5 Simple Questions Successful People Ask Themselves Every Day

Last month’s SUCCESS.com article on 10 things successful people never do again reminded me of Steve Jobs’ often-quoted philosophy about the importance of questioning yourself. “If today were the last day of my life, would I do what I’m about to do today?” It’s true: The most successful people have the ability to objectively evaluate themselves on a regular basis—their skills, their actions and their progress toward goals.

They don’t sleepwalk through the routine. They’re actively thinking about the things they do. But questioning yourself doesn’t mean second-guessing yourself. It means evaluating your status and objectives, and what you’ll do to reach them with a clear, unbiased mind. It’s a practice that will help make you think and become more successful in work and life.

Here are five simple questions that successful people ask themselves every day:

1. Am I in the right niche?

If you don’t have passion for your job, you won’t be motivated to overcome the natural barriers and obstacles that life puts in the way of success. And even if you started out with passion by the bucketful, that can fade. This is why it’s so important to routinely check in with yourself and your motivation. If you feel like your passion is waning and you’re burning out, a change may be necessary to reignite your energy for business. Finding a niche that sustains you emotionally will give you the clear mind and passionate drive you need to succeed.

2. Am I learning from my mistakes?

Most patterns of success include plenty of failure. That’s completely normal—even healthy. However, the important thing is that you’re learning and you’re rarely making the same mistake twice. When you hit a roadblock, take time to evaluate what went wrong, what needs to change, and how you can prevent it from happening in the future. Try to take a nugget of wisdom from each failure you encounter on your road to success.

3. Am I consistently pushing my own boundaries?

Success isn’t attained by driving the speed limit or sticking to the beaten path. You can rest assured that the people who do well in your industry are constantly pushing ahead and challenging their own boundaries. Creating new, more audacious goals and attempting to reach them will keep your passion ignited and keep you striving toward success. Push through professional barriers and always look to achieve the impossible.

4. What is my game plan?

While you are challenging yourself, you should also map out strategies that will allow you to become more efficient and precise. If you are trying to work faster and better, you need to develop routines and processes that allow you to do so. Sit down and create the physical map that will take you from where you are to where you want to go. Leave room for detours that could end up being shortcuts as you learn and grow.

5. Do I still believe I can do this?

The most important ingredient of success is the belief in yourself and what you’re striving toward. The highest ambitions are nothing without the conviction that you can actually reach them. Take a hard look in the mirror and ask yourself if your passion and drive match up with your aspirations. Skills and know-how are less than half the battle. If you don’t believe you can do it, it’ll be hard to convince anyone else you can. You have to be your own cheerleader before you can expect anyone else to be.

From Success Magazine

Think You're Too Old to Be An Entrepreneur? Think Again. (Infographic)

If Hollywood wants to portray an entrepreneur in a movie, then he -- and it’s usually a he – is in his early 20s, may or may not have a college degree, is probably wearing blue jeans and a hoodie, and is a bit unkempt, with messy hair and facial hair.

That stereotype may appeal to our interest in a narrative where geeks take over the world, but the Mark Zuckerberg-inspired vision is absolutely only a part of the entrepreneurship story. Many entrepreneurs don’t even think about launching their own business until they are in their 30s, 40s, and even 50s, after years of work experience.

Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's, sold paper cups and milkshake mixers until he was 52, according to an infographic from San Francisco-based startup organization Funders and Founders (below). Meanwhile, the founder of cosmetic behemoth Mary Kay, Mary Kay Ash, sold books and home decor objects until she was 45.

Fret not if you are over 40 and have yet to start your own business. There’s still time. And chances are, if you’ve worked a while, you’ve learned a thing or two about life and business that will be helpful, too.

Take a look at the infographic below for more examples of entrepreneurs who launched later in life. 

From Entrepreneur

Have a Business Idea? 6 Ways to Research Your Industry.

In their book, Start Your Own Business, the staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc. guides you through the critical steps to starting a business, then supports you in surviving the first three years as a business owner. In this edited excerpt, the authors explain what secondary market research is and the different sources you can use to gather it.

When conducting market research for your new business, you'll gather two types of data: primary and secondary. Primary research is information that comes directly from the source—that is, potential customers. Secondary research involves gathering statistics, reports, studies, and other data from organizations such as government agencies, trade associations, and your local chamber of commerce.

