Small Business Made Simple™ » Business Quotes

Business Quote of the Week: Andrew Carnegie

Matt — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 23:41:23 +0000

“People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.” – Andrew Carnegie Related posts:Business Quote of the Week – Peter F. Drucker Business Quote of the Week 2/25/08 Business Quote of the Week – Daisy Bates Related posts:

Steve Jobs R.I.P.

Matt — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 09:31:17 +0000

Great post from Jason Calacanis:

1. Unrelenting attention to detail.

2. Impeccable taste.

3. Indefatigable passion.

4. Absolute conviction.

5. Unwavering vision.

6. Boundless curiosity.

7. Mercurial motivator.

One or two of these will help you make a living.

Three or four of these will make you successful.

Four of five of these will make you a legend.

Five or six of these will make you iconic for all time.

All seven will make you Steve Jobs.

Read the whole thing.

Recessions Create Millionaires

Matt — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:06:44 +0000

“From 2012-2018, more new millionaires will be created than in the last 20 years. While the economy has most people paralyzed, the great ones are reloading, re-strategizing, and taping their creative power to dream up solutions to a host of brand new problems. While the middle class is job hunting, the world class is idea hunting. If you’ve ever dreamed of being rich, get excited and get busy. Your family fortune awaits you.”

-Steve Siebold

Business Quote on Entrepreneurship

Matt — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 10:38:47 +0000

“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.” – Unknown Related posts:Business Quote of the Week 9/2/08 Entrepreneurship on the Rise in the US Business Quote of the Week – 3/24/08 Related posts:

Happy New Year and Motivational Post

Matt — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 17:51:18 +0000

Happy New Year everyone! Let’s make it a great 2011. This is, of course, our busy season but I ran across a good post that I wanted to quote for you here:

Every morning, we all wake up, and our houses may be worth less than the mortgages on them, and our 401(k)s may be worth less than our lunch, and our salaries or revenues or consulting bills may be down – maybe even down a lot – but we’re waking up in the U.S. of A., where every day is another chance to kick ass and take names.

Buck up, everyone, and go and achieve excellence.

It’s been a rough few years for most people in the USA, but hardly as bad as 90% of the people on planet Earth have it – most of them would gladly change places with you if you live in the USA. Always remember there is still plenty of opportunity in this great country. Never forget that each day is a new chance.

Business Quote – March 8, 2009

Matt — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:29:54 +0000

“The most common cause of executive failure is inability or unwillingness to change with the demands of a new position. The executive who keeps on doing what he has done successfully before is almost bound to fail.” — Peter Drucker Related posts:Business Quote of the Week – 3/10/2008 Business Quote of the Week – Peter [...] Related posts:

Business Quote of the Week – Sebastien-Roch Nicolas De Chamfort

Matt — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:09:03 +0000

“A person of intellect without energy added to it, is a failure.”

~Sebastien-Roch Nicolas De Chamfort

“A person of intellect without energy added to it, is a failure.”

~Sebastien-Roch Nicolas De Chamfort

Commentary: Lots of people have great business ideas and/or are extremely intelligent. This is great – but if you do not apply your intelligence, take action on your ideas, then it is simply an intellectual exercise.

Responding To Criticism

Matt — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:35 +0000

In small business and in life, if you are doing anything at all (instead of simply stagnating), then you will inevitably have people criticize you. People that take action and build things of any importance are constantly criticized. You can either let the criticism crush you or you can deal with it.

Tim Ferris has a fantastic post about how Dr. Martin Luther King handled criticism. In his famous “Letter from a Birmingham City Jail”, Dr. King notes:

While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities “unwise and untimely.” Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statements in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.

Note that Dr. King was in jail and under the strain of criticism few humans are likely to endure. The full letter is long but definitely worth a read. He not only dismisses most criticism, the criticism he deems as fair he engages vigorously and makes his case passionately.

Business and Life Lesson: Most criticism can be dismissed, the valid criticism (typically from people whom you respect) should be listened to and acknowledged. Don’t let critics prevent you from doing what you deem necessary to live the life you want to live.

Business Quote of the Week: Perseverance

Matt — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 22:56:09 +0000

“I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.” - From an interview with Steve Jobs.

Commentary: Perseverance has been a common trait among successful people in life, government and business. Keeping your eyes on the ball and not giving up is a must-have life skill.

Bonus Quote:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” - Calvin Coolidge, 3oth President of the US.

Business Quote of the Week 9/2/08

Matt — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:08:06 +0000

“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” — Jim Rohn

Commentary: I believe planning your life is as important as planning your business, yet many still put more thought into their wedding, their next car purchase, the lottery or their enemies than they do on actually making a plan for their life. If you don’t plan your life, you’ll simply wander through life aimlessly. In fact, Michael Gerber speaks about this in The E-Myth; designing your business around your life plan.