Business success rules. Golden business rules. An idea costs nothing

Just as we can develop behaviors that attract people, we can also develop toxic behaviors that frighten those around us. Such toxic behavior can negatively affect our relationships with family or friends. Therefore, in order to care for those we love and not threaten our support system, we must be able to identify and change the behaviors that scare others. Sometimes toxic behavior causes jealousy. This is a negative emotion that can harm our relationships and affect communication.

Not every fatigue and overload should lead to stress or professional burnout. However, in every burnout there are elements of fatigue, overload, and more.

Over the past few centuries, a person's guilt has increased significantly and it is time to reconsider our views on this. Otherwise, it can end badly, both in a single case and for humanity as a whole.

Almost everything that happens to us is our own fault. Yes, yes, dear reader, that's right! Now many will object to me that they say - but what about fate, predestination, etc. things? Well, I will say more - I am a believer and believe in fate. But what is fate? And is it possible to change fate with your own hands?

Starting to eat right is never easy. This is especially true for people who are used to eating mindlessly and unreasonably approaching their eating behavior. For those who decide to reconsider their diet towards healthy food, there are 5 simple steps that will help you master the rules of healthy eating and not break into eating harmful, meaningless food again.

Why is it sometimes better to say "no"

Many have watched the movie "Always say yes", almost everyone has heard the saying: "it is better to do and regret than not to do and regret", but there are things in life that you need to categorically refuse, we will tell about them in this article.

From time to time, all creative people are familiar with the feeling of inner devastation and spiritual burnout. These days the mood becomes bad, new ideas do not come to mind, you don’t want to create and it doesn’t work. Such a state can overtake after a long creative work or as a result of life upheavals and stresses that are not directly related to creativity. Of course, you can give your body a rest, sleep off, eat delicious food, go on vacation and, as a result, restore strength. But how to subsequently regain inspiration and again find yourself in the realm of ideas?

A crisis situation is characterized by internal or external events that make the usual pattern of life impossible. As a rule, such changes are accompanied by negative feelings and thoughts, the emergence of a new life status. The crisis period makes it necessary to reconsider life, change priorities and values. This is the time for change.

Every entrepreneur wants to be successful in their business. However, not everyone succeeds. Here are 10 rules for a successful business, following which an entrepreneur can achieve good business results.

Business failures are much more common than successes, and every entrepreneur has a different set of reasons for failure. However, if we talk about success, then the vast majority of entrepreneurs who have reached certain heights in business are similar in certain actions that helped them achieve good results.

1. Find a niche

For a small business, it's best to find a niche. A small firm with limited resources can operate effectively in a niche market. Concentrate your efforts on a fairly narrow offer. Stick to what you do best and you will become an expert in that area.

Understand that it is impossible to be good at everything. By focusing on a narrow market, you avoid going head-to-head with big competitors. If your hardware store sells everything from paint to lumber, then it won't be able to compete with the big chain stores.

However, you can try to limit the range of goods, for example, varnishes and paints, and become the best retailer in this segment.

2. Be small but think big

The most frequently asked question from people starting a small business is “How will I compete with large companies?”. Small businesses have inherent advantages over large businesses, including flexibility, the ability to respond quickly, and the ability to provide more personalized services. Make sure your business is making the most of small business opportunities.

3. Make your product stand out

Present the benefits of using your product or service to the buyer, highlighting the uniqueness of the solution to their problems. Avoid simple copying. Imitators rarely do well in the market. Research but don't copy your competitors.

4. Make a Great First Impression

Strive for accuracy and quality. You often won't get a second chance to make a first impression. This means having a tidy store, polite staff and so on.

However, if you are working from home alone, remember that you are the focus of the marketing effort. Everyone you come into contact with is potentially your client or the person who will recommend your services. Make sure you are always presentable, professional and knowledgeable about your business.

5. Good reputation

Your business is built on reputation. It is extremely important that you have a good reputation for quality products and excellent service. It is these two things that guarantee success. Always strive for quality.

6. Continuous improvement

Entrepreneurs know not to think conservatively when you improve your products and services. You run the risk of falling behind the competition if you stick to the “this is how we've always done it” mindset. Today's business requires new solutions.

