7 Morning Routines for Successful Entrepreneurs

Have you ever wondered what successful entrepreneurs all have in common? They all develop morning routines that are customized to help them reach their everyday goals and achieve consistent success. What are the important parts of a successful entrepreneur’s morning routine? 

1. Get a good night’s sleep

The importance of a good sleep should never be taken for granted. Sleep for a long time and you’re bound to feel drained; sleep for a short time and you’ll feel exhausted as well. I recommend exactly six hours, personally, but you can also experiment with the number of hours that works for you. Drink milk, stay away from coffee, read a relaxing book, or take a shower before sleeping – stick with the working formula.

Once you start waking up refreshed and bursting with energy, your day will only become better.

2. Live your Life Dreams manual

For you to accomplish this step, you actually need to make a Life Dreams manual first. To give you the gist, for discussion purposes, a Life Dreams manual simply contains all your dreams and wishes.

What makes a Life Dreams manual different from the rest is that you have a better chance of achieving your realistic and ideal dreams because you need to input basic action plans and measurable indicators of success during the course of your goal attainment.

Instead of “put up a business…”, you’re better off writing “set up a (specific) business catering to (targeted) audience by the date X. Start working on this by doing X, Y and Z. I can define it as successful if it meets the following standards…”

Your Life Dreams manual isn’t your ordinary “oh-how-I-wish” manual. It’s your “oh-look-at-me-win-at-life” bible.

3. Make a Motivation Board

We are visual creatures so get creative! With today’s technology, you can edit pictures that represent your dreams.

Collect pictures of your goals (a house with your name on it, a huge smile on a person’s face, a popular landmark you want to visit, your dream business being flocked by a lot of people, a book displaying you as the author, a popular talk show host interviewing you…)

Go and collate them all now. Hey, no one needs to see this board but you, anyway.

4. Pump those endorphins out!

Now that you’re getting motivated, it’s time to pump out more hormones to make you feel happy! A happy person tends to cope better with stress and think more rationally than depressed people.

You don’t need to hit up the gym and blow off your cash recklessly. After all, being successful is about starting slowly but surely getting to the finish line.

Start by running for five minutes a day. Do this for twenty-seven days. And then after this, increase it to ten minutes a day. What’s important is that you do it consistently.

Play your upbeat music. It can even be a pop song by Justin Bieber or One Direction – no one’s judging you

5. List your 4 To-Do items

After releasing your happy hormones, it’s time to take a short break and sit down for a while. Take slow sips of water and inhale deep breaths.

Now, I know what you’re thinking – why only four? Less is more, remember? Also, the fewer items you have on your list, the higher the chance of you completing them is.

We will divide these into: one Life Dreams task, two work-related tasks, and one personal task. Put your thinking cap on and prioritize.

6. Break the fast

Your body is not consuming food as you sleep, so when you wake up, be sure to feed it nutrient-rich foods. Sugars like muffins, white bread, and creamy pancakes will give you energy for a while, but will make you feel sluggish as their effects wear off.

It’s better to eat high-fiber fruits and cereals to give you a consistent energy supply. Try filling up your omelet with greens, too, and eat your way up towards success.

7. Connect with your loved ones before doing the actual work

Hug your partner good-bye, tell corny jokes to your kids or call your mother and chat with her for a while. This step is to make you realize that there are still people who love and care for you.

Take this moment to be appreciative of everyone around you.

Smile! You are already successful.

Regards,

The Shopper

under30ceo.com

Success=Hard work+Persistence+PRAYER

Mark 11:24, "Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." This is the very definition on faith. 

This strong message was however passed to new graduates by Dr.James Mwangi in a graduation ceremony. The Equity Bank CEO went ahead to reveal some of Equity Bank's secrets to success. We shall call them "The 8 Steps that will get you linked to your dreams".

First, humble yourself, even if you are leaving here with a first class academic qualification. Do not walk on air. There are other people out there who understand certain things even within your area of specialization better than you do.

You do not have it all and nobody in this whole world does.

Therefore, develop the capacity and propensity to harness other people’s abilities to the maximum in pursuit of your personal goals.

Second, there are many things you will try in life which will fail. Remember that it is the idea or the enterprise which will have failed, not you. Quickly move onto some other idea or enterprise which is more likely to succeed. Build into yourself and your operations a stubborn resilience and the ability to recover quickly after making a mistake or facing a setback.

