Entrepreneurship
100+ MARY KAY ASH QUOTES FROM AMERICA’S GREATEST WOMAN ENTREPRENEUR
Mary Kay Ash was one of the most inspiring entrepreneurial leaders in modern history. She founded Mary Kay Cosmetics, a multi-billion dollar enterprise that still serves millions of customers all over the world, and continues to empower women to dream big and ignite their success.
Mary Kay Ash also wrote three best-selling books that also continues to inspire people worldwide to take control of their own future and to dream big. She truly was one of America’s greatest woman entrepreneurs. As such we aim to ensure her legacy persists by echoing her wisdom on success, life, and business with these powerful Mary Kay Ash quotes.
So, if you’re ready to be inspired, let’s dive into these timeless Mary Kay Ash quotes.
100+ Timeless Mary Kay Ash Quotes
This first set of Mary Kay ash quotes are some of her best and most-well known quotes:
1. Never give up, because you never know if the next try is going to be the one that works.” – Mary Kay Ash
2. “Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.” – Mary Kay Ash
3. “I believe that most successful people are ordinary people with extraordinary determination.” – Mary Kay Ash
4. “Be a giver, not a getter. See for the good in everyone, and everything. Do at least one good deed every day, one that you don’t have to do.” – Mary Kay Ash
5. “I’ve often said that we are doing something far more important than just selling cosmetics; we are changing lives.” – Mary Kay Ash
6. “God didn’t have time to make a nobody, only a somebody.” – Mary Kay Ash
7. “Refuse to throw in the towel. Go that extra mile.” – Mary Kay Ash
8. “We must have a theme, a goal, a purpose in our lives. If you don’t know where you’re aiming, you don’t have a goal. My goal is to live my life in such a way that when I die, someone can say, she cared.” – Mary Kay Ash
9. “Some people drift through their entire life. They do it one day at a time, one week at a time, one month at a time. It happens so gradually they are unaware of how their lives are slipping away until it’s too late.” – Mary Kay Ash
10. “Expect great things, and great things will happen.” – Mary Kay Ash
Mary Kay Ash Quotes on Success
Mary Kay Ash paid her dues in her pursuit of success. She worked for a handful of different companies and experienced plenty of rejection, frustration, and failure before she would go on to launch her own company. Even after launching her company, she had to learn various success lessons before she would build it to become the international enterprise it is today.
With that said, here are a handful of Mary Kay Ash quotes that highlight her insights on success.
Related: Inspiring Quotes on Success
11. “Opportunities have always and will always be around. You simply have to take advantage of them.” – Mary Kay Ash
12. “Even the smallest achievements pave a way to great success.” – Mary Kay Ash
13. “It is far better to be exhausted from success than to be rested from failure.” – Mary Kay Ash
14. “Honesty is the cornerstone of all success, without which confidence and ability to perform shall cease to exist.” – Mary Kay Ash
15. “You cannot keep determined people from success. If you place stumbling blocks in their way, they will use them for stepping-stones and climb to new heights.” – Mary Kay Ash
16. “I failed forward to success. I truly believe that life is a series of many attempts and many failures before we realize success. The important thing is to keep on trying.” – Mary Kay Ash
17. “Do what you should do when you need to do them so someday, you can do what you want to do, when you want to do them.” – Mary Kay Ash
18. “Throw out the words ‘If I can’, ‘I hope’, and ‘maybe’, and replace them with ‘I can, I will, I must.” – Mary Kay Ash
19. “Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.” – Mary Kay Ash
20. “Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless.” – Mary Kay Ash
21. “In my view, the people who are the most successful are those who have helped the most people grow.” – Mary Kay Ash
22. “The real success of our personal lives and careers can best be measured by the relationships we have with the people most dear to us — our family, friends, and coworkers. If we fail in this aspect of our lives, no matter how vast our worldly possessions or how high on the corporate ladder we climb, we will have achieved very little.” – Mary Kay Ash
23. “For every failure, there’s an alternative course of action. You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour.” – Mary Kay Ash
24. “The successful person is really just an efficient person with determination, who works less but gets more done through effective time management.” – Mary Kay Ash
25. “Every failure, obstacle or hardship is an opportunity in disguise.” – Mary Kay Ash
26. “People who succeed have a goal, a dream, and make their plans and follow them.” – Mary Kay Ash
27. “Success, in many cases, is failure turned inside out.” – Mary Kay Ash
28. “Think in terms of what’s good for the other person and success will seek you out.” – Mary Kay Ash
29. “One of the secrets of success is to refuse to let temporary setbacks defeat us.” – Mary Kay Ash
30. “You cannot keep determined people from success.” – Mary Kay Ash
Most Inspirational Mary Kay Ash Quotes
This next batch consists of some of the most inspirational Mary Kay Ash quotes of all time. They are both encouraging and motivating, and by the end of this section, you’ll surely feel ready to take on the world.
So, without further ado, let’s get into these highly inspiring Mary Kay quotes.
31. “You can do anything in this world that you want to do…if you want to do it badly enough and you are willing to pay the price.” – Mary Kay Ash
32. “Most people live and die with their music still unplayed. They never dare to try.” – Mary Kay Ash
33. “An average person with average talents and average ambition can outstrip the most brilliant genius in our society; if that person has clear focused goals.” – Mary Kay Ash
34. “Believe that for every problem God gives you, He will also provide you with a solution.” – Mary Kay Ash
35. “The annals of American business are filled with “impossible dreams” that have come true. I believe in those dreams, and most importantly, I believe in my dream.” – Mary Kay Ash
36. “Be a dreamer. Have a sense of greatness. It has been said that if you can dream it, you can do it. And I believe that.” – Mary Kay Ash
37. “It’s popular in some circles to dwell upon what’s wrong with America. Certainly we are not a nation without faults, but I believe there is a need today for us all to counter negativism by emphasizing what’s right with America.” – Mary Kay Ash
38. “You must develop the ability to know the difference between a real problem and an imaginary one.” – Mary Kay Ash
39. “If you are an entrepreneur planning to start your own company, I can’t think of a better place to begin than by operating your business by the Golden Rule. Make this a high priority; never make a decision that contradicts the Gold Rule.” – Mary Kay Ash
40. “Every achievement, big or small, begins in your mind.” – Mary Kay Ash
41. “Dare to grow into your dreams and claim this as your motto: Let it be me.” – Mary Kay Ash
42. “Begin to build in your mind a dream. The write it down and make your goal realistic.” – Mary Kay Ash
43. “If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right.” – Mary Kay Ash
44. “Each person whose hand I shake is the most important person in the world to me at that moment.” – Mary Kay Ash
45. “Ideas are a dime a dozen. People who implement them are priceless.” – Mary Kay Ash
46. “Be a go-getter. Give the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.” – Mary Kay Ash
47. “The first step is the hardest — making the commitment to yourself, for yourself.” – Mary Kay Ash
48. “I believe every person has the ability to achieve something important, and with that in mind, I regard everyone as special.” – Mary Kay Ash
49. “I believe everyone in America has countless opportunities. But you cannot sit and wait for those opportunities to come knocking at your door. You have to make things happen.” – Mary Kay Ash
50. “Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway.” – Mary Kay Ash
51. “Watching women achieve their dreams is the thing that keeps me inspired.” – Mary Kay Ash
52. “A good goal is like a strenuous exercise—it makes you stretch.” – Mary Kay Ash
53. “Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon must inevitably come to pass.” – Mary Kay Ash
54. “Work like it all depends on you and pray like it all depends on Him!” – Mary Kay Ash
55. “God does not ask your ability or your inability. He asks only your availability.” – Mary Kay Ash
56. “If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right.” – Mary Kay Ash
57. “Aim high enough that you will have to stretch your ability and your potential to reach it.” – Mary Kay Ash
58. “I know what it’s like to spend an entire day in the field and come home without a single order.” – Mary Kay Ash
59. “Those who are blessed with the most talent don’t necessarily outperform everyone else. It’s the people with follow-through who excel.” – Mary Kay Ash
60. “The only true failure is the person who gives up.” – Mary Kay Ash
61. “There are three types of people in this world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wondered what happened.” – Mary Kay Ash
62. “You can eat an elephant one bite at a time.” – Mary Kay Ash
63. “Everyone has obstacles to overcome, but those with great faith can conquer whatever stands in the way.” – Mary Kay Ash
64. “We are meant to use and increase whatever God has given us. And when we do, we shall be given more.” – Mary Kay Ash
65. “People are happiest when they have goals, small and large, because they can look forward to attaining them.” – Mary Kay Ash
66. “It’s interesting to not that the word enthusiasm comes from a Greek origin meaning “God within.” Similarly, enthusiasm must begin within you; when you are consumed with enthusiasm, those around you cannot help but respond in kind.” – Mary Kay Ash
67. “Hope is wishing for something to come true. Faith is belief that it will come true. Believe that for every problem God gives you, He will also provide you with a solution.” – Mary Kay Ash
68. “We all have the same 24 hours a day. You ever stop to think about that? But how we use that 24 hours makes the difference between success and failure.” – Mary Kay Ash
69. “Every silver lining has a cloud.” – Mary Kay Ash
70. “There is a way; Up, Around, Over or Through.” – Mary Kay Ash
Related: Inspiring Millionaire Quotes
Wise Mary Kay Quotes on Life and Business
Mary Kay Ash was a masterful business leader. Her vision and courage assisted her in getting her enterprise started, but her business acumen is what launched her company to such staggering levels of success.
