TrevorNelDailyOnline

Wow... time flies..! The year just started yesterday... and today it is the shortest day of the year in South Africa. Where did the last six months go..?

I am just so busy kick-starting new projects... it's frightening. Hours, days and weeks go by in a flash.

I posted this article by Tom Shapely on one of my sites... it has so much meaning to someone who relies on their own energies and enthusiasm for success. Enjoy.

Yes…You Can Make Your Own Luck!
You can wait for success or... make it happen

Tom Shapely Article review – June 2004
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One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that a person is successful because they have been lucky. In truth, successful people are successful because they have created their own luck.

They have identified the potential in a concept, developed a plan of action, and put in the time and effort to execute their plan.

The nay-sayers will reply "Yeah, but he was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to identify that need".

Again, the truth is, successful people know how to look for an opportunity in every situation.

Once they identify an opportunity they act on it. They investigate it, determine what it will take to make it a reality and then put in the necessary hours.

If you think you are going to get rich quick, forget it.

Get used to the idea that it takes a lot of raw determination and effort to achieve your goals and get busy. Nothing is going to fall in your lap.

You must make the decision that you are going to be successful and then create your own luck from there.

The converse is also true. If you think you are unlucky, that you can never get a break, then you never will.

This kind of thinking will kill any creativity you have. You will always be doomed to mediocrity.

Negative people will never be successful. They spend all of their energy thinking about why something will not work... and not putting in the effort to make something happen.

These people also make their own luck, unfortunately it is all bad.

There are several factors necessary to create your own luck:

1. You must have an undying belief that you will be successful.

2. You must look for the potential in every situation you face.

3. You must identify this potential and determine a solution.

4. You must develop your solution into a plan of action.


5. You must take action to implement your plan and promote it to
others who could benefit from it.

6. You must constantly be refining your plan to meet the needs of others.

Most successful people have gone through this process not just once but many times.

It is possible that you will hit on the winning idea the first time, but is usually takes many iterations of this process before finding the one that will make you successful.

Don't be afraid of this process. Keep in mind that with every failure, you learn more and get that much closer to your goals.

Now get out there and start making some luck.

Look for opportunities everywhere and you will find them.

Make the decision that you will be successful and then take action.

Keep trying things until you find the one that works.

Everyone will think you are just lucky, but you will know better.

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Tom Shapley is the owner and webmaster of The Professional Netpreneur's website. Visit today to find out what the PRO'S know… http://www.pronetpreneur.com.


To Subscribe to the "Professional Netpreneur's Newsletter" our FREE internet newsletter, send an email to subscribe@pronetpreneur.com with "Subscribe" in the subject heading and get a FREE E-BOOK.


Ed’s Note:

Gary player is reputed to have once said: ‘The harder I practice the luckier I get…!’

Today, Player is recognised as one of the most succesful golfers who ever lived… and guess what… he is still practising… and winning on the Seniors Golf Tour.

As entrepreneurs we have already entered into an era of incredible mass information and knowledge being made available to us on the Internet.

Never before in the history of Man has so much opportunity been made so easily available to those who want to grab it.

‘Opportunity is nowhere…’ claim many of the negative cynics you will bump into, when in actual fact we entrepreneurs should read that statement with a completely different perception: Opportunity is Now Here!
Ends

Wow... another amazing week, after incredible D-Day commemorations. I am just blown away about living in these times when the world is beamed into your dining room.

What with Ronald Reagan's extended funeral... what a drain on Nancy Reagan, she was incredible... the United Nations committing to Iraq... the G8 leaders all getting together like long-lost buddies in the state of Georgia... Ray Charles' passing... Britain's private citizens now owing more than a TRILLION Pounds in personal debt (that's 1 followed by 12 noughts)... and an idiot of a Health Secretary in Britain's John Reid who proposes that smoking is the 'last pleasure' of the poor.

What an incredible world..! I love it. Pity about some really dumb people in authority.

Based in South Africa... I am currently networking with an Indian businessman which will prove enlightening over time. Here's how the conversation is going.

From India: Would you consider joining the Team 100 management team and help me with my second innings here. I had begun the experiment as a novice. I know 3 months experience is not good enough but I would be grateful if you find time to join. I shall understand if you say no, because you are quite busy but as a sales person I know that "No, does not mean Never".

Kindly consider. I really really need a good support structure. I have outlined my thoughts in an article today and would appreciate your comments.
Warm regards.
Jay

My response: Certainly Jay... should be fun.

Take another look at these two links to get a good feel of my profile and the similarity of our thoughts on personal development.

1. http://home.global.co.za/~growth/

2. http://www.mydreamisland.com/makeadifference.htm

Of course, I am focussing on the launch of our INNER Circle Business Forum web site in South Africa... with you as my only international 'tester' at this point on this site. I want to focus locally for a while first. http://www.innovationcafe.com

I'd like for us to discuss your Team 100 concept on a forum on this site... I'll set it up. Please create your own CV profile with image in the site (any problems let me know).

