Have you ever met a wildly successful, sharply dressed, confident entrepreneur and thought to yourself: “Wow, they’re really lucky“?

I’ve never been fond of that word.

You see, luck has very little to do with success in business. The vast majority of entrepreneurs you envy didn’t achieve their victories because of “dumb luck”. They were driven, worked hard, and gleaned business wisdom from entrepreneurs who had succeeded before them.

Back in the years when I was involved in direct sales and team development, I spent many hours studying business principles from ultra-successful entrepreneurial icons. I listened to CDs, studied books and attended lectures, eager to learn from their failures and successes. I continue to be an active learner today. Education is absolutely essential to growth and puts you on a fast track to success.

But there’s so much information out there. Where do you begin?

Many books have been filled with business wisdom, but it’s worthwhile to look at some of the foundational pieces of wisdom upon which every successful business is built.

1. Know Your Reason Why.

Whether you are starting a new business or want to take your existing business to the next level, it’s important to know why you do what you do. What is it that you ultimately want to achieve? When you close your eyes and allow yourself to dream freely, what kind of life do you picture yourself leading? And what sort of legacy do you want to leave for your loved ones?

Some people are motivated to build a business that allows them a life of material prosperity. They picture buying a cottage on the lake or owning a luxurious mortgage-free home. Others envision owning their time and being able to spend it doing things they enjoy with the people they love most. Having a clear “reason why” will help motivate you to get out of bed every morning, overcome difficult obstacles and put forth the consistent effort necessary to achieve long-term success in your business.

2. Be a Forward Thinker.

Trial and error is not an effective strategy for business growth. In a hectic world full of competition and distractions, waking up without a game plan is a recipe for slow productivity and limited growth. It’s important to set clear, measurable goals for the year and calculate what monthly, weekly and daily goals need to be met in order to realize the annual goals.

With a clear vision and action plan, you can begin implementing strategies and undertaking daily actions designed to produce desirable outcomes. As I mentioned earlier, you can accelerate your road to success by learning proven strategies from successful entrepreneurs and seasoned mentors who have already achieved  their goals. At Celeste Giordano Coaching, for example, I teach entrepreneurs the same strategies that empowered me to produce more leads, exceed sales records and grow a Legacy Business.

As you implement sales and business development strategies, it’s important to regularly reflect on your progress. If you’re encountering an “error”  or roadblock, you can troubleshoot it and make adjustments with the guidance of a knowledgeable mentor or accountability partner.

3. Build the Right Team.

Many business entrepreneurs are perfectionists by nature and struggle to give up control. But entrepreneurs learn very quickly that, try as they may, they can’t achieve their goals alone. There are only so many hours in a day and numerous working parts involved in growing a sustainable, profitable business. You may achieve some success, but you will reach a point where burnout becomes inevitable.

Successful businesses may be spearheaded by strong leaders, but they are built by the collaborative effort of teams. You should be spending the bulk of your time doing what you do best, whether that’s coaching,  sales, marketing or public speaking. Assign the rest of your responsibilities to remote team members and service providers you can trust to meet your expectations and your deadlines. Your job is to build a quality team with the right attitude and support them so they are set up for success. Business guru Zig Ziglar was spot on when he said, “You don’t build a business – you build people – and then people build the business.”

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In my 40 years of in-the-trenches sales and business development experience, I have had the opportunity to put these business fundamentals into practice, with phenomenal results.

One of my greatest passions today is empowering sales teams and business entrepreneurs to build the Legacy Businesses they deeply desire and are absolutely capable of achieving. With a powerful “reason why”, a clear, measurable road map and a quality team to support you, you can “Double Plus” your income this year — and so much more.

Would you like to continue the conversation? Email me at celeste@celestegiordano.com.

Entrepreneurship and Business Empowerment Hour

Please join me on Saturday, October 22, 2016, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. on the Entrepreneurship and Business Empowerment Hour as I am interviewed by Austin Thompson in recognition of National Women’s Small Business Month along with Sharon Barnwell, owner of Caribbean International Shipping Services. Kindly tune in to WATB 1420AM, or log on to www.watb1420.com on October 22nd for a dynamic interview.

Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “double-plus” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with almost 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.

To learn more about Celeste, click here.

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