Entrepreneurs Are Childlike

"A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. It's only you and I, with our big brains and tiny hearts, who doubt and over think and hesitate." ~ S. Pressfield

Workshop: Marketing Strategy

Part IV of the Creating Your Own Marketing Media workshop series

When: May 3rd, 2013
Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Where: 6232 La Salle Ave Oakland, CA 94611 (Village Chiropractic)

Fee: $150 per day or $400 pre-paid for all four 2hats media workshops 

 

(For more Info. call: 415-515-1252)

Sign-up for all four workshops to receive a free 1-hour consultation

Leader: John Van Dinther

"What is the best way for me to market my business?"

We will be answering this question at the marketing strategy workshop this Friday. We'll examine the important factors for choosing which marketing channel is right for you:

• Social media marketing
• Website search engine optimization
• Video blogging or
• Click-ads campaigns 

The right choice will depend on your business industry, your skills, and your personal style. After touching on  the specific tools and options of different marketing channels, we will create a marketing strategy that will adapt to your business over time. You will use a tracking dashboard that allows you to capture the results of different marketing campaigns, and you'll learn what resources are required for each marketing channel —and  what results you can expect from your efforts.

You'll learn about:

• Basic social media marketing for Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Yelp, and Pinterest
• How to choose keywords and optimize search engine results
• How to reach potential clients with your written, photo, and video content
• How to manage a tracking dashboard for your marketing efforts

HOW TO PREPARE:
Participants should come to the workshop with access to Google Docs and their laptop with wifi access. Dress for comfort, there are couches, pillows, floor-mats, as well as tables and chairs to work at.

AGENDA:

• Social media channels: Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest
• Marketing channels for different industries and different personalities
• Tracking results and capturing information
• Building a flexible marketing strategy that grows with your business
• Particular strategies for each channel

Who It's For:

Do it yourself entrepreneurs:

• Wellness Practitioners
• Business Services
• Coaches and Therapists
• Building Trades

For more details or to sign up, call John Van Dinther: (415) 515-1252

Workshop: Managing Your Own Social Media

Managing Your Own Social Media

April 5th, 2013  9:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.

Part III of the Creating Your Own Marketing Media workshop series

When: April 5th
Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Where: 567 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 (Sandbox Suites)

Fee: $150 per day or $400 pre-paid for all four 2hats media workshops 

 

(For more Info. call: 415-515-1252)

Sign-up for all four workshops to receive a free 1-hour consultation

Leader: Alex JB

There is a wealth of opportunity to connect with new customers through the web and social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and others. But it’s easy to invest hundreds of person-hours and feel like you’re getting nothing from it. This One-day workshop will show you how to increase the traffic coming to your site, and how to recognize which social media sites are worth your time.

Using their own laptops, participants will set up their own “Ten Minutes a Day Dashboard” in Google Analytics, learn to create a content-creation strategy for Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

This workshop will give you the basics of social profile marketing, teaching you how to measure results using Google Analytics and dashboarding. Using these tracking tools, participants will learn to use the best social media applications available for distributing social profile content, and learn what communities are the best for their industry.

You'll learn:

• Basic social media marketing for Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest
• How to tell if your social media is working
• How to manage your social media without getting overwhelmed

This workshop is for entrepreneurs like: wellness practitioners, business services, coaches and therapists, building trades and more.

HOW TO PREPARE:
Participants should come to the workshop with the survey (http://goo.gl/avI8m) completed. In addition, everyone should sign up for the big four social media channels – a Facebook Fan Page, a Google+ business account, a Pinterest account and a Twitter account, all specifically for their business, as well as an account with analytics.google.com.

• Make sure your laptop can connect to wifi
• Create accounts for yourself at the following sites:

• Google Analytics

• Facebook

• Pinterest

• Twitter

• Google+

Survey link: (http://goo.gl/avI8m)
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AGENDA:

• Social media channels: Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest
• How to know what’s getting you traffic that matters? Google Analytics
• Social media in depth – how to manage your channels
• Using a content calendar
• Particular strategies for each channel

Who It's For:

Do it yourself entrepreneurs:

• Wellness Practitioners
• Business Services
• Coaches and Therapists
• Building Trades

For more details or to sign up, call John Van Dinther: (415) 515-1252

Workshop: How To Build Your Own Website

How To Build Your Own Website

March 1st, 2013  9:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.

