WHAT IS THE BLACK AGENDA?

By: Brandon Gaskins

      Way back in 2008 when President Obama took office many people in the black community was expecting him to implement the black agenda. Some thought President Obama would be able to eradicate our people being undervalued, exploited and overlooked. Well its 2014 and soon President Obama's 2nd term will be over and in case I missed it, there has been no implementation of the black agenda. If you Google the black agenda, you will not be directed to a federal government website or subsidiary that outlines plans for the black agenda, you wont find a think tank group that focuses on using African American resources to uplift our communities. To make matters worst it seems as if many in the African American community are infighting trying to determine what is the black agenda.    

                                  Remenber when this guy was not black enough?

     

 There is so much infighting in the black community that little to no progress has been made in our impoverished neighborhoods. Sadly some black people have adopted racism and judge black people on how light skinned or dark skinned they are. If you look in the dictionary black is defined as the absent of light, enveloped in darkness. You cannot define a person by a color and therefore you cannot create an agenda for an ethnic group based on color.   

     As Americans do we not all want the same things in regards to our families prospering in peace without unwarranted threats. There is nothing a progressive Caucasian family wants that a progressive African family does not want. Most all religions are multicultural, does that mean we have multicultural God's and those God's benefit one ethnic group. 

     If we in the African American community could set aside whatever differences we have that keep us separated, there would not be a need for the black agenda. We already have the tools we need to uplift our communities. We have got to stop spending our money with businesses where those dollars do not come back to our neighborhoods. We have got to stop believing that all the problems in our communities can only be solved by an African. If a Caucasian,Latino or any other ethnic group, can offer a solution to any of my problems without me having to jeopardize my morale's, I will  gladly accept the help. We have got to stop judging one another on the basis of skin color alone if we are ever going to grow as people.

                                                               

     

     

HAPPINESS IS BUT A STEP AWAY

By:  Brandon Gaskins
November 25,2014

    Happiness is like a piece of art; Best interpreted by the artist...

          We all have the ability to create our own happiness, however we spend too much time focusing on what we don't have instead of being thankful for having the tools to obtain those things that bring us happiness. I have learned that what truly makes me happy is speaking the truth, spreading love and encouraging wealth building. My goal in life is to find a way to create a business, doing what brings me joy and turning this calling into a business that will become a movement for the working class. Sounds great right, well atleast I think so; however there is one thing stopping me from obtaining this goal, Myself. Sad to say it but if I don't get moving Now, there is a good chance I may become another statistic of people with great ideas that never see their dreams accomplished because they don't put in that 24/7 mentality to drive them there.

          However we can change those bad behaviors that consume a large amount of time that could be spent planning and researching. It starts just like everything in this world does, one step at a time. You have to identify those activities and relationships that negatively impact your ability to accomplish your goals. For instance, instead of watching repeat television shows, you can turn on the radio or instead of repeating doubtful phrases to yourself like, "I cant" or "its to hard", tell yourself."I will make it" or "no obstacle is too hard". Stay busy chasing your dreams and never give up on your happiness.

The Road Less Traveled pt2

By Brandon Gaskins

    My vision for Idea Tank75 is to not help rebuild our communities through small business endeavors. For example, someone in the community bakes the best cakes you have ever tasted and they need one thousand dollars to start a home bakery, or someone wants to sponsor, charter bus trips and need fifteen hundred for the down payment and someone else needs seven hundred dollars to start a crafting business. Well Idea Tank75 through networking events can bring those people together along with community investors to fund their business endeavors. The website will be used not only for information but also a place where users can connect with one another to discuss small business endeavors and community development.

 Everyone deserves to live a life they can be proud of and one that affords them the time to pursue their interest. You should not have to compromise your happiness and your dreams because you do not have the right resources or connections. There a literally millions of people across the world that have great ideas which can impact the lives of us all.        

   Idea Tank75 has become my life's mission,I refuse to allow doubt and fear stop me and you from impacting the lives of so many people. I started a blog called ideatank75.blogspot.com a few months back, my blog is all about providing positive information with a focus on encouraging entrepreneurship. I recently realized that without the proper networking, I am limited in the number of lives I can impact.This is why I have a project on Kickstarter, to reach a larger number people to join our community.

  Once I am able to reach my funding goal I plan to use the money to enhance my blog or convert to a website, trademarking my logo, incorporate my blog into a business,place a down payment on a small location to host my first networking event, promotion,a camera to record this event and to take pictures with. Any other funds will be used to seek out guest speakers and those with resources to enhance my event. After my first successful networking event in Baltimore,Md I plan to travel to nearby cities to continue spreading the word and building our community. 

  In order to get the word out about my project, I will not only use social media but I will be in the public eye promoting myself, similar to that of a politician during election season. I will be out with my signs communicating with everyone I meet. I will be giving away free water and other low cost items (with my own money) as a way to encourage the support of my project. I will not be promoting a few days a week, instead I will be doing this everyday even after my goal is met. By funding my project you will not only be changing my life but possibly, changing the life of every person I meet. I know that with your help we can help create entrepreneurs and help people retire comfortably.

The only risk or challenge I face are the ones I place on myself by not committing myself 100% everyday. I am convinced that with properly networking there is nothing to stop us from changing our lives. I recently left my full time job so I can devote the bulk of my time and energy to grow Idea Tank75.

The Road Less Traveled

By Brandon Gaskins

    There are literally millions of bloggers across the globe, who on a daily, weekly or monthly cycle post topics they feel their readers would be interested in reading. Some do this for a hobby, some do it for feedback but there are a small few that do it for a living. However if you asked most bloggers, if they would like to turn their blog into a business, the overwhelming answer would be yes. Unfortunately, most bloggers will never be able to live out that dream of being a business owner, for various reasons.

   First of all the internet is saturated with websites that may offer the same content you offer and much more, so its hard to build a loyal following. Secondly, most bloggers have full time jobs that take up the bulk of their time that could be used to develop their blogs and promote their blogs to the general public. Also, many bloggers focus too much attention on what other bloggers are doing, this keeps their blog from being unique. In my opinion, the number one reason why many bloggers fail at turning their blog ideas into a business is because they only focus on putting information on their blog, they don't think outside the box and envision their blog as being part of  a larger business.

    When I envisioned Idea Tank75, I immediately thought of it as a business first and a blog second. My dilemma came when I tried to eek out small time periods to develop my idea. I shortly realized if I was going to do this I had to downsize my lifestyle and commit myself to pursuing my dream and not live my life building someones else dream. This required me to leave my full time job as a bus driver and the management position they offered me. The decision to leave was not a hard one because for one, I was not happy and two in my heart I know if I commit myself and endure the early periods of fear and doubt, I could turn my idea into a very successful business.  Next I had to make sure Idea Tank75 was not just a business that I could benefit from but a business that could impact the lives of many many people; and after many conversations with myself and other people I think I have accomplished that.