7. Listen to your customers

Follow the Market: Listen and respond to customer needs. They need to feel that they are important, and they really are!

When you focus on your customers and earn their trust, they will not only recommend you, but stay loyal to you. Remember that word of mouth personal recommendation is the cheapest and yet the most effective form of advertising for your business.

8. Plan for success

An entrepreneur must understand the power of planning. A good plan will increase your chances of success and can help define business concepts, estimate costs, predict sales, and control risk. It shows where you are going and how you will get there. Running a business without a plan is like driving in a foreign country without a map.

9. Innovate

Constantly innovate, keep up with technological changes. Use innovation as a springboard to improve products, procedures and reputation. They should be used everywhere: in pricing, in product promotion, in service, in distribution, and so on.

Keep your eyes open for new ways to do things you do and innovate that can improve product quality and business performance.

10. Work smart

As an entrepreneur, you need to have self-confidence and relentless perseverance to develop your ideas. Research has shown that people who are successful as entrepreneurs are forward-thinking, can accept things as they are, and act accordingly.

• Why Successful Projects Start By Pure Chance
• How to understand that an idea that is considered unsuccessful is actually working
• What products will be in demand on the market this year

A person with an entrepreneurial mindset finds business opportunities where others see only difficulties and disadvantages. The brain quickly builds a working model, and it remains only to find a way to implement it. When looking for ideas and creating a new business project, I follow five rules.

Rule 1Don't be afraid to be a pioneer

The QIWI group started by chance. Seventeen years ago I was selling plastic bowls and bags - nothing serious. I got a call from a friend who at that time worked in a mobile operator company and asked: “We made cards for paying for the Internet, do you know how and where they can be sold?” I put up an ad for sale on one of the sites. Ten minutes later Evgeny called from the Savelovsky railway station and said: “I have a communication salon, I want 1000 cards.” I bought the first cards for $5,000 at the mobile operator's office, drove Evgenia, earned $500 from distribution, and realized that there is business here. This is how the Plastic Card Store company appeared, selling two KamAZ Internet cards a day and occupying an estimated 60-70% of the market.

In 2003, the French manufacturer of payment terminals Ingenico, a company with a 40-year history, proposed a technology for paying for communications using a pin code on a receipt through a POS terminal. I said, "It's inconvenient. Make it so that you can approach the seller and say: the phone number is such and such, 100 rubles. As a result, they sent an invoice for 7 million euros from the processing stage. Based on the amount of the bill, $ 5 thousand a week came out for the work of a programmer - insane money. One of my employees was engaged in "1C" for five years, but did not understand anything about payments. I told him: "Go and figure out what load systems are, and I will go to negotiate with the operators." In February 2004 we launched.

Do you think it was a success? It turned out that a Russian person is not eager to tell someone his phone number, because then he will be known, it is easier for him to enter the number himself. Therefore, a year later, we had the idea of ​​self-service, according to which this business now lives. We developed a scheme, purchased components, ordered the first 100 terminals at the plant. We placed an ad on the professional portal for manufacturers of self-service terminals and developers of payment systems kiosks.ru. All terminals were sold within 26 hours.

Advice. Accidents are not accidental. In my practice, there were many unplanned events and unexpected ideas, which then continued. It's better to do it and regret it than to regret not trying.

• 10 ideas for starting a business with the prospect of growth in the next 5 years

Rule 2Aim for big projects

A couple of years ago, small and medium-sized businesses began to switch to online cash registers. I immediately realized that this niche has a great future, given the state’s strategy for the transition to cashless payments and the overall level of digitalization in the country. Sberbank has already launched an online check service jointly with the Federal Tax Service – the Sberbank. Online". And the manufacturer of cash solutions "ATOL" launched the progenitor of the smart terminal "Evotor". At the beginning of 2016, we agreed with Sberbank and ATOL on the creation of a company, and in June we announced the start of work.

Together with the Federal Tax Service, they determined the requirements for online cash registers and their filling. The device itself was developed with the participation of a tax service specialist. In just four months, we released a "smart cash register". The goal is to sell 500,000 devices.