Part II of the Creating Your Own Marketing Media workshop series

When: March 1st
Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Where: 567 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 (Sandbox Suites)

Fee: $150 per day or $400 pre-paid for all four workshops 

(For more Info. call: 415-515-1252)

Sign-up for all four workshops to receive a free 1-hour consultation

Leader: Damian Sol

Damian will teach participants how to create, publish, and manage their own WordPress website for their business.

What You Get:

A full day, hands-on, workshop on how to create a fully functional website hosted on www.wordpress.com

Who It's For:

Do it yourself Entrepreneurs:

• Wellness Practitioners
• Business Services
• Coaches and Therapists
• Building Trades

What to Bring:

• Laptop with wifi access
• Desired WordPress username
• Your website content
• From one to five pages of text for your website
• From one to ten images for your website
• Links to your social media pages (Yelp, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest)

For more details or to sign up, call John Van Dinther: (415) 515-1252

   

If Your Business Brand Is All About You ...Then You're Doing It Wrong

So many new entrepreneurs get lost in creating the perfect brand identity for their business, putting too much money and thought into how a logo or website should look, but not thinking about what impact that logo or website will have on their audience. 

This branding exercise should help you quickly create a solid business identity that is affordable, professional, and one that gets people to take action. That's your measure for marketing, does it call people to action? How many of them? And are they the right people getting into action?

The first step in creating a brand is to determine your business landscape. What is your industry? What other businesses share your industry and how do they present themselves on the web? With their logo? Through their content?

Find a few websites that match, as closely as possible, your own business. These will serve as a model for you to follow and to differentiate yourself from.

Next, you want to get a full picture of your core audience. Who are they and what are their interests, both in general and those interests your business will address. Are they professionals, consumers, or both? Are they looking for information or are they looking to buy?

Now we get into the ways you serve your audience:

What is the common desire that brings your audience to you? Then find out what is blocking them from reaching that desire now. Finally, what is your solution for them? 

So now we can simplify this into a simple fill in the blank puzzle:

1. Who is the audience?
2. What do the want?
3. What is blocking them?
4. How will you fix the problem?

Answer these four questions, and you will have the foundation of your business brand.

Grateful to be Giving Our Gifts...

Many new entrepreneurs I work with have become entrepreneurs because they can be of service to their fellow humans, and they also see self-employment as the best way to design their own daily experience —by setting their own hours, working from their own office, and creating their own sets of priorities. It's like a deal entrepreneur's make with their community: They will give their greatest skills in service to their community, and in exchange they will have control over their workday. Sounds solid enough right?

What's ironic is that, so often, their communities are not even aware of the gifts these entrepreneurs bring to them, and it turns out that designing and controlling our own work experience can be a real challenge. There are so many critical components that we need to master in business. And the margin for error feels so narrow, so many critical steps that we don't even know about when we start out on our own.

What entrepreneurs need is a map of how to build a solid business that works, and by the time that gets figured out, most are just grateful to practice their craft.

2hats Workshop: How To Make Your Own Videos

How To Create Your Own Promotional Video

February 1st, 2013 from 9:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.

First of a four-day Workshop series: Creating Your Own Marketing Media

February 1st: Learn to record and post your own YouTube video

March 1st: Create your own Wordpress website

April 5th: Manage your own social profile marketing

May 3rd: Build your own strategic marketing plan

When: The first Friday of each month: (Feb.1, Mar.1, Apr.5, May.3)
Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Where: 123 10th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 (Sandbox Suites)

Fee: $150 per day or $400 pre-paid for all four Days (call: 415-515-1252)

Sign-up for all four workshops to receive a free 1-hour consultation with John

12 participants will learn how to create and manage their own their own media marketing tools. These four, day-long, marketing workshops will be a hands-on experience.

