This link has been bookmarked by 83 people . It was first bookmarked on 24 Jul 2006, by Theron Parlin.
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the real purpose of a business is to create value
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much easier to save time and money than it is to create them
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Will BoltonMany one-person businesses refer to themselves as “we.” That’s something a lot of new entrepreneurs do, but it isn’t necessary. There’s nothing wrong with a one-person business, especially today.
career entrepreneurship finance freelance productivity self_employment tips
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26 Apr 07
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10 Stupid Mistakes Made by the Newly Self-Employed
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Many people don’t like the ad layout on this site, but it’s the most
effective layout I’ve tried so far. I use it because it
works. Adding the donations page
was another optimization. Some people click ads, some people
donate, and some do both. So even though value creation is the
primary aim of the business, this is still a for-profit business
and needs to generate income in order to be sustainable. If I
don’t eat, I don’t write. More money means more resources for
ongoing value creation. So value creation and optimization go
hand-in-hand. -
It takes significant effort to build a successful business, but it’s
also a tremendous growth experience. I know many people who have
quit their jobs to run their own businesses. Many of them didn’t
do as well as they’d hoped, but I don’t know any that regretted taking
the plunge. There’s simply no substitue for holding the reins of
your own destiny. - 16 more annotations...
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Don’t fall into the trap of using archaic methods for doing
routine tasks that could be automated, including inventory
management, billing, accounting, order processing, communications, and
marketing. If you find yourself doing the same repetitive tasks
month after month, make sure you put some effort
into optimizing them. Not optimizing is like throwing time
and money down the drain. It’s often much easier to save time and
money than it is to create them. -
If other people can’t handle your weirdness, too bad for them. Focus your energy on the people who can.
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Don’t be afraid to be more like Steve Jobs… and less like Steve
Ballmer. Don’t pretend to be something you’re not.
Ultimately you’ll enjoy your work much more if you attract the kinds of
customers and partners that want to work with you for who you are —
warts and all. -
I started my games business in my early 20s, and people in their early
20s are invariably weird. But I assumed that as a business owner,
being weird wasn’t appropriate or acceptable. So most of my
business letters and emails looked like they were written by the same
people who created Microsoft’s EULAs. The job title of
“President” really went to my head. I learned how to function
without a personality. -
7. Being too formal.
I’ll say it again. Business is built on relationships.
In some settings a certain degree of formality is appropriate,
but in most business situations being too formal only gets in
the way. Business relationships work best when there’s a
decent human-to-human connection behind them. -
If you get a bad read, walk away. If you get a good read, proceed with caution.
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We simply don’t have enough data to make truly logical decisions
because business deals depend on human beings, and we don’t have a
logical system for accurately predicting human behavior. -
it’s a waste of time to try selling to people who simply don’t need what you’re offering.
Selling to the wrong people includes trying to sell to everyone. Some customers are much easier to sell to than others.
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One of my attorneys, who had worked on dozens of game development
deals, told me that no deal he worked on ever followed the contract
exactly; most weren’t even close. And these were big money deals
in many cases. Business relationships are similar to other
personal relationships — they twist and turn all over the place. -
5. Assuming a signed contract will be honored.
I’ve made this mistake more than I care to admit. I’ve had
signed contracts with supposedly reputable corporations, and they
weren’t worth squat when the CEO decided he wanted out of the
deal, even for completely dishonorable reasons. Sure I
was in the right, but did I want to go to court to enforce it?
No, I’d rather continue doing meaningful work. -
Often the very thought of getting a second opinion makes the correct
choice clear. If you can’t justify the expenditure to someone you
respect, it’s probably a mistake. On the other hand, there are
situations where it’s hard to justify not spending the cas -
Don’t let frugality get in the way of efficiency. Take advantage
of skilled contractors who can do certain tasks more efficiently than
you can. Buy decent equipment when it’s clear you’ll get your
money’s worth. You don’t have to overspend on fancy furniture,
but get functional furniture that helps you be more productive.
Don’t use an antiquated computer with outdated software that slows you
down if you can afford something better. -
In 2004 I started this personal development business with only $9
cash even though I could have spent much more on it. No fancy
logo, no snazzy web design, no business cards or stationary. I
paid to register the domain name, and that was it. That’s as much
as I was willing to spend before I started generating a positive
cashflow. All other business expenditures came out of that
cashflow. -
Most relationships simply aren’t worth
pursuing. Learn to say no to the weak opportunities so you
have the capacity to say yes to the golden opportunities. -
If you think a meeting is pointless, it probably is. Don’t
network with random people just because you think you’re supposed
to network. Today I accept such invitations less
than 1/10 as often. If an offer doesn’t excite me right
away, I usually decline or ignore it. -
6. Going against your intuition.
Intuition is just as important in business as it is in other
settings. You’d be amazed at how many gigantic corporate deals
are green-lighted or red-lighted because of some CEO’s gut
feeling. While you might think that logic is the language of
business, that’s far from reality. If you base all your business
deals on hard logic and ignore your intuition, most likely you’ll
be in for a world of hurt.
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Johannes KleskeSehr guter lessons-learned-Artikel für Selbstständige
startup Business entrepreneurship productivity career selbstständig
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18 Apr 06
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13 Apr 06
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Qichuang WuHaving been a non-employee for about 14 years now, I’ve made my share of stupid business mistakes. I’ve also coached a number of people to start their own businesses, and I’ve seen many of them make similar mistakes. This advice is geared towards small
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12 Apr 06
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Having been a non-employee for about 14 years now, I’ve made my share of stupid business mistakes. I’ve also coached a number of people to start their own businesses, and I’ve seen many of them make similar mistakes. This advice is geared towards small business owners, particularly people who are just starting (or about to start) their own business.
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10 Stupid Mistakes Made by the Newly Self-Employed
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11 Apr 06
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Jochen LillichThis advice is geared towards small business owners, particularly people who are just starting (or about to start) their own business.
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10 Apr 06
Craig RettigThis advice is geared towards small business owners, particular people who are just starting (or about to start) their own business.
Page Comments
Very educating..
Russian <-> English translation services
Английский перевод
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Very educating..
Russian <-> English translation services
Английский перевод
l10n.110mb.com
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