Advice. When a business idea is born, a way to implement it appears by itself. You need to feel: the time for the project has come. Look closely at the market, acquire connections, work and look ahead.

Rule 3Think like an entrepreneur

In my investment and management activities, I am guided by the principle - "think like an entrepreneur." I teach this to my subordinates. Here are the key rules for running a successful business.

1. With competitors: it is better to unite. Run faster together.
2. With partners: treat them the way you want them to treat you. Do not offer them conditions that would not be interesting to you. Save time and maintain mutual respect.
3. With employees: be honest and infect with the idea. Non-material motivation means much more material. The team must believe in the result more than you.
4. With customers: offer only services that are in demand. It is impossible to impose a service, you will simply waste time and money on its development.
5. With yourself: don't be afraid to take responsibility; listen and be able to hear; think the result, not the process; learn continuously; remember that you cannot succeed alone.

Advice. Never get upset over mistakes - forget them like a bad dream. Absolutely everyone makes mistakes - it makes us stronger.

Rule 4Know trends ahead

Every month, 100 projects come to me for consideration. The task is to find at least one that deserves attention. The best startup ideas of recent times are copies of those that are in Europe and America. The social network VKontakte still resembles Facebook, but it costs billions. I have a project called Qlean. A simple idea, a copy of American and European counterparts, is a platform solution for cleaning apartments. The project in 2016 attracted 250 million rubles. Today, 700 cleanings are performed daily.

In the next six months or a year, something revolutionary will appear. Most likely, platform solutions similar to our app store or Apple or Google marketplaces. Right now I'm looking at two breakthrough ideas in uberization and platformization. Everything that is built around these things is cheap and in demand by the consumer.

Advice. If you are coming up with a new project, remember: the future belongs to mobile systems. Pay attention to "subscription models". They can be used to sell goods and services that a person consumes weekly or monthly. For example, a subscription to a set of ready-made ingredients for preparing dinner.

Rule 5Continuously develop

For founders and investors, the most difficult thing is to understand that a suitcase without a handle must be thrown in time. Don't waste time and move on. I am not a supporter of inventions for the sake of inventions, services and products imposed on the client.

I constantly follow the news and trends, new technologies, I try not to miss a single interesting development. Being in the center of the business community, you intuitively sort out successful solutions, generate ideas, and look for new partnerships. Every year before my birthday in August, I set goals for the year. The Evotor project was among my business goals in August 2015.

Advice. Attend conferences, forums, exhibitions, meet people, follow them on social networks, communicate. Do not sit in one place, develop, get additional education. Try something new, get out of your comfort zone.

Iznes successful: how to create? Many successful businessmen share the secrets of a successful business. From whom, if not from billionaires, you need to learn how to run the most successful business.

Richard Branson's Basic Business Rules

For example, business secrets were revealed by Richard Branson, who opened the Virgin Records music store in 1970. Today, he is worth more than $5 billion and is chairman of the Virgin Group, which has over 400 companies.

In his 40 years of experience, he figured out by trial and error and deduced his basic rules for doing business:

1. You have to enjoy what you are doing or not do it at all.
2. You need to be innovative. Come up with something that no one else dared to do before you.
3. You need to understand that employees are the most valuable asset of the company, so you need to do everything possible so that they are appreciated. Participation in the great does wonders. Employees should be proud of their work, then they work better and significantly save the company money if they stay in their place for a long time.
4. All great managers recognize that it is impossible to know everything, so they build teams that help build entire business empires. You need to listen to the team, respect the opinion of everyone and come to an agreement. The more leaders praise the team, the more it encourages employees to share their best ideas. A friendly team is the key to the company's success.
5. Company founders must maintain direct communication with all employees. Organize meetings, ask what they like about their work and what can be improved? There should be constant interaction with people who help to support and develop the company.

