How to Master Your Small Business by Following the 2014 Olympics

If you were to compare a small business owner or entrepreneur with a certain personality type or character, who would come to mind? A firefighter? A doctor? An astronaut? Or a superhero? How about an Olympic athlete? Seems like a stretch, right? Not quite. While entrepreneurs may not have the skills to perform surgery, operate a space shuttle, most would agree that some days we feel like we put out fires, we save lives, and even fly to the moon and back. As far as the Olympics, what do professionals and athletes have in common? What does it take for them both to succeed?

What does training for the Olympics and running a business involve? A lot of blood, sweat, and tears. Not to mention the time, energy, and stamina needed to compete. It’s not easy, and it may not always be fun, but it’s what we do to go for the gold. Entrepreneurs and small business owners operate with the same attitude and on the same level of thinking to succeed.

So where do you start? The answer is the Olympics. And where do Olympic athletes start? The starting line, of course. Here is where your starting line should begin:

Dream Big, and Don't Set Limits. Where did Olympic athletes start? They most likely started with  a dream, a vision, or a thirst and hunger for gold. They don’t limit themselves and they dream big. The same can be said for business. Thinking big and outside the box will set small businesses out from the rest and will make them shine.

So where do you start? Follow a dream, set a goal, do NOT set limits, and stop at nothing until you get there. This could be as small as do something small for your business every day to reaching $500,000 in revenue for the year…and everything in between. No goal is too big or too small it is 100% your choice. All in all, it should be something you are capable of, but is also a challenge.

The Power of Motivation. But...you aren't going anywhere without motivation. Motivation is the drive behind setting and reach a goal. We can’t accomplish anything without motivation, let alone run a successful small business or win an Olympic gold medal. Motivation isn’t something that you feel “in the zone” some days and not others, it must be consistent. Staying motivated means putting in the time and work, staying disciplined, keeping a positive frame of mind. Is it hard? Sure. If it was easy, everyone would do it. Quoting a line from Tom Hanks in one of my favorite movies, A League of Their Own: "The hard is what makes it great."

Face the Music. It’s not always going to be pretty. It's impossible to run a small business and competing for a gold medal without facing some kind of challenge, pitfall, setbacks, or even injuries. But you get up, you brush off your knees, and you keep going. It's only way to get there.

Remember that challenges and setbacks don't equal failure. Failure is when a challenge, pit fall, or setback makes you quit. Failure is a choice. Quitters and failures don’t run successful businesses and do not win Olympic gold medals. But this is what sets apart the men from the boys and the women from the girls. Face the challenges. Face the music.

Commitment. Motivation plays a large role in commitment. Commitment means setting goals, sticking to them, and staying motivated enough to reach them. Commitment and motivation are in a strong marriage: One cannot survive and function without the other. If you are committed to reaching a certain goal, you will stay motivated. If you are not properly motivated, then you are not committed enough and therefore will not reach your goal.

Easier said than done, I know. It’s easy to say, “Hey, I’m going to run five miles today.” But the hard part is tying your sneakers, or maybe even taking that first step, or completing the first mile. But you made a commitment earlier in the day to run those five miles. You owe it to yourself to make it happen. Make a commitment to yourself and to your small business.

All in all, being a small business owner and entrepreneur takes balls. It’s not easy, but neither is being an Olympic athlete. They both come with their share of challenges, struggles, and uphill battles…literally. But they also come with their share of successes, triumphs, and gold medals. Do you have what it takes?



Image credit: © Galina Barskaya - Fotolia.com

Written content: © 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 J.H. Language Solutions

4 Secrets to Why Female Entrepreneurs Are Happier

The overall increase in startups this country has seen over the last several years to a decade shouldn’t come as anything but a shock. What’s more of a shock is how many of these startups have a woman behind them. In fact, there were 8.1 million female owned or operated businesses in the U.S. in 2011 alone. Additionally, most are still surprised to discover that the amount of startups has taken off and increased significantly over the last five years, to make up one of the highest entrepreneurial peaks in history. 

And why is this? How and why are so many females, of various ages, experience levels, and education, jumping into the entrepreneurial world with both feet…and spike heels? The reasons are plentiful…and make sense.

