Could you run your own business? Part One: Discipline.

Chelsea Singh knew from when he was practically a child that he was going to run his own business one day, and that being employed was simply not an option.

For some people it’s simply something they know, something they feel from very early on, the way other people know they want to be a doctor, or a pilot.

For others, they may start in a more normal route of employment and then later in life decide they want to try their hand at striking out alone.

So what sort of traits and skills does it take to run your own business?

Arguably, the most important traits in someone who is going to start up and run their own business are discipline, a thick skin and determination.

In this article we will explore the first of these; discipline.

A business owner needs discipline

This is absolutely critical for people just starting up. It’s so easy to slump down to the home office in your pyjamas, then spend the morning making coffee, doing the laundry, tidying up – basically anything other than getting on with work. Then, as the days go by and there’s no one else there, punctuality slips and soon you’re rocking up at 10.30am and taking three hour lunch breaks.

This sort of behaviour a successful business will not make.

To get your business up and running and not vanishing into nothingness before you’ve even gotten started, you need to have discipline. Each of us has different levels of natural discipline, but there are a few habits and patterns you can train yourself into to help.

Here are a few tips for getting your habit of discipline into place:

·         Get dressed as if you were going to the office, even though the only person who’s going to see you is the cat. This has a huge mental impact and helps separate ‘work’ time from ‘home’ time.

·         Be strict about hours. Have a specific start time and – and this is much more important than you may think – finish time. And decide on a lunch hour, that you take at the same time every day. Don’t be late and don’t stay for hours of overtime every day. Doing overtime is fine if it’s necessary as a one off, but it shouldn’t be a habit.

·         Have monthly meetings with someone where you have to explain what you’ve achieved that month and what your targets are for the next month.

Read the next part of the article here. 

Click here to visit CS Investments

More inspiring quotes from Chelsea Singh

"Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming." – Richard Branson
 
"Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy." – Norman Schwarzkopf

"The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer." – Nolan Bushnell

"To think is easy. To act is difficult. To act as one thinks is the most difficult." – Johann Wolfgang Von Goeth

"I had to make my own living and my own opportunity! But I made it! Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them!" – C.J. Walker

"The winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will, and I am. Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have or would have done, or what they can’t do." – Dennis Waitley

Sections of a business

Most businesses are split into a few common sections, here is a brief explanation of them:

Sales

The sales department should assess the sales environment, set out the sales pipeline and key performance indicators. There should be clear sales targets and sales staff should be trained in techniques and make regular contact with clients. The sales department will work closely with the marketing department.

Marketing

The marketing department is responsible for the public image of the company and ensuring the right people see the brand at the right time. They need to take advantage of a range of media, from traditional to modern technological in order to improve reach and reputation. The marketing staff will work closely with the sales department.

Human Resources

Human resources or personnel is responsible for the people in the business. This includes contracts, sick pay, pensions, benefits and boosting morale. If a member of staff has a complaint, the HR department should have a process in place for dealing with it, and if a member of staff is caught doing anything anymore the HR people must carry our disciplinary action.

Management

They may jokingly be called ‘manglement’ but in reality, management is absolutely critical. The management team need to make sure all the other departments work consistently and towards common goals. Without management tying everything together, the different areas will go off in random directions and the business can get pulled off course.

Operations

Operations is different to management in that it is preoccupied with processes and procedures and making them ever more efficient and standardised. The more standardised the operations, the more stable and resilient the company will be.

Finance

The finance department will include accountants and accounts assistants, whose job it is to number crunch and take care of all financial transactions, projections and recording of results. They need to be familiar with the complex rules governing accounting in whatever country their working in, to ensure they pay the right amount of tax and categorise everything correctly.

Click here to visit CS Investments website.

Business Basics – The Business Plan: Part Two

If you want to start a business and you’re looking for investment, either from  banks or from private investors, you’re going to need a business plan.

A business plan is a document that details various aspects of a proposed business, including the aims of the business, the background of the individuals starting the business, details of the products and services that are on offer, the market, competition, strengths and weaknesses, operations, pricing strategy and financial forecasts.

Click here to read part one.

Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats

The SWOT analysis is a really great way of getting a quick snapshot profile of a new business. Strengths may be people skills or a unique product, weaknesses may be a poor understanding of technology or lack of funds, opportunities could be new government legislation or globalisation, or those things could just as easily be threats.

Operations

Operations covers the logistics, the nitty gritty of how the business will run. It includes: production, delivery, payment, suppliers, premises, equipment, transport, legal; requirements, insurance requirements and management and staff.

Pricing strategy

Pricing strategy is absolutely key to the success and failure of any business, and is probably the aspect that has most entrepreneurs tearing their hair out. Price too high and you may drive customers away, but equally pricing too low can be a disaster as it gives the impression of poor quality and may mean margins are too tight.

