3 Ideas for Finding Another Way to Solve Problems

Unfortunately, our lives are not filled with perfect days and businesses that run effortlessly and challenge free. Or at least I haven't had the experience.

Like most business owners, you likely find yourself with new challenges on a daily basis and the need to solve them quickly and efficiently. But how do you find the next possible solution? 

The Dumb Entrepreneur keeps trying to do the same thing in the same way and expects different results. The definition of crazy.

The Smart Entrepreneur takes a more active tact. It starts with the chant - 'There must be another way. There must be another way. There must be another way.' 
 
Once you appreciate the answer is out there, you need to find it. But how?

Action

1. Look at the problem from a different perspective. Could it really be an opportunity? Run it from back to front. Stand on the other side i.e. look at it from the perspective of the operator, customer, vendor or ???

2. Ask someone new for help. If you've tried all the usual suspects try someone different. Not connected to the challenge and with nothing to gain or lose. Could be a forest and the trees situation or maybe they have a solution from an unrelated industry that translates to your business.

3. Go online and find the answer. I know this sounds lame but I have found more answers, more quickly and with fuller explanations just by Googling it. Remember, it is likely that someone, somewhere has experienced the same challenge as you. And nowadays they have probably posted the solution online.

Now go solve your challenges and move your business forward.

And feel free to forward this email to your team.
  
Working daily to inform you, Eric   

Eric Gilboord, A2E

Erasing Failure to Find Success
by Eric Gilboord

Let's start with understanding that much of our power, direction and success comes from within us. We can blame outside forces, but in the end it's up to us. Can you eliminate failure, wipe it off the board? Of course not and in fact why would you? 

Paralysis by analysis is a common reason for not succeeding. Fear of failure is often stronger than the anticipation of success. You over think a move, an idea, a deal, a call, a sale, an email etc. and under try. You don't do anything because it's too much work, too difficult, might not work (excuse goes here ______________).

Failure is part of the process so don't let it freeze you. Failure comes when something doesn't work the way you thought it might. You learn a bit more, make some changes and try again. The three rules of success are Pivot Pivot Pivot.

Over the past year I've visited with many business owners who are inches away from the success they desire. This is not limited to business success but easily crosses over to their personal lives as well. The problem is not some external force. It's the fight they have within themselves. So what is standing in the way of our success and what can we do about it?

Here are 7 common problems and my solutions:  

1. If an employee, customer or friend is more trouble than they are worth - let them go.
   
2. If a friend, employee or supplier frequently lets their personal life issues interfere with how you run your life or business - warn them once and then fire them.
   
3. If you think you are the only one in the family or company who can do a task - find someone else who can or teach someone to do it.
   
4. If someone you talk to, work with or consult with consistently says no to trying new ideas and ways of thinking - find more out of the box thinkers.
   
5. If you are constantly chasing something so elusive you've never had success - try looking at it in a different way, from another angle. There is always another way. Bring in fresh eyes.  
   
6. If you are spending all your time making someone else rich, successful or happy - try looking in the mirror for your next customer or boss.                     
   
7. If your goals are so high you don't believe they are achievable - try something smaller. Baby steps.  
   

If you believe this post has been helpful please send me an email or call and share your thoughts. I try to balance my posts between business and personal development, while some naturally cross over. Please take a few seconds and click one or both of the links below to let me know where your preference is.

I like improving my life with Eric's PERSONAL growth messages. 
I like growing my company with Eric's BUSINESS oriented messages.  

Eric Gilboord, A2E

Eric Gilboord is the CEO of WarrenBDC.

12 Habits Standing Between You and What You Want
By MarcandAngel.com

Close the door to the habits that have been holding you back, change the record, clean the house, and get rid of the dust and dirt.  Stop denying yourself a fair chance.  Stop being who you were, and become who you really are.

