business

Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff

Published by Kenneth

As I am sitting on the floor in my living room, my 3 year old Doberman Pinscher is nuzzled up against me sleeping. I was thinking about when my wife and I first started our own home based business and how excited that we were to be our own bosses!

Then it occurred to me that a large reason why we have been successful in our business is that we did not sweat the small stuff when we got our business started. In other words, we did not wait to try to figure out all of the details before we took action. We were “all in.” This thought process of being “all in” is applicable to all endeavors, not just in business. The thing that I see many people struggle with is that they feel as though they have to get everything just perfect before they take any action toward their goals. They have to get their ducks in a row. Can I give you some advice? When was the last time you saw ducks walk in a row? It doesn’t happen!

If you are looking to become a pastor for instance, don’t sit around waiting for a large church to call you to come in and preach to their congregation. Instead, you could find a youth camp that you could volunteer your time to in order to minister to young adults. You see, you can move closer to your ultimate goals, but it requires action, even if it is small steps you are heading in the right direction.

One of my mentors has always said “hesitation is devastation.” If you hesitate and don’t take action, nothing good can happen. Stop waiting for things to be perfect before you take action towards your goals. It is never the right time to do anything. The time to do something is now! We all have 24 hours in a day; every single one of us. Nobody was blessed with 25 hours in a day. So why is it that some people succeed while others are still waiting to? The people that succeed do not wait for everything to be just perfect, they take action. They are not worried that they are working and going to school and have a family to take care of, they continue to take action regardless of their circumstances.

What category do you fit into? Do you take the “all in” approach or have you been hesitating on taking action because you just “don’t have time?” You will never have time! I have noticed that the older that I get (I’m only 35, don’t rush me!) the more complicated life gets. Stop procrastinating in doing what you know you should be doing to fulfill your dreams- take action!

You can do it! Take small, simple action steps in the direction of your goals and dreams and you will get there; but you have to start!

To Your Success!

Ken Cloutier

 

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How to Make Good Decisions

Published by Kenneth

Good decision making is crucial to anyone that wants to achieve success. In the very high-tech world we live in today, there is a battle for your mind. From the pressures of getting the newest cell phones/technology to the tv commercials telling you why you should buy their products,  to the world news attempting to direct you on how to vote, think, etc.we are constantly surrounded by others who want to make decisions for you.

It’s no wonder why so many people fall victim to their own decisions. They have never really had to. It is as if many people are like sheep that just follow one another into the slaughter house and then wonder “how did I end up here?” With the constant battle for our minds, we must understand how to think for ourselves and make the best decisions that can have a positive influence in our lives. We have fallen into the trap of trying to “keep up with the Joneses” (whoever they are) and if my next door neighbor, co-worker, friend, or relative is doing or not doing it, it must be the right thing to do. Those of you who learn how to think for yourself and make quality decisions can save yourself a lot of hard times and heart aches.

I am not proposing that I am an expert in decision making nor do I claim that I have made all of the right decsions. That is very far from the truth! In fact, the reason why I feel that I can write this post is because I have made many bad decisions try  ing to keep up with the rest of society! The key is that I have learned from most of my bad decisions  and more importantly, learned from the process of how I made those bad decisions.

 The way to make a good decision versus a bad decision is not at all complicated. In fact, it can be summed up with one word- VISION.

Vision allows you to look ahead and see things how you want the end result to be not as you see them currently This is not like having psychic powers where you are looking into the future, but you have a clear picture of where you want to be and then make your actions line up in order to get there.

So what does vision have to do with making good decisions you ask? Everything! If you don’t have the vision of where you are going, how can you get there? Furthermore, how can you take the correct actions and take advantage of the law of cause and effect?

Vision allows you to look far enough ahead to see what is coming. By doing this, you can now be proactive instead of reactive. When people are reactive to things it is like being hit by a barrage of punches from Floyd Mayweather. You are powerless and have to take them with no time to adjust.