So, let’s take a dive into these insightful Mary Kay quotes on life and business as they’ll certainly help you become a better manager of yours.
71. “Never forget, your family should always have priority over your work.” – Mary Kay Ash
72. “God first, then family, then career.” – Mary Kay Ash
73. “In a career you either go forward or backward, but you don’t stand still. Everyone must continually improve his or her skills in a lifetime self-improvement program.” – Mary Kay Ash
74. “Left unattended, problems only intensify.” – Mary Kay Ash
75. “Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, ‘Make me feel important.'” – Mary Kay Ash
76. “Everyone wants to be appreciated, so if you appreciate someone, don’t keep it a secret.” – Mary Kay Ash
77. “Sandwich every bit of criticism between two layers of praise.” – Mary Kay Ash
78. “Good leaders should never have dollar signs in their eyes, regarding people in terms of profit.” – Mary Kay Ash
79. “A leader has two important characteristics; first she is going somewhere; second, she is able to persuade others to go with her.” – Mary Kay Ash
80. “When everybody is motivated to serve others, everybody benefits.” – Mary Kay Ash
81. “No matter how busy you are, you must take the time to make the other person feel important.” – Mary Kay Ash
82. “It must be remembered that not only the company’s good health but also its very survival is dependent on its profitability. And while many companies are indeed very philanthropic, the support given to civic and charitable causes is directly contingent upon the ability to operate efficiently as a business.” – Mary Kay Ash
83. “A company is only as good as its people.” – Mary Kay Ash
84. “When you look at any great business enterprise, you’ll find that it’s people who make it excel. Outstanding businesses are composed of outstanding people.” – Mary Kay Ash
85. “When it comes to hiring people, a company gets what it pays for.” – Mary Kay Ash
86. “People are definitely a company’s greatest asset. It doesn’t make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics. A company is only as good as the people it keeps.” – Mary Kay Ash
87. “It’s not only self-defeating to criticize someone in front of others, it’s also downright cruel.” – Mary Kay Ash
88. “Making people feel important is precisely what a leader is paid for — because making people feel important motivates them to do better work.” – Mary Kay Ash
89. “High morale is a significant factor in increasing productivity, which means that a good leader should continually strive to boos the self-esteem of every individual in his or her organization.” – Mary Kay Ash
90. “The most important justification for being in business is service to others.” – Mary Kay Ash
91. “Praise is an incredibly effective motivator; unfortunately, many managers are reluctant to employ it.” – Mary Kay Ash
92. “I truly believe that a mediocre idea that generates enthusiasm will go further than a great idea that inspires no one.” – Mary Kay Ash
93. “It’s easy to be enthusiastic when everything is going smoothly. But the real test of one’s mettle is to maintain enthusiasm under adverse conditions.” – Mary Kay Ash
94. “Being adaptable to change is an admirable quality in anyone — male or female — who hopes to succeed in business. Nevertheless, I believe that change is not necessarily progress. Change for the sake of change may improve nothing but your chance of being disappointed.” – Mary Kay Ash
95. “I truly believe that decent people are far more likely to succeed in business than scoundrels and bullies. A leader who mistreats people will end up managing a workforce of unmotivated, unhappy, negative people. And as their leader, he just isn’t going to make it!” – Mary Kay Ash
96. “A good leader knows that it’s his job to help others within the organization. He also knows that the best way to help others is by making them strong — so they can help themselves. In fact, if you help people to the point where they become dependent on you, you’re likely to end up hurting them — and they’ll resent you for it!” – Mary Kay Ash
97. “There’s a big difference between a decisive manager and a tyrant.” – Mary Kay Ash
98. “Good people managers are likely to listen more than they speak. Perhaps that’s why we were given two ears and only one mouth.” – Mary Kay Ash
99. “While clothes may not make the woman, they certainly have a strong effect on her self-confidence, which I believe, does make the woman.” – Mary Kay Ash
100. “Productive people are usually so involved in their jobs they don’t have time to complain.” – Mary Kay Ash
Bonus Quotes By Mary Kay Ash
Bonus: We here at TheSTRIVE.co believe these last set of quotes by Mary Kay Ash are wise words that every aspiring entrepreneur should pay close attention to. As such, were are listing them here in a bonus section to call out the special attention they deserve. Enjoy.
101. “There are two things people want more than sex and money: recognition and praise.” – Mary Kay Ash
102. “If you honor and serve the people who work for you, they will honor and serve you.” – Mary Kay Ash
103. “In my experience, the more people enjoy their work, the more energy they have to put into it!” – Mary Kay Ash
Final Thoughts
There you have it, some of the most inspiring and insightful Mary Kay Ash quotes around. We hope her encouraging words inspire you to trust in your potential and go for your dreams.
With being said, we’ll borrow some wisdom from Mary Kay Ash with these last departing words….’You Can Do It’.
Till next time,
STRIVE
Entrepreneurship
9 BEST BOOKS FOR ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS IN 2024
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. You don’t need lots of money, status, or influence to make it as an entrepreneur, but you will need ideas, vision, determination, and a relentless willingness to execute. That said, these are the best books for aspiring entrepreneurs that will help you most along the way.
Everyday a new entrepreneur gives their dreams a shot, and equally, every day another entrepreneur decides to call it quits and close up shop.
Considering this fact, we decided to create a post for all aspiring entrepreneurs who are looking for a few keys to help them get their enterprise started with the right mindset and on the best footing. The hope is that these resources will encourage many to get started on their dream business, and equally plant in them the seeds of success they will need to see their venture through till the end.
Without further ado…
THE BEST BOOKS FOR ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS
Note: We’re reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
1. The Obstacle is The Way
Without a doubt, as an entrepreneur you are going to suffer set backs. On top of this, you will doubt yourself almost every step of the way. And if you are like most entrepreneurs, you will consider throwing in the towel just about every other week, because, well, starting a business is hard freaking work. The great news is, you’ll have either read The Obstacle is The Way, or you’ll have it in your arsenal to encourage you to engage with and even accept your challenges and obstacles as welcomed friends that you’ll need to embrace if you wish to succeed.
The books is not exactly made just for entrepreneurs, but the lessons of turning trials into triumph is exactly what you’ll need to be hearing, reading, and absorbing inf you are going to make it through the entrepreneurial gauntlet.
So, if you don’t already own this book, do yourself a favor and get it now.
2. Think and Grow Rich
Everyone has heard of Think and Grow Rich, and it is absolutely one of the best success books ever written. And the reason it has made this list for books every entrepreneur should read, is because of it’s ability to help you believe that you can be succeed. This book does a great job helping you obtain the mindset you’ll need to endure and bring your vision to life.
Beware, it is an old book. Put the principles are as true today as they were when the book was written in the early 20th century.
So, get this book and read it often as you make the journey towards creating your business empire.
3. Blue Ocean Strategy
Blue Ocean Strategy is not an inspirational book at all. In fact, it is quite boring to read. However, it is a book that many MBA students and executives have been required to read over the past decade. In fact, we listed it here, because every entrepreneur needs to take a vary rational and strategic approach to their business if they want to succeed. By reading this book, you’ll give your venture a chance at success, so long as you apply the principles.
In this day and age, you can’t just start something you love and accept that it will succeed in the market. No, you have to ensure that what you are offering is unique, fresh, and uncontested in the markets if you want your venture to thrive.
So, read this book, create your strategy and then go make your dreams (anchored by reality) come true.
4. 10X Rule
Grant Cardone is a pretty inspiring guy, but don’t expect a super polished and pedantic lesson; rather, Grant will teach you what it will take to succeed in today’s hyper-competitive world the way he learned his lessons; up front, real and in your face. There is no hand-holding with this book. So, pick it up, brace yourself, read it, and then apply his hard learned lessons and watch your success sky-rocket.
5. Millionaire Fastlane
A successful entrepreneur at the end of the day makes money. If you start a business that doesn’t generate enough cash to keep you fed and the lights on, then you may have started a hobby not a business.
We recommend this book for every entrepreneur. Especially before they take the leap because it will give you a taste of what entrepreneurship really looks like, from bootstrapping, to losing tons of money, to making it all back. In short, it will help prepare you for the journey that lies ahead.