Each workshop covers a different component of your online marketing:

• Video Promotion
• Website Presence
• Written Content
• Strategic Planning

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February 1st: Video Training, led by Dimitri William Moore

This all-day workshop is designed to instruct participants in shooting and editing their own video footage, creating short and simple promotional projects that can be posted to the Internet by the end of the day. Dimitri will walk participants through the process of planning, shooting, capturing, and editing their own short promotional video.

Workshop Goals:

• Learn the nuts and bolts of video creation.
• Provide the skills participants need to create create videos on their own.
• Each participant will end the day with a complete video they created for their business.

Required Equipment:

Each participant will bring their own laptop (PC or Mac) with video editing software (iMovie, Final Cut) and their own video recording device (iPhone, Flip Camera, Digital SLR). If you have any questions, or if you need any equipment, call Dimitri (773-469-6741) for answers and support.

Workshop Agenda:

• (9:00am-9:30am) Participant’s equipment assessment
• (9:30am-10:00am) Introduce video examples
• (10:00am-11:00am) Brainstorm ideas
• (11:00am-11:30am) Learn key elements of a promotional video
• (11:30am-12:00pm) Develop an image
• (12:00pm-12:30pm) Break
• (12:30pm-2:00pm) Filming
• (2:00pm-2:30pm) Download footage to laptops
• (2:30pm-3:30pm) Edit footage
• (3:30pm-4:00pm) Screening and final notes

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March 1st: Create Your Own Website, led by Damian Sol

Damian will teach participants how to create, publish, and manage their own Wordpress website for their business. This is the second in a four workshop series, and is modeled after the video training workshop in February. Participants will create and publish a Wordpress website using their own laptop at the workshop.

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April 5th: Manage Your Own Social Profile Marketing, led by Alex JB               

The third workshop will give you the basics of search engine optimization (SEO) and social profile marketing. Alex will teach you how to measure results using Google Analytics and the Google Keyword Search Tool. Using these tracking tools, participants will learn to use the best social media applications available for distributing social profile content, and learn what communities are the best fit for their industry. Call John (415-515-1252) for more details.           

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May 3rd: Build Your Own Strategic Marketing Plan, led by John Van Dinther

John Van Dinther will lead the fourth workshop in this series, helping participants develop their own comprehensive strategic marketing plan that will integrate the marketing tools developed in the previous workshops. You’ll learn to use a marketing channel tracker to assess which marketing venues are the most effective at promoting your business.

For more details or to sign up, call John Van Dinther: (415) 515-1252

      

Workshop Series: How To Create Your Own Marketing Media

How To Create Your Own Marketing Media

A Four part Workshop Series

1. Learn to record and post your own YouTube video
2. Create your own simple Wordpress website
3. Manage your own social profile marketing
4. Build your own strategic marketing plan

When: The first Friday of every month
Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm (usually)
Where: Each workshop location will be announced

Fee: $150 per day or $400 pre-paid package (call for details)

Call to sign up: (415) 515-1252

These four, day-long marketing Seminars will each cover a different component of your online marketing strategy. 12 participants will learn how to create and post their own their own marketing tools.

The video workshop is split into two half-day sessions, and is led by Dimitri William Moore. Dimitri will walk participants through the process of planning, shooting, capturing, and editing their own short promotional video. 

The website workshop, led by Damian Sol, will teach participants how to set up and manage their own simple website. 

The third workshop will cover Social Profile Marketing, and be led by Alex Jb. 

On week four, John Van Dinther will lead, helping participants develop their own comprehensive strategic marketing plan that will integrate the marketing tools developed in the previous workshop sessions.

New participants will each receive a free 1-hour consultation with John Van Dinther focused on business marketing.

Fee: $150 for a single workshop day.

Or...

Pay only $400 total if you sign up for all 4 workshops.


Call to sign up: (415) 515-1252

"John's expertise helped me break down my marketing process into actionable steps." - James Riedy

To Incorporate or Not To Incorporate...

