The Problem With Learning From Mistakes.

“The trouble with experience is that by the time you have it you are too old to take advantage of it”

So what’s a smart entrepreneur to do?

The answer seems obvious… Learn From Other People’s Mistakes. If you know what mistakes they made, then you’re less likely to repeat those mistakes…right?

Nope.

I’ve got 3 problems with the ‘Learn from other people’s mistakes’ concept.

1. You cant learn about success by studying failure. How much can you really learn about running fast, by studying slow runners? Not much (at best). These are two different things completely. Just because a failure didn’t advertise, doesn’t mean advertising is your smartest marketing option. Know what mean?
2. Failures often don’t know why they failed. So even if you tried to learn from from a failure, he probably doesn’t know the real reasons he failed. At best he can give you shallow ’surface level’ reasons like “I didn’t have enough working capital’ – when in reality, the reason he didn’t have working capitol is what you need to know.
3. You cant attract success by focusing on failure. At a certain point, learning anymore about failure will bring it into your life. It’s the Law of Attraction. You get more of what you focus on. Why do you think kids often repeat the mistakes of their parents, even though they already know they shouldn’t do it – ie generational alcoholism.

SO again, what’s a smart entrepreneur to do?

You guessed right – Learn from other people’s success. That will do the trick.

Of course IT IS possible to learn from your own or other people’s mistakes…but that shouldn’t be a focus.

Some say, we learn the most from our mistakes.

That’s not a rule, just a common pattern. The reason is because most people are more aware of their failures than their successes – but not you…not anymore right?

Now go succeed at something!

Max.

So what’s a

Top 10 Reasons Why Speed Matters.

Top 10 Reasons Speed Matters In Business.

Speed matters. Especially in business. Maybe more than you think. If you’ve been taking your time, procrastinating, or just plain wasting time – then here’s 10 reasons to stop it…fast.

And if you’re looking for ways to speed up your business success, check out the tools on our new website (The site isn’t complete yet…but if you need a logo for your biz, you’ll wanna see this now).

Top 10 Reasons Why Speed Matters In Business.

1) Because sometimes there’s only one prize.

Like when two guys go for the same girl. There’s no second prize. She’s only marrying one of you. Snooze you lose. Sometimes there’s only one tender, only one license grant, only one.

2) Because number one feels better.

Ask any Gold medalist if he’d have rather had the silver. Ask any Silver medalist if she’d have preferred the Gold.

3) Because saving time means time to do more.

Finishing one task means you can do another. If you have a one week holiday. Reading a good book is great…but reading two good books – wow. If you can setup your business quicker, you’ve got more time to make money.

4) Because 1^st place makes you a celebrity.

The Guinness Book of World Records proves it. The Olympics proves it. Heard of Heusain Bolt the world’s fastest runner?

5) Because no one remembers who came second.

Do you know the name of the World’s second fastest runner? Do you know who the second best golfer in the world is? Neither do I. Do you care? Neither do I.

6) Because some deadlines are actually real.

Not all deadlines are important or even real – but many are. Delivering the stuff on time increase your credibility, strengthen your friendships, up your profits and more. Missing the deadline for the big job tender means you’ve lost it, no matter how great you are. Taking too long with that quotation means, that money will just go somewhere else.

7) Because opportunities don’t last forever.

2010 World Cup business opportunities are just that – for the Year 2010. If you wait until month before the world cup, you’ve already missed it.

Because number one gets the biggest prize.

Number two and three sometimes get nothing more than leftovers. Just ask Microsoft’s Bing how much they wish they’d gotten into internet search before Google – and the impact it would have made on their bottom line.

9) Because a sense of urgency is motivating

In urgent situations, people demand more from themselves, avoid distractions and quit procrastination. A sense of urgency often makes us work more effectively and efficiently.

10) Because time is a none renewable resource.

You can almost always replace a dollar – but never a minute. A decade gone…is gone. 2009 is almost over – you’ll never get one again. Don’t waste what’s left.

Regards

Max

P.S. Feel the need for speed?

If you do, then check out our new website. It’s where you’ll find all the tools we use to help entrepreneurs fast forward their success. As i said, the site isnt complete yet – but in a day or two it’ll have A LOT of tools you can use to fast-forward your success. In the mean time though, If you’re starting a business and need a logo, find out how to get it done fast, affordable and very easy. See quickbiztools now.

“The Arnold Schwarzenegger Marketing Lesson”

Years ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger taught me an extremely important marketing lesson… Here’s the story (true Story):

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Max Soutter

As a kid, Arnold Schwarzenegger was a Hero to me. Saving the world, killing aliens, busting the bad guys…and of course…that bike (who could forget the Terminator Bike).

I loved him so much so, that I decided, I would launch a ‘Nick Name Branding Campaign’. The goal – to get my friends to call me

‘The Maxinator’

(You know, from Arnolds Terminator Movie?). Or how about ‘Max Soutternegger’. Had a ring to it.

This ‘nick name branding campaign’ went on for quite a while. I wore a black jacket (except mine wasn’t leather), i tried talking like the Terminator – except my voice hadn’t really broken yet). Then there was the thing about my mom not wanting to get me a bike (something about me being too wild on the roads).

The hardest problem though, was that them daft friends just couldn’t see the resemblance! They just struggled with granting a skinny guy an Arnold Schwarzenegger nick name. No matter how much I tried, my branding lacked intrinsic credibility.

As the years went by, the campaign died (a slow, severe and reluctant death). Years later, my body had blossomed and I discovered I was the same height as Arnold – but it was all too little too late.

So here’s the point.

When it comes to marketing and branding…credibility is all important. You can waste a lot of time, resources trying to appear to be something that no one believes you are. It’s not really about reality…accountants deal with reality…marketers have to deal with perceptions. So just because you are the best, doesn’t mean people perceive you as that.

Credibility is whether or not people perceive your branding or marketing story to be the truth. Is it believable.

Credibility and perception is why the ‘Zimbabwe Sadza Joint’ cant sell their cokes for the same amount as Meikles can – no matter how much they spend on marketing. It’s the reason why Spar can sell exactly the same Christmas toys for 5 times the amount you’d get them downtown.

Credibility is why it’s almost impossible to be perceived as the highest quality and the cheapest at the same time. It’s the reason why it’s almost impossible to be perceived as the fastest whilst also offering the greatest personalization for each client. It’s the reason why, nicely packaged biscuits often out sell poorly packaged but better tasting biscuits.

Here’s the lesson: Make sure that whoever and whatever you’re trying to brand yourself as, you’ve factored in the credibility issue. Make sure that you’ve given great consideration to how believable your latest offer or claim is.

Max

p.s. “I’ll Be Back!”