Own a Business ..

Some people say, "Give the customers what they want." But that's not my approach.  You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new. Our job is to figure out what they're going to want before they do. I think Henry Ford once said, "If I'd asked customers what they wanted, they would have told me, 'A faster horse!'" People don't know what they want until you show it to them. That's why I never rely on market research. Our task is to read things that are not yet on the page - Steve Jobs

Do You Have What It Takes ?

Not everyone is cut out for the challenge of starting their own business. There are several personality traits that are common among successful Business People, including discipline, frugality, self-confidence, good communication skills, humility, honesty and integrity, pretty good record-keeping skills, motivation, good health, optimism and more ..

1. Planning - Mission & Vision
2. Execution - Art of getting things done
3. Marketing & Sales - target markets, pricing, new products
4. Finance & Accounting
5. Operations - Purchasing, Inventory control
6. Supervision - Hiring, Training, Performance

Create A Business Plan :

One of the major reasons new businesses fail is poor planning. If you are planning on starting up a business, you must have a business plan. This will serve as a road map to guide you, and communicate with your bank and/or investors what you're doing and why they should invest in you. It should include a mission statement, executive summary, product or service offerings, target market, marketing plan, industry and competitive analysis, pro-forma financials, resumes for the company's principals, your offering, and an appendix with any other pertinent information.

Build your Support System :

Starting your own business can be an isolating experience. You're working all hours of the day and night, often all on your own. It's all about 'finding the right people to help you with every step of your startup journey'. Finding the right people to surround yourself with can be a challenge. But there are a few way to build a support system. You can check out an incubator or accelerator, or you can find a mentor. You might also consider building a board of advisers, who can bring expertise in a wide variety of areas ..

1. Create mutually beneficial relationship in your network
2. Join local social clubs/associations
3. Create a small group of like minded entrepreneurs and be active
4. Host a dinner or happy hour each month and invite new people
5. Participate in conferences and panels

Find a Mentor :

A mentor is a person with more experience in business, or simply in life, who can help an entrepreneur hone her or his abilities and advise him or her on navigating new challenges. A mentor can be a boon to an entrepreneur in a broad range of scenarios, whether they provide pointers on business strategy, bolster your networking efforts or act as confidantes when your work-life balance gets out of whack. Too often, we think we have all the answers and are the only people who can really get things done. The reality is that another set of eyes can work wonders for how you operate both on and in your business. An outsider can also make sure you are getting the numbers you need both on the top line and the bottom 
line to survive.

Don't discount, Add value :

Whenever you discount, you are taking money directly out of your pocket and directly from your bottom-line profit. So don't do it. Instead, create added value propositions all the way up and down your product or service line. Focus on the benefits and quality of your product, not the price. Look for ways you can add value - it's all about 'perceived' value.Offer added value services to encourage customers to buy from you. These could be something like a free first service with each used car sold, or half-price scotch guarding on lounge suits etc. 

A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so - Mahatma Gandhi

Sell to the Customer's needs, not yours - Earl G. Graves

ref:

US Small Business Administration Learning Center - https://www.sba.gov/tools/sba-learning-center/search/training

Are You An Entrepreneur ? http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/08/traits-successful-entrepreneur.asp

50 Tips for Starting Your Own Company - http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235903

10 Tips for Strong Start - http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/204982

8 Tips for starting your own Business - http://www.investopedia.com/slide-show/tips-start-your-own-small-business/

4 Steps To Creating A Stellar Business Plan - http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/08/create-business-plan-how-to.asp

Find a Business Mentor - https://www.sba.gov/content/find-business-mentor

Effective Goal Setting ..

Setting goals is a matter of knowing what you want and properly allocating your resources - primarily time and money - to reach your desired ends. Create SMARTPLUS(Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Rewarding, Timely ,Positive, Linked, Unbundled, Shifting) goals ..

Your Goal Statement Template:

1. Goal =>

    I will know I'have met this goal when:
    I will accomplish this goal by/within:
 