The book is also a great starting point for the type of mindset you’ll need to acquire if you wish create a business that thrives financially, and you will come to understand the value of execution and taking action on your business goals.
So don’t hesitate to get this book if you are about to take your entrepreneurial leap.
6. The $100 Startup
The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau is a fantastic book to read if you are an aspiring entrepreneur. This book provides powerful ideas that encourage the reader to think outside the box. But more importantly, the book does a good job at helping the reader realize that starting a business doesn’t require some grandiose idea, or massive amounts of capital.
So, if you’re looking for a bit of encouragement and a few good ideas that can help you thinking differently about entrepreneurship and creating a business you love, you should read this book.
7. The Lean Startup
The Lean Startup is one of the best books for aspiring entrepreneurs because it deals with a commonly overlooked aspect of entrepreneurship; over-committing. This books does a great job at relaying the necessity of starting your entrepreneurial endeavor with a minimal viable product to test, versus committing all your resources to an idea/product/service that the market may ultimately reject.
So, if you’re truly considering entrepreneurship, do yourself a favor and pick this book up. It will give you the framework to approaching business in a lean way, and could potentially save you lots of money, time, effort, and heartache.
8. Million Dollar Weekend
Noah Kagan has built a fortune for himself as an entrepreneur. He has tried his hand a various businesses over the years, and has zeroed-in on the best practices that every budding entrepreneur should take advantage of if they want to gain traction.
As such, he shares his insights these days with new ventures and via his recent book ‘The Million Dollar Weekend‘. As a successful entrepreneur, he’ll teach you how to start a seven-figure business in a single weekend. That said, if you’re a new entrepreneur, who is looking to launch a successful venture fast, then this book is a must read.
9. How To Win Friends and Influence People
Alright, here’s one last bonus book that every aspiring entrepreneur should read. How To Win Friends And Influence People should be essential reading for every budding entrepreneur. Why? Because no matter what business you choose to get into, you will need people skills.
And like it or not, your people skills will play a major role in how much success you find. Sure, there are some businesses where you can eek by without dealing with people too often, but those businesses are few and far between.
So, if you’re just starting out in business, or if you are an already established entrepreneur, get this book, because it will strengthen your ability to work with people (i.e. prospects, customers, team members, etc..), and as a result, it will directly increase your success in business.
Related: Inspiring Entrepreneur Quotes
Final Words on The Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read
And there you have it. The best books for aspiring entrepreneurs. We sincerely believe every entrepreneur should read these books before deciding to dive into the deep sea of entrepreneurship.
Sure, we could have added more books, but didn’t want to waste your time, because as you’ll soon learn as an entrepreneur, time is money.
Till next time,
STRIVE
PS – If you enjoyed learning about our selection of the best books for aspiring entrepreneurs, then you certainly enjoy learning about these best business audiobooks. And if you’re thinking about entrepreneurship, but not sure which business to start yet, then you’ll love this article.
Entrepreneurship
9 TIPS IF YOU WANT TO START A BUSINESS WITH NO IDEAS
So, you want to start a business but have no ideas?
No problem!
There are an unlimited number of ideas out there. And there are many ways to find those ideas. You only need to learn how to tap into your creative genius to spot them.
But where do you start?
The best ideas are those closest to your heart. Ideas that are good and that you will enjoy pursuing. Because when you love the process, you will stay consistent despite setbacks.
And that’s key to building a successful business.
Let’s dive into 9 tips to start a business if you have no ideas.
HOW TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR WITHOUT AN IDEA
Tip 1: What Are You Passionate About?
Follow your passion – it sounds cliche.
But in simpler terms, it means doing what you enjoy. And though it sounds so simple, this part is crucial in staying consistent for most people.
Sure, you can trade crypto because it’s popular. You can build a real estate business because many wealthy people do it. Or start an online business to have the freedom to travel the world.
But none of them is easy.
All of them come with hardships, setbacks, and challenging times.
And if you lack joy in the process, you most likely give up when those times happen.
So, when you come up with business ideas, make sure to pursue the ones you fall in love with. Don’t just go with the idea because it could make a quick buck.
Here are some ways to think about new ideas:
- What do you already enjoy doing?
- How do you spend your free time?
- What do you talk about all the time?
- Who or what inspires you in the world – and why?
- At what moments do you completely forget about time?
- If you could master one skill instantly, what would it be?
It’s a great idea to begin with yourself if you want to start a business with no ideas.
Tip 2: What Are Your Strengths?
Starting a business around your strengths is a great idea.
Knowing your strengths is key to achieving success. It enables you to get into positions in which you thrive. Simultaneously, it allows you to team up with those who complement you best.
Besides, it’s no secret that most people tend to enjoy what they excel at. In other words, finding your strengths may uncover some new passions.
And before you tell yourself that you lack any strengths, everyone does.
It just manifests in different ways.
For some, it’s hidden in a specific skill, like coding or painting. For others, it’s hidden in their character traits. And while some people are exceptional with other people, others do their best work alone.
Here’s how you can find yours. Come up with answers to the following questions:
- What were you naturally better at in school?
- What do you do with ease that others struggle with?
- What have others complimented you for?
- What type of work or tasks do you like doing for fun?
- What business can you best see or visualize yourself doing?
- Do an online strengths test, like the free High 5 Test.
Think about your strengths from different angles. For example, are you good with numbers? Very creative? Are you great with people? Are you accountable? Responsible? Ambitious? Good at money management? Or brilliant with computers? Etc.
If you struggle to find your natural powers, do various strength tests. That way, you will get input from different perspectives.
Tip 3: Start With Purpose
In the famous TED talk, Simon Sinek talks about having a purpose. Or as he calls it, having a “Why”.
And he explains how Apple used it to become the standalone brand they are today. But it’s not just for brands. It’s for individuals too.
A good example is Viktor Frankl. In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, he writes about how it was purpose the helped him survive and thrive in the concentration camps of the Nazis during World War II.
That’s how powerful a purpose is.
It can be the single reason that causes you to keep going, despite feeling unmotivated, lacking willpower, and wanting to give up.
Besides, finding your purpose may lead straight to the perfect business idea. Here you can learn how to find your purpose.
Tip 4: Audit Your Existing Skills and Knowledge
When you want to start a business with no ideas, a good place to start is with your current skills and knowledge.
What do you know well? What jobs or positions have you held in the past? And how might you be able to leverage those skills for services in a business?
It’s often challenging to start a business in something you have no experience. But you will find it easier to come up with ideas when you already have some knowledge and skills.
It provides a launchpad towards success.
You can use that to develop your business experience and confidence. And you can use that to spiral up new ideas and start new businesses if that’s what you desire.
But what do you do if you lack skills or knowledge?
Know that your skill sets translate to your business success.
So, the more skills you learn, whether those are skills like coding and marketing, or soft skills like communication and selling, determine your success.
Do you not have any skill set yet? Then you might want to start there first. Here is a list of 10 well-paying and in-demand skills.
Tip 5: Research Different Niches
There are many, and I mean many, different business ideas and opportunities out there. And finding one that suits you is a matter of doing research and then trying stuff out.
Think about it: almost anything you can think off has a business around it somewhere in the world.
Online businesses alone already come with unlimited amounts of opportunity. You just need to explore your options.
Do your research, and you will have plenty of business ideas to choose from in no time.
Here’s just a few simple ideas that you can start with:
- Consultant (online) in any area of expertise
- A bookkeeping business
- Developer: freelance or building your own thing
- Commerce store: physical or online
- Restaurant or food truck owner
- A personal trainer or gym owner
- Coaching or teaching of any kind
- Shaved ice or ice cream truck owner
- Designers of all sorts
- A planning business
- A travel business
- Massage therapist
- A cleaning business
- A landscaping business
- An exterior home services business
- Running your own Airbnb
- An (online) marketing agency
- A sales business
There are just too many options to list. But if you struggle with your research, you can also check out these 5 easy business ideas.
Do your research, explore the options, and soon have a great idea to start a successful business.
Tip 6: Consume More
Consuming more may sound counterproductive. But I do not imply that you should watch more tv. Instead, you should deliberately choose what to take in.
And in being deliberate, I mean learning about ideas on a range of different things.
Read non-fiction books on any topics. Dive into biographies of the people you admire. Watch documentaries about a range of things. Read blogs, watch YouTube videos, and explore everything.
Expand your knowledge.
Seek to understand a bit of everything. And then, dive deeper into what interests you to find a business idea.
Exploring a variety of topics is good advice in general. Not just for starting a business if you have no ideas but also for your personal life.
Tip 7: Practice Creativity
You may not see yourself as creative, but all humans are. And there’s an easy way to prove that to yourself:
Come up with one business idea every day.
That’s not too difficult, right? You don’t have to be original. You don’t have to go wild and think outside the box.
You just need to come up with a different idea every day.
Why?
