Archive for June, 2009

The Coliseum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain, Rome was not built in one day and Rome was not built by one man. Landmarks like the Coliseum are a testament to what humans can accomplish when they work together towards a goal. We have come far since the days of the gladiator games. We no longer feed slaves to hungry lions for entertainment. Our modern structures are appropriately awe inspiring. Yet in the course of our progress we seem to have lost the ability to co-operate and collaborate.

What happened to working together? What happened to lending a helping hand just because you could? Today when we look at another organization we immediately think of them as the competition, the opposition. We seem to have forgotten the concept of ‘allies’. Just because someone is engaged in the same or a similar activity as you does not mean that he is your competitor. A smart successful businessman of today would find a way to turn his opposition into an ally. Today, business practices require us to think beyond accounting statements. We are accountable for a lot more than just turning a profit. We must find ways to work with one another so that we all succeed.

Monetary gains are no longer the measure of a man’s success. It is only one of the many factors to be considered.Today the world is more concerned with the legacy of a business. What is the world saying about you? Individually all of us are doomed to be insignificant in the grad tapestry of time. Our legacy is one that will be forgotten, but by working together we can accomplish more than any of us individually could ever even dream of. We can build higher, longer, bigger and stronger. Let’s build our own coliseum, one brick at a time.

A single drop of water is not even enough to quench your thirst, but keep adding drop after drop and you could end up with enough to fill an ocean. You don’t have to be a genius to realize that there is strength in numbers, and that two heads are better than one. This holds true even in business.  This is why business organizations have grown from sole proprietorship’s to the gigantic joint stock companies of today. Not all businesses can become corporate giants.  Does this mean that they cannot achieve the same amount of success nor have the same impact as their much larger peers? Alone it would be near impossible for any small business to compete with corporate entities but by collaborating with other small businesses it could be as easy as a walk in the park.

In todays market every businessman faces keen competition against dozens of other organizations. There are very few takers for the services being provided by many. So instead of acting like a pack of hungry dogs fighting over a scrap of food it makes a lot more sense to pool resources and share revenue.

Instead of spending significant amounts to out shine a competitor the smarter thing to do would be to make that competitor a partner and collaborate on business activities. Instead of trying to beat each other why not join each other? Gone are the days of cutthroat competitiveness. There are new rules to this old game. It is a lot more beneficial for all involved to collaborate and co-operate in business activities. By pooling resources we can increase our strength and attract more clients, and by sharing revenue we ensure steadier and greater gains not to mention we significantly reduce competition.

Two brothers were put in charge of separate villages located close to one another. Both brothers were highly ambitious and hardworking, unfortunately the elder lacked foresight and patience. Both brothers wanted to see their village flourish. The elder brother, in his quest to acquire energy, had the villagers cut down half the forest. Soon they had enough wood and energy to partake in numerous business activities. Money flowed in and the people prospered.

The younger brother ordered his people to recycle waste, to make compost and bio gas. They were told to work hard in the fields and plant more crops. The people were content.  They did not have in abundance but they had enough.

Over time more and more people came to the elder brother’s village to be a part of his success. Unfortunately the village had run out of trees to cut. The air was polluted and the land barren. The money dried up and the people became depressed and angry. The younger brother’s village, on the other hand, continued its sure and steady progress. The people went from being content, to being happy and never had any cause to complain. One day the elder brother asked his younger sibling the secret of his success. He replied “I never earn only for profit. I earn for the planet and its people as well.”

Today success cannot be measured solely in monetary terms. Conscious Business principles teach us, the importance of having a clean environment and a populous of satisfied, happy people. These people will work harder and live longer to partake in business activities, thus ensuring that everyone gets  what they want, If not in abundance in sufficiency at least. The success of a business today is measured by its business values and impact on the environment along with profit.

They say “The advent of Global recession is the death knell for small businesses”. This cannot be more untrue. Recession is nothing more and nothing less than an opportunity for smarter, positive thinking businessmen to take advantage of the unique circumstances existing in our market. Recession simply means, the market is more cautious and the number of potential clients has reduced. All you have to do to ensure success is to find these limited clients and establish an instant business relationship with them. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? That’s because there’s a way to make it happen.

There’s an ancient quote that says “The power of God will unite us all.” Whether the ancients were speaking with insight or whether they took a shot in the dark; they hit the nail on the head. Recent studies have proven we are all connected to one another at a molecular level. It is through these unseen connections that we affect the world around us. When we think negatively we invariably attract ‘negatives’, similarly, when we think positively we attract ‘positives’. One should understand, when we think on the lines of ‘I want more’ we are focusing on something that is lacking, and will thus attract only ‘negatives’. Instead of thinking ‘I want more’, think ‘I have more’ and ‘more’ will come. This is known as ‘The Law of Attraction’ which states that ‘like attracts like’.

It is with the help of this law that you can make sure your business flourishes. If you believe you have success, success is guaranteed. After all victory and defeat both begin in the mind of the competitors. Train your mind to think in such a way that it believes it already has what it wants. This sends out a siren call for anything that your heart desires and desires come and find you. It’s time to stop being cautious and think only of success. It’s time to believe, believe in yourself, and believe in the fact that if you want it you already have it.