Four ways to change life & business


There are only four ways that you can change your life and your business. Here they are:

1. You can do more of certain things.

What are the things that you should do more of? Obviously you should do more of the things that are working the very best for you already.

You should use more of the marketing and sales methods that are getting you face to face with the best customers, the ones that buy the most readily and who most appreciate the special features and benefits of your products and services.

It is amazing how many sales people lose track of their most effective selling methods, including networking on a regular basis with other sales professionals in your area, and start off doing something new, different and unproven. Then they are surprised when their sales drop and their income declines. Sometimes, the very best thing you can do is to get back to doing what is already working the very best for you.

2. You can do less of other things.

Many people fall into a comfort zone of doing things that are not working particularly well, but because they are comfortable doing them, they continue doing them nonetheless.

You only have so many minutes and hours each day. If you spend your time doing things of low value, that time is no longer available to you to do things of higher value. You must be continually thinking about the value of your time, every minute of every day.

You should do less and less of those things that are giving you few results, so that you have more time to do more of those things that are giving you better results.

3. You can start something brand new.

In a time of turbulence and rapid change, with customers, markets, prices, demand and competition changing every day, you must be continually open to the need to start doing something that you have never done before.

Jack Welch once said, “Our greatest competitive advantage is our ability to learn and apply new ideas before our competition.”

Perhaps the most important thing you can do is to commit yourself to being an aggressive, continuous, life-long student of the profession of selling. It is amazing how many people come up to me at my seminars and tell me that one method or technique that they learned at a previous seminar, or from a training program of mine, had changed their selling careers. They had doubled and tripled their incomes; they had gone from rags to riches. They had started their own businesses and become millionaires. And it was all because of a single, simple idea that was ideal for them that they had learned through continuous study. You should do the same.

4. You can stop certain things altogether.

Use the zero based thinking question everyday and applies it to every sales and business activity. “Is there anything in my life that, knowing what I now know, I would not start up again today, if I had to do it over?”

Look over all of your business activities and be willing to discontinue or eliminate any activity that you would not start up again today if you had to do it over again with your current state of knowledge and experience.

Many people are lemmings. They will continue running in the same direction, doing the same things, getting fewer and fewer results, until they go over the financial cliff.

Top people are always open to the possibility and the need of doing something completely different. They are willing to stop doing anything that no longer works. They don’t get stuck into a “comfort zone” and stay there just because it feels good. They are willing to take the risks and the potential failure that goes with embarking on any new course of action.

This is going to be a wonderful year for people who make it a wonderful year. Throughout your day you should continually ask the questions, “Is there anything in my life that I should do more of, less of, start or stop?”

These questions will keep you on track and will help to guarantee that you become one of the highest paid people in your industry.

Source: Brian Tracy
Courtesy: Padmanaban

Great resource for entrepreneurs


Wanted to share this wonderful resource site shared by Mr.Harendhiraprasad M N which covers all information a startup needs. A must read resource for all entrepreneurs.

For more visit http://www.gabrielweinberg.com/startupswiki/Ask_YC_Archive

Beatz is back!!


Cogzidel’s successful product Beatz is back after fighting legal battle from itz competitor who claimed we stole their code. We collected lots of evidence to prove our hard intellectual work where in we have spent a lot of time & money for this product.

Here is an update of what has happened 

  • On 20th of May our competitor got a Stay Order from Madras High Court claiming we have stolen there code and launched it as Beatz.
  • A temporary injunction was given till 10th June.
  •  We received a notice from competitor’s attorney on 23rd May and we brought down Beatz the same day.
  • Then we collected all evidence proving our credentials for next one week.
  • We were unable to act as Madras High Court was on summer vacation till 8th June.
  • Then sent a counter to our competitor’s attorney’s for all their allegations.
  • We were expecting them to bring the case on 10th June the day injunction expires. But they didn’t open the case and automatically the injunction got broken.
  • We took a week to fix all the bugs reported by clients and today we Re-launched Beatz.

Still I’m waiting for the judgment copy to reach me after which I’ll post all the evidence we collected as a separate blog.

I must thank all our esteemed clients for their valuable support, our staff who worked day and night to collect all the evidence to prove our credentials, my attorney’s particularly my attorney friend Mr.Samson and my family who stood with me.