Books to Read .. 2016

Books: Must Read

1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R Covey
2. How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
3. The Magic of Thinking Big - David J. Schwartz
4. Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill
5. The Power of Positive Thinking - Norman Vincent Peale
6. The Richest Man in Babylon - George S. Clason
7. Good to Great - Henry Cloud
8. Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies - Jim Collins, Jerry I. Porras
9. The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy - Thomas J. Stanley, William D. Danko
10. The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses - Eric Ries
11. How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life - John C. Maxwell
12. The Greatest Salesman in the World Mass Market - Og Mandino
13. Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude - Napoleon Hill
14. The Law of Success: The Master Wealth-Builder's Complete and Original Lesson Plan for Achieving Your Dreams - Napoleon Hill
15. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living - Dale Carnegie
16. Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done - Larry Bossidy, Ram Charan, Charles Burck
17. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living - Dale Carnegie
18. First Things First - Stephen R. Covey, A. Roger Merrill
19. The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything - Guy Kawasaki
20. The One Minute Manager - Kenneth H. Blanchard, Spencer Johnson
21. Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life - Spencer Johnson, Kenneth Blanchard
22. Fish: A Proven Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results - Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul, John Christensen
23. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't - Jim Collins
24. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action - Simon Sinek
25. Control Your Destiny or Someone Else Will , Lessons in Mastering Change-From the Principles - Jack Welch
26. Winning: The Ultimate Business How To - Jack Welch
27. 29 Leadership Secrets - Jack Welch

Books: Investing

1. Rich Dad Poor Dad - Robert Kiyasaki
2. The Intelligent Investor - Benjamin Graham
3. Security Analysis - Benjamin Graham and David Dodd
4. A Random Walk Down Wall Street - Burton Malkiel
5. Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits - Phil Fisher
6. Beating the Street - Peter Lynch
7. New Perspectives for the Intelligent Investor - John Bogle
8. The Warren Buffet Portfolio - Robert Hagstorm
9. Reminiscences of a Stock Operator - Edwin Lefevre
10. The Money Game - Adam Smith
11. Value Investing and Behavioral Finance: Insights into Indian Stock Market Realities - Parag Parikh
12. Finance Sense: Finance For Non-finance Executives - Dr. Prasanna Chandra

ref:

Bill Gates 6 favorite books of 2015 - http://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-favorite-books-of-2015-2015-12

9 books that defined 2015 - http://www.businessinsider.com/9-books-that-defined-2015-2015-12

Investment Books - 

1. http://www.subramoney.com/2011/06/investing-books-the-must-read-types/
2. http://www.subramoney.com/2010/01/best-investment-books-to-read/

10 Habits of Successful(and Wealthy) People ..

Follow your Passion and Success will Follow; Wealth is only a by-product and always follows Success

10 Habits Successful People have:

1. Clear Goals & Visualize Success
2. Learn, Unlearn and Relearn
3. Focus and Build on Strength
4. Willingness to fail(Fail Fast, Learn Fast)
5. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
6. Right Attitude(is more important than intelligence)
7. Confident, Prioritize and Persistent
8. Network
9. Successful mentors
10. Invest in yourself

ref:

1. http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/10-powerful-habits-ultra-successful-people.html
2. http://www.shoutmeloud.com/habits-of-highly-successful-people.html
3. http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/10-habits-successful-people-give-increase-their-productivity.html
4. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/248669
5. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/252282
6. http://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/learning-on-the-go
7. http://www.businessinsider.com/napoleon-hills-guide-to-getting-rich-2015-11

Best Inpspirational Websites ...

Zig Ziglar =>  http://ziglarvault.com/

Dale Carnegie =>  http://www.dalecarnegie.com/blog/

John Maxwell =>  http://intentionalliving.johnmaxwell.com/

Jack Welch =>  http://blog.jackwelch.strayer.edu/

Entrepreneur => http://www.entrepreneur.com/

Financial Management => http://www.subramoney.com/

America's Best Colleges ..

America's Top Business Schools - http://www.forbes.com/business-schools/list/

America's Top Colleges - http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/list/

America's Top engineering schools - http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/eng-rankings

How Much Does it Cost to Study in the US - 

1. http://www.graduateshotline.com/ranks/#.Vj5z_berTIU
2. http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/eng-rankings
3. http://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/student-finance/how-much-does-it-cost-study-us

Top 25 Ranked Engineering Programs with the best ROI(Return on Investments) 2014 - http://www.bestvalueschools.com/top-25-ranked-engineering-programs-with-the-best-return-on-investment/

Best Global Universities for Engineering - http://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/engineering

America's Top Medical Schools - http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools/research-rankings

America's Best High Schools (in every state) - http://www.businessinsider.com/best-public-high-school-in-every-state-2015-11

America's 25 Best Public High Schools - http://www.businessinsider.com/best-public-high-schools-in-america-2015-11

America's Best Private High Schools - http://www.businessinsider.com/smartest-private-high-schools-in-the-us-2015-3

 

7 fearless ways successful people think ..

ref: https://ziglarvault.com/7-fearless-ways-successful-people-think

Avoid giving other people the power to make you feel inferior .. Successful people think with strong minds. They prepare themselves mentally every day so they are prepared to face the challenges in their lives that may arise.