The vast majority of research you can find will be secondary research, plenty of which is available for free to entrepreneurs on a tight budget. The best places to start? Your local library and the Internet.

Reference librarians at public and university libraries can point you in the right direction. Become familiar with the business reference section, also. Two good sources to look for: ThomasNet, an online resource that connects industrial buyers and sellers, and the Hoovers Industry Reports. Both sources can help you target businesses in a particular industry, read up on competitors or find manufacturers for your product.

To get insights into consumer markets, check out the Statistical Abstract of the United States. It contains a wealth of social, political, and economic data. Ask reference librarians for other resources targeted at your specific business.

In addition to libraries, here are 6 other sources of secondary research:

Associations.

Your industry trade association can offer such information as market statistics, lists of members, and books and reference materials. Talking to others in your association can be one of the most valuable ways of gaining informal data about a region or customer base.

Look in the Encyclopedia of Associations, found in most libraries, to find associations relevant to your industry. You may also want to investigate your customers’ trade associations for information that can help you market to them. Most trade associations provide information free of charge. Also read your trade associations’ publications, as well as those aimed at your target customers, to get an idea of current and future trends and buying patterns.

Government guidance.

Government agencies are an invaluable source of market research, most of it free. Almost every county government publishes population density and distribution figures in widely available census tracts. These publications will show the number of people living in specific areas, such as precincts or neighborhoods. Some counties publish reports on population trends that show the population 10 years ago, five years ago and today. Check local employment figures for the area, too. A stagnant job market—or worse, a consistently declining one—could mean fewer people will be able to spend money, even on necessities.

The U.S. Census Bureau turns out reams of inexpensive or free business information, most of which is available on the Internet:

• The Census Bureau’s State and Metropolitan Area Data Book offers statistics for metropolitan areas, central cities and counties.
• The Census Product Update is a monthly listing of recently released and upcoming products from the U.S. Census Bureau. Sign up for a free email subscription.
• County Business Patterns reports the number of a given type of business in a county by ZIP code and metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas.
• For breakdowns by geographical area, look to the Economic Census, which is published every five years.

Most of these products are available online or at your local library. If not, contact the Census Bureau at (800) 923-8282.

The U.S. Government has an official web portal that's another good source of information. For instance, at the USA.gov website, you’ll find a section for businesses that's a one-stop link to all the information and services the federal government provides for the business community.

Or you might try the Commerce Department’s Economic Indicators web page. Literally every day, it's releasing key economic indicators from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Census Bureau.

Maps.

Maps of trading areas in counties and states are available from chambers of commerce, trade development commissions, industrial development boards and local newspaper offices. These maps show major areas of commerce and can also help you judge the accessibility of various sites. Access is an important consideration in determining the limits of your market area.

Community organizations.

Your local chamber of commerce or business development agency can supply useful information usually free of charge, including assistance with site selection, demographic reports and directories of local businesses. They may also offer seminars on marketing and related topics that can help you do better research.

D&B.

Financial and business services firm D&B offers a range of reference sources that can help startups. Its "Regional Business Directories," for instance, provide detailed information to help identify new business prospects and assess market potential. D&B’s Million Dollar Database can help you develop a marketing campaign for B2B sales. The database lists more than 34 million companies  and includes information regarding the number of employees, annual sales and ownership type. The database also includes biographical information on owners and officers, giving insight into their backgrounds and business experiences. For more information, go to www.mergentmddi.com. Visit the main website, or call (866) 503-0287 for more information.

Going online.

Start by searching for business databases. You can find everything from headline and business news to industry trends and company-specific business information, such as a firm’s address, phone number, field of business and the name of the CEO. This information is critical for identifying prospects, developing mailing lists and planning sales calls. Here are two to get you started:

KnowThis.com’s virtual marketing library includes a tab called “Marketing Links” that contains links to a wide variety of market research web resources. You can simply type in what you want to do, and voila, results for resources.

MarketResearch.com has research reports from more than 700 sources consolidated into one accessible collection that’s updated daily. You pay only for the parts of the report you need with its “slice and dice” feature called Profound. After paying, the information is delivered online to your personal library on the site. Its "In a Nutshell" series offers three- to four-minute videos on the highlights of various topics.