    So now the only thing left for me to do was put my plan into action, oh wait I need funds to make this possible. This is where many people (including myself for a brief period) give up, if they do not already have the funds or the credit needed to acquire the funds. This is another stage of conquering your fears and doubts. I began to research other avenues of fund raising and stumbled upon Kickstarter, which is a crowdfunding website that allows people to invest in ideas with small amounts of money. For example, you want to start a mobile oil change business but you need seven thousand dollars to start the business, well crowdfunding allows you to raise that money by presenting to many investors who give small amounts of money (even $1). You as the potential business owner give rewards for the dollar amount donated. Using the same mobile oil change business, for one dollar you may offer a simple e-card but for a thirty dollar donation you may offer a free oil change; The higher the donation, the better the reward.

    So I decided to start my own crowdfunding campaign for Idea Tank75; as I researched other campaigns I noticed that more campaigns go unfunded than those that get fully funded. The reason is many people don't market and promote their campaignss to successfully fund their projects. So after much soul searching I have decided to take my fundraising to the public before i put it on a crowdfunding platform, so investors can see that I am dedicated to building Idea Tank75 into a business. My next post will show what my campaign  looks like so far.

Broke Is The New Rich

By: Brandon Gaskins

    Most people will never know whats its like to be homeless and penny less, but for those who have dreams and the commitment to follow their hearts will tell you, being broke was probably the best thing to ever happen to them. When you are at your lowest point, that's when you find out what your really made of and if those around you really want to see you succeed. The following people found themselves at their lowest points but instead of giving up, they followed their hearts and became a success.

    Chris Gardner was accepted into a Dean Witter Reynolds trainee program for finance, despite not having any experience or a college degree. The meager salary was not enough to live off and so Chris was forced to live on the streets of New York with his young son. The movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness", was based off his life. Chris is the CEO of Gardner Rich LLC, a New York Times bestselling author and a motivational speaker.

    Oscar award winning actress, Halle Berry has beauty that is timeless and you would think her looks kept her from ever having to deal with being broke or homeless. However when Berry was in her early twenties she moved to Chicago to chase her dreams of becoming an actress. She soon ran out of money and her mother thought it would be best if she did not send Halle any money. Halle admitted she had to sleep in homeless shelters until things turned around for her.

Jim Carrey an In Loving Color alumni, is arguably one of the funniest men on the planet. Before Jim became a Hollywood superstar he was broke and homeless. Carrey dropped out of high school and lived out of a VW camper, before eventually living out of a tent on his oldest sister lawn. Its been nothing but green pastures since then.

Ella Fitzgerald, to many is the best jazz female vocalist of all time. Before Ella received 13 Grammy awards and medals from President Reagan and President George H. Bush, she would deal with being abused by her step father, being a runaway and working for the mafia. She was discovered when she got up the nerve to perform at the famous Apollo theater in 1934.

Most Know Daniel Craig as the action hero star 007 or James Bond. What they don't know is Daniel slept on park benches in London before he got his big break.

Sylvester Stallone is one of the most recognizable actors in Hollywood, he has played easy to love characters, Rambo and Rocky. Before Stallone got his first paying role in a softcore adult movie titled, "The Party at Kitty and Studs" in which he was paid $200 for two days, Stallone spent 3 weeks sleeping at the, port authority bus station.

You Deserve To Do What You Love

By: Brandon Gaskins

    Have you ever heard the phrase, "Do what you have to, until you can do what you want to"? I would tell myself this everyday as I went to work at a job I hated. I was miserable and did not see an end to my misery. Everyday I would wake up around 4:00am, averaging about five hours of sleep a day. I could literally feel my body aging everyday, I was "running on fumes". I drove buses and straight trucks, I chose this profession because I like to travel, love the outdoors and enjoy physical activity. I have had several office jobs that bored me completely, one office job had me in a cubicle facing a brick wall and my internet access was restricted, I hated it so much but it paid the bills.

    Well unless we are ready to downsize our lifestyle, we will always have bills that keep us, doing what we have to in order to pay bills. Why buy a house or even a new car if you are not happy at your profession or if your profession does not allow you the financial freedom to make those purchases using your own money. How can you say, "I just bought a house", when all your doing is making payments on one, what you just purchased was a financial burden. 

    The truth is we create our own road blocks, we make the decisions that keep us from living a life we can be happy with, instead of a life being contempt or just plain miserable. Some of us love to write, others love to work with their hands and some enjoy public speaking, regardless of whatever you love to do, you deserve to be able to do it as a profession. When you are miserable it affects you and everyone else around you.  The same goes when you have joy in your heart, we have all seen that person who is always smiling, always has a positive attitude, its infectious and admirable. You have to make the decisions that will put you closer to doing the things you love to do.   

    Sure there is a risk in pursuing your passions but there is an even greater risk on settling for a job that does not satisfy you. Being miserable affects your physical and mental health. We have all heard the term, "going postal" referring to postal workers, whose anger for their job boils over and the postal worker has a violent outburst. Postal workers are paid a pretty good salary but it requires so much of your time and energy. You will never hear a postal worker or correctional officer say, "I am doing what I love to do". A good paying job could never replace the joy from doing what you love to do, and over time your earnings can surpass that of a dead end job.

The Key To Closing The Economic Gap Is To Encourage Entrepreneurship In Our Children

By: Brandon Gaskins

    This past June, thousands of students graduated from educational institutions across the country. Some went on to continue their education at other educational facilities, while others went on to become working adults; contributing, unknowingly to the capitalistic culture of America. I was one of those proud parents attending my daughters fifth grade graduation. However unlike many parents who attended the graduation I knew in a very short amount of time she would be graduating from high school. I then had to ask myself am I doing everything I can to put her in a position to be successful, sadly that answer is no. Sure I do my part to make sure my children have morals and values, I make sure they respect themselves and others. I even try to encourage them to chase their dreams and not settle for being an employee but that is not enough. 

    If, I want my children to face their fears and pursue a path that is less traveled then I must do the same. It is not enough for me to tell my children to follow their dreams, I have to set the example and take the necessary steps to pursue my own goals. As parents we have a favorite saying, "don't do as I do, do as I say". We say this because we have already adopted bad habits that interfere with us becoming the best person we can be.  Many parents are not financially sound and are not doing enough to make sure their elder years are not spent in despair, trying to make ends meet. We go through life expecting the best, but not doing enough to get the best results. We work two jobs, sign up for as much overtime our employers offer and still we find ourselves falling deeper into debt.