If you take our slumping economy, bad job market, and high gas prices into account, you can see how the people with vision can avoid the life challenges of the majority. Those folks who have either went into business for themselves or started a home-based business where they can make additional income while maintaining a job, have looked ahead and fixed their leaky roof before it rains. They know what they want (or what they don’t want) and are doing something about it. They are being proactive.

So how about you? Have you been proactive or have you been hit with body blow after body blow from Floyd Mayweather?! After awhile those punches hurt and start to wear you down. Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Have you lost your vision for what you want and are now just taking life as it comes? I know how that feels, I have been there. It is a very frustrating feeling to not feel like you have any control over your life or future. The good news is that you can take control of your financial future by making the right decisions. One of the best decisions that I have ever made was to start a home-based business and take control of my financial future so when the economy slumped or the job market dried up, I am able to get water from my well rather than wonder where the well is!

If you have vision of where you want to be for your financial future and are ready to do something about it, then click here and let’s talk!!

To your success!

Ken Cloutier- Get Motivated For Success

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The Importance of Having a Mentor

Published by Kenneth

Mentor-ship is a developmental relationship between a person who has experience in a particular subject and someone who is looking to gain more insight and knowledge of that topic. It is a personal relationship between these two people that make it the key to success.
 

Do you have a mentor? Are you wondering what the big deal is about having a mentor or “life-coach” as I have heard it termed?

The benefits of having a mentor are many. But one of the most obvious benefits is the ability to learn what to do and what not to do from somebody that has experience in the field that you are looking to pursue. Having a mentor is like walking through a mine field. The best way to navigate through a mine field is to follow the footsteps. The footsteps will lead you to the other side whereas if the footsteps end, well, you can figure out the rest of the story!

A mentor of mine stated that “you don’t know what you don’t know.” That is the purpose of a mentor; to help guide you through to your goals and help you avoid making mistakes that they have made or learned from. They will help to guide you in decision making, what action steps to take, and give you general insight and points of view that you have not thought of. Mentors can also inspire you by giving positive and encouraging words and believing in you when others don’t.

So how do you find a mentor? The best way that I have seen is to find someone in your field of endeavor who has been successful to some degree and ask them if you can get some time with them (i.e.- take them to lunch or dinner or grab a cup of coffee). That’s right, you just need to ask them if they will mentor you. Most people would be flattered to be asked to be your mentor. But you have to mean it.

It is important that you don’t waste the time of your mentor either. They are providing time and knowledge to you. In exchange, you should make every effort to carry out the advice that they are giving you. If your mentor suggests you do X,Y,Z and you come back to them and did not do any of those things because you just got too busy, you are telling your mentor that you don’t care enough to listen to their advice. They will probably not want to mentor you any longer. Be respectful of their time and don’t take them for granted! It will pay you great dividends for you not to!

I have had the wonderful opportunity to be mentored by some of the most successful, dynamic leaders in this country. They have not only made a lot of money, but they have enriched the lives of thousands of other entrepreneurs from all over the country through their knowledge and wisdom. It is very comforting to know that I don’t have to face any obstacles or challenges alone and the advise that I get is for my benefit as well as theirs. When I win they win; a true win/win situation. Within the same program, I have also had the opportunity to mentor hundreds of other entrepreneurs and help to mentor them towards their goals and dreams of having a home based business of their own and make money.

If you are looking or open to an opportunity and a mentor that will help you to succeed at whatever level that you want to, click here and I will show you how we can work together. 

To your success!!

Ken Cloutier

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Who Are You Listening To?

Published by Kenneth

Watch any TV commercial or pick up any newspaper or periodical and you will be flooded with information and opinions on what you should or should not do. The question is, who do you listen to?

It is unfortunate that a large amount of people will listen to, and take advice from, people who don’t have their best interest in mind. Sometimes, it is actually from close friends and loved ones who are trying to “protect’ them from making a mistake or making a bad decision.

