Be Successful in Business - Think like Andrew Carnegie

Here is a multiple choice test. What is the inscription on Andrew Carnegie's tombstone?

A. Here lies a man who hired the least expensive CPA, attorney and
business advisers that he could find.
B. Here lies a man who thought he knew everything so he never
asked for help.
C. Here lies a man who knew how to enlist the services of better men than himself.

If you answered "C" you are correct. Mr. Carnegie was smart enough to know that not only are two heads better than one, but that the "second head" should be the smartest one you can find.

So often business owners and managers try to go it alone. They either see asking for help as a sign of weakness or they consider paying for quality help as being a cost they just do not want to incur. The question I always have is, why do business owners and managers think that they never need help? Why do they think they know it all?

Check the website of your favorite NFL football team. You will see listed numerous coaches, coordinators, trainers, scouts, etc. They are all there to help the team win. Professional golfers have swing coaches and sports psychologists. Their job is to help the golfer win.

Do you really know it all? Is your business as profitable as it can possibly be?

To be as successful as you can be in business, you should always surround yourself with the best people you can find. Hire the best employees. Saying that you will not hire someone because they are overqualified is simply nonsense. If you had three hall of fame outfielders on your team, would you not still want a fourth if you could get him?

Associate with other successful business people. Being around other successful people will enable you to hear their ideas and philosophies. They will help you grow as a business person.

Obtain the services of the best attorneys, CPAs and business advisers. The best are worth their fees. They can charge high fees because they are the best. Their advice and consultation will enable you to make much more than they cost you in fees.

If you want to be as successful as Andrew Carnegie you must think like Andrew Carnegie. Enlist the services of the best men and women you can find.

Developing Better Ideas For Your Business

We have all heard that old definition of insanity - "Doing things the same way over and over again and expecting different results." Despite knowing that, many business owners continue to do things the same way, or perhaps with some small adjustments. When that happens and you are not achieving the results you desire, it is time to go to what I call Zero Based Development.

You are most likely familiar with zero based budgeting. Zero based budgeting says that you do not start with last year's budget and add or subtract an amount or percentage. With zero based budgeting, you throw out last year's budget and every line starts at zero. You develop your budget from that point.

The same should be true with your procedures, practices and policies. When most business owners do not achieve their desired results with their current procedures, practices or policies, they try to make their current ones bigger, faster, or use them more often. When an advertising program is not working, they assume they need to make the ad bigger or run it more often. When a motivational program is not working, they assume they have to make the reward bigger.

In most cases when you are not getting the results you want, it is time to STOP the current practices and start all over again. Start from ZERO. Develop an all new program. As another old saying goes, "Stop beating a dead horse."

Don't let your pride and ego get in the way. Yes, you thought it was a great idea. Yes, everyone said it would work. However, it didn't work. Sometimes it is best not to even worry about why it didn't work. You may never know. In addition, at this point it is better to spend your time developing a new program that has a better chance of success.

Always set a time objective when you develop any program. Select a reasonable time in which you expect a program to achieve the desired result. It you are not sure, ask an expert. It is better to pay someone a small amount of money than to waste a large amount of time and money waiting for something to materialize that never will.

Remember, to keep away from that definition of insanity, consider Zero Based Development. It may be the answer for you.