10 beliefs that sabotage your success

1. I am the same ‘me’

2. If I change I am ‘inauthentic’

3. I won’t get tired

4. I understand the requirements

5. It has to be perfect

6. It’s not fair 

7. I can do it on my own

8. Nothing will interrupt my focus

9. ‘At least I’m better than…’

10. I am exempt on this ‘special day’

Read the reasons why: Reasons Why

15 secrets of really persuasive people

Persuasive people secret weapon is likeability. 

• They Know their Audience

Toning down your assertiveness when talking to someone who is shy . Cranking it up for the aggressive, high-energy type

• They Connect

The key here is to avoid getting too caught up in the back and forth of the discussion. 

The person you are speaking with is a person, not an opponent or a target. No matter how compelling your argument, if you fail to connect on a personal level, he or she will doubt everything you say.

• They Aren't Pushy

Persuasive people don’t ask for much, and they don’t argue vehemently for their position because they know that subtlety is what wins people over in the long run. 

If you tend to come across as too aggressive, focus on being confident but calm. 

• They Aren't Mousy

Remove qualifiers from your speech. When you are trying to be persuasive, there is no room for “I think” or “It is possible that.”

• They Use Positive Body Language

Positive body language will engage your audience and convince them that what you’re saying is valid. When it comes to persuasion, how you say something can be more important than what you say.

• They Are Clear and Concise

Persuasive people are able to communicate their ideas quickly and clearly. 

A good strategy here is to know your subject so well that you could explain it to a child. 

• They Are Genuine

By concentrating on what drives you and makes you happy as an individual, you become a much more interesting and persuasive person than if you attempt to win people over by trying to be the person they want you to be.

• They Acknowledge Your Point of View

 Admit that your argument is not perfect. This shows that you are open minded and willing to make adjustments.

• They Ask Good Questions

Something as simple as a clarification question shows not only that you are listening but also that you care about what they’re saying.

• They Paint a Picture

Good stories create images in the mind of the recipients that are easy to relate to and hard to forget.

• They Leave a Strong First Impression

 First impressions are intimately tied to positive body language. Strong posture, a firm handshake, a smile, and opening your shoulders to the person you are talking to will help ensure that your first impression is a good one.

• They Know When to Step Back

Urgency is a direct threat to persuasion, so tread lightly.

• They Greet People by Name

Your name is an essential part of your identity, and it feels terrific when people use it. 

• They Are Pleasers

Persuasive people never win the battle only to lose the war. Persuasive people do this because they know in the long run this wins people over. They know it’s better to be successful than it is to be “right.”

• They Smile

People naturally (and unconsciously) mirror the body language of the person they’re talking to. If you want people to like you and believe in you, smile at them during a conversation, and they will unconsciously return the favor and feel good as a result. 

Putting It All Together

Persuasive people are adept at reading and responding to other people. They rely heavily on emotional intelligence (EQ) to bring people to their way of thinking. 

What Is Crowd Funding?

Crowdfunding at a Glance

Crowdfunding is a method of raising capital through the collective effort of friends, family, customers, and individual investors. This approach taps into the collective efforts of a large pool of individuals—primarily online via social media and crowdfunding platforms—and leverages their networks for greater reach and exposure.

How is Crowdfunding Different?

Crowdfunding is essentially the opposite of the mainstream approach to business finance. Traditionally, if you want to raise capital to start a business or launch a new product, you would need to pack up your business plan, market research, and prototypes, and then shop your idea around to a limited pool or wealthy individuals or institutions. These funding sources included  banks, angel investors, and venture capital firms, really limiting your options to a few key players.  You can think of this fundraising approach as a funnel, with you and your pitch at the wide end and your audience of investors at the closed end. Fail to point that funnel at the right investor or firm at the right time, and that’s your time and money lost.   

Crowdfunding platforms, on the other hand, turns that funnel on-end. By giving you, the entrepreneur, a single platform to build, showcase, and share your pitch resources, this approach dramatically streamlines the traditional model. Traditionally, you’d spend months sifting through your personal network, vetting potential investors, and spending your own time and money to get in front of them. With crowdfunding, it’s much easier for you to get your opportunity in front of more interested parties and give them more ways to help grow your business, from investing thousands in exchange for equity to contributing $20 in exchange for a first-run product or other reward.

VIA https://www.fundable.com/learn/resources/guides/crowdfunding-guide/what-is-crowdfunding

4 Realistic Ways To Fund Your Small Business

The truth is, most small businesses piece together their funding from several different sources phased out over time. No single source of funding is necessarily easier to come by than another. It depends on your business model, projections, and how well you can sell yourself to potential financial partners. Whether you are a start-up seeking initial seed capital or an operating small business looking for money to grow, you have to be flexible, remain positive, and stay vigilant in your efforts.

Here are five ways to get started with funding your small business:

1. Do it yourself. Most entrepreneurs and small business owners these days have come to the realization that they will have to self-fund (also know as “boot-strapping”) their projects for a significant amount of time until more formal funding opportunities become realistic. There are many ways to accomplish this from savings accounts and zero interest credit cards to leveraging other personal assets. If you believe in your vision and have an absolute refusal to accept failure as an option, you should feel comfortable investing you own money into the business. In turn, this will make potential investors more comfortable knowing you have skin in the game. Just keep your eye on profitability!
2. Friends, family, and fools. Funding from friends and family is a very popular and effective way to round up some initial capital for a business. Those closest to you are more likely than anyone to believe not only in your vision, but your ability to make that vision a reality. One downside of course is that you are potentially risking personal relationships should the business fail and your agreement not be structured properly. To avoid friends and family feeling like “fools” I recommend structuring this type of funding as a high interest loan for one year. Borrow just enough to launch the business into operations, build your website, or develop some additional pitch material if you want to go after big money. And as much as you will want to avoid racking up legal fees, it is imperative that all parties get sound legal advice. Not doing so can potentially cost you much more down the road.
3. Small business loans. I know what you’re thinking. Banks are more stringent than ever about giving out loans and if you don’t have any credit, how can you possibly consider this route? In our early days, by business partner and I ran into this obstacle all the time. When writing this article, I was doing some research looking for companies that specialize in helping small businesses get quick and easy access to lenders. One company that stood out was All Business Loans.  According to Mike Kevitch, COO of All Business Loans, “Startups seeking money from banks need a good business plan, profitable projections and some of their own money in the game.” Seeking any type of capital can be a full time job in itself which is why companies like All Business Loans can be a great way to take the leg work out of it. Another reason to pursue debt financing is that you aren’t giving away a piece of your business.
4. Angel investors. This path is close to my heart because we have achieved enormous success in raising money this way. That being said, much of it has to do with timing and leveraging the right contacts. In our experience the “friends and family” route has actually opened the doors to angel investment rounds. A large amount of trust can be built by giving your early stage investor his or her money back plus interest. But just because someone lent you money to launch your business, doesn’t make them the right financial partner for the long run. When raising money from angels or VC’s you have to keep in mind that they will own a piece of the business and you then have a fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interests of the business and its shareholders. Attracting angel investorsis a tricky business, and no matter how exciting and positive the initial conversations may be, the devil is always in the details. Know your business plan, be transparent, back up your valuation with real projections (forget the BS hockey stick revenue models), and build a relationship based on trust.

Regardless of which path you take, chances are that you may do all of these at some point as your business grows.  At the end of the day, you have a business to run and none of this matters unless it has your full attention. So find a viable funding solution that also allows you to maintain operations and focus on profitability.

VIA http://www.forbes.com/sites/brentgleeson/2013/08/29/4-realistic-ways-to-fund-your-small-business/