Financial forecasts

There are two kinds of people in the world, - those who love financial forecasts, and those who hate them. Either way, your business needs them. If it’s a new business, especially with a new product, the numbers will largely be guesswork, but putting price of units against number sold against expenses should give you an idea of whether the business is in any way feasible. For example, if it turns out you have to shift 3000 units per week just to break even but you can only manufacture 1000 per week, you’ve got yourself a problem.

Click here to visit CS Investments

Business Basics – The Business Plan: Part One

If you want to start a business and you’re looking for investment, either from  banks or from private investors, you’re going to need a business plan.

A business plan is a document that details various aspects of a proposed business, including the aims of the business, the background of the individuals starting the business, details of the products and services that are on offer, the market, competition, strengths and weaknesses, operations, pricing strategy and financial forecasts.

Aims of the business

This will include a summary of the business, its aims and a brief financial summary. This section is called the executive summary, and although you have to spend hours, days, even weeks preparing your business plan, at the end of the day, this page may be the only part that the investors actually look at.

The background of the individuals starting the business

The business plan should set out why the individuals are the best people to start this business. They must demonstrate that they have the appropriate skills and experience required to make this business a success, including previous work experience, qualifications and education, hobbies and interests and anything else that’s relevant.

Details of the products and services that are on offer

Naturally a key part of the business plan is details of the products and or services that are going to be sold. There should be a single line description and also a more detailed description. Ideally there will be information about Unique Selling Points (USPs) that will give your company the edge over competitors.

The market,

A sign of a serious entrepreneur is one that knows the importance of knowing their market. It’s no good just assuming the market is there and will be beating down your door – you need market research and hard data to crunch. This should include a description of your typical customer, their profile (individuals or businesses, age, wealth levels etc), what their priorities are, whether you’ve sold them before, location and much more.

Competition

The better the devil you know, as they say. New businesses need to know exactly what they’re up against. That means how much competition there is and what it looks like. Who currently holds the market share, how big are they, how long have they been in business, how do they make a success of it? You can learn a lot from your competition, and you need to be very clear about exactly why your customers should buy from you and not them.

Click here to read part two.

Click here to visit CS Investments

How to reach success - more quotes from Chelsea Singh

 

Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.
Swami Vivekananda
 

Most people give up just when they're about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game one foot from a winning touchdown.
Ross Perot
 

The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you had last year.
John Foster Dulles
 

Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.
David Frost
 

I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.
George S. Patton
 

Always continue the climb. It is possible for you to do whatever you choose, if you first get to know who you are and are willing to work with a power that is greater than ourselves to do it.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
 

Set your sights high, the higher the better. Expect the most wonderful things to happen, not in the future but right now. Realize that nothing is too good. Allow absolutely nothing to hamper you or hold you up in any way.
Eileen Caddy

Business Advice - What is a Unique Selling Point?

Once you get into business and start meeting other business people, you'll quickly find that you're asked about what you USP is.

USP stands for Unique Selling Point, or in other words, what is different about your business that will make people buy from you instead of your competitors.

The best businesses will really have a completely unique USP that their competitors can't imitate, meaning they corner a section of the market that simply can't go anywhere else.

However, it's more common that businesses will portray a unique selling point that isn't actually unique at all - but is perceived as so. The key to this is to be the first to do it, and / or to do it more convincingly than your competitors.

A genuine unique selling point may be a unique patented design, which nobody is allowed to copy for some time, or it maybe a family secret recipe or simply a particular location.

More common unique selling points might be price (though competing on price can be a dangerous game), quality or customer service - though obviously these are harder to prove and arguably not unique.

Some businesses come up with something completely original such as being the only ethical player in the industry, the only one to make the product completely out of soap or the only one to deliver a bunch of flowers with every order.

Read more about what it takes to be an entrepreneur on Chelsea Singh's site.

Follow Your Dreams - inspirational quotes

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
Henry David Thoreau

Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.
Pamela Vaull Starr

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.
Harriet Tubman

I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.
Patrick Henry

All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.
T.E. Lawrence

Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.
Lanston Hughes

The end of wisdom is to dream high enough not to lose the dream in the seeking of it.
William Faulkner

You cannot dream yourself into a character: you must hammer and forge yourself into one.
Henry D. Thoreau

Chelsea Singh is also on Wordpress.

Are you inspired by what you've read? Would you like to work with Chelsea on his latest projects? Then get in contact via the Chelsea Singh website. 

Chelsea Singh - Strategist

What is strategy?

Strategy is a plan of action or policy designed to achieve a particular aim.

The aim must be specific and measurable and the strategy needs to be broken down into tactics: the actual methods, techniques and actions that will be carried out, that together make up a coherent strategy. Just like in the military, business needs a good strategy and  a good business leader will know when to hold the ship steady despite waves and when to reassess and change course.