Having been in business for a number of years, I have witnessed potential entrepreneurs get SNIOP’d (susceptible to the negative influences of other people). They listened to somebody’s opinion about whether or not they should go into business for themselves or not.

The reality of the situation, is that these people listened to individuals who are have not obtained any type of personal or financial success. These advice givers don’t understand that in order to be in business for yourself and make money, it does require an element of risk- a calculated risk. What the potential entrepreneurs did not take into consideration was the ‘fruit on the tree’ that those people giving opinions had.

How can you expect to learn something from someone that has never done what they are giving their advice about? I have never studied or performed a brain surgery. How crazy would it be for someone to take advice or opinions from me on brain surgery? I have no clue on how to even begin a surgery let alone a brain surgery! Yet that is what so many people do when it comes to their finances and making money. They take opinions from people that are in debt, unhappy, and working in a career going nowhere.

The next time that you are going to take somebody’s opinion that is not going to encourage or support you, see where they are at in life. At your job, have you ever looked at the person who has been with the company for 10+ years and observed how happy they are, what kind of car they drive, where they live, etc? If you like their lifestyle, then continue to follow in their footsteps. If however you don’t, then understand that if you keep following their same path, you will end up where they are.

I have been fortunate to have been able to have a set of mentors that are in life where I want to be. They have given me and my family the ability to have someone to model and follow a script for success. These individuals have been able to put up the warning signs of life and enable us to sidestep any potential potholes that would be around the bend.

How about you? Do you have anybody encouraging you to do more with your life? Do you have somebody who has a vested interest in your success? Do you have anybody that you can listen to in order to help your chances of being successful?

I have helped hundreds of individuals create extra income and secure their financial stability while maintaining their current occupation. I do not claim to be any type of expert, but i’m just a guy who has great mentorship and has figured out a few things for himself. I am willing to help others do the same.

If you are ambitious, ready for a change, and looking to secure your financial future, click here  to get more information. See you on the other side!!

To your success!

Ken Cloutier

The biggest investment ever- yourself

Published by Kenneth

Go to school, get good grades and then get a good job. That is what you have most likely heard all of your life. But is that the only way to invest in yourself-through school?

The answer is no. People invest in lots of different material things such as cars, homes, electronics, etc. However the average person does not invest in the most important thing; themselves.

There are several ways to invest in yourself: You can invest in time, books, audios, conferences, and other materials. Take for instance time and books. Does it really take a lot of time to turn off the television for a half hour and read a good book that will help you to communicate better with people enabling you to grow in your career or business?  Of course not. It is just a decision.

By simply reading for a half an hour per day, you will automatically put your self in the 20% versus the 80%. Most people don’t even read a book after they finish school let alone one that can help them.

Attend a conference on subjects that interest you or that you would like to improve on. Learn from proven leaders in your field and find out what you can do to duplicate their success.

If you want to get ahead in life, it will take effort and an investment in yourself. Make the decision to begin an investment portfolio on yourself. It will payoff more than you can imagine.

Here’s to your success!

Ken Cloutier

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Do you have Multiple Streams of Income?

Published by Kenneth

You have heard about it all too frequently on your local news of jobs being cut and the prospect of the economy taking a turn for the better a slim one. Many people are simply holding on for the ride or sticking their heads in the sand and hoping that everything gets better.

But why put your fate into the hands of political officials to make decisions on the economy for you and your family? Why not develop another way to make income outside and away from your current profession or career?

Having multiple streams of income allows you to not only generate more income to your bottom line, but it also helps you prepare for a rainy day. God forbid you or your significant other get laid off from your job, what happens then? Do you have a game plan? I would hope that you are not one of those individuals that think “it couldn’t happen to me.” As I’m sure you are well aware, it can.

So how can you create a secondary source of income when you are topped out on time and may even be working two jobs? What I have found as a great way to make money is to leverage my time with a business system where you can make money even when you are not there. In other words, the income is not solely based on your efforts!