Women Are Crazy. If you were to interview or ask any entrepreneurial female why she came up with the crazy idea of owning her own business, what do you think she would say? The most common reasons are to be expected: it is a great opportunity for stay-at-home moms, it offers flexibility and a chance for women to be successful in an entrepreneurial and even executive role, it allows for a woman to be in business for what she is passionate about…and for something she truly loves. 

The truth is, women are more apt to take on a second job than men. Women also stand to make more money as an entrepreneur than they would working for Corporate America, or in a position where they compete with men. And all in all, women are tired of being victims to the pay gap…which is still a problem in today’s working world. 

So how’s that for crazy?

Passion, Patience, and Positions: Keys to Making a Difference. All in all, a female entrepreneur could give you all the reasons we just listed above for choosing to start her own business. However, one of the most common reasons and responses is that women are in business to make a difference. Female entrepreneurs by nature are compassionate and nurturers. Therefore, it is no surprise that they put their all into their business, or their “babies”. This in turn will no doubt contribute to the superb excellence and outstanding performance behind a woman’s attitude and desire to succeed. The key here is passion. This is often what makes those successful women who are CEOs, business owners, or hold executive level positions better and more successful in their positions than men.

Beauty and Brains. There is a stereotype floating around in society that women naturally do not have a head for business. Well, guys, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, we are rising to power. The female entrepreneurial world is creating a synergy, and generating a lot of buzz today. In support of this effort, there are many training programs, grants, and organizations that support female entrepreneurs, both organizationally and financially. Many technology training programs offer female entrepreneurs e-business tools, brand promotion techniques, marketing research, and general best business practices. 

Women Are Just Happier… In addition to being in business because it is a great opportunity, it gives women self-confidence and gain and use their skills, being able to stay home with the kids, make more money, and to make a difference and really be passionate about something, women are just generally happier as entrepreneurs. Recent studies have shown that women get more life and work satisfaction out of being and entrepreneur. We enjoy the flexibility, and we know that it takes patience, nurturing, dedication, and passion to drive it all home and make it work. Female entrepreneurs know what it takes to run a successful business and to excel as an entrepreneur.

Female-owned businesses range from event planning and consulting services to bakeries and flower shops, scientific forensics and technical services, and even legal consulting services. In the span of a decade, the number of businesses in the United States increased by 34%. And of that 34%, 50% were female-owned and operated. Don’t underestimate the power of women in business.

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Written content: © 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 J.H. Language Solutions

 

J. H. Language Solutions: "Behind the Music"

Just like the professional musicians do at the end of a rock concert, I'd like to start this post off by thanking my fans, clients, and anyone out there who has taken the time to read through my blogs and services. I am proud to work with such a diverse clientele and workload on a regular basis. This allows me to grow and learn as business owner and entrepreneur in how better serve my clients...spoken from a true musician at heart.

Regardless of what role you play in my "audience", I want to share with you the true tale of J. H. Language Solutions and what sparked me to start my own business, the challenges I faced and currently face, and where I am now as well as my plans for the future. Here’s the story of J. H. Language Solutions.

The year 2010 was one pivotal year in my life. Even though I didn’t know it at the time, it meant “change” in every area. Prior to 2010, I moved from one dead-end job to the next, of no fault of my own, endured financial strain and stress as a result, and was just trying to find my corner of life where I was meant to be. I was on the journey in search of something that made me “me”, or “finding myself”, if you will…just like everyone.

After months and even years of stress, and a period of “bad luck”, I knew I needed to start doing something different. I knew I needed to make a change, but I wasn’t sure how. Like anyone would, I started with money. I needed to make extra money to pay down my debts and ensure a healthy financial future. By taking some advice from a former supervisor, I began looking for freelance work. I signed up with oDesk, a freelance website. I immediately began bidding for jobs, but nothing fell through. After almost three straight months of bidding, I landed my first “job” proofreading an eBook.