1. Move On: Fearless people, successful people, are not afraid to move on in life. They do not “waste time feeling sorry for themselves,” because they know it is not productive to their end goal. “They have learned to take responsibility for their actions and outcomes, Stop dwelling on the past and bounce back from mistakes faster. This allows them to be more successful in life because they do not waste time being upset about things they cannot change. Instead, they use that time to productively work on conquering new goals.

2. Keep Their Power: “Mentally strong people avoid giving others the power to make them feel inferior or bad.” Rather than allowing the thoughts of the many different people they come across affect their way of thinking, successful people realize that everybody has different opinions and that not everybody’s opinions matter or should be taken personally.

3. Accept Change: “Mentally strong people embrace change and they welcome challenge.” In order to change yourself, you have to challenge yourself. If you are not challenging yourself, you are going to stay in the same spot for the rest of your life or ultimately begin to slip backwards.

4. Take Calculated Risks: “A mentally strong person is willing to take calculated risks.” Successful people think that risks sometimes bring out the best results in life. They aren’t careless, but rather “weigh the risks and benefits thoroughly, and will fully assess the potential downsides and even the worst-case scenarios before they take action.”

5. Applaud Others’ Successes: Jealousy and resentment are both emotions that can be incredibly prohibiting to one’s success. “It takes strength of character to feel genuine joy and excitement for other people’s success. Mentally strong people have this ability.” You only get what you work for in life.

6. Remain Resilient: “Every failure is a chance to improve.” Successful people fail, too. The difference is that they get back up and keep fighting. No successful person is where they are today because they just slipped through life as casually as an afternoon breeze in the autumn.

7. Earn Their Wins: Successful people think in terms of earning potential. They do not “feel the world owes them anything. In order to be successful, it is vital that you think with a strong mind and work for your successes. Successful people think, and think correctly, that if they work hard enough they will eventually earn the wins they want in life. The world may not owe them anything, but the world is much more likely to give them things if they work hard for them.

Things You wish you knew when You were in 20s ..

ref:

1. http://www.success.com/blog/21-things-i-wish-i-knew-when-i-was-21
2. http://success.com/article/52-ways-to-get-out-of-your-comfort-zone
3. http://www.success.com/article/7-parts-of-your-life-that-suffer-when-you-fail-to-change

1. Enjoy the Life's journey - Success is a journey, not a destination. It's the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination. We all have goals and aspirations. You’re probably working toward something right now. Learn to love the journey and appreciate all the little failures and wins.

2. Learn to love change - The only constant thing in life is CHANGE. It will happen, and you can’t avoid it. It won’t always be easy, but change happens for a reason. Learn to be friends with it.

3. Learn to love mistakes - Always remember to learn from your mistakes and keep growing. Do not take yourself too serious. and don’t doubt yourself so much. One day you’ll be able look back on your “oops” moments and laugh at them. They are inevitable.

4. Say yes often - Sometimes stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying something new can be terrifying. But learn to say yes more. It’ll help you to open up, try new things and bring you new world of opportunities.

5. Focus - Don’t try to be a jack-of-all-trades. Focus on being really good at just a few things. Hard work is wasted when it’s channelized in too many directions.

6. Stop worrying about what others think - Letting the opinions of your peers influence your decisions is one of the worst things you can do. You’ll realize later just how foolish it was. The only thing that is important is what you think and feel about yourself.

7. You don’t have much to lose as you think - Oftentimes, fear of loss is what prevents us from pursuing our dreams. When you’re right out of college, you don’t have much to lose. Why not start doing things that you always wanted?

8. Meet as many new people as you can - It may not always be clear to you, but the people you meet can help you. Treat everyone like you’d like to be treated and be willing to make new friends. The world is smaller than you think. You’ll be amazed at who is connected to whom.

9. Leverage what you’ve got - Don't ever complain in life. Stevie Wonder can’t see, but he has an exceptional ear for music. He exploited that talent and his passion for music. Today he has 25 Grammy awards to show for it. Learn to work with what you’ve got instead of complaining about your situation.

10. Take big risks - Go after what you want. Jump out of an airplane. Start a business. You won’t always succeed, but you won’t always fail, either. Learn-UnLearn-ReLearn ..

'The Ten Roads to Riches' by Ken Fisher

Success is not about money ..

ref:

• http://www.businessinsider.com/success-is-about-time-not-money-2015-2
• http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimblasingame/2014/05/19/success-is-not-measured-only-by-money-and-stuff/
• http://www.businessinsider.com/warren-buffett-graham-and-doddsville-lecture-2015-8

Think of happiness as a business best practice and a success fundamental

Career: Ask yourself

• Am I passionate about the work?
• Am I one of the world's best at doing this work?
• Will the market compensate me well enough for it?

Small Business: Much of the potential for success depends upon two things

• Your ability to effectively function physically, mentally, and emotionally.
• How well you balance where the business stops and your personal life starts

Money:Truth

• Wealth only provides options, not a guarantee of happiness.
• If you can’t be happy without money and stuff, you aren’t likely to be happy with it.

'Win At Work' by Shaun Belding

Winning Attitude - Open your ears, your mind and your heart. This is how you open your future.

The journey of SUCCESS is like a path through a forest. There are ravines and low-hanging branches that will get in your way. There are creatures that will startle you. There will be forks that require tough decisions But as long as you are moving, and looking at your internal compass to ensure you are heading in the general right direction, take comfort in knowing that your path is as good as any. Take a look around every once in a while to appreciate where you are and how you got there. Enjoy the journey, and the people you meet along the way.

The job-for-life mentality that our parents has is gone in a big way, with people now averaging between 10 and 11 jobs in their lifetimes. Your journey to winning in the workplace begins with a plan. 
Things to consider - 

1. Be a champion of change(Do not wait for someone to inspire you)
2. Focus on Big picture(what you see depends on where you stand)
3. Connect and being a good team player
4. Networking(If you are always there for others, you will never face challenges alone)
5. Listen and genuine praise(Listen more than you talk)

5 rules for making good First Impressions:

1. Smile 
2. Make eye contact
3. The handshake 
4. Be interested
5. Walk on the lighter side

Win at Work covers 5 fundamental topics:

1. The winning Attitude
2. Achievement and Success
3. Winning in the Workplace
4. Winning with people
5. Dealing with Stress and difficult people

People with the winning attitude:

1. are positive
2. understand themselves and what's important
3. believe
4. continuously improve
5. have passion

A person with positive attitude:

1. focuses on positive events and aspects
2. focuses on solutions instead of problems
3. chooses hope over fatalism

Know your priorities:

Individuals with the winning attitude understand their priorities, and use them as their guidelines when making decisions. Because their actions are in line with heir priorities, they inevitably get greater enjoyment out of the things they do. The ultimate payoff to understanding your priorities and letting them guide your decisions and actions is undeniable. 

The more your actions begin to align with those things you feel are important, the greater your satisfaction and success. Knowing who you are and what our priorities are gives you confidence in yourself and your decisions. It also helps you better put the challenges you face into proper perspective, which is one of the best ways to make sure that you are mentally prepared for the things life throws at you.

Discovering your true priorities is like an explorer finding True North. Once you have that unchanging frame of reference, reaching any destination you choose only required a look at your compass, a good map, and a willingness to begin the journey.

Accept responsibility:

Accept responsibility for your own future. People with the winning attitude universally agree that they are ultimately accountable for both their successes and their failures. 

Passion:

When you are truly passionate about something, work ceases to be work. You can not hit what you do not aim for. The journey to success begins with creating forward motion and achieving positive momentum. The easiest way to create positive momentum in virtually every aspect of your life is by goal setting; more specifically, by creating and then achieving highly focused short-term goals. 

Once you define SUCCESS, follow 4 steps:

1. Set a goal
2. Create a map
3. Set a timeline
4. Take action

Focus:

One of the most notable characteristics of very successful people is their ability to stay focused on the things that important to them, their careers and their business. 

The way of words:

1. Use 'Excellent/Outstanding/Brilliant' than just saying 'Thank You'
2. Use 'Absolutely/Of Course/It would be my pleasure' than just saying 'yes'
3. Use 'I want to get this right for you' than saying 'Can you please wait a minute'
4. Speak in sandwiches(good & bad news)
5. Words of empathy make sure that you have taken time to listen

Networking:

1. Connect people
2. Laugh
3. Be a source of information(go-to person)
4. Be involved
5. Remember
6. Be a mentor
7. Be there for the 'little people'
8. Social networking

When all stressed up and nowhere to go, follow steps below:

1. Put things into perspective(separating signal from noise - life changing (or) just a annoyance)
2. Focus on what's going well - not what is stressful
3. Identify your cold buttons
4. Focus on the issue
5. Create a ranking system
6. Create a new morning routine

It's too late to wait until tomorrow to decide whether or not you should have been happy yesterday

Entrepreneur's important lessons in 20s ..

ref: 

