Author: Admin

Handling Failure The Successful Entrepreneur Way


There are many differences that separate the winners in business and life from those who are struggling and falling by the wayside. One big difference is how they handle failure. Successful entrepreneurs have a positive mindset around the experience of failure. When they fail, they look at it as a result. In other words, they took “x” steps which produced “y” result. Since “Y” didn’t work, it’s back to the drawing board to change the formula and try again.

Many new business owners don’t make it out of the gate because as soon as they fail, they figure, “Who am I kidding? I knew it wouldn’t work” and then quit. In other words, they were unable to convert stumbling blocks into stepping stones which inevitably lead to failure. If everyone had that mindset, we wouldn’t have electricity, airplanes, vaccines … actually, we’d have pretty much nothing.

Every single success in this world was preceded by one, two — a thousand failures! Babe Ruth set a record for the most home runs. Did you know he also had the record for the most strikeouts? Thomas Edison failed more than a thousand times before he perfected the light bulb.

If you’re not failing, you’re not pushing yourself enough. You are remaining in your comfort zone and cannot expect to reach the level of success you’re capable of. Failure is what allows you to learn and grow. If you quit as soon as you meet with failure, you will always remain exactly where you are.

Albert Einstein once said, “You cannot solve a problem with the same level of thinking that created it.” And, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.” What these statements teach is, in order to overcome failure, you must think differently and act differently. It is what separates the ordinary from the extraordinary.

You might have to seek out guidance from someone else who can offer the expertise you need. You may need to inject new perspectives and talent by forming a team around your project, but fear of failure is one of the biggest obstacles that hold new business owners back. Failure should not be feared, but embraced because a life lived in fear is a life half lived.

If you’re stuck and unable to move forward because of fear of failure or because you have failed in your previous attempt, bring someone else into the mix to offer support and guidance. Tweak your plan and give it another go.

Engrave the words of the following masters into your mind and never, EVER give up:

  • Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. – Albert Einstein
  • He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat. – Napoleon I
  • Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines. – Robert Schuller

Innovative Way To Finance The Entrepreneur Dream


Borrow from your future

Statistics show that more than one million people in the United States start a new business each year. That number would be much higher if all the would-be entrepreneurs had the financing required to get a business up and running. In order to accomplish their dream of business ownership, entrepreneurs are finding new and innovative ways to finance their new ventures.

According to Leonard Fischer, President/CEO of BeneTrends, one of these new financing options is the use of a person’s existing retirement funds-a pension, profit sharing, 401(k), IRA-which allows that person to start the business he or she has always dreamed of without tax penalties, consequences or mountains of debt.

Under the Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), retirement funds can be transferred into usable capital for business investments or operations. If a person has more than $40,000 in a retirement account and is not currently employed by the company that holds those funds, he or she qualifies for this Small Business Administration (SBA)-recognized financing approach to start a business.

Permissible uses of funds

Retirement funds can be used for any business purpose, including:

  • Purchasing a franchise or existing business
  • Start-up expenses, such as purchasing property, equipment, etc.
  • Working capital, including paying salaries, franchise fees, etc.
  • Business expansion, such as funding additional franchises, locations, etc.
  • Equity toward SBA or other loans.

    The thought of dipping into one’s retirement can cause some apprehension. Through this investment strategy an individual actually has more control over his/her retirement-instead of gaining minimal growth dependent on the stock market, those savings are actually being invested in one’s own business. This approach often allows an individual to set aside more money for retirement than ever before.

    Use a plan expert

    “Today’s entrepreneur faces an environment of tremendous competition, complexity and opportunity, so starting a business the right way is more important than ever,” says Dr. Germain Boer, Director of Vanderbilt University’s Center for Entrepreneurship. “This financing method is a good option for an individual who has accumulated funds in his/her retirement accounts.”

    The entire process generally takes two to four weeks to be completed, and can be done by phone, email, fax, FedEx and regular mail.

    Working with an experienced employee benefits plan expert, starting a business is as simple as these four steps:

    Next steps

    1. Establish a C-corporation.
    2. The new corporation creates a retirement plan.
    3. Funds are rolled over into the corporation’s new retirement plan.
    4. The new retirement plan purchases the stock of the corporation.

      “So many people have watched their dream of owning their own business go out the window due to lack of funding options. We help people achieve that dream every day using money they already have,” says Fischer.

      If you’re ready to explore this innovative financing option, be sure to consult an expert to guide you through the specialized process.