are people out there running $20MM+/year businesses with no office; the employees all just work virtually. This is becoming more and more common.* There certainly are exceptions to this. My team in the Philippines works out of an office I leased. But they are collaborating on software projects and NEED to work in the same location. And, of course, it's also very inexpensive. Most office leases are thousands of dollars per month and usually don't turn out to be a good use of cash.

11. ALMOST EVERYTHING TAKES LONGER
When creating new projects, or having some software made for you, or having an ebook ghostwritten, or anything else, know that things almost always take more time than originally expected. This is the #1 reason why you need to act TODAY to start putting things in motion to grow your business. The longer you wait, the more into the future you push your potential of getting money to come in the door.

12. THE MONEY IS IN THE MARKETING
Don't get caught up in trying to make Web pages and learn HTML, or studying how to create javascript, or learning to master Linux so you can administer your own server, or how to use Photoshop to create little logos, etc. You can certainly do that stuff if you want, but know that it will most likely just be a HOBBY.

It's no surprise that some of the most successful entrepreneurs I know are also some of the LEAST TECHNICAL people I know. The main thing they do right is to simply pay others to do all the "nuts & bolts" stuff that makes online business work. It allows them to spend all their time on the marketing -- which is where the money comes from.

*** BONUS LESSON ****
See how I'm over-delivering as mentioned in the first lesson? :)

SPENDING TIME ONLINE ISN'T NECESSARILY WORKINGON YOUR BUSINESS
Just because you spend hours a day online doesn't mean you're working on your business. You can do 'research' forever and never make a cent. You need to be spending most of your time on:
- Generating Traffic
- Communicating With Your Customers (i.e. blog, list, etc.)
- Creating Content Don't fall into the trap of reading blogs & forums, chatting on Facebook or Twitter, checking stats, reading news, etc. for hours upon hours. Just know that almost all of that stuff (with rare exception) is LOSING YOU MONEY more than making you money.

---I hope you enjoyed these mini-lessons. Hopefully, you can apply them to your business and be a lot more successful!

:-)Yours For Online Profits,
John Reese.

This message was sent by:
Income.com, 8815 Conroy-Windermere Rd #415, Orlando, FL 32835

We are FOR individualism, accomplishment and excellence.

We are AGAINST the mediocrity, self pity, negativity and discouragement of the news media and of "normal" people sleepwalking through life.

We are FOR alchemy. We believe that there is everywhere lead waiting to be transformed into gold. Opportunity hides literally under every rock and shade tree.

We are AGAINST scarcity that says that everything you receive was forcibly taken from somebody else. Entrepreneurship is about making new pies, not dividing up old ones.

We are FOR you, regardless of mistakes you've made. Whatever stupidity spasms you've had in the past don't matter. If you owe $100,000 and you're scraping change out of your car seats for lunch today... if every time you pick up the kids at your ex's apartment you're accused of being a devil...

we are still FOR you.

We are AGAINST complainers, fault-finders and critics. It's easy to criticize. It's hard to take action. But in the end, only action-takers make history.

We are FOR marching into every battle prepared and engaged and equipped to fight.

We are AGAINST all who would send soldiers into battle armed with plastic swords and helmets.

We are FOR those who take responsibility to arm themselves and invest in quality weapons and tools needed for battle.

We are AGAINST those who think that it is someone else's responsibility to prepare them for business or life or give them a "free" education.

We are FOR the wise use of technology. We are for every tool that makes you more productive and more effective and more able to serve others.

We are AGAINST using technology to abuse people, spam them, or dehumanize them. We use technology to express individuality, not erase it.

We are FOR gratitude and celebration under every circumstance. No matter how many times you fail, the sunrise still comes tomorrow morning. Autumn leaves still radiate brilliance in the fall and lovely flowers grow in the spring. No matter what befalls you, the world is still a beautiful place.

We are AGAINST the crippling belief that the past dictates the future. We know that if you can look up, you can get up.

We are FOR gifts and giftedness. We are for expertise and specialization. We acknowledge that each of us wields precious talents. We sharpen our skills. We discover ways to delegate the rest to those who have different gifts than us.

We are AGAINST the belief that any one person has to do everything or be everything. We are FOR human ingenuity because it's the mother of all natural resources.

We are AGAINST the false belief that finite physical resources mean finite possibilities.

We are FOR the hand of Providence. We are humble enough to request help when we need it.

We are AGAINST the self-deception and pride that says we're smart enough to figure it all out by ourselves.

We are FOR innovations, developments and paradigm shifts. We transport the future into the present.

We are AGAINST "business as usual" passivity and lazy "wait and see" attitudes. We are proactive.

We are FOR timeless principles and age-old wisdom. We study the ancient masters and respect those who have come before us.

We are AGAINST those who destroy the old simply because it is old. We judge ideas by their value and permanence, not by their age.

We are FOR making every minute count.

