You Are the Next Great Entrepreneur

I love these Kauffman Sketchbooks! Here is another inspiring one. I have been thinking of ways to leverage my time so that I can help more great entrepreneurs like you. A couple of months ago, I earned a certification to teach Start, Run, and Grow Your Business through Palo Alto Software and am working feverishly to begin facilitating via webinars. I hope to be up and running by next month. 

In addition to that, grab the new download, Divine Design 101: Starting a Passion-Based Business. It coaches you through the biblical process I use in business planning. So if you sense, as I do, that it is time to act, get up and get moving - the market is waiting for your solutions. Believe it. You are the next great entrepreneur. 

Have you met invention's mother yet?

No one knows who first coined the phrase, "Necessity Is the Mother of Invention". However, we are seeing it played out more and more on today's economic stage. We join other necessity-driven entrepreneurs. In our case, we diversified our entrepreneurial efforts. In addition to the feast or famine business model of consulting, we have started The Letterman, an eBay store selling affordable sports apparel and active wear for both men and women.

The Letterman is actually my husband's dream. When I was pursuing an MBA almost 20 years ago, the first business plan I ever wrote was for his vision of a business. We even went so far as to look for a retail location because there was no such thing as eBay at that time. Because of risk averseness, we put the dream back on the shelf until now.

Cashflow is a challenge of any small business. However, the lack of it has caused forced ingenuity. Our greatest challenge has now become our greatest opportunity. I know it sounds cliche, but don't just think outside of the box, climb out of the box and go get that dream which is hidden on your shelf. I know from experience that it will be well worth it.

Entrepreneurs Are Changing the World

Not only do we believe that entrepreneurs have the ability to change the world, but entrepreneurs are changing the world. Many are successfully making a profit and making a difference. I just scanned a special report from the May 2011 issue of Inc. magazine entitled, "How a Business Can Change the World". It details innovative business models social entrepreneurs are inventing. I plan to read it thoroughly so that I can celebrate their progress and learn from them too. Here is the link in case you are interested. http://www.inc.com/magazine/20110501/how-a-business-can-change-the-world.html

Have You Read the Entrepreneur's Pledge?

Have you read the Kauffman Foundation's Entrepreneur's Pledge? In case you haven't seen it, here it is:

The Entrepreneur's Pledge:

I am an Entrepreneur.

I am following a dream, pursuing an opportunity, taking charge of my own destiny.

I am bringing something of value to society, making a job for myself and for others, and creating wealth that benefits my family, my community, my country, my world.

I am one of a movement of millions of entrepreneurs and innovators who made America great, and who will continue to keep our economy going...and growing.

I am what I am because many people have helped me along on this journey.

Click to read more ...

New One on One Coaching for Entrepreneurs

We have begun a new one on one coaching program for entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and church and ministry planters. This service will help these dynamic individuals focus on their own personal vision, mission, values, goals, and strategies. It will also help them make decisions from a centered mind and heart. Finally, it will help them articulate their personal brand to the world. It is my contention that the heart of an organization mirrors the heart of its leader.

Check it out now!

Do You Have the Mindset of an Entrepreneur?

I am currently enrolled in Mindset: Tapping Your Entrepreneurial IQ, an online learning program developed by the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative that enables aspiring entrepreneurs to tap directly into the knowledge and experience gathered from some of today’s most successful entrepreneurs. The two-hour, 38-minute "Mindset" program is currently being offered free to the first 250 qualified applicants through a scholarship funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

I'm not sure when they will be cutting off scholarship applications, but give it a shot. Go to entrepreneur.org to fill out the application. The the material is outstanding.  Below is one of the compelling videos discussed in course entitled, "Shift Happens" by Karl Fisch, and modified by Scott McLeod.