Success Is Really No Secret

Secrets of Success, "The Secret", Business Secrets… these seem to be the newest buzz words in our culture. Guess what…here's the secret…there really isn't one. If I've read one book on success secrets, I've read 100 and what they all have in common is this… some smart and sometimes hard work along with a good helping of common sense is all you really need to be successful.

You're probably saying… "If it were that easy, everyone would be successful". Not true. It's the smart and at the onset of business success, hard work that eludes most people. They are all chasing the "dream". They are looking for the lifestyle business to be handed to them and expect to do nothing to get it moving forward or sustain it.

Here's the pitfall… when doing research on what business to start, you must… absolutely must read all the information and understand it before getting started. Many folks seem to start their research and get caught up in the hype. They miss the most important part.

Everyone almost always gets the "here's what you'll get when you're successful" but what they seem to often miss is the "here's what you have to do to get there" part. Then when the inevitable shock comes from finding out that there is some work involved, they concede defeat; and failure and blame are quick to follow. That's not a good place to be in.

The reality is that there are a lot of fantastic and highly profitable businesses out there; but they all require the same elements to get them up and going… Common sense Hard work (at first) Smart work

There are some tools you should put on your belt to help on your journey to success.

1. Enthusiasm and Passion…You must love what you do and then the work isn't so hard and the fun is automatic.

2. Have A "What Can I Do For You" Attitude… Too often the mindset is "What's in it for me? If I do this for you, what do I get?" That doesn't work today. Be the solution to their challenges and customers will seek you out. Remember the last time you had a business dealing with someone who had your best interest in mind? Wouldn't you do business with them again?

3. A Little Elbow Grease…No one I know ever had a bag of money fall on their head because they wished for it. Success comes from the 3 elements noted above… common sense, hard work first and then smart work. You must put your nose to the grindstone when you begin your business. If you put the time in at the start you will insure everything is set up right. Then you can sit back and relax.

4. Pure Determination… "Begin with the end in mind" as Steven Covey says. Beginning your business venture with your end goals first allows you to know where you're going and how best to get there. Keeping your eye on the prize also adds great motivation.

5. Keep Your Ears Open… Sometimes things don't go as planned and the client isn't happy. More fires have been put out by a willingness to listen than you could imagine. If there are problems along the way, it's best to handle them head on. More often than not, your client only wants to know someone is listening and cares.

6. DON'T Keep It A Secret!... If you want people to know you're out there, you have to tell them. Plain and simple. Just like brick and mortar businesses, internet businesses need marketing. Remember, most of your business is marketing. There are many ways to do it… online advertising, e-zine articles, viral marketing, discussion group promotion and the list goes on.

7. Pure Determination… Sometimes determination is the only thing that will keep you going during those last 5 miles. It is what gets you through the unexpected bumps in the road and the ups and downs that can come at the beginning of starting anything new… business or otherwise.

All of this may sound like a lot, but it not. Most of what you need to start a business of any kind you will find inside of you. There are no bags of cash falling out of the sky and no magic pills to make your lifestyle appear in an instant. You and only you can shape your future the way you want it. Now that you have some "secrets" of your own in your business building tool belt you can as Henry David Thoreau said "go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined…"