It develops the habit of creativity. Starting with simple and common business ideas gets you into that way of thinking. Then, over time, business ideas appear everywhere you go.
And that’s when you come up with out-of-the-box ideas.
That’s when creativity works its magic.
But until then, you will have to develop the habit. You have to stimulate the mind a little bit. After all, you only become good at something if you practice it.
Tip 8: Solve Problems
Every successful business solves a problem. In fact, if yours doesn’t solve a specific problem, you will soon be out of business.
And there are many different problems to solve.
- World problems, like climate change.
- Local problems, like not having a gym in the area.
- Psychological issues, like self-created suffering.
- Social problems, like how we deal with each other.
- Financial problems, like not being able to pay the bills.
- Health problems, like struggles to lose weight.
There are just so many problems in the world. Find an issue that’s meaningful to you. And start your business around solving it.
Need more guidance in finding problems?
Start with yourself.
What problems have you encountered in your life? Which problems did you overcome?
For example, people who struggle with weight loss may become the best personal trainers. Why? Because they can relate to their clients and understand their pain.
If you want to start a business and have no ideas, think about the closest problems to your heart. What would you like to solve?
Tip 9: Build an Audience First
You may already feel passionate about something but fail to see how to start a business around it. Or even if you see a path, it might involve many risks, like significant investments.
But you can start risk-free.
Here’s a business idea that requires no capital. Something you can start from the comfort of your home. With nothing more than a keen interest in a specific topic.
And that’s to build an audience first.
Before you have any idea about what to sell, why not build an audience around your topic of interest first? Then, listen to your audience and get them involved.
And then use their input to develop products or services.
It’s a great model.
All you need is a passion and a platform through which you want to talk about it. Think about YouTube or TikTok if you like creating videos, a podcast if you enjoy audio, or a blog if you enjoy writing.
For example, on my blog, I talk about personal development. And while it doesn’t make a lot of money today, I focus on building an audience first to learn more about them.
Besides, it’s a great learning experience, and I enjoy it. And with the knowledge gained, I might just start a completely different business.
You will just have to start somewhere.
So, if none of the tips in this article gave you a business idea, at least give this tip a try. It has proven to be my best decision in life.
Bonus Tip
If you’ve applied all 9 tips, and you’re STILL thinking to yourself, ‘I want to start a business, but have no ideas, nor a clue as to what I should do’, then this last and final bonus tip will do the trick.
Ultimately, this last bonus tip (or rather insights) will have you watching a handful of videos from the following YouTube channels. These channels are the best of the best when it comes to business ideas, what it takes to run those businesses, how much you can expect to make in each. Our suggestion is to pick the show you like best, and then take a deeper dive into all of their videos for countless business ideas. Here they are:
UPFLIP
Video Credit: UpFlip (Subscribe Here)
CODIE SANCHEZ
Video Credit: Codie Sanchez (Subscribe Here)
REYES THE ENTREPRENEUR
Video Credit: Reyes The Entrepreneur (Subscribe Here)
Closing Thoughts
Starting a business is hard. And starting a business with no ideas may seem near impossible. But ideas and opportunities are everywhere.
The question is: where do you look for the best ones?
I hope that I’ve inspired you to start with yourself in this article. Understand who you are. What makes you tick. And then teach yourself to come up with new business ideas every time.
It’s all about taking action.
Perhaps you won’t find your perfect idea straight away. Many entrepreneurs start many businesses throughout their lives. Many of which fail.
But through these experiences, they eventually find the perfect one.
In other words, give the tips in this article some thought. Then, find something that you would enjoy, don’t be afraid to experiment, and just start taking action.
Till then,
STRIVE
PS – If you’ve ever said to yourself, “I want to start a business, but have no ideas”, then you’ll enjoy these helpful resources:
Entrepreneurship
75+ PATRICK BET-DAVID QUOTES FOR SUCCESS
Patrick Bet-David, a.k.a. PBD is an American entrepreneur, speaker, and author of at least three different books, including a Wall Street Journal #1 best seller ‘Your Next Five Moves’. Bet-David is also the founder of Valuetainment, a rapidly growing media brand that teaches people all over the world the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, the value personal development, while simultaneously encouraging people to take a chance on their goals. That said, the man knows a thing or two about success, which is why we decided to round up some of the best Patrick Bet-David quotes on success and business.
Our aim is to create a short list of some of Patrick Bet-David’s best advice in the form of quotes and sayings that you can come back to when you need guidance, encouragement, or just a good reminder. So, without further ado, if you’re ready to digest some of the best success advice out there on the web today, let’s dive head first into these Patrick Bet-David quotes for success.
BEST PATRICK BET-DAVID QUOTES FOR SUCCESS
1. “Stop constantly taking the easy way out. No blockbuster movie was ever based on an easy life.” – Patrick Bet-David
2. “It takes hard work to make it to the top. It takes twice the effort to stay at the top.” – Patrick Bet-David
3. “If you can walk, talk, hear or see, you have everything it takes to do something big with your life.” – Patrick Bet-David
4. “The most important person to believe in is you. Everyone else who believes in you means nothing unless if you finally believe in yourself.” – Patrick Bet-David
5. “Stop thinking about your past mistakes. Stop worrying about what the future holds. Start focusing on what you can do now.” – Patrick Bet-David
6. “A talented entrepreneur with bad habits eventually becomes an employee. An average employee with great habits can eventually become a great entrepreneur.” – Patrick Bet-David
7. “If you want to be big, you must be willing to disappear for a while.” – Patrick Bet-David
8. “Very few people in business keep their word. When you find them, go into business with them.” – Patrick Bet-David
9. “The first 2 years of being an entrepreneur is a roller coaster ride. The goal is to eventually own the roller coaster and the theme park.” – Patrick Bet-David
10. “In the end, your success will speak for itself.” – Patrick Bet-David
11. “Everyone has a great idea but only a few have great work ethic.” – Patrick Bet-David
12. “The best recruiters in the world are small thinkers. They convince millions of dreamers to give up on their dreams.” – Patrick Bet-David
13. “You either pay the price now or pay the price later, but regardless of your decision, the price must be paid in full.” – Patrick Bet-David
14. “Savings give you a lot of strength, flexibility and control. They are what give you the most powerful Answer in The World.” – Patrick Bet-David
15. “I’ve not found one single mutual fund, on single real estate investment, any gold, silver or anything else that has given me higher returns than me investing in myself.” – Patrick Bet-David
16. ‘Your vision must align with who you want to be. Your choices must align with your vision. Your effort must align with the size of your vision. Your behavior must align with your values and principles.” – Patrick Bet-David
17. “The only way you’re going to make it in business is when everything is your fault, when everything is your responsibility.” – Patrick Bet-David
18. “We never feel completely ready for life’s big decisions; but in taking the leap, we push ourselves to the next level.” – Patrick Bet-David
19. “If you think your critics are wrong, prove it. If you think your haters are wrong, prove it. If you think you’re right, prove it. Results have historically been the best way to prove you’re right.” – Patrick Bet-David
20. “No one remembers average and ordinary. NO ONE! Give your VERY best. You only get one shot at this thing called ‘life’.” – Patrick Bet-David
21. “If you’re going to overdose on anything, overdose on getting better. It’s one of the greatest natural highs of life.” – Patrick Bet-David
22. “The only way to be bulletproof is to focus on you improving your game.” – Patrick Bet-David
23. “Sometimes God will put a Goliath in your life, to bring out the David within you. Chin up. Look up. Rise up.” – Patrick Bet-David
24. “Underachievers think they’re working harder than they actually are. Overachievers think they’re not working hard enough. Underachievers think they know it all. Overachievers think the don’t know it all. History favors the overachiever.” – Patrick Bet-David
25. “The less your business depends on you the more it’s worth.” – Patrick Bet-David
26. “Change will come only when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.” – Patrick Bet-David
27. “One cannot charm or seduce their way out of lost time. Time has no mercy for those who take it for granted.” – Patrick Bet-David
28. “The bigger the vision you have, the more important it is for you to think on what type of a team you’re going to put around you.” – Patrick Bet-David
29. “The more you pay the price the more you improve. The more you go above and beyond the more you lead. The more you overdeliver on your promises the more you do things others aren’t willing to do, you eventually expect success. It’s not longer a question. It’s inevitable.” – Patrick Bet-David
30. “Focus on doing MORE.” – Patrick Bet-David
31. “Take responsibility for what you have control over and focus on that.” – Patrick Bet-David
33. “Short-term thinkers are a dime a dozen. Long-term thinkers are extremely rare. History books favor the long-term thinkers. Don’t let short-term attention distract you from your long-term vision becoming a reality. Chase the big.” – Patrick Bet-David