So many business people have taken the time to write wonderful business books. Here is a list of the most worthy of them, which are desirable to read before starting to build your business:

1. Richard Branson "Details of Virgin: Secrets You Won't Teach in Business School";
2. Henry Ford "My Life, My Achievements"
3. Richard Branson "The Naked Business"
4. Robert Kiyosaki "Rich Dad Poor Dad"
5. Ayn Rand "Atlas Shrugged"
6. Richard Branson "To hell with everything, get on and do it!"
7. Maxim Kotov "And nerds do business"
8. Tony Shay Delivering Happiness. From zero to a billion
9. Igor Ashmanov "Life inside a bubble. How can a manager survive in an invested project?
10. Guy Kawasaki Startup. 11 master classes from the ex-Apple evangelist and the most daring capitalist in Silicon Valley"
11. Igor Mann “Marketing without a budget. 50 Working Tools.

Delivering Happiness by Tony Shay is a unique creation of the entire Zappos team, which has grown in 10 years into a multi-billion dollar company, which is considered the #1 business with corporate culture in the world. This book tells the story of how Tony and his team managed to build the most successful business ever made for the owners, employees, customers, suppliers and partners of the company. The friendly team and organizational culture of the company have been able to really build a business in such a way that it brings not only stunning profits, but also happiness to everyone who is in any way connected with this company.

Tony Shay's business rules, as well as the formation of a corporate culture, can, and even should be applied to all businessmen to build a successful business. The Zappos way and approach to doing business is truly unique, creative and proven to be effective.

Successful business: corporate culture and its features

The most successful business is based on a company's unique corporate culture. Here are some of its features:

1. When hiring a new employee, he is asked not to talk about his achievements, but about his mistakes and what lessons he learned from them. They are also asked to tell stories from life in order to understand whether the person will fit into the corporate culture of the company. By the way, the interview takes place in the ceremonial hall with music and a buffet table, so that a person can relax and not be nervous.
2. .All newly minted employees are trained, which lasts 4 months. Everyone travels together, goes hiking to get to know each other better. It is imperative that even cleaners have to work in a call center for 2 weeks in order to better understand customers. Interestingly, on the very first working day, an employee is offered $2,000 to give up this job.
3. All employees create an atmosphere in their office that is comfortable for them. Some put the bed right in their office. Creativity is not limited. Robots walk around the office, there are golf courses and a bunch of other interesting things.
4. Anyone can get on a tour at Zappos in Las Vegas. You just need to sign up on the website and you will be picked up directly from the airport.
5. To enter an employee into the network, you need to enter the login, password and name of the employee whose photo will appear on the screen. So the company shows that it welcomes the fact that all employees know each other by name.
6. There is a special book "Zappos Culture Book", where all employees optionally enter their vision of corporate culture. This book can be obtained by anyone who sends a request to the address [email protected]
7. A website has been created for partners and suppliers where they can track all sales data, shipment, delivery time and much more. This creates an atmosphere of trust, which is why global brands want to cooperate with this company.
8. Each employee is given postcards that they can send to customers. In a postcard, they can wish you a pleasant trip, congratulate or ask about the quality of the goods?
9. Call center staff are trained to provide maximum information on any issue and be as helpful as possible, regardless of whether the issue concerns shoes or Zappos itself.
10. The most successful business was based on quality customer service. Regular customers have passed on to each other about the quality service of our customers. The company decided that it is better to spend money on quality service than on advertising. Essentially, the marketing was done by the customers themselves.
11. Zappos has made free two-way shipping within the US so that the customer can buy without risks. A client can order five pairs of shoes, try them on calmly at home, pick them up to the wardrobe and send back the ones they don’t like absolutely free of charge. You can also return the purchase within 365 days if the person simply changed his mind about wearing these shoes.
12. The call center is open around the clock. The company does not use integration marketing, a bunch of useless unnecessary messages. Tony believes that even though a call center is an expensive pleasure, if you conduct a telephone conversation correctly, then it will be remembered by the client, he will place an order and be sure to tell his friends about the company. The company increases the number of consumers by creating pleasant emotional associations with its brand.
13. The effort to create a pleasant impression of the company is often created after the purchase. For example, a person receives a package the next day, although they promised to deliver it within the standard time frame. The client receives a postcard, a letter along with the goods and other pleasant surprises.
14. The warehouse operates around the clock all days of the week. This is not very profitable, but it produces a “Wow” effect on the buyer when he receives the package 8 hours after the order.
15. Zappos also has a different approach to call center management than any other company. Usually, the efficiency of the operator is evaluated by the number of calls and the average call processing time. Therefore, operators try to hang up as soon as possible. They are also given ready-made texts in order to persuade the client to buy as quickly as possible and receive revenue. Zappos considers this service unacceptable. Operators are happy to communicate with customers, answer all their questions and do not have prepared phrases. Positive friendly communication with the client gives much greater results than intrusive communication with a robotic operator.
    The company does not measure the time of the call, but gives the operator the opportunity to prove himself, to give his arguments why it is worth buying from this company. If the product that the client needs is not available, then the operator is obliged to provide three competitor sites where the client can find the product he needs. The company pays a lot of attention to its customers, which is why it was able to build the most successful business in which the customers themselves act as marketers. They pass on their impressions of the company by word of mouth and thus bring in new customers.