Even at Equity Bank, we have made many mistakes and encountered many challenges.

But the public and our partners do not usually notice because of our inner resilience and our ability to recover very quickly.

Third, you have been told that we learn through our mistakes. That is true. But whose mistakes are we talking about here? There are almost 40 million Kenyans so there are probably millions of mistakes which Kenyans make every week.

Learn from those mistakes!

You don’t have to learn through your own mistakes. You don’t need to re-invent the wheel. Learn from the mistakes that others before you have made. This is a more logical and efficient approach to managing or running any enterprise you may get involved in.

Fourth, when the times and circumstances change, change with those times and circumstances. Do not be rooted in the past as you may be crashed in the rush of events.

Fifth, evoke the Power of One- the power of the individual. This world that we live in has never been changed by multitudes. It is changed by individuals. Men like Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Mohandas Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. Multitudes follow individuals, not the other way round.

Sixth, always try and be creative. Let your mind roam and even if you find yourself doing something that has been done before, find a novel or an unusual way of doing it.

Your customers or partners will notice the difference and, over time, you will notice the impact your unusual approach will have on your enterprise.

Seventh, always be a dreamer and, when you dream, dream big. No large and successful enterprise or institution has ever been created by an individual who has not dreamt big. It is the big dream we had about ten years ago which has transformed Equity not just into the bank but into the movement you see today.

To make the long encouraging story short, hard work and discipline can only get you so far, but prayer will take you further. Somebody say AMEN!

And this is how you should start a week, with an uplifting sermon; we’ll jump the praise and worship due to time constraints but you can feel free to send your offering through the numbers you see on your screen. 

Have a lovely Monday!

Kind Regards,

The Shopper 

Dare to be different

Dare to be different

The man considered to be the father of modern physics once said that a person who never made a mistake never tried anything new. For those of you who don't know who I am talking about I'll give you a hint; he came up with the world's most famous equation (E=mc²). I'll leave you to crack that up.

But that’s beside the point. The point that I am driving at is that all great people have one thing in common; they dared to be different. They realized that the limits of their own field of view are not the limits of the world. For example, before the 17^th century, people believed that the world is flat. The scientists argued that the horizons marked the 'end of the world'. Now that’s the view that most of us have, assuming that there is no chance of success beyond our failures.

Another historical example of individuals settling for the usual is a gentleman called Ronald Wayne. This fellow sold his 10% stake, valued at $800, in Apple in 1976. Today that 10% stake is valued at an estimated $58,065,210,000. If the saying 'crying all the way from the bank' exists, then this scenario would go hand-in-hand with it.

These examples are not in any way meant to demean anyone. They are just a reflection of how most of us operate. We are too familiar in our comfort zone that we can only see as far as our horizons.

In an event where the CEO of Centum Investment, James Mworia, was the guest speaker, I picked one very important thing. He said that there is a lot of competition among the average people. Why? Because that segment is too crowded and the very sad thing is that most people are actually contempt being there. Those considered to be above average are doing what Ronald Wayne failed to do; they are smiling all the way to the bank. At that level, there are very few people and therefore the competition is not as much.

The likes of Bill Gates, the late Steve Jobs and our very own Moses Nderitu dared to venture beyond their boundaries. Moses Nderitu ventured into the business in which all of us contribute to but none of us want to be associated with. That is why Excloosive is here with us to stay.

BREAKING NEWS: The world is not flat, neither is that potential in you. You just have to put in that extra effort to see what is on the other side of that round world of yours.

Kind regards,

The Shopper!

This little light of mine…am gonna let it shine!
 

'It is understandable when a child is afraid of the dark but it is inexcusable when a grown man is afraid of the light.'
 

I don’t mean to get all philosophical on you but just bear with me for a moment. This saying may have different interpretations but for the purpose of this article, am going to interpret it in terms of potential entrepreneurs/businessmen.
 

Every business stems out from an idea. We all know that sensation, drive and motivation we get when a good idea is conceived after a bout of reflection and meditation. This motivation however usually starts wearing off after we fail to act on that idea.
 

For those of us who participated in the NSE Challenge, we all remember the phrase; 'there is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come'. It's more like the proverbial opportunity knocking on your door. Ignore it and it will move to the next door willing to accommodate it.
 