There are many ways to make additional income and I am not professing that there is only one way to do that. I am however, urging you to take some serious thought into having multiple streams of income. You will be thankful you did in the years to come.

If you would like more information on how to create an extra stream of income outside of what you are doing now, simply fill out the form and I will provide you with additional information.

To your Success!

Ken Cloutier

 

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Think Big Dream Big

Published by Kenneth

You have heard it since you were in middle school- “Go to school and get good grades so that you can get a good…..JOB.” In fact, most of you listened to your elders and did just that. Now years later after working at that “good” job, are you where you thought you would be?

Most people who I coach and mentor in business were part of that thought process. They had little dreams because that is all that they could get working for someone else. I ask people today if you had a $100 or $700 extra cash coming into your household, what would you do with it? A very common answer that I get is “I would save it.” With the average working household having less than $200 in their savings account, it is apparent that most of these folks are just saying what they have heard all of their lives- SAVE.

Unfortunately this is a common thread amongst most people. You simply do what you have always been taught or the old way of thinking. The challenging part of this is that for most of you, your dreams have been shaped by the amount of money that you make at your job or career. If you make $60k/yr., you can’t imagine a lifestyle making $150k/yr. In other words, what you do is settle for what you can afford rather than what you actually want.

What I teach is to have your dreams be as big as you want, and then make enough money to accomplish those dreams. If you have a dream of financial independence or to own multiple homes all over the world, etc. all you have to do is earn enough money to accomplish those dreams. You will figure out a way to make the money if your dreams are important enough to you. As Napolean Hill states- “what ever the mind can conceive, and believe, the mind can achieve.” You dream your way to success!

Are you looking for an opportunity to make some money to accomplish your dreams? If you are, let’s see if we would be a good fit and connect. Click here and we will see you on the other side!

Here’s to your Dreams!

Ken Cloutier

 

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Two major benefits to starting an online marketing business

Published by Kenneth

Have you had thoughts of owning your own business? Have you thought about what it would be like to be your own boss and plan your schedule instead of somebody else planning it? If you have said yes to both of these questions, you are not alone. In fact, in an online article by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, it was discovered that more than 70 percent of American adults would prefer to be an entrepreneur rather than work for someone else. With that being said, I would like to point out two major benefits of starting an online business and how it can enable you to become an entrepreneur.

The first benefit is TIME! When I speak with people about business ownership, one of the main reasons why they shy away from starting their own business is due to a perceived lack of time. If you fall into this category, I have great news for you. Consider this:

Most working adults will average 40 hr. work weeks (8 hr. days). This does not include getting the kids ready for school, putting on your best weekday clothes, and fighting “rush hour” traffic to and from work. When you add all of that time up, it drastically increases the amount of hours that they spend working at a job. It’s no wonder that people do not feel that they can start their own business outside of their jobs.

The beauty of online marketing businesses is that you can learn how to leverage your time. What I mean by that is you can literally duplicate yourself over and over. As an example, let’s just say that you want your own business and you are willing to find 1 hr per day in the work week to dedicate to your business- that is 5 hrs. per week. If you have a coach or mentor that can help you and dedicate as much time and effort that you are willing to invest, now you have two people each putting in 5 hrs. per week. Your 5 hrs has now been duplicated to 10 hrs. that your business can make money on. It gets better!! When you start duplicating yourself and opening up other business outlets, you can drastically increase the hours that your business can make money on. So if you open up 6 other outlets who each put 5 hrs. per week into their business, your coach/mentor’s 5 hrs, and your 5 hrs. you get a grand total of 40 hrs. per week that your business is growing but you have only put in 5 hrs.! That is like showing up on Monday and working half a day and then going home for the rest of the week and still get paid for your 40 hrs.

The second benefit is EXPONENTIAL INCOME! With a duplicatable business like I explained above, you have the opportunity to make money exponentially.  You may ask “how is that?” Well let’s look at how an employee gets paid- either hourly or salary. In my example, let’s just say that you make $30 per hr. If you work 8 hr. days that would equal $240 per day. If you were to take a duplicatable business like McDonald’s, let’s say that each McDonald’s store made only $1 per day but has 40,000 stores all over the world, McDonald’s would make $40,000 per day. Who would make more money? I want you to really understand this concept. The fact is, we all have 24 hrs. per day to make money no matter how much we make per hour it ends after 24 hrs. and then we have to start back at zero. This is known as the glass ceiling. An online marketing business (like a McDonald’s model) breaks through that glass ceiling and allows you to make as much money as you want!

In closing, having both time and money equals lifestyle. That is what most people are chasing but they are in the wrong vehicle. Building an online marketing business can put you in a sports vehicle to get you to your desired lifestyle.

If you would like to look into an opportunity to create lifestyle of time and/or money, click here for more information.

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To your Success!!

Ken Cloutier- Business coach

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So you want to be an Entrepreneur? Check out these 5 characteristics of an Entrepreneur…

Published by Kenneth

In today’s slumping economy, we are seeing more and more people decide to get into business for themselves due to the uncertainty of the job market. They want to be in control of their futures rather than being a puppet on a sting (which can be cut at anytime).

There are also those who like the idea of being an entrepreneur, but are not sure whether or not they have what it takes to be a successful business owner. My answer to that is if the dream is big enough, the facts don’t count. In other words, you already have within you what it takes to be successful so take action NOW!

Outlined below are 5 characteristics (there are many more) of an Entrepreneur found on Affiliate Tips.com:

http://www.affiliatetips.com/characteristics-of-an-entrepreneur.html

No. 1 — Visionary Characteristics of an Entrepreneur

Business is not just about making a profit. Of course, it’s the reason for business, but profit is the hopeful result rather than the actual means. A successful business leader has to be something like a successful politician — inspiring large groups of people to action.

Having a vision is a major component of inspiring both employees and colleagues. The important component is dreaming big. However, dreaming big has some limits. It needs to be tempered by pragmatism or no one is going to take the vision seriously.

No. 2 — Self-Awareness is an Important Characteristic of an Entrepreneur

Being able to inspire other people to action requires knowledge of self. Too many budding entrepreneurs despise admitting their own weaknesses. They believe that part of success is putting on a false bravado. Often, people can see through the facade.

More importantly, though, is the idea that a successful entrepreneur is only as strong as the people working for him. An entrepreneur needs to be honest about his own faults and strengths, so that he can hire people who will best meet the needs of the business.

No. 3 — Entrepreneurial Characteristics and Intelligence

The entrepreneur exhibits intelligence through intellectual curiosity. An entrepreneur can’t just sit back on his heels and wait to find business opportunities. He always needs to be investigating new modes of business and making new contacts.

In addition, an entrepreneur has to be a long and short-term planner, gauging the current climate versus what can be accomplished long-term. An entrepreneur always has to be looking for new ways to accomplish his vision.

No. 4 — Extroversion and Important Characteristics of an Entrepreneur

An entrepreneur has to be a people person. Remember, an entrepreneur isn’t necessarily going to be limited to one industry. This means attending a variety of business meetings in different business sectors, in which the entrepreneur needs to be active in asking questions of colleagues, as well as conveying his passion and vision about current projects. An entrepreneur must be outgoing. He should exude confidence without arrogance — though some cockiness can be effective as well.

No. 5 — Ambition as an Important Characteristic of an Entrepreneur

Ambition ties it all together. If an entrepreneur doesn’t believe that he can do something better than what has come before, he’s not going be very effective or successful. A sense of urgency typically accompanies the ambitious feelings of an entrepreneur. A strong desire to get things done will rub off on employees and business associates.

I would love to hear some feedback/input from both Entrepreneurs and non Entrepreneurs alike.

Live your dreams!

Ken Cloutier- Business Coach and Mentor

 

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