Are you familiar with the famous quote, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity?” It is attributed to the Roman philosopher Seneca, and no doubt many of us have seen it on motivational posters and memes.

I like this quote because it is a good reminder that, in business and in life, we make our own luck. 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 worked 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.

One lesson I gleaned from many of the experts I learned from – and utilized in my own businesses for all these years – is that there has to be a bigger purpose beyond what you do.

The most successful entrepreneurs are the ones who don’t just put in the hard work to achieve great ideas, they know the reason why they do what they do.

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 and your community?

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.

Create a Plan to Realize Your Why

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 that support your reason why and calculate what monthly, weekly, and daily actions need to take place in order to realize those 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 a roadblock, you can troubleshoot it and make adjustments with the guidance of a knowledgeable mentor or accountability partner.

Build the Right Team

Many 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.”

In more than four decades 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 road map to achieve it, and a quality team to support you, you can “double plus” your income before the year ends.

Contact me today if that sounds like exactly what you need.

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Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “DoublePlus™” 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 more than 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.

To learn more about Celeste, click here.

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