It is normal to fear the unknown, the uncertain, THE FUTURE. But do not let that fear be the barrier to your success; rather, let it motivate you to tackle the future with confidence. As we the dot-com generation usually put it, late the hater be your motivator. Treat that inner voice that tells you that you can't as your hater.
 

To finish it off, being successful is not a walk in the park. If it was, the likes of Runda, Karen and Muthaiga would be slums as every Tom, Dick and Harry would afford the luxury of residing there. Don't let the fear of the unknown sabotage your destiny as an entrepreneur.
 

Kind regards,
The Shopper!

Entrepreneur Vs. Businessperson

How have you been my fellow bloggers. Let me first of all pay tribute to one of the greatest singers of of our generation, Whitney Houston. Being valentines day, am sure one of her songs will brighten someone's day and that is one of the ways her memory will live on.
Going back to business, its that time where I bring you some fresh material that helps you make those baby steps towards your investment decisions.
For instance, lack of capital is the major challenge that the youth face in starting their own businesses. This is because most investors are only willing to put their money in an on-going business. Very few of them are willing to bank on ideas only.
The other hard part comes in when one is implementing the idea into a sustainable business venture. The sooner you define yourself as an entrepreneur or a businessperson will determine whether you will fail or succeed.

An entrepreneur will possess a certain skill that will enable him to run a business. For example, if I am to start my own accounting firm as an entrepreneur, I should be a qualified accountant who has vast knowledge in that field. A businessperson on the other hand will start his/her own audit firm and employ other accountants because he/she does not have that skill.
An entrepreneur will have an upper hand as opposed to the businessperson because he/she will apply a hands-on-approach. This will enable the entrepreneur be more in touch with his/her clients therefore tailoring products/services that suit them. Am not suggesting that one is more superior than the other. However, it is good to know where you fall so as to formulate a business plan that highlights your strengths and weaknesses, either as an entrepreneur or a businessperson.

Regards,
The Shopper.   

INVESTMENT 101

How have you been my fellow bloggers and entrepreneurs? Let me first start by offering my condolences to a true heroine, Prof.Wangari Maathai. She was indeed a person we would all want to be because she stood by what she believed in no matter what the consequences. She never compromised her dedication towards safeguarding the environment even if it meant fighting to the last tooth. Rest In Peace Prof.Wangari Maathai, your course will forever live on.

Today was rather an interesting day for me. For a day to qualify as interesting, learning a new thing has to be there, among other things of course. One of my lecturers was kind enough to bring an investment analyst to give a lecture in my afternoon class. Needless to say, its that time of the day when alluring scents of the day's special come from the cafeteria therefore shifting your concentration. Judging by the scent, I'd say matumbo was in the menu today. The talk was however very interesting to let it pass by.

The speaker started by defining what an investment is. The simple version of it was, postponing consumption to a future date. This is particularly hard for a lot of people. He then continued by giving investment options available in the capital market. He however talked more about stocks(shares), bonds and treasury bills. The very interesting part was when he classified investors into two categories, active and passive investors. Active investors are aggressive while passive investors are laid back.

Most of us have come across the phrase, high risk translates to a higher return. This is the time to be aggressive in your investment decisions because you don't have a lot to loose as compared to when you have a mortgage, paying school fees among other obligations that will come up in time. Play around in the stock market and you will get to learn a lot, just like the ones who participated in the NSE Challenge.

Even if after reading this article you won't remember anything else(i hope not), just take this into consideration...Take a risk to get that return you want. I think this is also a life lesson to all other aspects of your life.

Regards.........The Shopper!

NOTICE:BUSINESS MINDS REQUIRED

It would only be ethical if I apologize for my absence in the previous months. I would blame it on the tough economic and environmental conditions we are facing at the moment (Inflation up to 15%, the Kenyan Shilling going as low as Ksh. 96 against the U.S Dollar, the increasing cost of fuel, introduction of rationing, hunger and starvation in the horn of Africa among others) but I would be lying. I was on a fact finding mission which will help me shape this blog into a more informative, interactive and organised platform for entrepreneurial minds.

I am currently engaged in various projects that I am hoping will serve as a foundation for my career as an entrepreneur. I have secured funding for two of the projects and the third one is in the planning phase. As I was busy working on these two projects, I came across some of my other peers who are very much interested in the world of entrepreneurship. It therefore dawned on me that my generation can be the salvation that this unstable global economy needs.

