Reinvention? More Like Reintegration

Just read The 10-minute interview: Encore Careers Urged for Boomers, a conversation with Marc Freedman, author of The Big Shift. I’ve been thinking about comments Freedman made about Reinvention: There’s a dangerous mythology out there today that at some magical age, you can essentially become anything that you dream — you can open a vineyard or [...]

Who Do You Serve?

The more precise you are in defining your target market, the more successful you will be in reaching the RIGHT buyers at the RIGHT time — no doubt about it. Yet many new entrepreneurs take a broader brush stroke in this regard. After all, the larger the market, the more buyers and opportunities for your pipeline, [...]

The Talent Age: Power to the Innovators

I was watching Morning Joe and a few comments from Thomas Friedman (NY Times columnist and author of The World is Flat) sparked all kinds of thoughts about small business strategy.  Here’s a recap of what I heard: U.S. economy being hit by 2 tsunamis: The Great Recession and The Great Inflection The Great Inflection: [...]

5 Things: #5 Map Out Your Plan

It pays to plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah planned his ark!

The most successful business pursuits begin with a plan. I’m assuming you’ve done some work on the other four things we’ve discussed. Now it’s time to bring it all together with a plan.

5 Things: #2 Study the Marketplace

Okay, so you’ve identified your top strengths and you’re lasering in on a business pursuit. As you define your product/service offering, you’ll want to make sure what you’re offering actually matches up with a solid and growing need in the marketplace. It’s time to get to know your customer and map out the market landscape

5 Things: #1 Discover and Develop Your Strengths

Here’s my theory: Everybody has 3-5 God-given strengths or talents. Those who figure out what they are early in life tend to be more successful.

Then there’s the rest of us. By mid-life, many get a handle on most strengths — often through trial and error. Still, there can be hidden talent or two just waiting to be discovered.

Doing What You Do Best

Some call it “work” – but if you’re engaged in an endeavor where you can apply your best talents, you’re empowered to make it happen, and you can envision all kinds of great outcomes, it’s a whole new ball game. You take on each day with enthusiasm, passion, and delight.

Sometimes, it takes a little soul searching and introspection to identify exactly what you’re good at and how that might translate into a fulfilling business venture.

Start by understanding your strengths – the book, Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Tom Rath is an excellent first step. There’s an online assessment developed by the folks at Gallup, which identifies your top five signature strengths from a pool of 34 themes.