From Entrepreneur

Richard Branson on How to Raise Money When You're Just Starting Out

Q.: G’day Richard. I am a young engineering student with little to no practical experience as an entrepreneur. I think I’ve got a great idea, a ready and capable team, but have little money to pursue commercializing my novel product. I fear that potential investors will not take me seriously because of my age (21) and inexperience. How can I convince seasoned investors to believe in my team and invest in my idea? -- Jordan Gruber, Australia

My friends and I came up with the name “Virgin” one day when we were 15 years old, sitting around in a basement. I was keen on the name “Slipped Disc” for our new music venture, but then one of my friends pointed out that when it came to business, “we’re all virgins; why don’t we call it that?” In our case, inexperience proved to be a huge asset -- if we’d gone with the safer option, I’m not sure that many people would be working out at Slipped Disc Health Clubs or banking at Slipped Disc Money!

Innovation and entrepreneurship thrive on the energy of people who are dipping their toes into the water for the first time. Budding entrepreneurs with fresh outlooks have the freedom to think quite differently, which is tremendously exciting to potential collaborators. However, as you’re finding out, Jordan, translating a new concept into a product can be very daunting.

While you might not yet have the right connections or an “in” with major investors, other people out there do -- experienced businesspeople, in your sector or in others, who were once in your shoes and went on to be successful. These people are potential mentors who can help you on your way.

Mentoring is a subject that is very close to our hearts at Virgin; I myself have benefited from many mentors throughout my life. However, don’t consider mentoring as a quick way to gain useful contacts. A good mentoring relationship is based on more than that -- it’s a way to learn valuable lessons from the mistakes someone else has made.

Additionally, I noticed in your message an emphasis on convincing “seasoned investors” to back your idea. While securing huge sums of money from major business figures might seem like the ideal way to propel a business forward, the reality is that very few ventures win this kind of funding. A better alternative might be an online crowdfunding platform. Websites such as Indiegogo not only have the potential to fund the creation of a prototype to get your business up and running, but they also can result in significant publicity.

Another option is taking out a small business loan. In the U.K. we launched Virgin StartUp, a program that provides loans of up to 25,000 pounds to companies trying to get their ideas off the ground. It is well worth your time to look into similar initiatives in your area, and decide whether a loan is the right step for you. As an added benefit, both crowdfunding and small business loans will mean that you can retain full ownership of your business -- you won’t have to give any equity away to investors.

Here are three steps that can help you discover which approach is best for you:

1. EVALUATE AND RESEARCH.

Always be honest with yourself about your abilities, the work you’ll have to put in to get your company up and running, and the amount of money you’re hoping to raise. Research all the options that are available, and evaluate how they would affect your end goal.

Ask yourself: Is your crowdfunding target realistic? How much of a stake in your business are you willing to give to potential investors?

And if you want to find a mentor who can help give you direction and guidance, make sure you find a suitable one. Find out what they do, whether they’ve mentored others before and which sectors they are interested in.

2. GET ON PEOPLE’S RADAR.

Attend industry events such as seminars and conferences. Talk to as many people as possible, and do not immediately launch into a pitch of your product. Be sure to listen and learn from what people have to say.

Networking doesn’t stop at face-to-face contact, either; interact on social media, join LinkedIn groups and keep the relationships going online. When you do approach potential mentors or investors, or if you launch a crowdfunding campaign, you’ll have a degree of visibility.

In fact, the more proactive you are in building your profile, the more likely it is that potential investors will feel confident enough to put their faith in you -- and their money in your company. Remember that the more relationships you build, the better the chances that your network will put you in touch with the people who can help your business.

3. KEEP AN OPEN MIND.

Remember to be flexible. While winning investment might look like the best option now, don’t discount any other opportunities that come your way. For example, crowdfunding might not have the prestige of an investment from a big-time entrepreneur, but it will connect you directly with future customers, and you will have more control over the process.

Keeping an open mind is especially important when it comes to mentoring. Don’t see mentorship as a quick fix for problems, and do not brush off advice. Consider your connection with a mentor as a long-lasting business relationship that can teach you lessons and reduce the potential for failure. But also remember that, as with anything else, you’ll get out of mentoring what you put in.

Making sure that your potential business is a success is not contingent upon gaining a large investment. Many successful companies -- including Virgin -- started with modest funds. Right now, investors might seem like they are the gatekeepers between you and your dream, but the one person who can make your business succeed is not an investor, or even a mentor. It is you.

From Entrepreneur

What Does Your Style Say About You as an Entrepreneur?