34. “Every time you change, you create new enemies and new allies. Don’t be surprised when this happens. It’s sciences. It’s human nature. It’s inevitable.” – Patrick Bet-David
34. It’s tough to start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading and re-living the last one. Grab the pen of life and start writing the next one.” – Patrick Bet-David
35. “Instant gratification is the kiss of death. That mindset hurts anything it touches. Business, health, politics, friendship, relationship, finances. It attracts short-term thinkers and turned off by long-term thinkers. Don’t fall for this trap.” – Patrick Bet-David
36. “Respect the game. It’s easy to do when you’re smaller, tough to do when you get bigger. And even tougher when you become number one.” – Patrick Bet-David
37. “Sometimes the more you think, the less you do. Sometimes the less you think, the more you do. Simplify. It’s not that complicated.” – Patrick Bet-David
38. “Reading the right books can change your life. Reading the wrong books can confuse the hell out of you.” – Patrick Bet-David
39. “If someone is winning at a higher level than you are, either lower your expectations to match your work ethic or increase your work ethic to exceed your expectations. If you do neither, you’ll be miserable. What it all boils down to is that alignment is the key to fulfillment.” – Patrick Bet-David
40. “To get better you must reflect on your mistakes.” – Patrick Bet-David
41. “Don’t compare yourself to others you see around you. Get really clear on who YOU want to be.” – Patrick Bet-David
42. “Money is made in good times. Wealth is made in great times. Generational wealth is made in bad times. Don’t fear a market crash. Just be ready for it. The upside can be very big.” – Patrick Bet-David
43. “Humility has a different meaning to different people. It doesn’t mean to be a priest, a monk, or a pastor. It simply means you don’t know it all.” – Patrick Bet-David
44. “All it takes is ONE. One big victory silences all your critics. One big victory validates your hard work. One big victory over shadows the 1,000’s of mistakes and bad ideas. One big victory can lead to more victories. Go get your ONE big victory.” – Patrick Bet-David
45. “Travelling isn’t about the destination, it’s about the people you travel with.” – Patrick Bet-David
46. “Never underestimate the upside of a person with a positive attitude. A college dropout with a positive attitude will go further in life than an MBA grad with a negative attitude. Attitude matters.” – Patrick Bet-David
47. “The moment you start fighting for something bigger than YOU, you’ll be introduced to a version of YOU that you’ve never seen before.” – Patrick Bet-David
48. “There’s a path for everyone — as long as you have self-awareness and the willingness to think fie moves ahead.” – Patrick Bet-David
49. “All the motivational quotes in the world can’t move someone who doesn’t know what they want.” – Patrick Bet-David
50. “We aren’t put on this earth to pay the bills. We are put on this earth to do something special with our lives.” – Patrick Bet-David
51. “Reading an hour a day is only 4% of your day. But that 4% will put you at the top of your field within 10 years. Find the time.” – Patrick Bet-David
52. “Winning is about how you perform on your worst days, not just your best days.” – Patrick Bet-David
53. “The whole thing that makes Capitalism works is competition.” – Patrick Bet-David
54. “You’ll notice that some of the people who don’t achieve success, they always want people smaller than them around them because it makes them feel bigger.” – Patrick Bet-David
55. “The people you meet that are super successful, they always put themselves in situations where people are bigger than them, because it’s the next platform, the next level they’re getting to.” – Patrick Bet-David
56. “I believe anybody can reach their capacity. Anybody has that shot, but it takes so much fricking work, pain that not a lot of people want to go through it.” – Patrick Bet-David
57. “Capitalism works. It’s those who don’t work that hate Capitalism, unfortunately.” – Patrick Bet-David
58. “The market rewards people who outwork and out-improve.” – Patrick Bet-David
59. “Arrogance steals your potential. Preparation and effort accelerated your chances at reaching your potential.” – Patrick Bet-David
60. “Your life is a byproduct of the way you think. Your way of thinking produced the life you’re living today. If you don’t like your life today, maybe it’s time to change the way you think.” – Patrick Bet-David
61. “Generational wealth doesn’t mean anything if good habits don’t generationally transfer. If habits don’t transfer with the money, the money will eventually run out.” – Patrick Bet-David
62. “Wealth won’t last if good habits are not being passed down.”
63. “They call us dreamers, yet we’re the ones who get the least amount of sleep. We’d rather die trying to make our dreams a reality, rather than just a part of our imagination.” – Patrick Bet-David
65. “Staying in a funk for too long will make you doubt yourself. The key is to snap out of it ASAP.” – Patrick Bet-David
66. “Anybody that learns the skillsets of a millionaire can become a millionaire.” – Patrick Bet-David
67. “Rule number one of creating wealth; never ever work for a sexy established company. If you work for a sexy established company no one knows you. If you quit, you get fired, you were just another employee. Go to a company, help it become sexy, established. Be a leader, own a piece, you’ll become wealthy.” – Patrick Bet-David
68. “Big thinkers smell and read other big thinkers. If you’re urgent and want to get things done fairly urgent, you’re in the big thinkers camp. If you got all the time in the world, you ain’t part of the big thinker’s camp, you get to pick and choose.” – Patrick Bet-David
69. “Everybody has been given this gift by the man upstairs, and it’s this thing called imagination. Some of us use if for negative and some of us use it for positive.” – Patrick Bet-David
70. “Many talk, a few do. And even fewer keep doing.” – Patrick Bet-David
71. “If you know every show on Netflix and you’re broke, you have a problem. You’re lazy.” – Patrick Bet-David
72. “Everything about money is a double’s game.” – Patrick Bet-David
73. “Never get complacent. Nothing lasts forever. Constantly be in recreation mode!” – Patrick Bet-David
74. “Massive success comes down to rare moments of opportunity. Be ready for it. They don’t come by often.” – Patrick Bet-David
75. “If anybody tells you it’s tough to make money, they are just not taking advantage of all the tools available to them.” – Patrick Bet-David
Bonus PBD Quote
Bonus: Alright, here is one of our favorite quotes by Patrick Bet-David. We added it as bonus, because we stand behind it 100%. There truly is power behind setting a goal for yourself.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There you have it, some of the best Patrick Bet-David quotes on success and entrepreneurship. We hope they’ve given you a bit more insight on what it takes to succeed in the world today, as well as inspired you to dig deeper into his success philosophy.
He has a handful of books that give great advice, and he has an extremely popular YouTube channel where he often publishes loads of invaluable success insights.
That said, we hope you’re at least a little bit more inspired leaving our page than when you arrived.
Till you reach your ambitious aims,
STRIVE
PS – If you enjoyed these inspiring Patrick Bet-David success quotes, then you’ll probably enjoy these power quotes from fellow success icons like:
Entrepreneurship
10 BEST ENTREPRENEUR AFFIRMATIONS FOR NAVIGATING THE GAUNTLET OF BUSINESS
Entrepreneurship can be like a wild roller coaster ride full of dramatic ups and downs. Indeed, every single entrepreneur will experience their fair share of challenges, obstacles, and roadblocks before they ever achieve success. And the one thing every entrepreneur must gain control of if they wish to successfully navigate this challenging gauntlet of entrepreneurship is their own mind.
That’s right, the number one way to make it as an entrepreneur (beyond having an amazing product or service) is to find a way to control what goes on between your own two ears. The entrepreneur who lets their emotions to get the best of them, who allows their fears to dictate action, and permits their focus to be scattered by all the “happenings” of the world, will sooner or later be out of business.
Fortunately, every entrepreneur has within their power that ability to control their thoughts and mindset, and one of the best ways to do so, is to use affirmations. If you’re not sure about affirmations, read this first: what are affirmations?
With that said, we’ve pulled together the most powerful entrepreneur affirmations that every entrepreneur should absolutely use to keep their mind in check, so as to keep their business alive and moving forward.
So, if you’re ready for some powerful affirmations to help you reign in those thoughts, so you can ultimately experience more success in your business, then let’s dive in.
BEST 10 AFFIRMATIONS FOR ENTREPRENEURS
Affirmation 1: I Am a Fearless Action Taker
Taking a Leap of Faith: The biggest struggle for most aspiring entrepreneurs is taking that first leap. It doesn’t matter if it’s you resigning from your day job, launching that website, making your first phone call, or going to that first networking event to practice your pitch, taking that first leap is that hardest.
As such, this affirmation provides one of the best ways to convince your mind that you can do it, and that you have nothing to fear. Indeed, it will prompt you to take action.
Affirmation 2: I Trust That Success Will Happen In It’s Own Time
Patience: The ‘overnight success’ is a myth. There is no such thing, especially in business. In fact, success as an entrepreneur is more about making small steady gains over time, and remaining patient for the results you seek. So be urgent about putting in the effort, but patient about seeing the results.
And remember, empires aren’t built in a day, and fruit slow to grow always bears the best fruit.
Affirmation 3: I Always Manage My Time Effectively
Time Management: Time flies for the entrepreneur, but probably a little faster than we’d like it to. As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with everything that has to get done with so little time to do it all. It’s also easy to spend too much time on those things that don’t keep the lights on.