Of course, a friendly team that works for the result plays a very important role. To create such a team, you need to find out at the interview stage whether a person can fit into the corporate culture of your company.

The team should spend a lot of time together, not only at work, but also on vacation. Know each other not just by face, but by name. An example for such friendly relations should be the leader of the company himself, who must find time to communicate, relax with his employees.

The team must feel that it is part of something great, innovative, creative. And success can only be achieved through joint efforts. Each member of the team must be heard and appreciated. Everyone should have the strongest motivation to work, share their best ideas and bring innovation to the team.

Zappos has revolutionized online sales. Thanks to Tony Shay's book, the whole world was able to learn how to create the #1 corporate culture in the world and apply it to create your own business.

The one who starts the organization of his business, naturally wants to succeed in this difficult task. However, not everyone succeeds. Business failures are much more common than successes, and every entrepreneur has a different set of reasons for failure. However, if we talk about success, then the vast majority of entrepreneurs who have reached certain heights in business are similar in certain actions that helped them achieve good results.

Here are ten rules to follow entrepreneur will be able to achieve good results in business.

1. The most important thing to achieve business success, the entrepreneur must clearly understand why he is doing this. Here it is important to have clear, specific goals: he must clearly understand what he wants to achieve in a month, in one year, in ten years. It is important not only to have a goal, but also to have inner strength to move towards these goals, despite the difficulties and problems that arise along the way.
2. Business is communication, the ability to communicate with people, the ability to cooperate. This should always be remembered. To run a successful business, you need connections. No connections? - start. It is necessary to make profitable connections and acquaintances and it is imperative to maintain good relationships, and of course you should not neglect the opportunity to use such connections to develop your business.
3. Know how to motivate the people around you - employees, partners, everyone who works with you. The best option would be if you can "infect" them with your ideas. It is possible to “infect” only when people clearly understand what they are moving towards, therefore, the presence of clear goals for entrepreneur are important not only for himself, but also for the team that works for him.
4. Self-confidence is the basis of success, as well as the main force that overcomes all the difficulties that stand in the way of an entrepreneur to a successful business. Believe in yourself even if no one else believes in you. History knows many cases when only faith in oneself allowed a person to reach incredible heights.
5. Be active. The idea and goals are, of course, the basis of everything. However, without active action, the idea may remain just an idea, and the goal will turn into a pipe dream.
6. Set thoughtful, realistic goals. There is no need to set a goal - in a month after starting a business, to earn one million dollars. Set a realistic goal, for example, to reach a turnover of one thousand dollars by the end of the first month, in six months - ten thousand dollars, etc. Remember that the goals must be specific, i.e. have clear, defined indicators.
7. Determine the right time at which it would be best to start your business. Weigh your strengths and knowledge. Plan your income, because by starting a business, you may lose certain, established incomes, and the business you started will begin to make a profit only after a while. Do not let the wrong time - the beginning of building your business - ruin your ideas and desires.
8. Don't be sentimental. Know that nothing lasts forever, and the business you start too. Consider possible options for exiting the business at the stage of its organization.
9. Remember that one of the main resources in business (and there are only three of them: people, money and time) are people. Select workers carefully. Take care of good and valuable personnel. Human resources are very limited.
10. Listen to your heart and trust your intuition. Constantly listen to what your inner voice is telling you. This source will always be for you and will never betray you.