Have you ever had a day in a business where one minute you’re elevated, on top of the world and next minute you’re back on the ground?

Yeah, me too!

Owning a business brings so many ups and downs. All in one day. Sometimes within a few minutes.

As an entrepreneur, you’re at war with evil uncertainty every day. Will we bring in enough money to pay the staff this month? Will that investment pay off? Will we lose clients?

And then, business anxiety kicks in.

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome. …

Every year comes to an end. Obviously.

But does every year end happily? Not so obvious.

For me, I always find the good within the bad. It doesn’t matter how many bad things have happened, my year will always be great.

How can I say this?

I’m the type of person that doesn’t let things get to me. I might get angry, hurt or sad at the time but only for a little while. Then I move on. You move on eventually, but I just tend to move on more quickly.

There’s a positive aspect to most things if you…

How we define success is important. You can’t let others define your own idea of success because success means differently to different people.

Nobody goes through life wanting to fail. But there are people who are going around winning in life or winning in business but still feel they’re not successful. All because they have no definition for success. Influences around them are defining it for them.

The culture we live in define success as having more or being more. Whilst that might be someone’s definition of success, it might not be yours. And that is ok.

How do you define your level of success?

Below are different…

October has seen horrendous job cuts to my local community. Even the last major steelworks in Scotland is closing down. All due to the government. And it’s happening all over the world.

I don’t know why it’s the government’s fault. I read a headline somewhere. I don’t let myself get too deep into the news and who’s to blame. I try to read up on economics as much as I can, but I concentrate on trying to be a better person for myself and my family. That’s it.

It’s horrific for the people losing their livelihood and their families involved…

We all wonder how to get more customers and more leads landing on our laps all the time, right? What if we don’t need more leads or even more customers? What if we’re already sitting on a boat load of cash (OK, not a boat load, but enough to bring more revenue to the business and WIN.)

One of these next tips should bring more revenue to your bottom line. If not all three, at least one will.

You don’t need new customers

How many times have you quoted a potential client for a project or job and never won the contract? Ever wondered what…

Featured image using CC (reynermedia) — https://flic.kr/p/ifz6wb

If you’re a small business, looking to increase sales and profit, this article is for you.

I’m always looking to keep marketing simple, especially when explaining my processes when helping a business grow their revenue through online marketing tactics.

The magical number of 10 is my best friend in marketing. It might look small because we’re usually dealing with larger numbers in business but, it is mighty. The best part, it can have a significant impact on net profits.

Current example customer stats for one year

Leads: 1,000
Lead Conversion: 10%
Average Value Order: £1,000
Profit Margin: 35%
Total Sales: 1,000 x 10% =…

“I don’t see the point of reading all these self-help books,” my friend said.

Me, “I like learning.”

“But it’s all common sense, you already know the answer,” my friend explained.

Me, “Common sense isn’t that common and if I learn just one new thing from each book, isn’t it worth it?”

My friend says, “You’re right!”

WHY I READ EVERYDAY

It expands your mind, your thoughts and opens your brain to learn from leading experts in their field. Human beings are extraordinary. Their dedication and what makes them tick fascinates me.

Only 10% of the human brain is used at any one time…

Nick Richards on Flickr — https://flic.kr/p/tUo5Z

All year round your LinkedIn contacts have had a chance to say hello, start a conversation, build a relationship and maybe, even drum up some new business opportunities.

Instead, all you get is a Christmas message which is sent to everyone on their list, wishing you all the best and success for 2015.

It’s lazy marketing at it’s best.

I appreciate the message, I really do. But honestly, it’s a waste of your valuable marketing time.

Steven Sefton is a Web & Digital Director for Think Zap by day and pretty much the same at night. He loves business, marketing and reading. For more about Steven, subscribe to his blog here.