    We may not realize this but everyday the cost of living increases, our dollars are buying less and less and employers are not willing to increase our wages. The average employee will only receive a fifty cent raise on their yearly evaluations, meanwhile that raise will get absorbed by the cost of living, leaving the employee unable to have any kind of social mobility. So many parents are pleased when their children reach the age where they can contribute financially to the household. While this seems like a natural progression, it is one that is stifling most working class families ability to close the economic gap. When young adults are not encouraged to pursue the dreams or motivated to become entrepreneurs, their future income is drastically reduced.

  You don't need an independent study to know that young adults who do not settle for the workforce an instead opt to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors make more than their counterparts and I would imagine they are much more happier. So instead of motivating our youth to get underpaying jobs that will leave them unsatisfied and unmotivated, encourage them to pursue those things that make them happy and then help them find a way to turn that passion into a business.

    

Call To Arms

By Brandon Gaskins

                                                                                                                                                                        My intentions for Idea Tank75 is for it not to be just another personal blog, I want it to become a community blog that grows into a movement, bringing citizens together to create economic change using our own resources. Their is so much more that needs to be done and I am going to need help. If you are a cartoonist, guest blogger, journalist, photographer, someone who needs to be interviewed or a person of interest, a small business owner or citizen that can provide knowledge and resources please email me at ideatank75@gmail.com . Although I cannot pay you for your services, I will gladly provide you with a platform to be seen and express yourself.

Where Is Your Faith?

By Brandon Gaskins

    Ask most people where does their faith lay and they will point to their religion; I question why they are not able to separate the two.   I am not here to judge one's belief or spiritual healing, just as long as you are in the business of spreading love. In my opinion, religions are great at providing someone who is depleted spiritually a base to rebuild themselves from the inside out. No person can become the best person they can be without having a spiritual base and a purpose. Most people find the latter of the two hard to achieve.  Living your life with a purpose requires great sacrifices and a lot of patience. However if you do not have faith you will never be able to live a purposeful life.

It is no small task to say I am going to live the rest of my life not taking the traditional path that everyone else takes, that I am willing to become the hunter instead of being hunted. Meaning you are willing to pursue your dreams instead of expecting things to happen on their own. The reason why there are not more entrepreneurs is because people are scared of taking a risk, they are so dependent on a paycheck that they never get a chance to live a life where their dreams can become a reality.

    So many of us claim to have faith, when in reality most have little to none. Its the reason why we idolize celebrities and athletes so much, because we try to live vicariously through their success,instead of focus our attention on achieving our own dreams. You cannot measure your success by what someone else has done with their life. You have you own path to follow and that may not mean fame and fortune. However do not despair because we know fame and fortune sometimes comes with a price we are not willing to pay. If you dream of becoming your own boss, you must be determined and driven. You must stay the course when the waters get rough and doubt is tapping you on the shoulder. Life will not allow you to just simply wish things would change, it forces you to make decisions that will affect how you will live your life. Have the faith and courage to make the tough decisions or life will choose for you.

10 Tax Benefits Small Business Owners May Not Be Aware Of (Including Writers)

By Brandon Gaskins

1. 50% of your business related meals are covered, be sure to keep receipt.
2. 100% of your business related meals (including rental space and catering) and entertainment (including recreational facilities) are covered, if you are promoting goodwill in the community.
3. Any and all cost related to advertising including website design and hosting fees.
4. If you have a home office you can deduct a portion of your rent, if you buy property that you will be using for business purposes you can deduct a portion of your taxes due to depreciation. 
5. Business travel expenses for conferences, seminars, classes and tours are covered, including flight and hotel. However meals are only covered at 50%.
6. 100% of your health insurance is deductible.
7. Hiring an editor or proof reader is 100% deductible.

   

   Bright ideas start with a connection
   

                                                                                                                                                                                                            

8. Vehicle expenses used for business purposes including maintenance and gasoline, be sure to record mileage.
9. Bad debt due to not being paid by a client; if you claimed the expected income on that years taxes but was never paid you can deduct that loss the following year as bad debt.
10. 100% of your rental car fees are deductible however any personal usage must be subtracted from the amount used as a tax deduction. 

Dont Let Financial Burderns Stop You From Chasing Your Dreams

By: Brandon Gaskins

                                           

   Financial burdens are those material objects that absorb an abundance of our income instead of making us money. The secret is out, America's culture as a collective is to shop shop shop. We are so far removed from the notion that we can become our own boss so we try to spend like one. Even when you become your own boss you should avoid the pitfalls of financial burdens. 

   Most financial burdens occur when people try to present an image that is far removed from their actual income; they try to present an image of someone that has expensive taste and can afford to make big ticket purchases without it affecting their lifestyle. Their chasing a status that says, I am better than you because my car is better than yours,my house is better than yours and my clothes cost more than your rent. Sit on the bus stop for awhile and you will get looks of superiority from many drivers that look your way, even though they are driving in cars they cannot afford. You ever see someone driving an expensive car like they are they only person on the road. They feel as though certain common sense rules do not apply to them because they are in an expensive vehicle. What about the person driving an Audi but living in an apartment or the person that pays $2,000 a month for a rental property they will never own. We spend so much time trying to follow public opinion on what a successful life entails that we fail to listen to our inner voices that beckons us to follow our hearts and dreams to become the best person we can be.

Your wants are just that , wants; you have everything you will ever need to succeed but you continue to look around for your wants. The truth is, if we put forth the same effort chasing our dreams, that we use to chase our wants, we would have all those things and more. You do not have to compromise on your happiness, you don't have to purchase your happiness, it is already a part of who you are. Depression and doubt sets in when we stop believing we can make a difference in our lives and those around us. You were not put on this earth to work for someone else your entire adulthood and live a stressful, unfulfilled life. You were put here to learn, grow and make a difference; you cannot allow other entities to dictate how you will live while on this planet. Live your life with a purpose, as if your mission is to follow your dreams and inspire others to live their dreams as well. If you look around and your unsatisfied with the life you have created for yourself, then maybe its time to hit the reset button and focus on that energy which will bring you closer to your dreams; do not forget to show appreciation to those that assist you with trying to follow your heart.

