Indie Business Blog

Ten 140-Characters-Or-Less Keys to StartUp Success

Use These 10 Tips to Save Your Business Before It Starts

Since I joined Twitter back in April, I have been challenged to summarize coherent thoughts into 140 characters or less. To be honest, that's quite a feat for me since I love to write and all my life, have been told that Im a little on the wordy side.

           

But I think I'm getting better at editing myself down (your comments in agreement, or not, are welcome!), and to prove it, I assembled these 10 140-characters-or-less keys that you can use to lead your business to success even before it starts. In fact, even if you are already in business, doing these 10 things regularly can help you stay on track.

How David Slew Goliath

A Shepherd Boy's Example Could Save Your Business

As Indie Business owners, we are often considered the "Davids" of business, fighting to get a foothold in a world of mega-corporations, which are sometimes called "Goliaths". Last Sunday, I got a refresher course in courage as one of the leaders at my church spoke about how David slew Goliath in Biblical times. The message gave me spiritual strength, but it also reminded me of how we as Indies must slay the giant every day.

                  

You can find the story of David and Goliath in I Samuel, chapter 17 of the Old Testament. In the midst of a war, the Israelites were having trouble finding someone to fight the Philistine warrior, Goliath. When David, the youngest of four brothers, volunteered, everyone laughed at him. But David took himself seriously when no one else did, and that's exactly what we must do if we are serious about our business ventures. David stood up to Goliath. He won the battle and the rest is history. Here's how he did it.

3 People Who Will Destroy Your Business

Avoid These Undesirable Business Personality Types

In my work coaching Indie Business owners, I have seen a lot of people make a lot of mistakes. I've made many mistakes myself, so I'm especially good at helping my clients avoid the pitfalls that can quickly destroy their business.

                    

At one time or another, I have been all of the business people I don't want to be, and made all of the business mistakes I don't want to make. To help you lead your business effectively, this post offers tips to help you avoid 3 destructive business personality types and the mistakes they make.

How To Lead

9 Amazingly Simple Things Every Effective Business Leader Does

Whether your business is big, small or Indie, leading it is no small feat. Effective leadership is not about theory and rhetoric. It's about action, about taking the bull by the horns. It's not about making noise and kicking up a bunch of dust. It's about touching home plate. Thank goodness we don't have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to being effective Chief Executive Officers. There are thousands of business leaders who set good examples for us to follow, and we can learn from them daily by reading about them in magazines, enjoying their blog posts and joining their Twitter circle.

      

This article shares some of the most valuable things I have learned about effective leadership by watching and listening to others. One by one, I have put all of these things to work in my own business, including hosting the Indie Business Radio Show which this week celebrates the start of its fourth season! This is not an exhaustive list of leadership action tips, but these 9 things work for me and I do them over and over and over again. I hope you enjoy them, and can put some of them to work in your business. At the end, please weigh in with your own best leadership action tips in the comments.

Good Home Managers Make Good Business Leaders

How I'm Preparing My Kids For Indie Business Ownership

Yesterday, I Twittered about my 4-year old son scrambling his own eggs. A few people thought that was a little young. I used to think so, but now that I have children, I am constantly amazed at the things they can do when we give them a chance. A few private conversations started on the topic so I thought I'd share my motivation for making sure my kids, ages 4 and 6, learn good home management skills while they are young. As you can see, that includes doing some of their own laundry.

       

But first, I have to tell you about my homeschooling mom friend and mother of 3 boys, Beverly Lucas. Beverly and I have known each other since 1998. At one time, we met by phone on Monday mornings to encourage each other and talk about the week ahead. Toward the end of our time together, every Monday, her boys knocked on her bedroom door and I heard them say, "Mom, we finished our chores. Is there anything else we can do for you?"

Her oldest son was 6 at the time.