We are AGAINST time-vampires, time wasters and time killers.

We are FOR entrepreneurs and all who move resources from areas of low value to areas of high value.

We are AGAINST those who de-value business and burden us with excessive responsibilities, taxes and restrictions.

We are FOR communities, networks and relationships. We recognize that for every problem that needs to be solved, there is someone we can turn to who has already solved it.

We are AGAINST loneliness, isolation and discouragement. We know that the #1 cause of failure is lack of accountability, community and wise counsel. We know there is no such thing as a self-made man. Everyone has a father and a mother and everyone comes from a tribe.

We are FOR the daily discovery and unfolding of our personal destiny.

We are AGAINST the limitations imposed by other peoples' judgments and prejudice. We are FOR your individual performance, accomplishments and achievement.

We are AGAINST everyone who says you should apologize for your success.

We are FOR the Golden Rule. The highest level of conducting business is loving your customers.

We are AGAINST those who sell things to strangers that they would never sell to their friends.

We are FOR recreation, creativity and refreshment. We believe that friendships, rest and fun fuel our life force and nourish our creative engines.

We are AGAINST slavish devotion to anything, including our work. We do not live to work. We work to live.

Perry Marshall

You're free to use this or pass it around. Printable PDF version and space for comments at http://www.perrymarshall.com/for-against

http://support.perrymarshall.com

Perry S. Marshall & Assoc
159 N. Marion Street #295Oak Park, IL
60301United States
(312) 458-9102

Interview with Evan Carmichael, founder of EvanCarmichael.com – the online magazine for entrepreneurs. The site receives nearly 600,000 visitors per month. It has the world’s largest collection of interviews and stories about famous entrepreneurs.

Insights from the interview with Evan Carmichael:

“Donald Trump was our biggest target.”

“Entrepreneurs are arsonists, they like to light fires.”

“If you only had 24 hours to work on your business – don’t spend it all in one day. Instead spend one hour a day for 24 days.”

“If you check email in the morning, it ruins the rest of your day.”


Listen to the interview with Evan Carmichael

Listen to Business in Motion on iTunes

Business in Motion FaceBook page


George Torok

Host of radio show, Business in Motion

Motivational Business Speaker

Tip of the hat to Carol Roth for compiling this list of "163 Pieces of the Best Business Advice".

Good tips, ideas and reminders for anyone in business.

Also it's a clever way to create good content - ask other experts. It's the Chicken Soup model of writing.

Yes, I contributed. My advice is below for you.


109. Best Place to Invest?

When I started my business I left my corporate job with a separation payout. They were downsizing. I visited my financial planner and asked how to best use that money- pay down my mortgage, invest in mutual funds or stocks? He first asked me to explain my new business which I had started part time two years earlier. His advice was to invest the money in my business because that would give me the best return over the next few years. I followed that advice. It was good advice.

Thanks to: George Torok of Power Marketing.

And here are some pieces of advice that resonated with me



2. Wise Words from Henry Ford

While I never met Henry Ford (I'm too young to have known him), his words live on and have inspired me on many a day:Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.Believing I could start and grow my business played a huge role in the success I am now enjoying. Thoughts become things. What thoughts are YOU thinking?

Thanks to: Randi Busse of Workforce Development Group, Inc..


9. I'm Anxious Today-- Excellent!

When you have your own business, you will never have the "right" amount of work: there will always be too much or too little. Therefore, you will always be anxious. The trick is to stop thinking of anxiety as a bad thing. Instead, say to yourself, "I'm anxious today- excellent! This means I'm alive." Thinking of anxiety as one more form of energy-- fuel-- keeps you focused, committed, and excited about achieving your goals day-to-day.

Thanks to: Frances Cole Jones of author of "The Wow Factor".


25. Attention
Pay attention to the things you can control, not to the things you cannot control.

Thanks to: John Pulsifer of Jolly John Auto City.


37. Create an Advisory Board

The best business advice I received when starting my company - Loyalty Factor LLC - was to create an advisory board of senior-level individuals who believed in me, and the business model. The board had to include marketing, sales and financial experts. I was surrounded by experts in all aspects of a business and had the support system to encourage and energize me to exceed my goals and objectives. Capitalize on other people's experiences and expertise to strengthen your own.

Thanks to: Dianne Durkin of Loyalty Factor, LLC.


105. Sweat the Little Things.

My grandfather was a craftsman and an artist. His business was to make things look good. He told me that if you don't sweat the little things, then the big picture will suck.This bit of advice isn't simply about "paying attention to the details," but this is more about having the business discipline to be meticulous about the aesthetic, the functional and even the peripheral pieces that inevitably contribute to whole of the business.The little things are what really matter.

Thanks to: Dave Racine of Pierce Cleaning.


