Man can climb to the highest summits, but he cannot dwell there long._George Bernard Shaw 

If you are stuck or on a downward spiral then it's time to
re-evaluating  where you  are and where you expect to be
in 1, 3, 5, and 10 years.   If you want to move ahead quicker,
take a look at what it is you need to get "there".   Use  the
list below to help you realign yourself and  get the help
you need to get you to the next level  and beyond.

It's An Idea
-- I'm ready to make the commitment.
-- Want to reduce "overwhelmed" into making an initial plan.
-- Find an "ideal" business I'm passionate about.
-- Develop a business vision.
-- Ready to catapult your hobby into a business.
-- Create a personal budget, reducing expenses, and start
   saving money for your business.
-- Work on your personal side to make the time necessary
   to start your business.

Let's Get It Going - Start-up
-- Making a plan to transition to "business owner".
-- Learn how to accomplish what you want to accomplish.
-- Read the books that are known to help my clients.
-- Get "buy-in" from your family.
-- Start the process of transitioning between executive and
   business owner.
-- Hire a mentor coach.
-- Who can you partner with?

Building A Strong Business Foundation
-- Getting licenses.
-- Choosing a structure.
-- Create a "One Page Business Plan" (TM Jim Horan).
-- Business development and plans specific to gain funding.
-- Develop vision/mission statement.
-- Design an operations manual.
-- Start interviewing people you'll be hiring as contractors.
-- Locating supply, telephone, banking services, etc.

Taking Off - Marketing
-- Create and implement a marketing plan based on integrity.
-- Design your ideal client profile.
-- Build and promote an online or off line newsletter.
-- Increase sales or productivity.
-- Start your Internet presence.
-- Establish a community presence
-- Attract more business to you.
-- Establishing a community presence.

Operating and Re-evaluating?
-- Monthly performance reviews.
-- Quarterly business plan review.
-- Client surveys.
-- Look at ways to reenergize your business.
-- Where can expenses be reduced?
-- Design a quality assurance process.
-- Develop systems to work more efficiently.
-- Add or re-evaluate technology and back up systems
-- Learn how to respond to change more quickly.
-- Update the operations manual procedures.
-- Create reserves.
-- Get your business ready to sell.
-- Dealing with employee moral and problems.

Where must you take more risks to help your
business get to the next level? Are you ready?

© 2003 Maria Marsala, President of Elevating You. Number 4 at
Google for business coach. We help small established business
owners make or keep more money and have more time.
Subscribe to our ezine or join one of our business
teleclasses, visit www.ElevatingYou.com now.

The theater, sports and writing world are all replete with men 
and women who, by example, taught the rest of us that we need 
not be bound by the restrictions of the past.  The past can hold 
us in its grip in two ways.  Our individual pasts can give us 
scripts which order our behavior, narrowly define our talents 
and expand our shortcomings.  And our collective past 
histories create restrictive social rules.

Happiness through self-actualization is one of the real 
attractions for winners, not wealth. Happiness does not just 
happen to you, it comes through your actions and perception 
and timing.  Happiness is the realization of one's potential, 
often despite heavy odds, which makes it all the sweeter.  To 
achieve success in spite of those odds require the setting of 
unrealistic goals.  Being overly realistic can be the kiss of 
death to your dreams.

The place to be realistic is in your timetable for achieving 
those goals.  Obviously, if you plan to compete in an arena 
where the race does go to the swiftest, it's a good idea to start 
early.  What are the limits imposed by "reality" anyway?  There 
are certain physical limitations, but those have been broken in 
sports and entertainment and virtually every other field. You 
don't have to be any given height to succeed, or weight, or be 
born one favored sec or race or religion to make it.  The 
limitations are all upstairs, in that Catch-22 known as self-
esteem.  As our own worst critics, we value ourselves because 
of our successes.  But we achieve success often because we 
have the confidence to risk failure.

To get over limitations is the object lesson here, not to deny 
their existence.  To see what obstacles to success may have 
been placed in your path, and by whom, ask yourself the 
following questions:

How successful have you been in the past, and how many times 
have you been shot down?

Who usually did the shooting? Was it verbal, in the form of a 
denial of your ability to do the thing at issue? Can you 
remember the exact language?

Does the failure still hurt?  Can the painful memory be used to 
motivate you beyond that first failure?  Can you get past this 
stumbling block or does the brass ring always seem a little bit 
out of your grasp?

Can you, knowing all this, think big enough, unrealistic enough 
to try for something better?  Can you summon all of those real 
and imaginary doubters, and tell them flat out, "Yes, I can!"

************* 

How likely are you to "stay at the top" once you get there? 
Take this quick assessment to find out. 

http://www.gaylecarson.com/quiz.htm 

Dr. Gayle Carson, CSP, CPCM 
Carson Research Center
2957 Flamingo Drive 
Miami Beach, Florida 33140-3916 
Phone:3053-534-8846 
Fax: 305-532-8826 
Web: http://www.gaylecarson.com 
email: gcarson-speaker-coach@worldnet.att.net