Think of Yourself as A Business, Before You Become A Business Owner

By Brandon Gaskins

                                                                        

   All businesses started from an idea, it then became the responsibility of that person to do their due diligence to see that idea develop into a business.What does that mean? Well it means you will have to make some sacrifices that you may not be ready for. There is alot of reading, writing and planning that goes into starting a business. Your personal, social and financial life will all have to take a backseat to following your dream. Many recommend quitting your full time job and instead take a part time job or find a service/product you can offer the public. You will have to free up plenty of time to devote to your new business venture. Remember, starting a business is not a part time job, it is a life changing event.

   Their is nothing wrong with wanting nice things but you have to make sure you can afford it and the purchase makes sense. The housing market collapse that happened just a few years ago showed us how people wants were being preyed upon when it came to buying a house. From the moment you become an adult you are told the "American Dream" is home ownership, so its no wonder why so many would sign up for almost any type of home loan. The same goes for car loans, home leases and credit cards, these financial burdens account for the majority of many paychecks. If you ever want to become a business owner you are going to have to stop creating financial burdens. Once you become a business owner you can have those things and much more.

   You will never hear a business owner say,"I'm just working for the weekend". If you do, they wont be a business owner for long. In today's global market, business owners scamper to find ways to market their product or service and spend countless hours doing so. Your business is a product of the work you put into building and maintaining it. The energy you put into properly writing a business plan, handing out business cards, using your public library to give a presentation, all of these steps bring you closer to achieving your goal of building your business or brand. It is an absolute must that you do everything you can to change your lifestyle so that you are the business before one even exists. Even your dress should change, you should have some business and business casual attire in your closet.

  

3 Deadly Dream Killers: Fear, Procrastination, Doubt

By: Brandon Gaskins

   Dreams are so beautiful, they shine so brilliantly, a life where your needs and wants are fulfilled simultaneously; Stress is no longer a component in your life... THEN YOU WAKE UP. How do we get to that life where we are fulfilled completely? We ask ourselves that question several hundred thousand times throughout our lifetime. However a million times a day we are reminded, anything we put our mind to we can do.The irony of life is until we truly stand by our faith (not to be confused with religion), we will continue to suffer in situations that are stressful and unfulfilled.

   So what is fear? Is it something your can touch or smell; No. Fear is something we make up in our head. It has no value, it only has value when we add value to it. Fear does not exist until we give it life. Your scared of going without for awhile or adjusting your lifestyle where you only have the bare minimum? Well you should be terrified of getting old in America without have a six figure retirement. You cannot save up that kind of money, your 401k will not produce that kind of money. The cost of living is increasing so rapidly that your savings will not be able to support you; that's if you are able to save anything at all. You have got to stop allowing your own mental barriers from preventing you from living out your dreams.

   Now you have the courage to attempt to change your life and the energy you feel sustains you for the

beginning, then something begins to happen; you begin to think, "Is this goal something that I can actually obtain? What was I thinking? I could never start my own business, get fit, become an author or an entertainer. Doubt, it puts out the flame that drives our momentum, it interferer's with our ability to maintain a positive state of mind. We start looking towards others for approval, that what were doing is working. During this time it is good to remember the name Gary Dahl. Who is Gary Dahl you ask? Well in 1975 Dahl introduced the world to the very first Pet Rocks.

Okay now we have gotten past the fear of trying to live out our dreams, we have moved past the assumption that our goal is not obtainable, but I can start on it tomorrow. Tomorrow comes yet somehow we don't start changing our lives. Its procrastination, we have all the tools but feel like we have time to spare to start putting them to work. We let the minutes, hours and days go by without putting in the leg work to see our dreams come true. Do not dwell on things that alter your mind state, once you are energized from the belief that you can change your life you must sustain that energy and be fearful of living a life that is not your dream life.

Put Your Money To Work

By Brandon Gaskins

In 1983 Donna Summer lit up the charts with a hit titled, "She Works Hard For The Money", Well other than politicians and there cohorts, there are very few professions where you don't work hard for your money. We spend the majority of our lives at workplaces, when we would rather be somewhere else. We tell our families we do it for them , sadly we know better than that, we know if there was a life reset button, most people would chose to chase their dreams instead of a paycheck. The problem with a paycheck is that once you get it, your bills pretty much eat it up. You have rent, mortgage, gas and electric , cell phone, car note, food, credit cards bills,and miscellaneous. Two paychecks a month is not helping you climb out of your financial crisis.

Somehow you are able to not only survive but save some of your hard earned money. Unfortunately the $500 or $1000 you have been able to save is not enough to start that small business you have been dreaming of, or so it appears. There is a key component to every successful person's portfolio; and that is networking. You hear about this word often but its not practiced enough.
I have a goal to use Ideatank75 as a platform to bring people for the purpose of networking to build small groups of investors that are committed to building small businesses. 

Without getting into too much detail, I would like to briefly describe two avenues of revenue building that will be discussed in a later event. The first is Purchasing Power; everybody knows that if your going to buy a new or used car from a dealership, a home or even furniture you going to pay more than what its worth. The same goes for bikes, televisions and phones, when you only represent one buyer your going to pay a higher price. Don't you want to be able to make purchases at the cheapest price offered, of course you do. Well guess what, every person on this planet would love to do the same thing, the only problem is we don't have a program in place to connect with each other when we are ready to make a purchase.

The second is Circle Of Investors; Why is it when we hear the word small business we think of an endeavor requiring a store front or $10,000 to operate? There are plenty of small businesses that operate with far less capitol. For instance, you could sponsor charted trips for around $1,500, you could become a wholesale distributor of any number of products, there are events you could sponsor, like a Santa Claus obstacle race during the summer time, think outside of the box.

 You may be reading and thinking I don't have $1,500 well if you have a circle of investors to network with you wont have to come up with the money by yourself and you have a group of people with different ideas and skill sets to network with.

Jobs VS Careers VS Entreprenuership

By Brandon Gaskins

Let me begin this post with this statement, there are plenty of men and women who are working in fields they would rather not be in, however they are doing so to help someone else reach their potential. Which means they are not basing their life's work from what they are doing to make money for themselves, they are basing their work from what they can do for someone else. That sacrifice is what allows many others to have choices not afforded to their elders. Their elders happiness is derived from seeing their hard work payoff in the success of their families. However there are far too many that are willing to accept a quick access to financial gains that they do not plan for their pending retirement until it is too late to do so. Never before have we seen so many citizens at retirement age working jobs that were once dominated by the youth.