Your professional wardrobe style is like your very own visual business card.  It speaks for you even when you are not speaking. But have you ever really thought about what your wardrobe is saying about you and your brand?   

This is something I like to call “message management.”  It is the art of knowing what image you want to project and then using your style to your professional advantage. The first step is to know what your current wardrobe says about you. Then, you can make strategic changes, taking control of how others perceive you and your business.  

Below are the most common four professional styles and what they convey about you and your brand:

1. The uniformed professional  

Do you wear similar outfits every day? As a woman you may always choose a skirt suit, a shift dress or slacks and sweater.  For men, a strict classic suit and tie look, khaki’s and a blue button down, or even always donning an everyday pocket square could be your "uniform."

As an entrepreneur, your uniform shows commitment, consistency and strong brand awareness. However, even if you are a creature of habit, it is nice to switch things up every once and a while.  You’ll want to show a splash personality by adding surprise layers, colors, accessories and shoes. By doing this you still can show strength of brand but also that you can think outside of the box and take risks from time to time.

2. The quirky and colorful professional 

My personal favorite: the entrepreneur who loves color and pattern and isn’t afraid to use it!  For women, maybe it’s a bright magenta shift dress, a fun purple cardigan, or pops of leopard, floral or graphic prints mixed into blouses, jackets, handbags or shoes.  For men, the quirky can show up as colored checked shirts paired with contrast colored ties, a stand out paisley pocket square or even a surprise color in your socks. (There’s nothing more eye catching than a man in a classic suit with a pop of bright patterned socks.) 

Your strategic impression here shows that you are vibrant, imaginative, energetic, original and approachable.  But wearing too many colors or expressive prints at once can take attention away from YOU, the entrepreneur, and instead give the impression that you don’t take your position seriously. Be sure to limit yourself to one or two hues that pop or a single print as a focal point. Then balance it out with neutral tones and classic slim tailored shapes to keep the look professional yet still aligned with your personal expressive style.

3. The relaxed professional

Offices are getting more casual and relaxed dress codes have become a norm.  Casual styling in the workplace can be seen as approachable, laid back and friendly. But you don’t want to drift into looking sloppy! Too many casual items together makes you look thrown together and not styled with purpose for the workplace.

A great rule of thumb for professional casual is to use the 50/50 rule.  Your outfit should be 50 percent formal and 50 percent casual.  That way you are dressing up your casual items with more professional appropriate pieces.  Master this mix and you’ll look confident, together, serious and approachable all the same time.  It shows that you took the time to think about your outfit and put it together in a creative way: All positive impressions

4. The status-obsessed professional

Is wearing head to toe designer brands your style?  Consistently in Gucci loafers, the newest Hermes belt, the chicest Prada glasses and the biggest Louis Vuitton handbag? Go big or go home, right? This particular style type for entrepreneurs is perfect for working in luxury brands and shows that you understand your market.

The downside? Wearing too many noticeable labels in a single outfit can look like you are trying too hard or trying to garner attention. Be sure to layer your designers. Stick to clean lines, subtle designer items and only one or two labels showing.

From Entrepreneur

4 Ways to Manage People Smarter Than You

Managing people smarter than you--or even people who think they're smarter than you for that matter--is a real challenge. Whether you are running a lean and mean startup, Fortune 500, or Inc. 5000, it's your responsibility to translate employees' intellect, ambition, and confidence into day-to-day progress.

Imagine a scenario where you are paid to oversee a team of more than 1,500 researchers and scientists, most with MD's, all working towards one goal: introduce groundbreaking scientific discoveries. That would even give Mark Zuckerberg a headache.

That's exactly the role of Chris Czura, vice president of scientific affairs at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. The institute is considered the crown jewel of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, which is one of the largest in the nation, operating 18 hospitals, with more than 50,000 employees and 7 million patients in its service area.

I connected with Czura, to find out how he gets these brilliant people to functionefficiently and effectively. While he does possess a PhD, he doesn't have an MBA or formal management training. Although he did start out as an auto mechanic, so he has figured out how parts work together.

Here are the four ways he manages people smarter than himself.

1. Have them learn the same language.

Czura says "The common denominator percolating throughout my organization is that we all have a passion for science. Everyone is here for a common purpose and a majority of the leadership team have a background in the field." Czura is able to use the common background to establish a common language everyone can use internally. This creates communal understanding, which reduces communication issues. Then together they can determine how to interpret their findings to the outside world.