Then, also around the same time, I headed to Boston for a full time offer as an Associate Editor with Pearson. With over an hour’s ride by train each way every day, and my newly found freelance work, I knew I had my word cut out for me. But with a very promising and aspiring career in publishing, I knew Pearson was the place to go. I would just make it work. However, Pearson is not the easiest company to get into, but even there, the chips began falling into place. I got to meet and work with some of the most amazing people and my love and interest for publishing grew and developed into a love and appreciation for project management. In 2011, I was promoted to Associate Project Manager, and in 2013 I was promoted to Senior Project Manager and became an assistant manager, and another potential promotion on the horizon.

From 2010 on, I was able to take my full time experience, as well as the experience I gained from working with different clients on a freelance basis, and tie them both together. I began applying my skills and experience in both places, and was finally lucky enough to say that my hard work was starting to pay off. Then, since my freelance workload had dramatically increased over only a period of six months, I began to see a huge demand for what the services I was currently offering, which was only proofreading, copyediting, and English/Spanish translation at the time. By the end of January 2011, I registered my DBA, J. H. Language Solutions (which stands for “Julie Anne”, my first name, and “Helen”, the first name of my last surviving grandparent) with the state of Massachusetts.

It was official. I owned my own business. I felt on top of the world. One of my lifelong dreams finally came true. One of the first things I did was buy a laptop and opened a business checking account. I spent an hour each morning on the way in on the train and the hour home doing work, getting my name out there, trying to establish a good online and social media presence. Then as time went on, the two to three hours per day wasn’t enough. I began working at home in the morning, at night, and even at a local Starbucks in downtown Boston on my lunch breaks. I established a small business office in my home, which I learned comes along with some pretty nice tax benefits. All in all, it was hard work and I was SO tired every day…but I hit the pillow every night feeling accomplished.

Over the next two years, my business work load grew to an unimaginable amount. Each year I set my own “sales goals”, and exceeded them every time. Each year I also set “business goals”, and have begun meeting and exceeding those as well. One year I developed my blog and website, one year I bought all new technology to help me keep in contact with clients since I certainly spend a lot of time “on the go”. Another year I started attending seminars, networking events, and trying to meet other people in business and get my name out there.

In 2012, I went back to school for my Master’s in Project Management, which also comes with a PMP certification upon program completion. Presently I’m about halfway through the program, with an estimated completion date of spring 2015. Oh, and to date I have a 4.0.

This year, which was probably the biggest hurdle yet, I became insured. After nine long months, I am so incredibly proud to say that as of August 2013, J. H. Language Solutions is a fully insured entity. Next year will be another larger hurdle, and that is to project myself and my business intellectual property and establish legal contracts to work with all my clients.

So now here I am, at the close of 2013 pushing four full years “in business” (though it is officially three under my DBA), and I think about how much I have grown, both my business and as an entrepreneur. I have grown from small proofreading, translation, and copyediting jobs to copywriting, managing blogs and websites, managing content strategies and marketing plans, managing social media marketing and email marketing…and it all started with $5 to open a business checking account, a girl in her mid-20s, and a dream.

So how do I do it all? Whenever people ask me that, I grin and say, “I have excellent time management skills”. And I do. I have to. Some people ask me if and when will I quit Pearson and work as my business full time. And the truthful answer to that is I don’t know. While business is doing well, I have a long way to go before I can open a separate office space and live off what my business brings in after all expenses and taxes are paid. But would I love to? Hell yes. But that is still a long way off, and also a huge risk that I’m not quite ready to take.

But through it all, the ups and downs in business, the challenges and the successes, I can honestly say that through the years I have developed a deep and passionate love for my business. It’s a ton of work, and it’s hard work, but I love each and every second of it. Not because of my own personal and professional success and achievements, but because of the difference I truly believe I make each day in my clients’ projects and in their lives. I am truly thankful for each and every client I work with and have worked with through the years, and I just only hope and pray that it continues. I’d be nowhere today without them. So let the show continue, because I don't want the music to stop.

What Dreams Are Made Of

Everyone has dreams.We all have dreams, whether we remember them the next morning or not. However, we each have had those dreams that stick with us: the recurring ones, the premonitions or the psychic ones, and the ones that contain messages at one point or another in our lives. So what do our dreams mean?