So, use this affirmation to get your time management tightened up so you business and life can run a bit more smoothly.
Affirmation 4: When I am Diligent My Results Are Positive
Due Diligence: As an entrepreneur you are likely a risk-taker at heart, but that fearlessness can also lead to issues when due diligences isn’t followed in your undertakings. Many businesses have crashed and burned all because of some small oversights that lead to big legal issues.
So, be sure to use this entrepreneur affirmation to help you keep your head about you in the midst of your entrepreneurial adventures.
Affirmation 5: I Am Smart With Money And Put Every Dollar To Good Use.
Cash Flow: Money worries in the form of cash flow management is cause for some of the biggest headaches as an entrepreneur. So, it is critical that you, as the CEO of your owner of your company that you give enough attention to ensuring your cashflow is sufficient to keep you in business.
This affirmation won’t make money appear out of nowhere, but it will help you zero-in on your cash flow and money management issues.
Related: Affirmations For Money
Affirmation 6: I Am In Control Of My Ego
Keeping Ego Under Control: Success as an entrepreneur can lead to issues caused by your ego. Believe it or not, your ego can cause you to make mistakes, bad decisions, and ruin important relationships.
So, to keep your ego in check throughout your entrepreneurial journey, use this affirmation.
Affirmation 7: All Areas Of My Life and Business Are Harmonious And Balanced
Work/Life Balance: It’s so easy to get caught up in our business dealings as an entrepreneur. In fact, most entrepreneurs struggle to maintain a healthy work/life balance, and overtime it eventually impacts business.
So, use this affirmation to help you keep your life and business well-balanced. Because when your balanced your business will be too.
Affirmation 8: Delegation Isn’t Failure, Delegation Is Growth
Delegation: Every entrepreneur will eventually struggle with delegation at some point or another. But, if you want to take your business to the next level, you’ll have to learn to let go of the reigns and delegate.
This affirmation will help you focus release some of that control so you can get more of what you really want, growth!
Affirmation 9: Every No Is A Lesson That Gets Me Closer To a Yes
Fundraising: One of the scariest aspects of entrepreneurship can be putting yourself out there to gain new clients or request funding. Either way, you have to give a pitch to virtual strangers, and more often than not, you’ll be rejected. But, it is something that has to be done to scale your business.
So, use this affirmation to give you the poise and confidence to sell the value of your business with ease.
Affirmation 10: I Accept Adversity With Enthusiasm and Courage
Dealing With Failure: Our business ventures will see setbacks, it’s the name of the game. But how you manage those failures and setbacks will determine how well you bounce back. So, don’t lose heart if your business begins to underperform, or if bankruptcy seems like it is just around the corner. You can get through it, especially with this affirmation.
So, use this entrepreneur affirmation to help you keep your chin up, stay positive, and look for the seed of equal or greater benefit in each adversity.
Runner-Up Affirmations For Entrepreneurs
This list below consists of a handful of additional entrepreneur affirmations that you can use to help you on your entrepreneurial journey. Each one will cover some aspect that every entrepreneur as some point in their ventures deals with. Enjoy.
1. I take the first step and make things happen now.
2. I am worthy and capable of creating a thriving business.
3. I attract new business opportunities every day.
4. I am driven and will achieve my goals.
5. I am a powerful and energetic creator.
6. I appreciate the freedom and flexibility by business affords me.
7. My business is growing.
8. I am energized by the obstacles I face.
9. I exude confidence and success.
10. There’s a solution to every problem.
11. Entrepreneurship is freedom.
12. I resist all temptations and remain focused on success.
13. My success grows with limitless expectations.
14. I am an effective executive who gets things done.
15. I am responsible for the success of my business.
16. Nothing can hold me back, not even my own doubts.
17. What I do today will determine my results tomorrow.
18. I am persistent and consistent.
19. I am worthy of what I desire.
20. I create my own destiny with small acts of courage.
21. I appreciate my employees.
22. My goods and services provide massive value to the community.
23. I will find a way, not an excuse.
24. I don’t wait for opportunity, I create it.
25. Even if I fail, I will try again.
Related: Affirmations For Success
Final Thoughts
There you have it, some of the most effective affirmations for entrepreneurs. We hope you enjoy them, and put them to good use. Of course, one important thing to keep in mind is that in order for these entrepreneur affirmations to work, you’ll have to put them to use consistently.
Remember, the purpose of these affirmations is to rewire your mindset so we can effectively modify our behaviors. And we’re modifying behaviors to ultimately get different/better results in our business. And just like exercise, the more of it you do, the quicker you’ll see results.[1]
So, book mark this page, and use these affirmations often until you’re business venture is humming along.
Till then,
STRIVE
PS – If you enjoyed these entrepreneur affirmations, then you’ll likely love these powerful business affirmations, or these empowering entrepreneur quotes to prime your mind for entrepreneurial success.
Entrepreneurship
25 EMPOWERING BUSINESS MANTRAS FOR YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS
Succeeding in business is no easy task. In fact, the road to entrepreneurial success is often littered with many setbacks, seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and frustrations. Lots of frustrations. But, the end result, which is the achievement of a thriving and self-sustaining business venture is worth all the toil and sacrifice.
Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs and business owners lose steam or get discouraged on their journey towards success. The obstacles, challenges, and negative experiences they face eventually lead to negative thinking. Then those negative thoughts tend to lead to negative habits, and those negative habits almost always crush momentum and lead to the loss of enthusiasm and hope. And once they lose hope, they stop striving. But were not going to allow that to happen. Not for you!
We want to help ensure you keep your mindset strong and your thoughts positive, so you can keep taking the positive steps necessary to reach your business aims. So, to help you combat the challenge of achieving the success you seek, we’ve rounded up some of the most empowering business mantras for your entrepreneurial success.
If you’re not sure what a mantra is, or what the benefits of mantras are, read this first.
With that said, we know that with consistent use, mantras can and will help you drown out those negative thoughts that lead to defeat. But more importantly, they’ll help you focus on the the thoughts that lead to success. After all, what you focus on expands, and results always follow focus. So, the next time you’re feeling low or discouraged while on your entrepreneurial journey, employ these empowering business mantras to get yourself back on track for success:
25 Best Business Mantras for Entrepreneurial Success
Mantra 1: Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes
More often than not, failure comes from doing the same things over and over, yet expecting different results. In business, especially in the early stages of one’s entrepreneurial journey, if something isn’t working, something has to change.
So, use this mantra if you need to snap yourself out of the habits or line of thinking that may be keeping you on the path towards mediocrity and eventually failure.
Mantra 2: You Get What You Focus On
It’s critical for everyone who seeks success to pay attention to what they think and what they focus on. But this is especially important for entrepreneurs and business owners, especially since time and resources is of this essence.
Leverage this mantra to keep yourself aligned with the necessity for positive thinking and intentional focus.
Mantra 3: Find a Way, Not an Excuse
There’s no place for excuses, not in the business world. You either produce results, or your ideas and business will end up in the dust bin of history.
Therefore, it’s imperative to force your mind to become a realist, because the business world and the market only cares about what works. Make excuses a thing of the past with this powerful business mantra.
Mantra 4: Start Where You Are, Use What You Have, Do What You Can
This is one of the best business mantras to use as an entrepreneur because it can help you deal with feeling overwhelmed. Overwhelm keeps too many would-be entrepreneurs from getting started on their dreams.
They don’t know where to start, how to start, or if they have what it takes. But, as most big dreamers who achieved their dreams will attest, you’ve just gotta start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can.
Leverage the line of thinking that has worked for countless success stories with this business powerful mantra.
Mantra 5: Don’t Wait For Opportunity, Create It
Every successful entrepreneur knows that opportunity isn’t given, it is created. Entrepreneurs understand that their dreams will only become a reality when they act to make turn those wishes real.
Use this mantra as a catalyst for action, because if success in business requires anything, it requires bold action.
Mantra 6: Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You
The market, people, and the public in general flock to the businesses that provide something special, different, and highly valuable in terms of a product or service. And most businesses really begin to flourish once they’ve created a name for themselves by offering something remarkable.
So, use this mantra to keep yourself inspired to always be working towards standing out from the crowd, and creating something special for your customers.
Mantra 7: The Future Is Promised to No One, Take Your Shot
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, and business, like most things, is a numbers game. So, make sure you are keeping yourself inspired to take risk, innovate, and put yourself out there, because that were your success lies; in the endeavoring.
Take your shot, and take it often; success is a numbers game.
Mantra 8: If You Want More, Do More
Too many people want things to change without changing themselves or making any adjustments to their operations. But, business success responds to action, just like physics. So, if you want to 10x your business success, start 10xing your business activity.
More Results and better results is always preceded by more and better action.