This blog is therefore for all those young entrepreneurs, aspiring and already established ones, to interact and share the different experiences they have come across in their quest to establish a successful business. I will also be informing you on the progress in my projects so as to help you learn the do's and dont's while working on your projects.

I am therefore asking you to take my hand as we start this journey....lets work together to make that IDEA of yours a REALITY!!!!!

Regards.........The Shopper

WARNING:DO NOT TRUST YOUR EMOTIONS

Lately, I have somehow exposed myself to a lot of television. I noticed that the adverts have become very creative. Gone are the days when celebrities were the only strategy to making a noticeable advert. We all know what David Rudisha did to the kiwi advert….am still trying to figure out what ‘fiatu finafyong’ara’ had to do with the advert. Not to say there aren’t any talented celebrities in regards to adverts. Peter Marangi has definitely done justice to the Duracoat adverts, lately being the one he is blinded by the white paint he used to paint a house. Other adverts are just magnificent, and by magnificent I mean the Safaricom advert which showcased our beautiful nation. Am still shocked it didn’t make it into our local music charts, the song in the advert is still stuck in my head… Niko na Safaricom! Some of our struggling musicians should do a remix with Safaricom to save their careers, that advert is a classic.

One of the retail outlets, Naivas Supermarket, has great offers on most of its products to cushion its buyers from the very high inflation (currently at 12.05%). Miss Morgan of Tahidi High has done a good job in promoting the advert. What struck me the most though was one of their shopping tips to help you minimize your spending. They advised you not to shop for groceries when you are hungry, you will end up shopping for food stuffs that you won’t end up consuming. Some of it will end up going stale. Remember that time you were in town, very hungry, tired and you thought one packet of fries couldn’t satisfy that hunger so you bought two packets?  You end up leaving the second packet at the hotel after tasting two pieces of fries….yeah, one packet was enough but the impulse buying made you make rush decisions.

This got me thinking; doesn’t this actually apply to every aspect of our lives? Sometimes our emotions and senses are not a good basis for making decisions, this can land you into a lot of trouble. In the case of the Naivas shopping tip, we all know how ungrateful the stomach can be, feed it now and a few hours later we are looking for what else is in the refrigerator. In light of this information, is it really wise to use your stomach as a reference point to your decisions?

Other emotions such as anger, disappointment, happiness, desperation, just to mention a few, can also alter your ability to make sound decisions.

Life is all about balance. Not too much or too little of something. Anger is not a bad emotion. Not all things will go your way, not all people will be good to you. This may lead to disappointment which may lead to anger. Learn to balance it. One way is by cooling down before making decisions to any pending issues. The other is by not getting angry at the wrong people. If you have gone to countless interviews and none has gone as you expected, do not go looking for fights in the estate. Rather, be patient and more persistent. What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.

When it comes to business, desperation is very helpful, only when if you are desperate to achieve all the right goals. Be desperate to expand your business and make profits in a very honest and transparent way. When you succeed, do not forget to give back to the community and all those who helped you get where you are.

Have a very blessed and balanced week my good friends,

Regards, The Shopper……………

NSE CHALLENGE 2011

Hey guys!!!Am sure most of us have realized that life after secondary school is not as smooth as we imagined. I remember Ksh.1000 was more than enough to push me till mid-term. At the end of the term, I would even have some more money to buy a big packet of fries, which meant a lot after consistent meals of githeri and some occasional rice at school. At the moment, the same Kshs.1000 will barely take me through the week!!The expenses are just too many and its not like we have a source of income yet. I honestly want to be financially stable ASAP! If I want to make some plans, either hanging out with friends or buying that really nice phone I have seen, I want to do it with my own money.

NSE is offering us, as the youth, an opportunity to learn how to be financially stable by taking advantage of the capital and money markets. They launched the NSE Challenge in 2008 and it has been a major success. It has helped a lot of youth realize that the salary earned at the work place is not the only income available to us.

The NSE challenge 2011 is here and you should definitely be not left out. It was officially launched on 29th March and the registration period ends at the end of this month (April). If you wont participate to get the immense knowledge about the stock market, then do it for the whooping prize money of Ksh.200,000 and an internship with a well established organization.

For any queries about this challenge,please post it in the blog and I will get back to you. If you can also shed more light on the issue,your views will be highly appreciated!!!

Regards......The Shopper