Some people think they don't dream. While we may not dream every night, it's very possible that we do in fact have a dream, we just don't remember it. Dreaming occurs during the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) point in our sleep patterns, which usually lasts approximately 90 minutes. Depending on certain beliefs or cultures, dreaming can be due to repressed thoughts or emotions or a mere result of images or events that have occurred in the day.

So what kinds of dreams are there?

Nightmares - We've all had nightmares at one time in our lives. More often than not we had nightmares as children, but they can also occur in adulthood. In fact, about 8% of the adult population still have nightmares on a regular basis. Nightmares are dreams that frighten us or play upon our fears. Some nightmares are so vivid they wake us up from a deep sleep and are often accompanied by heavy breathing or sweating. Some of the most common nightmares may include death, vehicle accidents, losing a loved one, being chased, or even our most basic fears.

Recurring - Recurring dreams are the dreams that you have had more than once. When this happens, you often wake up and think to yourself, "I know I've had that dream before." So what causes this? It is said that recurring dreams are trying to tell you something. This could be due to repressed emotions, anxiety, fears, or even anger. This is your subconscious trying to tell you that something in your life or in a particular situation needs attention. Recurring dreams may represent a certain situation or ongoing event in your life.

Precognitive - Precognitive dreams are dreams that some people have that predict future events. These types of dreams are probably among the most difficult to interpret or explain. Some believe these occur due to signs our body hint to us, such as a pregnancy or illness, or that a loved one that has passed is communicating with us, or other messages that a greater power may be instilling in our minds. Some also believe this is where the deja vu experience comes from.

Lucid - Lucid dreams are the types of dreams where in the middle of the dream you realize that you are dreaming. We've all had those dreams where we are in the middle of a situation or an event that is playing out and suddenly we literally think to ourselves "wait...this is a dream". Often times we are able to control the outcome of the dream with this realization.

While dreams may seem to occur totally at random, there may be reasons why. Some reasons can include the intensity level in which you are sleeping, stress or tension, or even something as trivial as what you ate before you went to bed. I knew someone who would have the craziest dreams if he ate Pepperidge Farm goldfish before going to bed. But if you are having dreams over and over that really stick with you or even bother you on a physical or emotional level, it may be time to look at your life and really focus on that particular area. This could be stress related to a job, a difficult family situation, a traumatic event, a relationship, or guilt in some cases. Any situation or thoughts that you may be repressing for one reason or another are surely to come out in your dreams.

Dreams have always been an area of interest to me. When people tell me weird dreams they've had, one of the things I do is go grab my dream book and figure out what the symbols in the dream mean. I actually sat with someone recently and that person started telling me all about his dreams. It started with, "Julie, I have to tell you about this weird dream I had the other night..." so after we looked up some of the symbols that occurred in his dream, we began to explore some of the other odd or scary dreams he's had in the last year. We came to the conclusion that this person was experiencing some real emotional turmoil where he felt like he wasn't reaching his full potential and felt like his aspirations were out of reach due to present obstacles.

For the last year or two I personally have been experiencing nightmares. I would have at least one nightmare per week. I started to think something was wrong with me. I would have awful nightmares...nightmares that were often violent or life-changing. Some of the nightmares I had involved death, being trapped in burning buildings, trapped in tornadoes, involved in train crashes, and even drowning. They were terrible. After doing some of my own research, I realized that the dreams I had were connected to feelings of being "out of control" and "trapped". After making some long overdue changes in my life, I no longer feel this way...and the nightmares have stopped.

Have you ever attempted to interpret one of your dreams? Sometimes we wake up in the morning and we think of the dream we had the night before and think "wow...that was weird!" The thing is, sometimes those "weird" elements may actually be symbols that are represented by repressed emotions or significant elements in our lives, whether positive or negative. Sometimes these elements can be hidden in odd images or events such as talking animals, creatures, or even the odd location of events, objects, or symbols. Meaning can be found in almost every instance.

One of the things you can do on your own is keep a journal and record all the vivid dreams or nightmares you have had recently or in a certain time period. You can purchase a dream book or you can refer to any online dream dictionary to interpret the symbols or situations in your dream. You will almost instantly recognize a pattern to them, which you should be able to attribute to your life in one form or another. Sweet dreams!

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Written content: © 2010, 2011, 2012, J.H. Language Solutions