Mantra 9: It’s Not How You Start The Race, It’s How You Finish
Every entrepreneur is good at one thing; and that’s starting a business. But, the successful entrepreneurs and the high achieving business owners know that starting is only half the battle, but real and enduring success always goes to the strong finisher.
So, use this business mantra often to strengthen your persistence and improve your ability to finish strong in everything you do.
Mantra 10: Your Attitude Will Determine Your Altitude
It’s so easy to let our attitudes get negative and pessimistic these days. When everything in the news seems to be constantly negative, and when people around us seem to only talk about their problems, our attitude can suffer. And negative results almost always following negative thinking.
But, if you use this mantra often, it will help you keep your focus on only those things that will benefit your and your business.
Mantra 11: You Only Have One Life, Make The Most of It
Many of us hold back with how hard we push, or how big we dream. But why not go for it all? Why not aim for the highest and best outcomes for our business. There’s no standard for how your business or venture should look.
So craft your best outcome in your mind, and commit going for it, because that’s the only way you’ll ever achieve it.
Mantra 12: You Can Only Fail When You Begin Failing to Try
Many businesses fail, that’s just the way it is. But failing because of a bad start, poor execution, or just simply failing because your idea was rejected by the market reject is not failure. Failure is choosing to no longer pursue your dreams.
So, if things aren’t going your way, pivot, take a step back, or change lanes, but never stop striving.
Mantra 13: You Are Enough
You have to believe that you are deserving of what you seek and that you have what it takes. If you don’t, you’ll never make it. The great news is, you do have what it takes, and you are enough. Sure, you may have to become resourceful or learn some new things to reach the success you are after, but never let your self-doubt sabotage your dreams.
You are enough and you can do this!
Mantra 14: Weak Desires Bring Weak Results, Strong Desires, Strong Results
Sometimes you’ll think you’re doing everything correct with your business but your results will still be lackluster. When this happens, the culprit is usually your desire. So, if your results are not where you want them to be, double check that what you are after is really what you want.
If it is, then dial up how bad you want what you are after by reciting this business mantra often. The renewed desire will lead to renewed and heightened action. And strong results love red hot action.
Business Mantra 15: Persist Until You Win
Sometimes a business will succeed purely because the entrepreneur relented until his competitors quit. It’s not a fun way to win, but it is still one of the surest ways any entrepreneur can win.
If you don’t quit, if you continue to persist, you can’t lose. Use this business mantra to persist until you win.
Mantra 16: The Average Rely on Wishes and Hopes, The Successful Rely on Goals
You are not average and your dreams are not average. The dreams you are after are special, they’re special to you.
So, if you’re serious about achieving what you want, you’ll have a roadmap put in place and a timeframe for when you intend to reach that aim. In short, you’ll have goals.
Mantra 17: Stay Positive, Work Hard, Make It Happen
Everyday brings with it news challenges and unforeseen obstacles. And some days may seem monotonous, but you’ll have to follow the process in this mantra if you wish to keep moving forward.
If you stay positive, keep working hard, you’ll eventually make it happen.
Mantra 18: To Get Ahead, You Have to Get Started
Often times we sit and ruminate on an idea for way longer than we should as entrepreneurs. We know how much work a new idea may take to implement, or we languish at the thought of how much effort a new approach to our business may require, but to get ahead, we have to take action, we have to start.
So, if you’ve been hesitating on an bold new idea lately, use this mantra to remind yourself that sometimes getting ahead is all about pulling the trigger and just getting started.
Mantra 19: Tomorrow Is Determined By What You Do Today
Easy so easy to get off track as an entrepreneur. If we’ve come across funding, we rest on our laurels, or if things or going well, we lay off the reigns, but this is a recipe for disaster. Why? Because tomorrow is dependent on what we do today.
So, don’t take your foot off of the gas pedal, especially when things are going well. Keep pressing forward with action today, so tomorrow you be one step closer to your dreams.
Mantra 20: Don’t Wish Things Were Easier, Wish You Were Better
The grind of entrepreneurship is hard, and no amount of wishing things to be easier will make it so. Similarly, no amount of hoping and waiting for things to improve will work either. Things will improve when you improve.
So, get your mind right with what you need to do to improve your business situation with this powerful business mantra.
Mantra 21: Work Hard, Dream Big, Aim to Achieve The Impossible
Some of the biggest achievements were made by enterprising people who followed this simple process; they dreamt big, worked their tails off, and eventually achieved what others thought was impossible before their achieving it.
Use this mantra often to keep your mindset aligned with the winning ways of high achievers. Work hard, dream big, and eventually, you will achieve the impossible.
Mantra 22: The Comeback Is Always Stronger Than The Setback
Setbacks are part and parcel of the entrepreneurial process. But, if you can see each set back as but another opportunity to spring you further ahead than you were before your set back, you’ll become unstoppable.
Turn your setbacks into seeds of achievement with this entrepreneur mantra.
Mantra 23: Build Your Dreams, Or Someone Will Hire You to Build Theirs
Most entrepreneurs are motivated to be their own boss because they don’t like being told what to do. Entrepreneurs like doing things their own way. So, if you’re business seems to be going off the rails lately, and you don’t know what to do, leverage this mantra to remind you why you got started in the first place; freedom.
Mantra 24: Make Each Day Your Masterpiece
Out of all of the other business mantras, this one holds the secret to success. Why? Because your business in the end, will be the result of all of your accumulated choices.
So, pay special attention to each action and decision you make for you business. Treat each as business decision you make, and each activity or non-activity you partake in as if it mattered to how your business turns out, because it does.
Mantra 25: Comfort is The Enemy of Progress and Growth
Too many people go into business for themselves because they think entrepreneurship automatically means you’ll have access to “the good life”. And while entrepreneurship can lead to better days, the good life of entrepreneurship is not a given, and it usually only comes only after much toil and effort.
So, don’t get faked out by the entertainment industry’s notion of entrepreneurship. Real entrepreneurship is uncomfortable, and real progress in the real world comes at the expense of comfort. Leverage this mantra till you know in your bones that comfort is the enemy of your success.
Business Mantras Print Out
Coming back to this page every day could become cumbersome, so we decided to provide you with a helpful printout of these business success mantras. Just click on the button below to download them on your computer, and then you can print them out and place them where ever you like.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, 25 powerful business mantras to help you keep your mind strong and your thoughts focused. We hope you find a handful of them that speak to you, and that you’ll choose to use often.
With that said, we wish you all the success in the world. And whatever you do, don’t stop endeavoring to create the business and life of your dreams.
Till then,
STRIVE
PS – If you enjoyed these powerful business mantras, then you’ll certainly enjoy these motivational mantras that actually work.
Entrepreneurship
TOP 25 INSPIRATIONAL STARTUP QUOTES FOR VISIONARIES AND FOUNDERS
A startup is a company or venture undertaken by a courageous visionary or entrepreneur. It’s the seed planted with intention to grow and scale a business to extraordinary heights. That said, we’ve pulled together this powerful collection of startup quotes to inspire the next generation of startup founders, entrepreneurs, and bold visionaries.
Our hope is that these startup quotes will encourage you to chase your dream and turn into a reality by starting, hustling, and cultivating your new business until it reaches it maximum potential. If you’re ready to get fired up, let’s dive right in:
BEST STARTUP QUOTES
1. “Dream big. Start small. But most of all, start.” – Simon Sinek
2. “Chase the vision, not the money, the money will end up following you.” – Tony Hsieh
3. “The smallest company in the world can look as large as the largest company on the web.” – Steve Jobs
4. “Don’t start a company unless it’s an obsession and something you love. If you have an exit strategy, it’s not an obsession.” – Mark Cuban
5. “When you accept that failure is a good thing, it can actually be a huge propeller toward success.” – Whitney Wolfe Herd
6. “The last 10% it takes to launch something takes as much energy as the first 90%.” – Rob Kalin
7. “The only thing worse that starting something and failing… is not starting something.” – Seth Godin
8. “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
9. “As a startup CEO, I slept like a baby. I woke up every 2 hours and cried.” – Ben Horowitz
10. “You’re guaranteed to miss every shot you don’t take.” – Richard Branson
11. Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway.” – Mary Kay Ash
12. “To be successful, you must be daring, be first and be different.” – Ray Kroc
13. “One has to remember that every failure can be a stepping stone to something better.” – Colonel Sanders
14. “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right.” – Henry Ford
15. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas Edison
16. “No matter how smart you are, if you don’t know how to work with people, your dreams will just be dreams.” – Jack Ma
17. “I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.” – Jeff Bezos
18. “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” –Wayne Gretzky
19. “If you’re not doing some things that are crazy, then you’re doing the wrong things.” – Larry Page
20. “The most effective way to do it is to do it.” – Amelia Earheart
21. “Competition makes you better, always, always makes you better, even if the competitor wins.” – Carlos Slim
22. “Money is just a consequence. I always say to my team, “Don’t worry too much about profitability. If you do your job well, the profitability will come.” – Bernard Arnault
23. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis
24. “You attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” – Zig Ziglar
25. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas Edison
Bonus Startup Quote
Bonus: Alright, here is one of our favorite startup quotes. We added it as bonus, because we stand behind it and believe it’s worthy of being called out. If you’ve yet to launch you startup, take this quote to heart;
Final Thoughts
Great job making it through these inspirational quotes for startups and entrepreneurs. Hopefully they’ve inspired you to double down on your ventures, or take the leap if you’ve yet to launch your own startup.
