So what have I learned? Well here’s a few things I’ve learned:

Focus;

Focus is important. Before I started my business I used to do a lot of surfing. When I came home from work I’d spend an hour or two surfing different sites and reading the posts. No More! Time is crucial and scarce. I have so many tasks to perform every day to keep the business going that I no longer waste any time. I focus my time on all the essential things I need to do to move the business forward. Time, I’ve discovered is the most important commodity we have and we can’t afford to waste it on mindless surfing. If it’s not helpful to my business I don’t do it. Don’t get me wrong I have my free time where I’ll pick up a good book and relax. During business time however I squeeze every last second out of the time I have available to add value to my business.

Reinvest

I have not, so far taken anything out of the business. Every penny I make I reinvest into new stock. This has meant I have increased my stock from the first few items I started with to hundreds of products. I also have plenty of money sloshing around my business account. Everythimg I make is reinvested in adding value to the business. I’m looking to invest in a good stock control system to make the process of running the business faster. Money is the driving engine of business so keeping it in the business is important in my opinion. The profit will come later.

Get Out Of The Comfort Zone

I’ve discovered it’s so easy to reach a level and get comfortable. To move forward you have to increase you goals. Think big and go for it. Set your goals high and you will stretch yourself to achieve them. Set them too low and you will get stuck in a rut and never progress. Keep driving forward. If you’ve got a monthly turnover of £3000 reevaluate and set it to £6000 then push for it.

Get Some Business Systems In Place

What do I mean by business systems? Anything that makes it easier to sell your products, take payment and deliver them. My business is simple. I sell art products. When a customer buys something from me I want to process the order fast and efficient. So I invest in a good software package that keeps track of everything. I have an account with royal mail so I can print address labels off direct and pay for them online. This means that I don’t have to waste time in the post office. I keep databases to make record keeping easier. As my business grows I need to come up with better and more efficient systems. I’m always on the look out for anything that will make the business run more efficiently.

Constant Learning Is Essential

Everything in life is moving so fast we need to keep abreast of developments if we are to survive and grow. Close your mind and your business may soon follow. We need to read, read and read about new marketing techniques, website optimization new products the list is endless. I’ve always been a big reader but I’ve learned to speed-read to assimilate fast all the information I need to function in the business world. Mt pleasure reading is different ffrom my business reading. I’ve started to use a software program to help me speed-read books or articles I consider essential to grow my business.

Well these are just a few of the things I’ve learned over the last year. My biggest lesson though is to use time productively. Make use of every second of your business time. The hours just fly past, but I get a great sense of satisfaction when I know I have used my business time productively.

Speaking of reordering and stock control in general I have to get thinking about putting in place a more efficient stock control system for the new year ready for my plans for further growth. The business has grown better than I expected over the last six months and I’ve had to put in place systems to cope with the extra workload.

I then consolidate my new position and get used to the new workload before planning a further growth spurt. There’s no point bringing more business in if you can’t cope with it and at the moment my systems are creaking a bit.

Growth however is the name of my game and I’m looking forward to 2009. I’m planning to concentrate heavily SEO next year to get my website up there on the search engines. As well as viral promotion I’m planning a monthly adwords campaign to promote the site. I’m excited about this and have been studying everything I can get my hands on about google ad words.

If you get ad words right it can be a passport to lots of sales, conversely if you get it wrong it can be money thrown into a black hole. Selling from the website is preferable to selling through Ebay simply because there’s no costs associated with selling through my website, whereas ebay is not known as “feebay” for nothing. So next year will involve lots of work promoting the website.

Ebay is however a good source of income and the fees are easily canceled by adding them to the price of the items on sale. I’ve been doing this for ages and it has had no effect on my sales. If people want to buy what you are selling they will buy it. Most people will not be put off because of an extra pound or two. And if they are bothered they can move on.

Anyway, I’ve just come home from an afternoon shift. I’ve had a shower, now I’m having a cold beer so I’ll wish you all a good night.

Today people are reaching middle age much fitter and stronger than our parents We can expect to live much longer and the 65-year old retirement date is looking, well, dated. There’s also the fact that we need to fund our retirement and the state pension isn’t going to do it. Unless you want to spend the rest of your life, counting how many watts of electricity, you can afford to use each day. If you haven’t working for the state, it’s almost certain that your private pension is not going to bring the returns you expected after Gordon brown’s frequent tax raids on it to fund labours social experiments.

There’s also the consideration that we don’t all want to down tools at sixty five and visit the coast or go walking in the countryside every other day. Middle age offers us wonderful opportunities that may not have been available when we were younger. It’s a perfect time to start that business. The kids have grown up and gone (hopefully) so you have more time to spare. Now’s the time to challenge yourself and become the person you know you can become.

As a middle-aged person you are equipped with great skills, ability and experience that they can’t teach to the clones coming out of business school. Here 10 reasons  why it’s a great time to start a business. Part-time or full-time:

 

Forget wasting your money in a building society for a meagre return. Invest £100 in something and sell it with a 40% mark-up. Repeat and watch your income grow. If you started a part-time business in your fifties and grew it, imagine the extra income you will have for your retirement if you choose to retire.

 

Work at home using the internet.

 

You don’t even have to leave the house. The internet has made it easier than ever to earn an income.

 

It’s a great way to challenge yourself and build a business around something you love. .

 

Here’s your chance to prove to yourself that you always had the skill and drive to become successful now you have the chance, take it.

 

 

Become your own boss.

 

Even if you start your business on a part-time basis while continuing to work you will be in control. As the business grows and you money increases you won’t worry about redundancy, you’ll pray for it.

 

Learn new things. .

 

Life’s about learning. Some people are happy to have spent all their lives in one job. There’s nothing wrong with that as long as they realise their life experience is limited. By stepping into your own business, you will embark on a great learning journey that will fill you with satisfaction. And believe me there is so much to learn that you will spend a lot of time reading. You’ll have to learn about marketing, pricing, negotiating, buying, shipping and a multitude of other skills if you are going to succeed.

 

Bullet proof yourself against age discrimination

 

I know age discrimination is supposed to be illegal but so is speeding but we all do it. Let’s face it you can’t legislate human nature out of a situation. If you are made redundant at 55 and go for another job. At the same interview is a 23 year old. Whom would you employ? The 23 year old will get it every time. If I were a 25-year-old manager having to make the decision, I wouldn’t be employing anybody old enough to be my dad. When did your dad ever do anything you told him to?

 

Increase your self-esteem.

 

How? Think about it. You’ve spent most of your life kowtowing to others who were supposed to be better educated than you making decisions that directly affected you, usually for the worse. You’ve listened to a lifetime of bullshit from bluffers and sycophants. Now you can be the boss. You can read all the spreadsheets and predict monthly growth rates. You’ll be the head buyer negotiating with suppliers. You’ll be the marketing director dictating marketing policy. You’ll be the CEO and you don’t have to waste time worrying about the arse kissing bluffer trying to oust you.

 

Statistically you are going to live a lot longer than your parents.

Can you imagine anything worse than 20 years of visiting the same places, going for the same walks or even worse watching telly. Take up the challenge and prove you can become more than you thought.