Bear in mind that ours should be an interesting relationship of sometimes agreeing to disagree (does not mean that I have no respect for you as an individual, to the contrary I accord you the highest respect of sharing my different view to you)... as from my Christian foundation and my own experience I give no credence to this statement... '..when it comes to personality there are only four different temperaments and 16 types of people and Astrologically 12 Zodiac signs.'

In my assessment, EVERY INDIVIDUAL is TOTALLY UNIQUE by God-given design..! Unique DNA structures of each individual seem to corroborate this. To me, there is just no logical way to conclude that individual characters are defined by the date and time of their birth. I can accept that conformity pressures can impact characters... which to me means that I postulate that two people born at exactly the same time, date, place... who move on to completely different social pressures (say one to an elite, wealthy family in Switzerland... and the other to a poverty stricken, slum-area family in a drought-stricken area in Sudan) are likely to have very different character traits in their 20's and 30's.

To me, logic tells me that there is just no such thing as a box template of x no. of traits and x no. of star signs that people can be pigeon-holed into.

Oh yes, we should have some interesting discussions if you are keen.

I am very interested in your Team 100 concept... :-)

Regards
Trevor Nel

WOW... what a weekend of D-Day commemorations... the pictures of Normandy, the veterans, the modern day leaders of the U.S., U.K., and France (and Ronald Reagan's passing)... all made for compelling, poignant viewing.

What is clear to me, from all of the coverage, is that this event could possibly be the single most important event of last century that saved the world from Hitler's brutal Nazi domination.

As I watch the film clips of the almost impossible landings on the beaches of Normandy, I wonder in awe at the incredible bravery of each and every one of those young kids who tackled that frightening challenge. 10 000 brave souls died that day to give us the world we live in today. They MUST be remembered..! I salute you all... thank you for your sacrifice.

I wrote back in 2001… ‘The effects of the tragic events of September 11th are likely to be felt in global economies for some time to come.’

‘In the US, business entrepreneurs are battening down the hatches in expectation of a serious recession… and the rest of the world had better sit up and take notice.’

‘The ripple effect on local business will be marked if local entrepreneurs don’t begin to take immediate steps to plan positively for tough times.’

‘When times get tough, savvy business entrepreneurs trim the fat and get back to basics.’

Today, this advice still holds good for any business that needs to trim it’s fat and stay lean and mean… the times have changed.


Be Prepared

Recognise that a global recession brings the likelihood of lower consumer demand, slowing sales, fewer customers and longer sales purchasing cycles.

Be Optimistic

It’s not the end of the world. Business does not stop. It just slows down.

Understand Your Challenge

Business is, first and foremost, about making profit.

There are only two ways for a business to profit: Increase Revenue and/or Reduce Costs.

Redefine Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Identify what makes your business, product, service, uniquely different to all the other businesses in your market and broader… and state it clearly for consumers to see.

Remember that all industries compete for your prospective customer’s Rand. How do you stand out above ALL offers bombarding your target market?

Increase Revenue

Results-oriented Sales and Marketing efforts become critical. Marketing efforts need to generate maximum impact, response and profit.

Results inspire confidence. Confidence inspires sales. Sales generate cash flow. Cash is king in tough times. New sales in slowing markets lead to an increase in market-share and a squeezing out of your competitors.

Be Marketing Focused

Businesses that are not seriously marketing-driven will struggle to survive. Research and redefine your target market.

Target those decision-makers who desire your product and make the benefits of doing business with you massively irresistible.

Test every marketing effort, advert, headline copy, pricing, for maximum response performance. Use direct-response mechanisms to determine what advertising message works… and what fails. Demand a specific response from every advert.

Be Proactive

Network with positive business entrepreneurs with similar target markets and conduct joint promotions.

Reach out to target communities, associations, schools and target key centres-of-influence. Provide education and information via all media to inspire confidence in consumers.

Develop Residual Income Back-End Products

Understand the ‘residual value’ of your current satisfied client and past client list to leverage off up-front sales and develop back-end sales of new offers, upgrades, enhancements or maintenance programs.

Get to understand and calculate ‘The Lifetime Value of Your Customer’! The back-end is critical to any business!

Build Your Most Important Business Asset

Your customer list - past, present, and future - is your business! Without it your business has almost zero value to a purchaser.

Reduce Costs

Trim unproductive overheads and excess stock that do not actively encourage profits. Every individual, from receptionist to accountant must become a part of your ‘Increase Revenue’ strategy.

Idle, non-productive employees are a luxury. Every square meter of office space, every piece of office equipment, all communication technology, every kilometer traveled or meeting attended must have a profit-motive.