• http://www.businessinsider.com/best-lessons-entrepreneurs-learned-in-their-20s-2015-1
• http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/228134
• http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/237077

1. The difference between success and failure is self-confidence and persistence
2. Any limitations on personal growth are self-imposed
3. Networking is the key to success
4. Be passionate and decisive
5. Importance of surrounding yourself with people who will push you to be better
6. Need to hire people who are better than you
7. Learn to be patient
8. Learn the importance of asking yourself the hard questions
9. No matter what you're doing, you should always try your best
10. Don't let business get personal. It's just business. Shrug it off
11. Learn not to sell yourself short
12. There's no replacement for hard work
13. A fancy degree and natural talent don't entitle you to success
14. Being a leader can be lonely at times

Richard Branson's Top Quotes on Opportunity ..

ref: http://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/my-top-10-quotes-on-opportunity

Opportunity favours the bold - If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes, then learn how to do it later!

1. “There are no mistakes, only opportunities." - Tina Fey

2. "The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity." - Peter Drucker

3. "To dream by night is to escape your life. To dream by day is to make it happen." - Stephen Richards

4. "How much I missed, simply because I was afraid of missing it." - Paulo Coelho

5. "I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity." - Oprah Winfrey

6. "Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage." - Victor Kiam

7. "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill

8. "Teachers open the doors, but you must enter by yourself.” - Chinese Proverb

9. "You can’t outwit fate by standing on the sidelines placing little side bets about the outcome of life… if you don’t play you can’t win." - Judith McNaught

10. "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." - Albert Einstein

Building Resilience ..

ref: 

1. http://psychology.about.com/od/crisiscounseling/a/resilience.htm
2. http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx
3. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kerryhannon/2012/12/26/6-key-steps-for-career-resilience/

How do people deal with difficult events that change their lives? The death of a loved one, loss of a job, serious illness, terrorist attacks and other traumatic events: these are all examples of very challenging life experiences. Many people react to such circumstances with a flood of strong emotions and a sense of uncertainty. Yet people generally adapt well over time to life-changing situations and stressful conditions. What enables them to do so? It involves resilience, an ongoing process that requires time and effort and engages people in taking a number of steps. 

Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress. Resilience means "bouncing back" from difficult experiences. Psychologists believe that resilient individuals are better able to handle such adversity and rebuild their lives after a catastrophe. Dealing with change or loss is an inevitable part of life. At some point, everyone experiences varying degrees of setbacks. Some of these challenges might be relatively minor (not getting into a class you wanted to take), while others are disastrous on a much larger scale (hurricanes, tornadoes, terrorist attacks). How we deal with these problems can play a significant role in not only the outcome but also the long-term psychological consequences. Social support is another critical variable that contributes to resilience. Mentally strong people tend to have the support of family and friends who help bolster them up in times of trouble.

Building resilience include:

1. Accept that change is a part of living
2. Holding positive views of themselves and their abilities
3. Make Connections. Being a good communicator
4. Look at the big picture. Move toward your goals. Keep things in perspective
5. Building mental toughness(Viewing themselves as fighters rather than victims)
6. Having an internal locus of control
7. Learn something new 
8. Having high emotional intelligence and managing emotions effectively

Best advice about money ..

ref: 

• http://www.businessinsider.com/money-advice-from-a-millionaire-2015-6
• http://time.com/money/3903563/millionaire-secrets
• http://www.businessinsider.com/how-successful-people-do-more-in-a-day-than-others-do-in-a-week-2015-6

“Money, like emotions, is something you must control to keep your life on the right track.” 

1. In a free market economy, anyone can make as much money as they want.

2. Your background, highest level of education, or IQ is irrelevant when it comes to earning money.

3. The fastest way to make money is to solve a problem. The bigger the problem you solve, the more money you make.

4. Don't listen to the naysayers who tell you that life is supposed to be a struggle and that you should settle and be grateful for what you have.

5. Expect to make more money. For this one you have to think big. $100,000, $500,000, or why not $1 million?

6. Lose the fear and scarcity mindset and start seeing money for all the good things: freedom, opportunity, possibility, and abundance.

7. Being rich isn't a privilege. Being rich is a FUNDAMENTAL right. If you create massive value for others, you have the right to be as rich as you want.

8. Don't wait for your ship to come in. You're not going to be discovered, saved, or made rich by an outside force. If you want a lot of money, build your own ship. No one is coming to the rescue.

9. Stop worrying about running out of money and focus on how to make more. Constantly worrying about money is no way to live. Dream about money, instead.

10. Stop telling yourself that getting rich is outside of your control. The truth is that making money is an inside job.