The 2nd Best Way to Not Get Sued is to Incorporate:

But the best way to avoid getting sued is to be dirt poor, really. If people don't think you (or your family) have any money, they won't bother trudging down the long hard slog of a full blown lawsuit. They may threaten you, they may speak poorly of you...but words are cheap. Actually suing somebody takes a lot of work, and people expect a pot of gold at the end of their lawsuit, or they just won't have the stamina for it. They will be looking to see if you have any money.

If you do have significant assets then incorporating is a good idea. What counts as "significant assets"? About $100,000. So, yes, if you own a home, or if you have a nest egg, then you should incorporate. Also, do you come from a wealthy family that is in any way connected to (or do they talk with you about) your business? If yes, then incorporate.

If you plan on getting a line of credit from a bank, that's another good reason to incorporate.

Also, if you want to establish yourself as a vendor for a large corporation (and not a 1099 contractor), it can be easier if your business is incorporated. 

If none of these apply to you, don't bother incorporating. Being a sole proprietor is an honorable path, and an open declaration that your fate and the fate of your your business, are woven together. As a sole proprietor, your money and your business' money are one and the same.

"But wait!" you say. "I still want a corporation! Just...just because!"

Check that voice in your head. Is it saying something like, "Hey! I want Inc. at the end of my business' name just because it feels like the real deal!" If any part of you says, "Yeah! I want to feel Big Time!" then pause. Save your money for now, and go work on your brand identity or something. Incorporating to get a sense of validation is bad for business.

But, let's say you decide you do have a good reason to incorporate. What then?

Do I Get a Lawyer or an Accountant?

Don't set up your incorporation through your accountant. Accountants will try to save you a few bucks, that's their job, but a lawyer will be focused on mitigating asset risk —and that's the whole point of getting incorporated. Remember, you are only incorporating as insurance against somebody seriously trying to sue you. So if a lawsuit does show up at the door, you'll be happy you spent the extra $1,000 to have your corporate veil lined with lead...otherwise, just don't bother doing it at all.

Get a lawyer to set up your filings for incorporation, partnership agreements, and your boilerplate contracts for your clients. Don't mess around with cheap online law groups. If you're going to do do this, do it right, and get a real lawyer.

S-Corp?

What about setting up my business as an S-Corp? If you know it will only be you owning the business (or maybe you and a super solid partner to split 50/50) then you can get an S-Corp. An S-Corp will save you a few bucks, so accountants often recommend this business structure...see above. Basically S-Corps are old school, but if you aren't building anything elaborate, an S-Corp will do just fine as a way to protect your assets.

LLC?

So should I get an LLC? The short answer is...probably. LLC's are flexible creatures that can have any number of owners (called members), and you can split up profits (called units) in different ways. LLC's can even own other LLC's, as if they were fully independent people (but that's another subject entirely). So if you are unsure about who, how, or what will be owning (or be owned by) your business in the future, then definitely get an LLC.

C-Corp?

What about a C-corp? A C-corp is for the Big Time. C-corps can have different classes of stock (preferred stock, common stock) and different ways to distribute that stock. It's all very complicated, and then there's the double-taxation. Basically you'll know it's time for a C-Corp when people start asking you if they can invest in your business. That's when you know you made the Big Time, and you can start paying more taxes as gratitude for your blessings.

What's That About Taxes?

A C-corp is its own legal entity. So any money it pays out (even to an owner) is taxed as a separate transaction. That means as a business owner, your company will pay taxes on all the profits it receives first, and then you personally will pay income taxes on any money the C-corp paid out to you as an individual. That's what people mean by double-taxation. With an S-Corp or an LLC, the profits are "passed through" to the business owner, and you only pay taxes on that money once.

What's Better: 10% of Profits or 2% of Revenues?

TechDirt.com wrote a great article that perfectly illustrates this rule of thumb for negotiating contracts based on future earnings, that is...how to make sure you'll get paid. Profits are an ever moving target: is profit calculated after taxes? After paying the principals? How about the money we spend on our vacation to Hawaii afterwards, is that a deductible cost? People do this all the time.