Starting today, stop…

1. Playing it safe. – Have you ever tucked something of value “in a safe place” out of fear that someone might ruin it or steal it from you?  And then one day woke to the realization that you had hid it so well that even YOU couldn’t find it?  If so, then you understand the wisdom of leaving your heart and your dreams in the wide open.  To reach for what can be, even when we’re doubtful.  To let go of what is lost, even when it’s painful.  To live as though we’re brave, even when we’re fearful.  These are the trials we face and the choices we make along the path to happiness and success.  Read A New Earth.
2. Letting everyone else decide for you. – When you feel out of control, it can be tempting to look for someone willing to take charge of your life for you.  But before you do, consider this:  If you put a collar around your own neck and hand the leash to someone else, you’ll have little or no say about where they lead you.  Set your own boundaries and run freely within them.
3. Doubting your own dreams. – It doesn’t matter if your hope is to write a book, find lasting love, start a business, achieve forgiveness, heal your body, learn to play a musical instrument, find inner peace, or something else.  The first step – and often the longest, most arduous one – is to believe that your dream in possible.
4. Tolerating the influence of negative people. – Sometimes we forgive people simply because we want them in our life, and sometimes we let go of them simply because we have had enough.  Saying goodbye is one of the most painful ways to solve a problem, but from time to time it’s necessary.
5. Letting failed relationships haunt new relationships. – There’s a purpose to every failed relationship.  The purpose is not to lower your expectations, but to raise your standards.  Remember, you don’t want someone who chooses you solely for what’s good about you.  You need someone who sees the bad too, and still appreciates you just the way you are.
6. Expecting constant bliss. – True happiness is not found just within positivity, it is found within reality, which means accepting the fact that both positivity and negativity coexist.  Trying to be 100% positive all the time is wanting to be an ocean in which waves only rise up and never come crashing down.  However, when we recognize that the rising and crashing waves are part of the same one ocean, we are able to let go and be at peace with the way things are, which leads us to happier, more productive places in the long-term.  Read Stumbling on Happiness.
7. Dwelling on the things you’ve lost. – In life, there are some people and things you’re going to have to lose in order to find your best self.  So be grateful for what you have right now, try not to dwell on the things you’ve lost, strive for what you want most, and keep marching forward.
8. Overlooking the lesson. – Everything happens for a reason – a reason you can learn and grow from.  People change so you can learn how to let go.  Things go wrong so you learn to appreciate things when they go right.  You believe lies at first so you eventually learn who you can truly trust.  And sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.
9. Holding on to resentment. – No matter what resentment tells you, to forgive is always in your favor.  Leave no residue of hostility in your heart.  Release the bitter thoughts you have towards yourself and others.  Only then can you satisfy your craving for happiness.
10. Being overly critical of yourself. – If you feel like everyone is judging you all the time, realize that we often feel this way when we are too busy judging ourselves.
11. Letting pessimism feed your procrastination. – We have two choices when we wake up in the morning:  either we go back to sleep and dream, or we wake up and chase that dream.  We often spend way too much time wondering why we’re not good enough, and discrediting ourselves, instead of giving ourselves credit.  We waste too much time with our heads down and hearts closed, never giving ourselves a chance to look up from the ground to see that the sun is shining bright, and that today is another perfect opportunity to take action and pursue our dreams.  Read How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.
12. Giving up too soon. – From time to time people ask me how I hold my head up so high after all I’ve been through, and I always tell them the same thing: “It’s because no matter what, I am a survivor, not a victim.”  Never let go of hope.  Remember what you deserve and keep pushing forward.  Someday all the pieces will come together.  Unimaginably good things will transpire in your life, even if everything doesn’t turn out exactly the way you had anticipated.  And you will look back at the times that have passed, smile, and ask yourself, “How did I get through all of that?”

Here are 2 of the most popular emails I sent out this year:

30 Things to STOP Doing to Yourself
30 Things to START Doing for Yourself

Over the past year I have spoken in great depth with dozens of business owners. There is a growing fear and frustration with not being able to achieve what they know is possible. The clock is ticking and they recognize change is required. Unless you change what you are doing to or for yourself the results will never improve.

If you want to SELL your business there will be change and we can help. 
If you want to BUY a business there will be change and we can help.

When it comes to change  You Are Not Alone 

Eric Gilboord 416-270-2466

They say using the same methods over and over again and expecting different results will likely drive you crazy. At the very least it will be a source of frustration and negatively impact many of your other decisions.

Whether we are talking about life or business the same holds true. So why continue to generate the same results? Usually because we fear the unknown. And more importantly we mistakenly  find ourselves following the 'devil we know' thinking. Finally, we tend to make decisions in a vacuum. 

4 Quick Steps to Changing Your Life  - Business or Personal 

1. Take a good look around and realize you are surrounded by friends, family and business associates ready, willing and able to help you. You actually have unlimited resources at your fingertips via the internet to find and contact one or more people who can literally help you with any conceivable challenge.  

2. Pick one thing you want to change and focus on it. No one says you have to change everything about you or your circumstances all at one time. It's not an all or nothing situation. Just one thing will do to start.  One small step at a time.

3. Determine your end game. What would the ideal result be if this worked. Imagine how cool it would be if this one part of your life personal or business changed. 

4. Put your team together. You can't do this alone and in fact one person helping may not be the complete answer. So put a team together. And remember, your degree of success will reflect the quality of your team.  