Read more about Chelsea Singh and Strategy here.

A good strategist will be able to see the bigger picture, as well as focus down on the details, and will be able to see how all the different elements interrelate. There is plenty of training you can do to learn strategy, and became a specialist an areas from business to politics to saving the world.

But most good strategists have that special something, a little bit more - intuition. They will have gut feelings and instincts that help guide their strategies in ways that simple number crunching can never do.

Want to know more? Read Chelsea Singh's Biography.

Motivational Quotes from Chelsea Singh

If you want to succeed in the world must make your own opportunities as you go on. The man who waits for some seventh wave to toss him on dry land will find that the seventh wave is a long time a coming. You can commit no greater folly than to sit by the roadside until some one comes along and invites you to ride with him to wealth or influence.
John B. Gough 

We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided each by a private chart, of which there is no duplicate. The world is all gates, all opportunities.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Take calculated risks.
That is quite different from being rash.
George S. Patton

Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us.
Samuel Smiles 

  

If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes.
St. Clement of Alexandra

Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.
William B. Sprague

Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need.
Voltaire 

Get more words of wisdom from Chelsea Singh on the web, Chelsea Singh on Twitter and Chelsea on Facebook.

Investment Opportunities - facts about high yield investments

How can you spot good investment opportunities? Successful investors know that there's no definite way to be sure an investment is going to produce high yields, and it's necessary to take risks and be prepared to lose some if you want to win some.

To read more about Chelsea Singh's current investments, click here.

Here are some facts about investments.

No sector is guaranteed - for a long time people thought property was the safest investment, 'guaranteed' to always produce returns. As we've discovered in recent years, EVERYTHING can crash.

It's not about what, but when and how much - any investment can be good if you're getting it at a good enough price, and equally, shares in the most profitable company in the world aren't going to do much good if you're overpaid for them.

Psychology is more important than economics or statistics - otherwise all mathematicians would be millionaires. That's because the markets are volatile and personal and react with emotion, not with cold calculation.

Find out more about Chelsea Singh the Investor, here.

Chelsea Singh's Tips for Entrepreneurs that are Starting out

The entrepreneur is a rare breed. Sure, there are plenty of people who think it would be nice to run their own business one day, but for most of them it will never happen. So what sets entrepreneurs out from mere mortals?

It's about being bold and confident enough to take what you want, about having a strong self-belief and self confidence even in the face of opposition, and it's about getting to know the right people to help you on your way.

Don't be afraid to take risks

If there's one thing that makes an antrepreneur, it's a willingness to take risks. If you're not willing to take a risk, you're never going to win anything more than average. taking risks means getting it wrong sometimes. But entrepreneurs don't have time to cry over spilt milk, they have to move stright onto the next project.

Become a great networker

It's all about who you know. But that doesn't mean you have to be born into a family with riches and connections (thought that certainly helps). Chelsea Singh is evidence that it's possible to build up from nothing - but you have to make friends adn contacts on the way and you have to be willing to take their advice and know when to listen to their assistance.

Don't listen to people who put you down

If you have big dreams and are willing to take the risks to reach them, there will always be people who like nothing better than putting you down and telling you that it's never going to work. That's because they know they're never going to make more of themselves and so they don't want anybody else to either.

If you've got the entrepreneurial spirit, then contact Chelsea Singh via his business and who knows - maybe you could be working together on the next big thing.

Click here to connect with Chelsea on Facebook or follow Chelsea Singh on Twitter.

Chelsea Singh - the building of an empire

There are plenty of rags to riches stories in the movies and in books, and Chelsea Singh proves that it's not only in fiction. Chelsea grew up in a modest working class family in London, but when he saw the riches and wealth of the exclusive areas of the capital, he developed a hunger to build his own empire.

Starting by working his way up a photographic company, the young Chelsea identified opportunities around him and soon and soon invested in his own businesses which he built into leaders in their industry before moving on to other things.

If you'd like to read more about how his business empire developed over the years, then you can read Chelsea Singh's full profile here.

Entrepreneurs are risk takers, willing to roll the dice...

"Entrepreneurs are risk takers, willing to roll the dice with their money or reputation on the line in support of an idea or enterprise. They willingly assume responsibility for the success or failure of a venture and are answerable for all its facets."

- Victor Kiam, best known for his "I liked it so much, I bought the company" ads for Remington electric shavers

Chelsea Singh Investments

Chelsea Singh Investments is a company owned and run by Chelsea Singh, a succesful entrepreneur based in London.

Chelsea set up the company in order to connect with other like-minded business people and young entrepreneurs who are taking their first steps in business. As a self-made-man, Chelsea knows how difficult it can be to get started when you have little experience, low funds, but a drive and passion that refuses to be quashed.

CS Investments offers a range of services for people who have a great idea for an investment, or a business which is struggling or has leaders who have identified promising areas for growth.