"...the big studios set up "corporations" for each movie, specifically designed to "lose money," often by paying money back to the studio itself. Basically, the studio sets up this "company," but then charges the company a huge "fee," such that the company itself rarely, if ever, becomes profitable. Of course, hugely successful films usually still get past the threshold, but perhaps not all of them. Hugues Lamy points us to the news that the actor who played Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi is saying that Lucasfilm still isn't paying residuals, claiming that the film is still not profitable: 

“I get these occasional letters from Lucasfilm saying that we regret to inform you that as Return of the Jedi has never gone into profit, we’ve got nothing to send you. Now here we’re talking about one of the biggest releases of all time,” said Prowse. “I don’t want to look like I’m bitching about it,” he said, “but on the other hand, if there’s a pot of gold somewhere that I ought to be having a share of, I would like to see it.”

If you adjust for inflation, Jedi is the 15th highest grossing films of all time..." 

The best solution for you as a contractor invested in a projects success, but also wanting to get a fair share of that success, is to make a counter offer based on the total revenues of the project, regardless of costs. Now you can't ask for the same percentage cut, but if you ask for 2% of total revenues instead of 10% of the profits and they balk at that, you gotta ask yourself if they had any intention of paying out anything in the end.

Asking for a cut of total revenues leaves the management of the expenses for the principals and the finance people. That's their job, to make sure they make a profit. Your job is to deliver great work.

Great Article by Stew Friedman About Making Professional and Personal Life Work Together

I really appreciate the work that Stew Friedman has done to, more than just shed light on, but to also pioneer our understanding of this social issue that we live with every day -- but we have only just begun to define clearly. 

"The resonance of Anne-Marie Slaughter's Atlantic article is testimony to how far we've come since 1987, when I began talking about work and family in my Wharton School classes. Back then, many students — men and women — flat-out resented it. "We're here to learn about business, not family," they said. And when I started the Wharton Work/Life Integration Project a few years later, I got some strange looks, for it was odd to be a man talking about work and family at a business school known mainly for its strength in finance. "Why," some of my colleagues wondered, "are you focusing on this women's issue?"
But this is not a women's issue; our increasingly shared understanding is that this a critical socialissue with great economic consequences." [more]

The 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar

Here's an awesome article on the best elements of storytelling. 

#1: You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.
#2: You gotta keep in mind what's interesting to you as an audience, not what's fun to do as a writer. They can be v. different.
#3: Trying for theme is important, but you won't see what the story is actually about til you're at the end of it. Now rewrite.

 [more]

Networking Event: A Room Full of Referrals

Business Growth Network Presents: A Room Full of ReferralsFriday, June 1, 2012 from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM (PT)
1650 Mountain Boulevard Oakland, CA 94611

If referrals come from people, and we are constantly walking into rooms full of people, wouldn’t it be nice to know how to generate referrals from them?

Register Here: http://roomfullofreferrals.eventbrite.com

Did you know that your individual behavioral style ABSOLUTELY affects your refer-ability?

In this information- and action-packed workshop, you will not only uncover your own unique behavioral style, but also learn how to gauge the styles of your colleagues, clients, prospects, friends, and family members—and use that information to communicate more effectively with them. Dawn Lyons, Master Trainer for the Referral Institute, would like to show you how to make your networking EASIER, MORE PROFITABLE, AND MORE FUN! You will experience first-hand how this new skill-base can empower you to network successfully in ANY situation, making every room A Room Full of Referrals!

What you will receive:

• An official Behavioral Styles DISC assessment (valued at $50–$75)
• Key knowledge on how to approach each unique BEHAVIORAL STYLE
• Proven tips to keep prospective clients engaged in conversation and get an appointment with them
• Plenty of time to meet and network with Business Growth Network members and invited guests
• And more!