When it comes to "making a living" there are typically three paths one can take, they are; jobs, careers and entrepreneurship. All three paths will ensure some type of stability as it pertains to your financial portfolio. However each path has its own set of rewards, limitations and obstacles that will keep you asking, Am I making the right decision? That's the irony of each path, you have to choose for yourself, you have to look yourself in the mirror and feel confident that the path you have chosen, is the one that defines who you are as a person and the one that will sustain you in your retirement years. Now I have to ask you, Have you chosen the path that will leave you with a fulfilled life or have you chosen a path that will only satisfy some of your needs.

From www.dictionary.com, a job is defined as the following:  An individual piece of work or task; An occupation; An object worked on or a result produced from working. What I get from this meaning is that a job is a short term task with very little reward but can require plenty of labor and sacrifice. In my opinion a job is a short term solution for someone in need of financial gains. You are never paid what you are worth because you are in a position were you can be replaced fairly quickly and by someone who is willing to do the job for lesser pay. Whatever your circumstances are, unless your goal is to work as hard as you can to help your family members got to school or you are helping them pursue a field that will help your family achieve social mobility, then a job should only be temporary.

From www.dictionary.com a career is defined as the following: An occupation or profession chosen as ones life work; an occupation requiring special training. A persons progress or general course of action through life. So as you can see,there is a Big difference between what a job is and what a career is. In my opinion the biggest difference between the two is the special training and education a person needs to obtain a career. With a job you are able to start working quickly to obtain a paycheck and usually without special training. While a career requires you to obtain more education and special certificates. Because a career requires so much more before you are able to receive a paycheck, they pay is almost always significantly more than that of a job. But, please do be fooled with that significant increase in pay comes an increase in bills.

From www.dictionary.com an entrepreneur is defined as the following: The owner or manager of a business enterprise, who by risk and initiative attempts to make profits. There is a BIG glaring word that usually send most people running scared from entrepreneurship and that word is, risk. Unlike with the other two paths there is no guarantee a check will be coming in a week or two, there is no certainty that you will be successful with your business offering. If you like eating steak you had best get used to eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for awhile. While most people avoid entrepreneurship because they are afraid of taking risk, those that have taken the initiative and put in the "grind" it takes to be successful will tell you the financial freedom and the ability to plan your own work schedule is well worth the risk. Looking at the definition again you will notice there was not a mention of money. taking the initiative does not cost you a dime, of course there will come a time where you will need an investor or two, however if you put in the leg work and you research to make sure your endeavor is profitable, when the time comes to find investors you will not have a problem finding one or more that believe in your idea; (see also crowd funding for revenue sources).

As you can see there is some level of risk and reward with each path, however if you want a life where you have more say so as to how your time will be spent, more financial freedom, a greater since of accomplishment and the ability to create a legacy, then the choice is simple, you should become an entrepreneur. If the highlight of your day is getting back in bed or if you are "living for the weekend", then you are definitely not happy with your current profession and should seriously consider becoming an entrepreneur. A word of advice, you should not attempt to become an entrepreneur to become rich, instead focus on how you can enrich the lives of those around, there is no greater currency than love.

Why Your Small Business Will Fail

Written by Brandon Gaskins


    I have had my fair share of projects that I wanted to turn into a business but for some reason could not get the ball rolling. Sure I start off with some momentum that leads to sales and some light interest but then I make the mistake many aspiring business owners make and that is not thinking creatively to generate interest from a different perspective. Every customer does not show int erst in you for the same reason. Some may like your appearance, others might like your presentation while someone else may not like you at all or just a little but LOVE your product or service. Do not settle with one approach for generating leads, sure social media is a must into today's marketing world but if you want to really gain a following, nothing beats a face and voice your audience can see. Stop standing behind or inside your business and start standing in front of it. you speak for your business, it does not speak for you.

    I see small businesses come and go very often, from restaurants, clubs, clothing stores, phone stores you name it, they put up grand opening signs, fresh new paint and expect the customers to come rolling in. Soon the flyer's start coming, then the sales, next comes the,"New Management" signs. Still the sales are fickle and your barely staying afloat. Once the frustration of negative sales start rolling in, they forget all about customer service and just become the biggest" Bitch" ala Naomi Campbell. You walk into their place of business and the staff are more focused on themselves and not you the customer. Once your heart is taken out of play you will never be able to give one hundred and ten percent to your project because you can easily be thrown off course by the smallest of problems. If you have your health, your faith and the wisdom to respect all creations your a wealthy person.

    Now that I have pointed out why your small business will fail, let me give you the antidote to suffering sales; its networking. Network with other businesses in your area, possible investors, local media, seek out aspiring entrepreneurs could be a great resource for getting low cost marketing for your business. Get out and offer samples, allow the public to give a critique of your project, seek out like minded business that could benefit from having a relationship with you. The name of the game is this, If you are not willing to introduce yourself to every possible lead then you are setting yourself up for failure. If you truly believe in your product or service,then it is a must you sell yourself or partner up with a trustworthy person that can do the bulk of the gorilla marketing for you. You must tirelessly seek out ways to improve your idea and connect with the public.

   

(Summary) 42 Tips For Producing A Memorable Small Business Event

Written by Jamillah Warner 6/2/2013 @ smallbiztrends.com ... view original post to see all 42 tips

1. Decide upon your target audience before anything else- This approach will also help you stay focus on achieving specific goals and not allowing the scope to become too broad or watered down.

2. Have a clear business purpose for holding the event- Before you can begin planning a successful event be clear on why you are doing it in the first place. your reasons could be to; create awareness, generate leads, create brand loyalty or to simply make money.

3. Be flexible with changes in time, size, location and other details-  Changes are natural and perfectly fine as long as you don't lose sight of the reason your doing all the work in the first place.

4. Know your limitations- We all know the goal is to throw a great live event. To that end we also have to be aware at what we can or cannot realistically do; be it budget or time.

5. Create smart goals- Just like building any business, great events start with a strong thoughtful and measurable strategy. 

6. Develop a financing plan for your event and estimate the numbers- Know how you are going to pay for the event. Most events are sponsored through sponsorship, ticket sales and internal marketing budgets. Estimate how much money you can raise from the mentioned revenue sources. Before you book your event or sign any contracts, its a good idea to start looking for sponsors or selling advanced tickets to make sure there is enough interest in your idea to fund it.

7. Be tireless in your efforts or your event will fail- If you don't want to be alone at your event then market, market, market and then market some more.

8. Define good reasons for people to show up to your event- You need to define what your doing at the event that will bring those target attendees in the door. For a consumer product it might be a party with entertainment, product demos and freebies. For a business crowd it might be educational content or an expert speaker.

9. Make it easy for your speakers to publicize to their followers- If you have any speakers/experts attending your event encourage them publicize their attendance to their social media followers/email subscribers.