On the website you can find out more about the company, the kind of services it offers, and the current projects.

Innovation is the specific tool of entrepreneurs...

"Innovation is the specific tool of entrepreneurs, the means by which they exploit change as an opportunity for a different business or a different service. It is capable of being presented as a discipline, capable of being learned, capable of being practiced. Entrepreneurs need to search purposefully for the sources of innovation, the changes and their symptoms that indicate opportunities for successful innovation. And they need to know and to apply the principles of successful innovation."
- Peter F. Drucker, "The Father of Modern Management"

Skin Harmony - a new beauty salon based in Windsor

Skin Harmony is one of the most recent investments by Chelsea Singh. It is a beauty salon based in the heart of Windsor, offering a selection of high quality beauty treatments, including MD Formulations facials, waxing, bridal make-up, tinting and eyelash treatments and hand and foot treatments.

The therapists are very experienced and highly trained and promise to offer pampering to perfection!

To make an appointment with Skin Harmony, visit their website.
Click here to find out more about Chelsea Singh investments.

Chelsea Singh launches new Canary Islands restaurant

The Canary Islands have been one of Chelsea Singh's favourite places since he was very young and he often goes back to visit. So when he saw the opportunity to purchase one of this favourite restaurants there, he couldn't pass it up.

Since making the purchase, Chelsea has invested heavily in the establishment, making sure it has had a full refurbishment and now boasts a children's play area and chill out area for relaxation.

The restaurant serves fantastic local cuisine, specialising in its grill platter, but serving a range of tastes with freshly cooked pizzas, delicious seafood and crisp healthy salads.

The recent launch was a great success with 100 VIPs turning up to sample the great food and enjoy the fantastic mountain views from the terrace.

So, if you're in the area, don't miss the chance to visit: http://www.restauranteasadorelestero.com/

"In investing, what is comfortable is rarely profitable." - Robert Arnott

"At times, you will have to step out of your comfort zone to realize significant gains. Know the boundaries of your comfort zone and practice stepping out of it in small doses. As much as you need to know the market, you need to know yourself too. Can you handle staying in when everyone else is jumping ship? Or getting out during the biggest rally of the century? There's no room for pride in this kind of self-analysis. The best investment strategy can turn into the worst if you don't have the stomach to see it through."

Read more: http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0511/the-top-17-investing-quotes-of-all-time.aspx#ixzz2AJ5ycDJU

Of for more words of wisdom, follow Chelsea Singh on Twitter.

Chelsea Singh Investments is always looking new investments to provide seed capital for, and can offer expert guidance to make the difference between success and failure.

Chelsea Singh Invests in Stack Cup

Chelsea Singh is always looking out for new investments opportunities, and new inventions that change the landscape of insutries, so he was very excited when Stack Cup was brought to his attention.

Before Stack Cup came along, events such as rock concerts and sports agems had a problem - and that problem was cups. Thousands of people wanted to drink beer and water, but you couldn't possibly give them glass in that sort of situation, so the caterers had to resort to cheap plastic cups.

There are many problems wit thes,e including the fact that they are so flimsy means that the contents spill out everywhere, and being disposable they are bad for the environment and work out very expensive, for both supplier and customer.

But now Stack Cup is here! As well as being made from strong durable plastic, which means they are sturdy and reusable - which is good news for planet and money costs - they also have a brand new unique feature - they stack!

That's right - the special shape of the handle allows them to neatly slot into each other and form an elegant spiral, so a single hand can carry half a dozen full cups in one go.

You can find out more about Chelsea Singh's investments here.

Chelsea Singh Investments joins Facebook

That's right - Chelsea Singh Investments' latest social networking addition is a Facebook page for the company. The Facebook page will have details of all the latest investment and projects, and also the latest movements of our director - Chelsea Singh.

It will be a rouce of inspiration through quotes from some of the greatest thinkers and entrepreneurs of our time, as well as being a place for you to share your thouhts and experiences of CHelsea Singh Investments. We're always striving to do better each and every day, so all feedback and suggestions are welcome, even if we can't implement everything right away!

Come pay us a visit and say hello!

http://www.facebook.com/ChelseaSinghInvestments

Or you can visit the Chelsea Singh Investment website.

Chelsea Singh joins Blogger

This is the official blogger Blog for Chelsea Singh.

Chelsea Singh is an entrepreneur strategist and investor, based in London UK.

Current projects include Stack Cup, Skin Harmony, a restaurant in the Canary Islands and a new build hotel in India.

If you are a budding entrepreneur looking for a business angel to invest in your new business, or if you're looking for strategic advice on how to grow your business, then leave a comment with your business idea, and if he likes it, Chelsea will get back to you.

Click here to visit the Chelsea Singh Investments website.

Or click here to visit Chelsea Singh's personal site.