Questions? Contact Julie Feinstein Adams at bnibgnchapter@gmail.com

~ Registration fees are non-refundable ~

TESTIMONIALS:

A single Behavioral Styles Workshop has revolutionized the way I interact with clients and prospects. Within 1 week of taking the workshop, I'd gotten payment from a client who had resisted for 6 weeks, and I have closed business that before the workshop I felt was slipping away.

~ Tod Abbott, Almost Everything Communications     

Thank you for the $40,000. That was my immediate return on the Behavioral Styles training. Over the next few years this client will easily generate in excess of $100,000 in revenue for eSystems Design.

~ Glenn Antoine, President, eSystems Design, Inc.

Play With Your Money And Treat It Well

Money loves being attended to so count how much you are spending and making, set financial goals, and look at your results regularly.

Know where your money is coming from and where it is going...that which is tracked happens.

Yep~

10 Buddhist Maxims For Business

Business Insurance Quotes posted an interesting list of Buddhist sayings that prove useful in business.

Buddhism is an ancient philosophical system that follows the teachings of the Buddha. The system — a meditative, esoteric practice that often functions as a religious system — has an estimated 350 and 500 million practitioners and believers worldwide. Buddhism emphasizes the cultivation of mindfulness and values a spiritually minimalistic worldview, eschewing dependence and worldly attachment.
With the popularization of incorporating many multi-cultural and cross-philosophical practices in the business world, it's no surprise that some elements of Buddhism can be relevant to corporate managers, entrepreneurs, and indeed most people who share some portion of their lives with the marketplace. Buddhist business practices and maxims can be beneficial to the decision-making process in the workplace, but you don't have to be a guru in order to take away something meaningful from Buddha's teachings. In fact, you don't have to be religious, spiritual, New Age, or even seeking — these aphorisms are simply a way to rethink and reframe your qualitative skill set, and to maybe find a little zen at the office. Meditate on these ten Buddhist maxims for business, and you may achieve workplace nirvana in no time.

1. "Too cold, too hot, too late" can always be the excuses to those who do not want to work. They let their chance pass by.

This short aphorism is a reminder of two things: 1) opportunity favors the hard worker, and 2) those with a lackluster work ethic are always going to find an excuse. Whether you have a stellar commitment to productivity, or you're just looking for a reminder that your hard work matters personally, this is a good maxim to remember. If you have a good work ethic and a great attitude, very little will stand in your way. And if you're the type who always has an excuse, you can bet that opportunities will pass you by.

1. None can live without toil, and a craft that provides your needs is a blessing indeed. But if you toil without rest, fatigue and weariness will overtake you, and you will denied the joy that comes from labour's end.

This maxim, from the Dhammavadaka, is perfect for those in business, and a good reminder you can send to your favorite workaholic. It is true that life would not be so full without work, and it's always nice to read an ancient passage reminding you to be grateful for your work, and to get sufficient rest. One of the values of practicing Buddhism is a focus on centering and balance, and this passage tells you that it's OK to enjoy the fruits of your labor. It is also of great importance, reminds the sutra, to not overtire yourself. The rat race may be necessary, but it's not the only way.

1. Develop the mind of equilibrium. You will always be getting praise and blame, but do not let either affect the poise of the mind: follow the calmness, the absence of pride.

The Buddhist practice of mindfulness can be a key to good business, reducing supply costs and increasing your potential to work with compassion. This saying, from the Sutta Nipata, instructs the mind and heart to be balanced, objective, and mindful of the fog of pride. Mindfulness has benefits that span many occupations and fields, and indeed most people will benefit from adhering to the words of this sutra. Remember to be calm, and not to obsess too much about positive or negative feedback. If you do a job long enough, you are bound to have great moments of achievement, as well as great moments of failure. These are both times to learn from, and keeping the mind rightly situated can be of the utmost value — especially at work.

1. The Eightfold Path

BuddhistBusiness.com is a web portal to showcase Buddhist businesses, and also offers the first seminar examining the Eightfold Path and its relation to business. The Eightfold Path is the fourth of Buddha's Four Noble Truths (this isn't weird — think of the Ten Commandments), and a key component of behavioral practices that are crucial to Buddhist life. While you may not be looking for a new faith system, these eight signposts could prove helpful for your business dealings.

