Tough Times Don't Last
Every successful person I know has been through some tough times. Personally, I can remember getting started in business. I had been to a few seminars, read a few books and thought it would be a piece of cake. Boy, was I wrong.
I started a hair salon with virtually no money... took over a lease... tore my hair out trying to deal with hairdressers... worked far too many hours and eventually went broke and were virtually forced to give the business away.
But during that time I learnt a thing or two about marketing. I actually implemented a strategy and it worked.
So I figured since I was good at marketing, I would try my hand at it.
I placed a classified ad in the paper.
I thought people would love my ideas. After all, they were just plain common sense to me.
Wrong again.
Business owners were skeptical. They wanted to know my track record (which at that time wasn't to pretty. I certainly
didn't have testimonials like I do now.
It was tough.
I remember sitting in my car crying to my mother. I remember going to an Indian Restaurant and practically inviting myself to dinner afterwards because I couldn't afford to eat. I remember calling up a friend to make rent money for the week, not knowing how I would pay him back.
They were probably my toughest times ever. Tougher than the bullying I experienced at school. Tougher than falling sick with glandular fever twice as I was growing up. Tougher than my time in the cults.
Heck, even tougher than a meditation course I went on once when I was 17, where I had to wake up at 4:30 am and meditate virtually every day until 8 pm.
Like you, I have had a lot of tough times.
I think it's something we all share as a part of the human race.
But when you look back, you can see that you have passed them.
There's a saying I remember from that meditation program:
Anicha
... and from memory it means everything is changing and this too will pass.
So keep that in mind next time you are going through a tough time.
After all, it happens in business, doesn't it?
Things can get pretty tough.
But you know what else...
When your bank account is looking healthy, you can deal with most of the tough things which come your way.
You can deal with the headaches of doing your taxes... difficult customers... etc.
And there's no better way of ensuring you have more in your bank account than having more customers paying you what you are worth.
If you want to get through tough times in business with the least possible stress, you simply must master the skill of getting more customers.
Without it, you are at the mercy of the environment, customers who try and knock down your prices, etc.
With it, nobody will be able to step on you.
Keep this quote in mind by the late Gary Halbert: "There is no problem to which a great sales letter isn't the answer"
And it's not limited to business problems. Gary Halberteven took out a full page ad in the newspaper to attract a new woman into his life. He was quite a guy!
Anyway, let's get some work done.
"Tough Times Don't Last", was submitted 08/4/2011 under category Short Story.
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