To get the most out of selecting and working with your team read  10 Tips to Success with a Team Approach.
When it comes to your sales and marketing You Are Not Alone 
Eric Gilboord 416-270-2466

10 Tips To Success With A Team Approach
From 'Just Tell Me More' by Eric Gilboord - Get the complete book FREE in PDF.

1. Don’t Get Swayed. Be careful not to get swayed too far from the original vision while remaining open to new ideas. The benefit of a team approach is to provide insights and viewpoints different from yours. The downside is becoming overwhelmed by all the new ideas. You could forget the original motives,  objectives, and strategies. Don’t become so overwhelmed you decide to do nothing.

2. Listen To Your Internal Resources. Sometimes owners assume they require an outside source of information. But your internal team is invaluable in providing information about customers, products, and services. They are close to the purchaser and possess first-hand daily knowledge of product use, demand for services, and old and new customer profiles. They will be able to advise you on internal resources such as the development of and capacity to handle special sales, increased demand for services, and order processing.

3. Use External Resources. If short on staff, the external team you gather around you is even more important. To be effective, members of an external team must bring with them a good understanding of your business, a desire for quality, and a clear appreciation of timing. The external team can provide ideas that are outside the day-to-day life of your company. It brings an objectivity not found within an internal team.

4. Don’t Assume The External Resource is Correct. Rightly or wrongly, you will likely find yourself becoming more open to ideas from an outside resource than from your own staff. Don’t jump blindly into the new ideas just because they come from an outsider. Challenge the information and check with the internal team for their views. Make sure the external source can contribute information you do not already know.

5. Integrate Resources. Your external team may be made up of representatives from more than one company. Some effort may be necessary to integrate this collection of individuals and instill a true team spirit. Watch out for a marketing supplier who does just what you ask him or her to do. The last thing you need is a ‘‘yes man.’’

6. Your Idea May Not Be The Best One. The opposite of NIH, but equally destructive, is IHMBR (invented here, must be right). Some people go from idea straight to execution and nothing will sway them from this path. These are the marketers who will by any means and at any cost do it their way. They are usually the same small business owners who jump from one marketing supplier to another. They often move for the wrong reasons.

7. Avoid Ego Justification. Be careful you don’t fall victim to NIH (not invented here). Many solid ideas never make it past the investigation stage because an owner didn’t think of it. Be open to new ideas and study them. Check with others for objective, educated, and reliable opinions. You’re looking for more than a ‘‘What do you think?’’ opinion. Asking someone what they think without first identifying objectives or strategy is like opening ‘Pandora’s Box.’ You will receive personal opinions based on their limited marketing experience. You risk abandoning a potentially logical and valuable marketing approach for the wrong reasons.

8. Don’t Expect Results Right Away. Marketing is a constantly changing set of circumstances. Your company changes internally, competitors are often unpredictable, and customer needs evolve.

9. If It Sounds Too Good, It Is. Be wary of the marketing supplier who claims to have the power to solve all your marketing problems instantly. Marketing is your job, the team will change from time to time, and you will get stronger as your experience grows.

10. Cover Your Bases. Make sure all departments and all aspects of your business are covered. If you use outside resources, such as sales agents or distributors, to perform functions of your business, ask a representative from those companies to participate. There should not be an issue uncovered after the marketing materials have been prepared. Use your resources to test ideas as you go through the development process.

To begin putting your team together click here. You are not alone.

9 Signs It's Time for a Change
Guest Post by MarcandAngel.com

It’s never too late or too early to be who you are capable of being.  There’s no time limit, you can simply start and stop whenever you want.  You can change or stay the same.  You can make the best or the worst of it.  It’s up to you, so make the best of it.  Do things that startle you.  Feel things you never felt before.  Spend time with people who help you grow.  Live a life you’re proud of.  And if you find that you’re not, have the courage to make a change.

You know it’s time for a change when…

1. Fear is holding you back. – Realize that fear is the worst of it; fear is your real enemy.  So get up, get out in the stormy weather of the real world, and kick fear as hard as you can right in the teeth.  Do so by staring at it dead in the eyes and then walking right through it into the storm.  Let the rain kiss your skin.  That’s the first step.  Because a wet man doesn’t fear the rain anymore.  Read The Road Less Traveled.

Live by choice, not by chance.  Make changes, not excuses.  Be motivated, not manipulated.  Work to excel, not compete.  Listen to your own inner voice, not the jumbled opinions of everyone else. This is the way to inspire people!  This is how you can grow into the best version of YOU!

Here are a few more ideas to get you started with inspiring everyone around you: