"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 Are you you ready to have the best year of your life?!?! And it really doesn't matter how great or not so great your year was just in 2016. You should always be looking to be better, grow more, learn more, make a more significant impact in the world, etc. Don't ever rest on what you have previously accomplished. Anyone who has a relationship with Jesus should always be looking for opportunities to become a better version of yourself.
So just as you're identifying ways to be a better you this year, entrepreneurs should also consider ways you can hit the reset button in your business in order to have your best year yet... 1) RENEW Your Mind. Stress and frustrations can clog up your creativity and clarity. You need to take some time to declutter your mind so that you can see clearly what you need to do in your business as you move forward. The more clarity you have, the more confident and accurate decision-maker you will be. Spending time with God in His word will allow to let go of thoughts and don't belong and embrace the ones that need to stay. 2) REFOCUS Your Goals. If you haven't already done so, you must first clarify specific, concrete goals. Next, define the difference between a real opportunity and a distraction. Often times we get delayed from reaching our goals because we don't have a way to differentiate between the two. If the "opportunity" isn't pushing you towards your goal, most likely what you're dealing with is a distraction. Leave those alone - no matter how good it might look - so you can keep moving forward in doing the things that will give you legitimate momentum. 3) REPOSITION Your Relationships. In 2016 people showed you who they really are to you if you were paying attention. Either they were for you or against you. You need to keep strategic people around you as vision partners, advisors, supporters, etc. And for those that are not, you must create some distance between them and your vision. You may not (or you might) have to cut them off completely, but you don't want to allow them any closer to your business and ideas than is absolutely necessary. 4) REFRESH Your Brand. If your business did not accomplish what you expected or desired it to accomplish last year it could be because you lack a branding strategy, don't have a clear message, you're not connecting with the right audience, you're not relevant to the market you are pursuing, or all of the above. Sometimes the truth is a bitter pill to swallow. If you're not good at branding, marketing, sales, or advertising, please get some help and don't try to go at it alone. There are enough legitimate branding experts out there that you can leverage their gifting while allowing you to function in your gifting with excellence. Just be diligent in finding the right ones with which to partner. So don't be afraid to hit the reset button and start something over, so you can move forward the right way. Hitting the reset button means admitting that you may have made a bad decision or a mistake as a result of thinking you were doing something right. Avoid repeating the mistakes of last year. But you also can't rest on last year's success. If you're willing to become a "brand new creation" you are guaranteed to have a year that exceeds your expectations! Have a blessed 2017! I am always amazed by people in history who overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to do something extraordinary, especially in the light of conditions that were intentionally set against them. One of their commonalities is they usually had great vision to see beyond their circumstances into a future that was very different from their present situations. Harriet Tubman definitely fits this description. As the engineer of the Underground Railroad, she no doubt had to overcome so much of what she saw in the natural and trust the faith that was guiding her. She had to be a BIG dreamer. I love this quote of hers... Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. ~ Harriet Tubman I believe this quote is a great mantra for today's teenagers who are the next generation of world changers, entrepreneurs, inventors, pastors, politicians, leaders, etc. They absolutely need to be in environments that cultivate their creative capacity, energize their intellectual potential, and stimulate their spiritual development.
At Kinsman Community that's exactly what we're doing as we provide programs that build teens financially, socially, and spiritually. We're catalyzing their dreams and helping turn them into reality. Learn more about how we work with at-risk youth and how you can support us at www.mykinsman.org So we're in that quirky week between Christmas and New Year's. Some people are scrambling trying to get things completed. But many people are taking it easy as they ease into 2017. I truly believe how you enter into a new season of life is directly connected to how you leave the previous one.
Believe it or not, now is one of the best times to assess where you have been this year and where you're going next year. If you made any progress forward in 2016 what's most important now is not to stop your momentum. You need to determine what to stop doing, start doing, and keep doing. One of the things you definitely should keep doing is learning, especially as it relates to your business pursuits. 5 Online Business Courses I want to help you make some major forward progress. So I have discounted five different online entrepreneurship courses that will equip you to build your business with clarity and confidence. Each of these courses is less than $50! Just click the links below to get a description and overview of each course... 1) Think Like the King (and Act Like His Son): Embrace the Mind of the Original Entrepreneur to Radically Transform Your Business 2) Create My Own Dream Job: A Step by Step Guide to Finding Purpose, Pleasure, and Prosperity in Work! 3) My 7 Week Startup: Launch Your New Business in Less Than 60 Days! 4) Business as Mission 2.1: A Faith Based Entrepreneurship Strategy to Restore Hope and Opportunities to Urban America 5) How to Build My Business Dream Team: Effective Strategies for Recruiting, Managing, and Developing a High-Performing Team These courses are an incredible resource whether you're starting up or starting over. What a great gift to give yourself to make a great start to your new year by investing in your future business. Click here to get a description and overview of each course... So end your year strong and start your 2017 with incredible momentum! Get started with these great courses today!
At Kinsman Community we love the opportunity to work with at-risk teens and help them learn how to start businesses and better their lives. And they say the best form of marketing is a satisfied customer. So we wanted to share with you some of the experiences our students had at our most recent Inc My Dream Young Boss Camp. Check out what these incredible students had to say...
I am extremely excited and encouraged as I hear more stories of successful businesses started by teens becoming more frequent. In fact a recent article in Harvard Business Review, Meet the Teenagers Who Found Their Own Startups, highlighted research of the characteristics of teens who had started their own successful companies. If we want these instances to be become more frequent, we definitely need to understand what it takes for this current group of exceptional teens to excel. The article stated that... "According to the influential GEM (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor), although the average age of an entrepreneur is between 25 to 45 years old, people are starting businesses at younger and younger ages... Despite the difficulties they face, what struck us about these teenpreneurs was that they are smart, have a sense of humor and an appetite for risk, and most importantly, have developed capabilities to meet the challenges." This is why at Kinsman Community we're excited about working with at- risk teens to help them build successful businesses. Entrepreneurship training is an incredible vehicle to help them build their future, break generational cycles of poverty, and transform their communities. Sometimes all a teen needs is exposure to the right opportunity and you will see them flourish.
The more we understand what is required for teenagers to build a successful business, the more we can integrate these principles across the board no matter what kind of community a teenager may come from. Click here to learn more abou how we help at-risk teens start profitable businesses.
The Kinsman Story
My wife, Shawnice, and I have been investing in the lives of teens for more than 15 years. Our passion for seeing at-risk youth succeed in every area of life led us to launch Kinsman Community (Kinsman) in 2014 in the South Atlanta community. Our non-profit organization is dedicated to providing leadership, workplace development, and entrepreneurship training to at-risk youth in Metro Atlanta ages 11-18. After many conversations with community leaders, local church leaders, and leaders of other local nonprofits, we decided to offer our first entrepreneurship camp in South Atlanta in June 2014. The program drew over 25 students and the excitement and initiative we saw in them prompted us to continue to grow our programs in the S. Atlanta community and beyond. Since that time we have expanded our programs to serve more than 100 youth and young adults all over Metro Atlanta. 2017 Program Goals 2017 is fast approaching, and we are expecting to serve more than 100 middle and high school students across Atlanta. We are raising funds to ensure that we have the appropriate resources to serve them with excellence through three key programs: 1) Inc. My Dream Young Boss Summer Camp - Entrepreneur Startup 2) L.E.E.P. (Leadership Employment Empowerment Pathway) - Career Development 3) Club D.A.R.E. (Dreams Are Realized Everyday) - Monthly Business Coaching Programs Needs to Turn Dreams into Businesses Your donation will help to cover needed resources to turn dreams into businesses including: - Trainers and staff - Startup capital for business competition winners - Office supplies - Equipment - Transportation for events - Meals and snacks Thank You! The success of our organization is dependent upon the financial support of community-centered organizations and individuals like you. Your donation today will provide the resources for Kinsman to continue providing this valuable training, instruction, and investments into the students. Learn more about Kinsman Community at www.mykinsman.org. As we roll into the final month of the year, entrepreneurs and small business owners often try to balance two important thoughts: 1) focusing on ending the year strong and 2) evaluating how their business performed over the past 11 months. Alas that's the life of an entrepreneur, constantly going back and forth between maximizing the present and positioning for the future.
So if you are currently in the mode of evaluating your business or maybe even reconsidering why you started the business in the first place, I have some encouragement for you. Here are 3 reasons why your small business is a BIG deal... 1) Provides Income. Whether your business is a side hustle or your main source of income, at least it's producing something. You may not be making as much money as you want to, but imagine if you didn't have your business at all. And if you have made money in the past that means you definitely have the potential to make even more in the future. 2) Creates Jobs. Small businesses are the main economic engine and job creators in this country. You greatly impact someone else's livelihood when they are on your payroll. Whether you are already employing people or your business has the potential to do it down the line as you grow, you are doing a great service for your community and your country. 3) Inspire Others. Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream for field is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12). Hope is contagious. Sometimes just seeing someone else pursue their business dream inspires people to chase their own. Whether you have reached all or business goals or not, you are still further ahead than many people who are still in the sidelines. So if you ever get down on yourself about the current state of your business just remember that you're probably having a bigger impact you think you are. Keep up the great work! Today is Small Business Saturday and I'm helping ignite the growth of more entrepreneurs. To celebrate I'm giving you the chance to get 50% OFF all of my books and digital products all weekend! This sale includes my new upcoming book, When Kings Dream... A Business as Mission Strategy to Spark Hope and Opportunity in America's Youth.
Just go to our Online Store page, select your items, and when you're ready to check out just use coupon code SMALLBIZ50. So if you've been waiting to get started or are looking for some new tools to help you grow, this is a great opportunity to get some great business resources at an incredibly great price. So... what are you waiting for?!?! Click here to saving now!
A lot of people in the workplace today say they hate their jobs And want to start a business, but the number is far few for those who are truly ready to make that jump from employment to entrepreneurship. And I believe that jump is an even a little bit harder when one is considering the path of a faith based business. Although many people romanticize about entrepreneurship, everyone was not cut out to be an entrepreneur.
Nevertheless, there are many people who recognize that mission driven entrepreneurship is the path to their career and purpose fulfillment. Fortunately, I believe there are at least eight clues to help people navigate the process of making a decision when they begin to sense that it might be time to make transition into business ownership.
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