The BOSS Network Blog

When you examine the line between smart and genius, the difference becomes quite clear – becoming an innovator in whatever your respective industry requires a great amount of vision.  So many people in our industries have innate talent, many people are smart, but not everyone has foresight, can trust their gut, go for the goal, and then entirely change an industry or society.  That’s pretty rare, but guess what else?  It’s also extremely possible. We can learn a lot from these rule breakers about being creative and innovative enough to push for change.  Here are some lessons we can pick up from some of the nation’s greatest game changers: Lesson #1: Do whatever you want…and then show them why you were right.  “If I'd asked people what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse.” Henry Ford – Ford Motor Co To be revolutionary, you have to trust your own instinct and really be fearless in making changes that no one else has before.  It...

Teamwork makes the dream work, who hasn't heard that saying before? Well, research shows that it's true. According to numerous studies, work done in a team is done much more efficiently. As entrepreneurs, a lot of us make the mistake of thinking that we can do everything by ourselves when it actuality, there many benefits to working in a team.  Creativity One benefit of teamwork is the creativity that it provides. Having multiple people on your team to give and receive feedback always makes for great brainstorming. When a team has members of different backgrounds and experiences, it fuels creativity. This produces great ideas and optimal solutions; innovation can skyrocket with a successful team.  Balance  Every individual has strengths and weaknesses. When working with the right team, it is easy to camouflage your weaknesses if a person on the team is strong in that particular area. When teams of people with skills that compliment one another are fo...

One of the biggest misconceptions about going into business for yourself is that, “if you build it, they will come.” So many of us have great ideas, amazing talent, and innovative products that we want to bring to the marketplace. And like many entrepreneurs before us, we roll up our sleeves and get busy doing the nitty-gritty work of developing our product line, workshop curricula, widgets, gizmos, or gadgets. Finally, the day comes when we excitedly announce to the world that we are officially “open for business.” And THEN… nothing…crickets. Sure, you may get a few inquiries, “What are you doing?” “What is this about?” “What exactly is this supposed to do?” But no one is actually BUYING. The dreams you had for creating a more financially secure life for yourself and your loved ones start to fade and self doubt starts to creep in. “Did I do the right thing?” “Should I have started this business?”  “How am I going to recoup the money I’ve already invested to get this thing ...

When starting any business, you should always be committed to constant growth. No one should open a business to reach one level and then stop the efforts. Although growth in business can be a slow process, always make sure you are doing what it takes to reach the next level- growth is not automatic. As yourself, "what steps am I taking to take my business to the next level?" Below is a list of 5 possible reasons your business has not had a growth spurt.        1. You Are Networking Wrong You have probably never heard this before as most people's advice is to network, network, and network. Networking is awesome for any business, but not if you aren't doing right. When people consider networking, they always think it means go out to events and meet new people. Wrong. Sometimes it business it is less about meeting new people, and more about getting to know the people around you a little better. You never know how someone in your circle can help you unles...

Ouch!  There’s no touchier subject than discussing failure and as an entrepreneur, I’ve had several humbling experiences that taught me that this entrepreneurial thing isn’t as easy as some try to make it seem.  Realizing that your business isn’t doing well can be tough, but guess what?  Just turn it around. It’s extremely easy for us to identify when our product or service is just not up-to-par – that’s generally a clear and very easily identifiable problem, but what do you examine when that’s not the issue?  Here are 5 areas to analyze: 1.        You’re married to your inefficiencies. Although your output is great, perhaps the way you’re getting to your end product isn’t so hot.  Maybe you don’t spend enough time examining your suppliers for your beauty shop and inadvertently paying a boatload on shampoo or maybe it’s time to realize that your energy and labor costs would be so much less if the hours of your rest...

F.O.C.U.S.   Follow One Course Until Successful.  Rev. Run (@Revrunwisdom) Tweeted this a couple of months back and it struck a chord with quite a few people including me.  It was re-tweeted some 1500 times. We are all aware by now that we passed the half way mark of the year two weeks ago.  For some of us it was a glaring reminder of how much calendar had gotten away from us and the need to get back on track immediately. No doubt it is sometimes a challenge getting back on track especially if you have several ideas swarming around in your head bumping into each other. When that happens,   F.O.C.U.S . is excellent advice. Following one course until successful means focusing your mental energy and efforts on your end goal; making every step you take count towards that.   If you want to be a lawyer, you probably shouldn’t be entertaining cosmetology school.  That’s just a delay tactic that has high potential to side track you. ...

I've always been a fan of high end lines, MAC being one of them.  Ever since I started blogging a year ago, I’ve been doing more and more research on beauty products. I've realized how there's so many makeup lines, like your drugstore vendor brands that are out there. Have you ever walked in a Target store to pick up a prescription and were told, “It’s going to be 20mins?” Well I have. So I find my way to the cosmetic section, but only look. I can't try the makeup on, and the price is wayyy lower than what I'm used to. I was fed up, so I opened one. (Please don't go out and try this) I loved the coverage with the Maybelline foundation, and the consistency of Revlon concealer. I've been hooked since. I have created a list of makeup lines that are a dead look alike to MAC, but are surprisingly cheaper. To check out products from MAC that you can't find a look alike of: MAC COSMETICS  This creamy shimmer eye shad...