10. Have a skilled social media team cover your event- Don't forget a social media team. While not imperative for every event or industry, more and more events are focusing on harnessing the viral power of their audience. If your audience is tweeting, Facebooking and taking pictures on Instagram; you should be doing the same and will need a trained team to execute.

What is NFTE and How Do They Impact the Community

 Sources: NFTE.com , Business.Time.com

NFTE- Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship, is an international non profit organization, providing entrepreneurship training and classroom based education, to young people from low income urban communities, to find their path to success.

1. Assist in business plan writing
2. Offers volunteers from local businesses
3. Instills hope and improves student lives through entrepreneurship education
4. Inspires students to graduate, go to college and embark on successful careers
5. Students have a head start by receiving real world education that is relevant to running a business
6. Offers Biz Camps which are 1-2 weeks intensive day camps for teenagers aged 13-18 featuring topics on: return on investment, supply and demand and marketing. Participants also receive wholesale trip grants and enter into business plan competitions where participants can receive awards and prize money.

  Jabius and Anthony Williams were living in Southeast D.C. with their mother and 7 other family members in a cramped 2 bedroom apartment. Everyday the boys walked miles to an Exxon gas station to pump gas. Typically the boys said they earned thirty to fifty dollars, which they used to help support their mother.

  One day the boys met Men Loflland, a caring business teacher at Suitland High School. Mena got the brothers into her entrepreneurship class sponsored by NFTE. The brothers applied their street knowledge to the classroom setting and became excellent students.

  With the help of business volunteers and philanthropists the brothers started a Hip Hop clothing line. Today Jabius is a scholarship grant student at Southeastern University and operates Jabius Bam Williams Art&Photography company. Anthony Williams operates a youth mentorship program.

Extreme Couponing For Profit

Source: Extreme  Couponing
By: Joni Meyer-Crothers

Extreme couponing means to never pay full price for any item that you can get a coupon for. There are two types of coupons, store coupons that can only be used at that particular store and manufacture coupons that can be used at any store. Couponing is such an easy way to save money; most people in an average year are going to save between six and ten thousand dollars, just using basic couponing strategies. These strategies also apply to those families receiving food assistance as long as the purchase is for food, stores will still accept your coupons.

In order to be an extreme couponer you have to collect as many coupons as you possibly can. You can search your Sunday newspaper for coupon bundles or collect bundles of store circulars. Get in touch with street vendors that sell Sunday newspapers, curb side and see if they are willing to give or sell you their unused coupon bundles at a discounted rate.  You can ask neighbors that throw away their circulars if you can pick them up. Many nursing home residents subscribe to receive the newspaper, but usually throw away food coupons because their meals are accounted for. Get in contact with the manager to see if you can leave a box out front to collect their unwanted coupon bundles.  Many family and home based magazines will often have coupons in them. You can also go directly to a company website, locate the contact us tab; usually there is a place to leave a compliment or a message. From there show your interest in their products and let them know you want to try it out; usually they will send you coupons for their products. Never ask for coupons directly as history shows they will not send you coupons in most cases.  Some big chain stores like Target and Rite-Aid will allow you to print coupons directly from their websites. A few websites that offer printable coupons are RedPlum.com, SmartSource.com, Coupons.com, CouponNetwork.com and CellFire.com.

Once you are able to collect as many coupons as you can, you want to pay attention to sale cycles. The key to getting the most value from your coupon is to buy items when they are on sale. Most products go on sale every eight to twelve weeks. Along with normal sale cycles you also have seasonal sale cycles. For example Halloween falls in the month of October, although candy will be on sale the entire month, the biggest savings will occur the day after Halloween. Every month there are seasonal sale cycles to take advantage of, for instance January is National Oatmeal Month, March is National Frozen Food Month and May is National Pet Week.

 Here are two examples of how extreme couponing works. You have a manufactures coupon for $1.00 off a container of orange juice; you do your research and find a supermarket that is offering a store coupon for .50 off the same container of orange juice. The regular price of the orange juice is $2.50, so by applying your coupons you would have paid $1.00 for the orange juice saving you $1.50. You could possibly get the orange juice for .50 if the store doubles their store coupons and free if they double manufactures coupons. Another example is a box of Cheerios that sells for $3.99, you have a .75 off coupon which would drop the price to $3.24, if the store doubles their coupons you will save $1.50 and pay $2.49 for the cost of the cereal. Extreme couponers will hold that .75 off coupon until the cereal goes on sale for, let’s say $2.00, now you will be paying $1.25 with your .75 off coupon and if the store doubles their coupons you will end up paying .50 for a box of cereal that generally cost $3.99. Note: you can also stack coupons by pairing manufacture’s coupons with store coupons.

Because there are many families that are facing hard times and cannot take advantage of extreme couponing it would be great for you to give back. For example if you are stock piling cereal because you have the coupons and knowledge to get that product for free, pick up 20 boxes for yourself and 5 boxes to donate.

Once I became aware of extreme couponing I thought it was a unique way to save money for myself and others. If you have seen the cable network show Extreme Couponing, then you know that most families that appear on that show have basements and garages filled with merchandise worth hundreds and thousands of dollars, which may not be used within a years’ time or more, despite giving away a large portion of their purchases to charities and needy families. The entrepreneur in me asked; Why not find sellers who are willing to buy those items at a discounted rate. That box of cereal that you paid .50 for could be sold to a convenient store for $1.50 giving you a profit of $1.00 a box. Of course I recommend doing your research to find out what you have to do legally to sell those items without breaking any kind of laws.

Stamp Out Youth Unemployment by Introducing Entrepreneurship To Kids

Sources: PBS.org - These kids Mean Business 

              USA Today - Workshops Get Kids Started as Entrepreneurs

 A lot of kids would like to start their own business of one kind or another but most don't know how. The old thinking figured kids were too young to learn about entrepreneurship, The new thinking sees entrepreneurship as a healthy remedy for classroom boredom, restless energy and high dropout rates. Academic experts suggest, entrepreneurship education has a positive effect on the academic performance of at risk students, as well as affecting their attitude and behavior.

According to a Gallup poll released in January, 43% of students in grades 5-12 want to be entrepreneurs. The popularity to become entrepreneurs comes at a time when the youth unemployment rate is one of the worst on record. January's unemployment rate for ages 16-24 was 17.6%. A far cry from pre-recession levels of 10.9% in January 2007, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Many young entrepreneurs say if they don't make their own jobs, no one will. Amy Rosen, CEO of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) wants entrepreneurship taught in schools. She feels if it's not, kids risk dropping out of school for a lack of interest and opportunities.