2. Focus less on IQ and more on collaborative intelligence.

Czura claims the secret sauce at the Feinstein is collaboration. He explains that all hiring interviews focus on work style and philosophy. He believes people are clearly either collaborative or they aren't. They recruit and retain talent who are fundamentally and intrinsically collaborative and have a strict "no asshole" rule. They even turned away brilliant candidates in the past because of their inability to work well with others.

3. Get them to speak in "we" and not "I."

Czura points out that the team is exalted over the individual. In everything they do they try to incorporate the power of "We." They even host mini symposia bringing together doctors and scientists from completely divergent disciplines where real progress can be made. Czura points out that many scientists, particularly in molecular biology and the life sciences can be anti-social in nature and can stimulate conflict. Czura is creating an open environment where questions and constructive conflict are encouraged.

4. Learn when to get out of the way and when not to.

Czura explains that when dealing with bright minds, it's really important to create situations where smart people ask other smart people challenging questions. To make that effective, you must try and recognize what the person on the other side of the table sees or prioritizes. But after all is said and done, and marching orders are established, Czura says it's his job to get the heck out of the way. Czura says it best: "We want our staff to focus solely on their crafts, and I am the biggest advocate for enabling people to do what they do best. Business and management folks breathing down a scientist's neck has never led to meaningful discovery. It's important to give people the intellectual freedom to figure out solutions on their own volition. I take the responsibility upon myself to advocate for our scientists, make sure they have what they need, and to make those justifications to the business and operational side of the house. It's best that they are only doing what they are uniquely positioned to do."

From Inc. Magazine

The Mentality of a Successful Career

Success is all in your head. If you want to control your ability to have a lucrative, fulfilling career, it’s imperative to control the way you think.

Those who can’t control their emotions and inner monologue never reach their full potential.

The long-term solution to sub-par success, lack, and limitation lies in our ability to turn our inner potential to reality. Among other things, this means not allowing outer circumstances to control our emotions. It means understanding that no amount of money or physical objects creates happiness or cultivates success.

Rather, our recruitment experts have seen that a better career begins with self-improvement; self-improvement starts with a healthy thought process that promotes creativity and spurs action.

Below, you’ll find three strategies to cultivate a mentality conducive to you achieving your goals, thus allowing you to cultivate a career based on leveraging the skills you possess and learning the ones you don’t.

1. Our mental conditions make us who we are.

The more time you waste worrying, fretting and complaining, the worse off you will be.

Just the minute you are aware of thinking a negative thought, immediately change it to a positive. If you start to think of failure, change that thinking to success.

Often, people fail to live up to their potential because their failures are met with despair and they expect their rewards to come to them instead of actively pursuing those goals.

2. Focus on cultivating the right habits.

Nobody but yourself is responsible for your habits. Throughout our career, you’ll develop both productive and destructive practices.

The problem with destructive habits is that they are easy to form yet are hard to live with. Understand that as we become older, habits become more ingrained with whom we are as individuals and, thus more difficult to overcome.

But regardless of our age, our methods and approaches can be altered. In order to overcome undesirable habits, it’s imperative to step back and analyze all of your actions from a neutral perspective.

Determine which ones are preventing you from achieving your goals. After you define those goals, try to understand why you do them.

Finally, make a commitment to overcome these efforts. Every time you don’t give into the temptation to repeat a destructive habit, you strengthen your resolve.

3. If you want to cultivate a mentality of success, it’s important to gain a basic understanding of who you are.

Our self-image, which is the picture of ourselves that we hold in our minds, becomes the key to our lives.

However, many times our beliefs and the way in which we see ourselves are entirely false. Our egos will often trick us into thinking and, thus acting in a way that is not in our best interest.

For instance, if our thought patterns say, “I cannot achieve getting the promotion I want,” we subconsciously create conditions that correspond to these ideas.

We begin to stop negative thought and behavioral patterns when we begin to accept and learn from the past rather than use it as a basis to negatively judge ourselves. The past should serve as a source of learning not self-judgement.

In the End

No one limits us but ourselves. In order to become a success, it’s imperative to avoid becoming the victim of negative ideas. Strive more to please yourself and worry less about pleasing others.

By assuming our own identity, we are bound to make others angry or jealous, but most importantly we make ourselves happier and set up the circumstances conducive to a successful career.

From Entrepreneur