134. Stay Dispassionate

Tip: Nothing is as good or as bad as it seems at first. I received this tip from a friend. One of the most important things in managing a business is maintaining your equanimity, not over-reacting to situations (positive or negative). Many times we faced critical problems like key contractors leaving at crucial moments in product development, issues that could have sunk us if we didn’t manage it properly. But by maintaining an unemotional approach, we turned the problems to our advantage.

Thanks to: Gaurav Bazaz of Pravega Inc..


Here's the full list of 163 Pieces of the Best Business Advice

Here's the Carol Roth site


George Torok

Host of the weekly radio show Business in Motion

Listen to Business in Motion Podcasts

Listen to Business in Motion on iTunes

What defines the entrepreneurial spirit? Drive, focus, innovation, can-do attitude, self-determination and the desire to be different. If you demonstrate these qualities you might be an entrepreneurial spirit. It doesn't matter whether you run your own business or if you work for someone else.

What creates the entrepreneurial spirit? Are you born with it or is it determined by your environment? I believe it is both. The environment can help to nurture the spirit within you. The perfect environment to nurture that spirit is the Yukon Territory of Canada.

The Yukon is a breathtaking land of extremes and hardy spirit to match. Winter temperatures range from -60C to summer days in the thirties. Winter days shorten to five hours of sunlight while the mid summer sun shines for almost 24 hours a day. You will find Canada's highest peak, Mount Logan and Canada's westernmost city - Whitehorse. Chinook Salmon swim 2,000 miles up the Yukon River to spawn. The worlds toughest dog sled race, The Yukon Quest, runs 1,000 miles from Fairbanks, Alaska to Whitehorse, Yukon each year. It is a grueling 10 day contest of 'musher' and dog team against the elements and most importantly against one's self. The mushers face their own limits, self doubts and often wild hallucinations due to fatigue and lack of sleep.

These are extreme conditions that would tax the mettle of entrepreneurs everywhere. Entrepreneurs explore their own limits, and face self doubts and lack of sleep in their business. Business conditions and cash flow can swing from one extreme to the other. Like the mushers a successful entrepreneur needs to focus, prepare, and plan. Then be ready to flex as conditions or opportunities demand.

A woman won the Feb 2000 race for the first time in its 17 year history. The entrepreneur of the new millennium is more likely to be a woman. They are staking out new ground in the workplace, as corporate CEO's and in small business.

The once mighty mining industry has fallen. Old strengths can become future weaknesses. The new force is the entrepreneur. A rapidly growing part of the new business is destination tourism. The Yukon is a beauty to visit and experience. Be sure to mark the Yukon on your list of places you must visit soon.

The new entrepreneurs are not just in tourism. They include builders, jewelers, artists, brewers, authors and Internet specialists. The Yukon is the perfect incubator for the entrepreneurial spirit. Plan your journey; focus your efforts and mush!

© George Torok is co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing. He speaks across North America, including the Yukon on how entrepreneurs can market themselves with greater success. You can reach him at 800-304-1861. For more information about his programs visit www.Torok.com

Business in Motion

Keynote Speaker - Seminar Leader - Business Coaching
Insights to "Master the Make it Happen Mindset" in your Business, Career and Life!

Q: What is your key focus?
A: My focus and passion is in helping people Master their MarketPlace. I like to say I teach people how to find more business, create more opportunity and have more fun.

Q: What is the pushback that you often get?
A: Time is a huge roadblock. It is interesting but people don’t have time to change, time to learn or time to plan even though they will readily agree that change will serve them well. People don’t have time to do the things they want to do let alone the things they have to do.

Q: Tell me about one of your heroes.
A: Having worked for Microsoft for 7 years I would have to say Bill Gates is one of them. Not only is he incredibly bright but he was able to balance technical smarts with business acumen. Bill is also very self-aware, meaning he knows where he adds value and where he doesn’t. He has a good level of confidence which he balanced with paranoia to ensure Microsoft never got too cocky or self assured.

Q: What is unique about you?
A: I think most people find it interesting that I am a two-time world award winner in business and a certified hypnotist. I blend tactical and strategic concepts in a fun and engaging way.

Q: Bottom line - what is it all about?
A: It’s all about your happiness, your family and your future. Look in the mirror and be happy with who you are, where you are and where you are heading. When you are happy you have a ton more energy to focus on your success.

Q: What is the most common mistake you see?
A: People fail to do the basics brilliantly. No matter what you do there are 3-5 things you better do very, very well. Those may differ by profession but things like Network, Promote, Service, Empathize are a few that we all need to be great at. People try to get fancy before being true to their core needs.

Q: What concerns you most about business today?
A: I don’t really have lots of concerns. The world is changing and businesses are re-inventing themselves too quickly to get too caught up in it. Perhaps my concern is for those businesses that don’t get that the world is changing rapidly and they need to evolve with it.

Curt Skene, CHt CNLP
Keynote Speaker - Seminar Leader - Business Coaching
http://www.aahhah.com/


Interview by George Torok
http://www.businessinmotion.ca/