NFTE is an international non-profit organization, providing entrepreneurship training and education programs to young people from low income urban areas. NFTE provide classroom based programs that inspire young people to stay in school, to recognize business opportunities and to plan for successful futures.

Blogging While Brown 2014 Conference

Blogging While Brown is your strategic social medial partner, providing the networking, education and professional development that you need, because we offer online, in person and proven connections, with brands online activists and strategic partners.

Mission: Since its launch in 2008, Blogging While Brown has grown to become the premiere blogging conference dedicated to education, collaboration and innovation among bloggers of color. The conference brings African Americans and bloggers of color, who are social media experts, speakers and independent content creators together to educate, inspire, and expand their influence in social media and technology. Along with panel discussions, keynotes and networking opportunities, this 2 day event also includes blogger training and workshops.

Date: June 27-28 2014 New York City - Black bloggers from around the country will be gathering in New York City for the 7th annual Blogging While Brown Conference. To register go to www.bloggingwhilebrown.com

7 Things Great Entrepreneurs Dont Do

From entrepreneur.com
Summary from post by Steve Tobak 11-4-2013 - Managing partner of Invisor Consulting

  These days everyone with a MacBook and a blog thinks he/she is an entrepreneur. Calling yourself a CEO doesn't make you one and a small army of Twitter followers doesn't make you a leader. There are entrepreneurs and there are Entrepreneurs.

  Not to dash your hopes and dreams but the truth is, the vast majority of people simply aren't cut out to be entrepreneurs or leaders. Having grown up in the high-tech industry, working with hundreds of CEO's and and entrepreneurs for decades; One thing I can tell you is the word entrepreneur has become so overused, it has become almost meaningless. What makes real entrepreneurs unique is what they do and perhaps more importantly what they don't do.

1. They don't think about work-life balance - They are mostly workaholics, meaning their work comes first; Its what they live for.They are not freewheeling , fun loving people who live for the weekend. They live to do what they love and that's work.
2. They don't try to be what they are not - Probably the most damaging business myth to come along in decades is personal branding. You are not a product; Real entrepreneurs don't think about themselves, they think about their ideas and how they can turn them into great products and service.
3. They don't do it for the money - They don't whine about how they work for peanuts; They just do it. Because they are passionate about what they do and with laser beam focus, the money eventually comes - big time.
4. They don't have day jobs - Great entrepreneurs don't just tip their toes in the water. They jump in head first without any regards for the rocks below. They don't do a little of this and a little of that; When they think they have hit on an idea that is really cool and exciting, they go all in.
5. They don't give in to fear - They don't pay attention to the voices in their head that tells them, everything can go wrong. They are not fearless, no one is; They just don't let their fear stop them from taking risks.
6. They don't have grand visions - While some do have grand delusions that they are destined for greatness, a prophecy that's often self-fulfilling. Interestingly enough- for the most part, they generally don't have grand visions for their companies. The creator of Facebook, created it to rate his classmates.
7. They don't have virtual mentors - Many people follow all sorts of writers, bloggers and tweeters these days. That's fine, but to get somewhere in life, you must have a real mentor, in real life. Former Intel chairman Andy Grove mentored Steve Jobs, Jobs in turn advised Google's founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

Real entrepreneurs don't call themselves entrepreneurs and they don't do what everyone else is doing. They carve their own unique path; They are leaders of their own destiny. That's what drives them and that's why they succeed.

Home Based Business Ideas

From allbusiness.com

1. Personal Trainer - An aging baby boomer population eager to invest in longevity, along with a growing concern over childhood obesity, make it a great time to join this expanding field. As a personal trainer you can visit clients at their homes and work with fitness centers on a contract basis.

2. Tutoring - This field no longer only caters to struggling children or those with learning disabilities. ultra competitive parents are flocking to tutors to help their children get ahead. You can start by tutoring students in their homes, local YMCA's or other children care organizations.

3. Medical Transcription - Because they perform a necessary function, medical transcriptionist are always in demand. They have a very low overhead, all you need is a computer, headphone, foot pedal, medical dictionaries, a printer and software for audio playback. Medical transcriptionist listen to audio recordings of medical records and transcribe into a word processing program.

4. Photographer - While royalty free stock photo websites are taking a bite out of some photographers profits, assignment photography is still big business. If you are skilled with a camera and have a mind for business, you can make money as a portrait, event or wedding photographer. It requires capital for lighting, cameras, lenses and photo editing software.

5. Bakery - Americans have a love affair with desserts, the cuter and tinier the better. If you have a knack for baking delectable desserts, consider starting a home based bakery. Before getting started contact your local public health department, to find out about laws governing at home food production.

6. Junk Removal - People will always have junk; for a fee you can help them get rid of it. First find out what type of junk removal services are needed in your area. Research local and state regulations; and learn about proper removal and disposal techniques.

7. Craft Business - In a world of mass produced junk, shoppers feel good about buying handmade, one of a kind pieces. Turn your creativity and talent into a business by selling jewelry, ceramics, unique decor, purses etc, the sky is the limit.

8. Dog Walking - Consider this opportunity if you like dogs, know how to handle them and enjoy outdoor activities.Do your research, inquire about insurance and special licensing.
   
 

The Entrepreneurial Spirit

By: Brandon Gaskins


  I believe every person has the ability to turn their dreams and passions into a viable business. Just like a mechanic, entrepreneurs must have the right tools to get the job done.Regardless of what type of business you decide to venture in there are an infinite number of challenges you will face. Life is all about challenging you to see what type of person you are becoming. You must see these challenges, not as problems but tools to sharpen your skills; always remember, there is no glory without struggle.

  The entrepreneurial spirit requires no cash or credit, all you need is the belief that you can turn your idea into a business. Here is a small blueprint of what you should have if you want to move forward.

1. Product/Service - You may think this is easy, but many people have so many ideas they find it hard to focus solely on one.  Once you have narrowed it down to one make sure your offering is something the public will find beneficial and useful. The key to success is an offering that will lend itself to be a repeat business.

2. Persistence - An entrepreneur will rarely find his/her niche, the first couple of attempts. There will be countless hours of second guessing yourself. Instead of second guessing yourself work and rework your idea until you feel comfortable enough you can turn your idea into a viable business.

3. Patience - You cannot put a time limit on becoming a success; you have to throw all time clocks out the window. With laser point focus, you must be willing to create for yourself what you cannot expect others to. Coming up with an idea is only a small step in the process; you have to do your due diligence and find your market.

