SHARK TANK: Entertainment

(But NOT Entrepreneurship)

It’s entertaining. It’s helped popularize the word entrepreneur and expose the hind flanks of what entrepreneurial pursuits are all about.  But TV’s “Shark Tank” is an entertainment product of pure fantasy. It bares almost no resemblance to the day-to-day real-world inhabited by zillions of struggling ideologists trying to piece their brainstorm ideas together with some magical business glue, and create success.

There’s really nothing “wrong” with the show or its (rather engaging) celebrity sharks. And “Shark Tank” is often amusing, provocative, comical, and at times even heart-rendering, but real entrepreneurs need to dismiss the show’s odds for funding success as akin to winning the lottery. And the occasional investment “loser” who ends up a winner –just from being on the show and gaining favorable PR exposure– is highly unusual.

Yes, there are some big-time “winners” plucked from the many thousands of applicants and auditions. But for the vast majority of contenders, time and energy expenditures alone can cost a fortune in opportunity losses.

So take Shark Tank for what it is: A source of amusement at seeing SO many people work SO hard to get to the point of not having the answers to questions they knew they’d be asked before they ever even set foot on the stage. If anything, the show is a rude awakening for those who think they can simply stroll into a bank, finance company or venture capital firm, talk about how great their ideas are, and leave with bulging wallets.

First of all, it is with rare exception that a business startup (or even a successful ongoing venture) cannot be more successful by focusing on making the creator’s idea work, instead of on seeking funding support. Ask anyone you know who’s made it, and they are likely to tell you that when they made their idea work, money simply came to them from out of nowhere – customer sales and investment offers. If your idea is great, money will find you!

Remember, ANY one can have a creative idea. It’s the ability to be innovative and internally driven to take that idea and run with it–all the way through to completion–that makes entrepreneurs and entrepreneurially-minded product and service developers stand uniquely apart from all other business careers and lifestyles.

Entrepreneurs are not just saying, “Hey! Look at this!” They are saying: this is how this works, this is what it costs. This is the market. This is how we can sell it. This is the profit margin. This is the next step, etc. etc. Unlike the fake version, Entrepreneurs, REAL entrepreneurs, don’t sit on an idea, or analyze it to death, or form a month’s- or year-long study committee. They just do it! Then they adjust it. Then they do it again. Then they adjust it again. Then they do it again and adjust it again, and keep going . . . until it works!

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Hal@Businessworks.US               931.854.0474

OPEN  MINDS  OPEN  DOORS

Many thanks for your visit and make today a GREAT day for someone!

10 Steps, 7 Ways, 6 Things, 3 Mistakes

STOP POSTING NUMBERS OF

WHAT I NEED TO SUCCEED!

I mean, there ARE just so many hours in the day and I have to sleep SOME time. And it makes me get insomnia-crazed having to use my calculator app to find out the hocus-pocus number of items I need to deal with, places I have to go, people I need to trample over in order to achieve business career nirvana.

Is there no one left out there in the blogosphere or social media world who can simply write about sharing valuable experiences without reminding me how bad I was in high school math, or trying to impress me (or themselves) that they are all-knowing?

“Seriously?” you ask. Hey! You doubt me? Just look around: 6 of these, 7 of those, THE 3 critical . . .

You need not even stray away from LinkedIn. Click around. You’ll find plenty of self-appointed business guru posts that will quickly lead you stumbling into record numbers of things you must do, think, say, not do, not think, not say in order to:
• Be Successful,
• Be A Great Boss,
• Be A Great Employee,
• Give Great Service,
• Make Great Sales,
• Win Great Promotions,
• Stop Smoking,
• Lose More Weight,
• Gain More Weight,
• Lift More Weights
• Stop Drinking,
• Stop Drooling,

• . . . Or, Lose Out On,
• Or, Become A Failure.

Starting to remind you of Junk E-Mail?

Ever since 7/11, and the 7 Habits stuff, and 7th heaven, and the 7 Dwarfs, and the 7 senses (counting “non” and “common”), Americans have become hopelessly obsessed with the magic of “7”—and now, we pounce on any/all small numbers of points one needs to heed in order to achieve virtually anything.

I mean, when did you last read an article headline about the 14,763 steps to effective leadership? Or the 1,529 changes you can make today to get promoted tomorrow?

Oh, and, of course, these are inevitably accompanied by side effects warnings that include loss of life and limb and that if you die from it, you can join a class-action suit with the Legal Beagle Law Firm. Aaaack!

Okay, you’re still stuck on small numbers of things to do to be a superstar? Well, here they are. They work for EVERY one regardless of age or physical condition. And they’re Free. Enjoy:

1. BREATHE more deeply, more often every day!

2. Remember that everything you do or say is a CHOICE or the result of a choice!

3. Be FEARLESS in your attitude, but keep your mind focused in the “here and now” as much of the time as possible, because the past is over and can’t be changed, and the future has not yet come, and may never. Expectations breed disappointment.

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Hal@Businessworks.US               931.854.0474

OPEN  MINDS  OPEN  DOORS

Many thanks for your visit and God Bless You.

Make today a GREAT day for someone!

If you’re

IN business, get OUT of Facebook.

Like every other niche in life, undoubtedly, there are those dwelling in and passing through the halls of business who will be quick to dismiss this post (especially Facebook employees). But as Shakespeare once said: “The truth will out!”

And the truth is: If you own and/or manage any** business, and you’re actively involved with Facebook:  you are wasting your time and energy. And lost opportunities are probably costing you more money than you would want to believe. [**any except perhaps retail]

Facebook does appear to serve as a meaningful distraction for government, corporate and academic employees. And given the boredom of that typically committee-cluttered, no-sense-of-urgency career existence, the attraction/diversion is understandable. But for entrepreneurs, Facebook is an unproductive addiction. It is simply not worthy of your attention, or even your interest, never mind your active indulgence. It literally eats up your clock!

“Yes, but,” I hear some say, “it’s the only way I can find out what my kids/grandkids are up to!” Then settle for it being a weekend addiction. Going to Facebook ANYtime between rise-and-shine Monday and nighty-night Friday is like a visit to the dentist for business owner/ manager Facebook fanatics. They too often end up holding their numb jaws while the Novocaine wears off when the reality comes home that time and energy and money has gone a-wasting.

“Okay, so Twitter is better, right?” Is there any difference in being obsessed with Twitter for any reason other than to promote your business interests (which is likely to be far better accomplished, btw, on LinkedIn) . . . or with being obsessed with the news (unless you’re in the news business)?

Bottom line: If you’re a genuine entrepreneur, you’re not spending spare time with anything other than your health and spiritual well-being–whatever that may be for you–and loving and growing your family and a few select friendships–whatever that takes.

Slice your pie the way you see fit. It’s your pie. It can be big, small, flat, mountainous, firm, gloppy, round, square, multilevel, whatever works for you . . . but don’t pretend it’s not a pie! We choose our pie. We choose our behavior. We choose our stress by choosing to set ourselves up for it. Think hard about the last time you didn’t feel 100%. What were you doing/thinking/saying shortly before you lost sleep/felt edgy/got sick?

When the stress becomes DIStress–with never enough time in the day for your pie, your family, your health–don’t react. Respond. Ask yourself HOW you choose or chose your stress? Then make a different choice. Maybe it’s time to change the way you see or slice your pie . . . or the way you breathe?

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Hal@Businessworks.US               931.854.0474

OPEN  MINDS  OPEN  DOORS

Many thanks for your visit and God Bless You.

Make today a GREAT day for someone!