1. Prajña Ditthi — seeing reality unfiltered, and as it actually exists

1. Prajña Sankappa — the purifying wisdom and intention of harmlessness

1. Sila Vaca — saying the truth, practicing non-harm in your speech patterns

1. Sila Kammanta — non-harmful action (this applies to self and others)

1. Sila Ajiva — commitment to a non-harming life

1. Samadhi Vayama — seeking the mindful discipline to improve oneself constantly and over time

1. Samadhi Sati — awareness of reality and freedom from temptations, cravings, and distractions

1. Samadhi Samadhi — proper concentration and meditation.

1. Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.

This is an attributed quote from the Buddha, who — like Jesus and Socrates — never wrote anything down. When you're in business, it's always nice to know that your work, which can be such a big part of your own world — really matters to the outside world. Take a deep breath and remember for a moment that every action you take, in business and in life, is part of a larger journey of self-discovery. These words from the Buddha can be exhilarating and helpful to reinvigorate the waning worker, as well as an indication that what you choose to put your entire self into really does matter.

1. The most valuable service is one rendered to our fellow humans.

This phrase is found, along with more than 50 others, in Wat Phra Singh, a large Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In the temple, you can view an illustrious statue called the Phra Buddha Sihing. If you take a walk around the temple, you can find Buddhist aphorisms on signs nailed to trees that line the temple grounds. This adage tells you that your work is valuable only inasmuch as it helps other people.

What do you do for a living? Does it involve helping others? Directly or indirectly? Taking a reverent and honorable approach to your work, and finding out precisely how it produces value — to yourself and to the marketplace, but primarily to other individuals — is an important step on the way to performing your work with mindfulness. Simply being aware that your work has an audience, sells a service or product that improves lives, or involves working with the general public on some level can turn a sour mood into a grateful one — as you should maintain that what you are doing with your life is adding value to the human experience.

1. Every individual has a responsibility to help guide our global family in the right direction. Good wishes are not sufficient; we must become actively engaged.

This quote, from The Path to Tranquility are the words of His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself. The passage is a reminder to stay calm, and that every person shoulders the weight of responsibility to do good. And it is our good actions, not our good intentions, that accomplish the most — on and off the job.

1. Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

Living in the present is of utmost importance, and it can definitely help you in your work. Do you ever have a day that you just can't quit thinking about the fight you had with your partner, or whether or not you left the oven on? These days happen to everyone, and with a deep breath and a mindful moment, you can incorporate this saying from the Buddha into your work day — and gladly turn to concentrate on the moment. One point of having work is being pointed and busy, and it is indeed one of the blessings that productive value-making brings. And that's why it's profitable to you and your business to concentrate your mind on the present. Unless you're about to burn your house down (the oven!), you can be sure that the task at hand is probably the most important thing you have scheduled, and that your mind is putting off accomplishing the task. Just a few moments of clarity and calm, and recalling this saying of the Buddha, might help you to refocus and increase your productivity.

1. You can only lose what you cling to.

This short maxim, also purportedly by the Buddha, is a gentle reminder to embrace change. Change is everywhere — constant, eternal — and in the information age, this is especially true. The Buddha wishes to communicate here that nothing is permanent, and that adaptation and flexible fluidity is paramount to happiness and avoiding disappointment and suffering. Concentrating on detachment — from dogmas, old rules, and other tired modes of thought and action — will help keep your business and your work product strong, as it is generally positive to embrace the change that you cannot otherwise escape. Roll with it. Go with the flow. Keep calm, and carry on.

1. A jug fills drop by drop.

This classic saying from the Buddha means that things happen step by step, and that methodological piecemeal work is often superior to big splashes. When you concentrate on the small things, the big things fall into place — and this is often true for the business world. Take heart, workers, and know that your small efforts can amount to great success. Namaste.