4. Personality - You don't have to become an infomercial salesman but you do have to speak enthusiastically about what you have to offer. You must speak with the confidence that your offering is something the public needs and wants. You have to become a product ambassador; you cannot expect everyone to find your product useful, but they may know someone who can. There is never a time where you should not be pitching your business.

5. Passion - You cannot expect your business to become a success if you only spend 30% of your time working on it. How can you expect the public to be excited about your offering if your are not.

Building A Successful Brand For A Small Business

From: makeyourideasart.com
guest authored 4/12/2013

 Brand building is an important strategy for any business, no matter how big or how small it is. Yet small business owners often lack the acumen or knowledge in how to brand their business successfully and what strategies are open to them to achieve this. Here are some tips to get great branding on the road.

Know who you are- A strong brand let's other's know what it does. Make sure you fully understand your own brand- who you are, what your goals and values are, what you want to achieve etc... If you do not fully understand yourself, then it will be hard to communicate this well to your customers.

Be unique- With lots of competitors in the marketplace, your branding needs to scream out, what makes you different from the rest. Let others know why you are unique and what it is you do differently from your competitors.

Consistency of messages- Successful branding involves reinforcing strong messages, so that your customers will retain information about who you are and what you do. Make sure you are clear on what message you want to give out and stick to the same message on all mediums of communication. Consistency is a key component to branding success.

Name and logo- An instantly recognizable brand name and logo is a sign of good branding. Whatever name or logo design you choose, make sure it is recognizable, inspires trust and makes a connection to the types of goods or service you offer.

Get your name out there- Organizations both large and small understand the importance of building networks with existing customers and new customers as well as generating trust for what they offer. By building an online and offline community, you are in the driving seat to get customers on your side and love your brand.

Be original- There are many great brand names out there and there is nothing wrong with taking inspiration from them and learning from their achievements. But, never ever nick ideas from them. Do not copy the big boys, as you will soon be seen through. Try to always think of original ideas or at least add a twist to tried and trusted branding messages and strategies.

Build relationships- Get to know who your customers are and what they like about you. Valuable customers who like your offering can become brand ambassadors, spreading the word to others about what you have to offer. Spend time nurturing the important relationships and get to know who your brand ambassadors are.

Top 32 Quotes Every Entrepreneur Should Live By

Summary from Forbes.com post by Tanya Prive 5/2/2013

 The nature of being an entrepreneur means that you fully embrace ambiguity and are comfortable with being challenged regularly. Choosing this career path is completely irrational because the odds of success are dismal. Most succeed because of their unwavering belief, laser focus on delivering and persistence. Starting a business, is a riveting roller coaster of emotions with tremendous highs and at times, difficult lows.

1. "The best way to predict the future is to create it".- Peter Drucker
2. "It is fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure". - Bill Gates
3. "Your time is limited, so don't wast it living someones else life. Don't be trapped by dogma- which is living the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others opinions, drown out your own inner voice. And most important have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary". - Steve Jobs
4. "My biggest motivation? Just to keep challenging myself. I see life almost like one long University education that I never had. Everyday I am learning something new". - Richard Branson
5. "Every time you state what you want or what you believe, your the first to hear it. It is a message to both you and others, about what you think is possible. Don't put a ceiling on yourself". - Oprah Winfrey
6. "One of the huge mistakes people make is that they try to force an interest on themselves. You don't choose your passions, your passions choose you". - Jeff Bezos
7. "Logic will get you from A to B; Imagination will take you everywhere". - Albert Einstein
8. "As long as your going to be thinking anyway, think big". - Donald Trump
9. "Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm". - Winston Churchill
10. "Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you did not do, than by the things that you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail from the safe Harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sail. Explore. Dream. Discover.". - Mark Twain
11. "I do not know the keys to success but the key to failure is trying to please everyone". - Bill Cosby
12. "Success is not what you have but who you are". - Bo Bennet
13. Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people wont, so you can spend the rest of your life like most people cannot". Warren G. Tracy's student
14. "Keep away from people that try to belittle your ambitions. Small minded people always do that but the great ones make you feel like you too, can be great". - Mark Twain
15. "There is only one success- to be able to spend your life in your own way". - Christopher Morley
16. "Success is not the key to happiness; Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing you will be successful". - Albert Schweitzer
17. "When you cease to dream; You cease to live". - Malcolm Forbes
18. "Formal education will make you a living, self education will make you a fortune". - Jim Rohn
19. "The most valuable thing you can make is a mistake; You cant learn anything from being perfect". Adam Osborne
20. "A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way". - John C. Maxwell

Get Real Attention For Your Blog

Summary of post: How to Make Your Blog Get Real Attention
By Jacquelyn Smith of Forbes.com 8/6/2013


 Writing a successful blog is about getting the word out there and actually being seen by the public. A successful blog aims to serve the reader and not bombard them with marketing material and gadgets. The most significant way to develop a loyal online following is by creating useful content that readers will consume and share. Your blogging strategy should be about building and cultivating an audience- this cannot be achieved if your only talking about yourself.

1. Determine the purpose of your blog and stick with it- Start by defining for yourself what readers you want to serve and then build a strategy about how to reach them. Be true to the goals you set out for your blog. If a blog post is not useful or worth sharing it wont produce much value for any reader or the blogger, says Mike Merriman, vice president of marketing at Mzinga, a social services and software firm.
2. Leverage social media- Make the most of social media by including "share" on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Reddit, Google+ and Stumble Upon buttons on your blog. The easier you make it for people to share your content with their network, the more likely they will do so.
3. Make Sure Your Content is SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Friendly- Identify the keywords for searching for a postings subject matter and think about the best way to incorporate those search terms into the title and body of the post. For example, "Hiring a Patent Attorney: Seven Things to Look For" will rank better than, "Seven Things to Look For When Hiring a Patent Attorney", because the desired keywords "patent attorney" comes earlier in the sequence.
4. Speak your audiences language- Sometimes when marketers start the blogging process they start typing words that sound more like a press release than a conversation. You benefit more from using terms that resonate with your readers. So do not use your blog to impress your high school English teacher, try to impress your customers instead.
5. Be a part of the conversation both on your blog and of others in your industry- Drive traffic to other blogs and respond as much as you can to both negative and positive comments about your own blog. Allow your blog to become a vibrant exchange of information and ideas with prospective and existing readers.
6. Post regularly- writing a successful blog requires a significant and sustained effort. The trick is to be consistent, whether that means blogging 10 times a day, 3 times a week, or once a month.
7. Mix it up- far too many people use the same exact format for their blog day in and day out. Make it a point to try out a new type of content once in awhile. Mix up your format, length, authorship and content.