That said, if you enjoyed these motivating startup quotes, then you’ll enjoy these related resources:
Remember, the startup is a dream acted upon and cultivated until it reaches its maximum potential. So, if you’re idea has to deliver, keep to it.
Until you reach your aims,
STRIVE
Entrepreneurship
SEO FOR STARTUPS: USING SEO TO ENERGIZE YOUR ORGANIC TRAFFIC IN THE FIRST YEAR
Launching a startup requires a lot of grit and determination. It takes time to build a brand and product awareness amid tons of competition, especially in saturated markets with a lot of heritage brands to compete with. Which is why SEO for startups is vital in this day and age.
Startups and new entrepreneurs need aggressive and robust marketing strategies to solidify their place in the business world and generate business. Without solid marketing, your startup may not make it to year two.
To make matters worse, startups are often struggling with virtually nonexistent budgets and few, if any, marketing professionals to help. A lot of the capital goes towards building a brand and developing products, rather than marketing.
Search engine optimization (SEO) solves this problem. This practically free marketing strategy can boost your ranking on search engine pages and drive traffic to your website, and all it takes is some time and effort.
The catch is that your pages need to rank on the first page. Most searchers don’t look past the first page when they search for information, so if you’re not showing up until the third or fourth page, you may as well not exist.
Getting a high ranking is vital to organic traffic, and the best way to do it is with a solid SEO strategy specifically for first-year startups.
The Value of SEO
SEO is a marketing strategy that seeks to optimize search engine ranking and drive organic traffic to the website or pages. Unlike paid ads, which drive traffic for marketing spend, SEO is completely free traffic that comes from searchers looking for information and finding relevant posts (your content).
The more you can deliver relevant, valuable content and establish your brand authority in the industry, the higher your ranking will be. Content can be a variety of types to suit your audience, including blog posts, videos, web pages, articles, webinars, and podcasts.
Think of it this way. Say you were a teen excited to get your license and you’re looking for resources to prepare for your permit test. You submit a search query in Google and check out the results on the first page.
If you click on those links and they give you the information you need, you may be inclined to look for other resources from the same brand and spend more time on the site, boosting its authority and showing the search engine that these results were relevant to your search intent.
So, you need to be the brand that delivers that content for the right searches.
Benefits of SEO for Startups
Startups are working with limited budgets and marketing talent, so they typically lack the resources to pour a ton of money into brand exposure and paid advertising methods. SEO is an excellent option that’s practically free and generates remarkable returns.
Here are some benefits of SEO for startups:
Cost-Effective Traffic
Startups benefit from SEO because it’s one of the cheapest marketing strategies and generates excellent returns. For just time and effort, you can drive organic traffic to your site and generate more awareness for your brand, even if you have a lot of competition.
Brand Authority
Brand authority refers to the trust, credibility, and expertise of your brand, as perceived by prospects and customers. This can be achieved through consistent and positive customer experiences and a position as an industry authority, both of which can be done through content.
Brand Awareness
One of the most important benefits of seo for startups is the brand awareness it brings.
Brand awareness is a big factor in the success of a first-year startup. Heck, it’s important for any company.
And as more searchers come across your content, they learn more about your brand and what you have to offer. In fact, over time visitors may eventually become paying customers and recommend your brand to their friends and family.
For example, at Zutobi.com, a teen driver may search for resources to prepare for their permit and driving tests and may use a search query like “how to prep for the DMV permit test.” They find your permit practice test and your other teen driver resources, and perhaps they become a paying customer in the future.
Getting attention leads to mindshare, and mind share eventually leads to market share.
How to Develop an SEO Strategy For Your Startup
Refine Your Audience
It’s not enough to have traffic for your website – it needs to be targeted to your ideal customers. If you sell commercial fleet vehicles and get a ton of traffic from teens shopping for cosmetics, you’re not getting a paying customer for your efforts.
Your traffic needs to be targeted to your ideal audience, the people who are likely to be looking for what you have to offer and are inclined to make a purchase, whether now or in the future.
You may have a general idea of who you’re marketing to, but you need to drill down to understand them better. Consider questions like:
- What are my customers’ problems?
- How does my product or service solve them?
- What is my customers’ age, location, occupation, etc.?
- Where do they spend their time online?
- What type of content do they consume?
- How can I give them a positive, valuable experience?
Conduct Keyword Research
Keyword research is the foundation of your content. You need to research the keywords your audience will use and plan your content around them. Targeted keywords are beneficial, but it’s best to choose “low-hanging” keywords.
These keywords are easy keywords that already have high search engine rankings and lower competition. These will get your content ranked higher from the start, and you already know they perform well.
Longtail keywords are also valuable. These keywords are often phrases, like a question, that give you insights into your audience. You can use longtail keywords to guide your content strategy and offer highly relevant information.
The process of keyword research takes time and considerable thought. But, if you do it right, it can make all the difference between getting a visitor to your site, or acquiring a new customer.
To do this research you can use keyword tools like following:
Stay Consistent
Startups can be busy environments. There’s a lot to juggle and everyone is wearing multiple hats, so throwing in SEO and content can seem overwhelming. It’s necessary for your success, however.
Your audience relies on consistency, so it’s best to have a schedule for your content. It’s better to post fewer times, but on a schedule, than churning out a bunch of content and disappearing for a while.
In addition, you need to focus on quality over quantity. Having a lot of poor-quality content doesn’t serve your goals, and your audience won’t develop trust in your brand.
In fact, if you have lots of low quality content on your site, search engines will be more inclined to ignore or penalize your site. So if you’re creating your own content, aim high in terms of quality.
Set Yourself Up as an Authority
Distinguishing your brand from the competition is never easy, but it’s essential to your success. You have to build your brand from the ground up and position yourself as a trusted source of information and value for your customers, driving more people to your website.
The search engine will also put more value on your brand if you provide targeted, relevant, and high-quality content. Stick with the topics you know well and deliver what your customers are looking for.
Tighten Up Technical SEO
Technical SEO is a big factor in how search engines categorize and index your website and content. Search engine bots crawl websites to understand their hierarchy and structure to determine the ranking, and that’s where technical SEO comes in.
Here’s how you can improve your technical SEO:
- Use a schema markup, or semantic vocabulary, to help search engines index your site and provide more relevant information for searchers.
- Fix any performance problems, such as broken links, lagging pages, or images that won’t load.
- Optimize your content for mobile devices, paying close attention to zoom capabilities, page orientation, load times, and page layout when it switches to the mobile site.
Technical SEO requires some technical knowledge. If you don’t think you’re up to it, outsource the task to a professional and get your website in optimal condition.
Here are a few solid SEO choices to choose from:
Focus on Backlinks
Linkbuilding is a long and tedious process. There’s no fast-track to getting quality links, so best to start as soon as you can.
Linkbuilding, otherwise known as backlinks, is when credible websites link to your website in their own content. You earn traffic if readers follow links to your website from the original post, and typically from the right audience.
These links have a lot of value for your SEO, including domain authority and traffic. Search engines also recognize the authority of the linking domain (which is why you want links from authoritative sources) and consider your site credible as well.
That said, be very careful how you go about getting your backlinks, because if you don’t do it naturally your site will be penalized.
The best way to get backlinks, is to create remarkable content people want to link to. The second best way, is to roll up your sleeves and start reaching out to people.
Keep at It
SEO is one of the most valuable marketing strategies for your startup, but there’s no way to make it happen quickly. You can’t pay for your traffic or ranking, even with paid posts, since they just send irrelevant traffic your way and burn through your marketing budget without generating more sales.
Focus on creating a solid, scalable SEO strategy and putting in the time upfront. As you create more content and earn more links, you’ll generate more traffic and better rankings that get your brand in the spotlight.
Get Started with SEO
Startups have a lot to overcome, including online presence in a crowded digital world with lots of brands competing for attention. That said, SEO is an effective strategy that earns you traffic and authority, all without substantial marketing spend.
SEO for startups can be done in house, or it can be hired out. Whatever option you pursue, the most important factor is that you create a solid strategy that your startup can stick to long-term, because SEO is not a sprint.
Lastly, SEO isn’t going anywhere, so the SEO strategy you develop from the start will serve you well into the future.
Till you reach your aims,
STRIVE
PS – If you enjoyed this article on SEO for startups, then you may also enjoy reading about getting the most out of social media.