10 Things To Consider Before Becoming Self-Employed


Found this article from elance.com a reverse auction website. Though this article is well written and highly recommended I personally disagree with some points like preparing business cases, family support etc. Though I agree we must plan things in my personal experience I found 9 out 10 things goes wrong. Also this article is missing on essential things a person to have as a startup more than enthusiasm like Guts, Perseverance & Persistence. Anyways this article will be useful for people who want to be on own and for sure it has many good take away. 

  1. Chest-Bursting Enthusiasm

    In order to birth your business idea, you are going to have to have a tremendous amount of energy and stamina. When you are totally enthusiastic about an idea, you don’t have to worry about “staying motivated” or “dealing with procrastination,” concerns voiced by many prospective entrepreneurs. Here are your enthusiasm checkpoints:

    When you think about the work you do on a freelance basis, do you get a big smile on your face?
    If you had your daily expenses taken care of, would you work on this business anyway because it is so exciting to you?
    Do you see how this business fits into your overall life plan?
    Would being successful in this business give you the kind of life you want? Would you be happy while doing it, not just once you were making money?

    2. A Solid Business Case

    Passion without a business model or viable market is a sure road to perdition. Business case checkpoints:

    Have you prototyped and tested your idea with real people in your target market?
    Do you have a viable business model? Could it survive if the market shifted?
    Can you describe what makes you different, more effective or more appealing than your competitors?

    3. An Eager Market That Has The Means To Buy What You Are Selling

    You know that your business cannot serve everyone in the world. Who, exactly, do you want to serve? Do they have deep, important problems that your product or service will address? Market checkpoints:

    Can you define your target market in clear and specific terms?
    Do you know where they congregate in person, online, in associations or in the media?
    Do they have access to cold, hard cash to pay your for your services?

    4. A Money Plan

    If you don’t manage the money side of your business, you are destined for misery. Financial checkpoints:

    Are your personal finances organized and tracked in a systematic way?
    Do you have 6-12 months of living expenses saved?
    Do you have a solid plans B, C and D that you can activate if things don’t work out as planned? (Remember, they never do)

    5. A Marketing Plan

    You may know exactly who you want to work with, but if you can’t actually talk to them, how can you expect to make any sales? It may take a good, long while for you to build a relationship with mutual knowledge, respect and trust, so you must get started right away. Marketing checkpoints:

    Have you chosen a marketing model and are you implementing it step by step? (Duct Tape Marketing, Action Plan Marketing and Michael Port are all great models)
    Do you have a functional website that clearly nudges people to do what you want them to do? (sign up for your list, download your product, join your community)
    Are you doing a handful of marketing activities consistently each month like writing articles, blogging, speaking, participating in online forums or inviting interesting people to lunch?

    6. A Healthy Approach To Sales

    I worked with salespeople for years and am convinced they are born with special (some say mutated) genes. Excellent, ethical salespeople are totally excited by the sales process. Most first-time entrepreneurs, on the other hand, feel like throwing up at the thought of asking prospects for money. Selling checkpoints:

    Do you know what problem your product or service solves?
    Do you know what your sales process is?
    Do you lead your prospects through it or wait for them to take the lead?
    Do you know how to ask for a sale?

    7. Time To Create The Business

    It takes time to get your business up and running. If you have to continue working as an employee while you develop your business, create a project plan and carve out time in your schedule to make steady progress. You may need to forgo activities that make you happy such as evening television, golfing weekends or excessive volunteering. Time checkpoints:

    Do you have efficient processes in place for managing your email, tracking projects and accomplishing tasks?
    Have you wiggled out of any non-essential obligations?
    Do you know the major milestones you have to accomplish to get your business off the ground?

    8. Support From Your Family

    Starting a business is a very emotional experience, and you will need all the support you can muster from those closest to you. Family checkpoints:

    Have you listened at length and without judgment to the concerns voiced by your spouse?
    Do you have mutually-agreed upon metrics like amount of money in bank account, length of time to get business off the ground, amount of hair you are willing to lose before pulling the plug?
    Have you clearly discussed the risks he or she will assume if you are married? (credit rating, co-signing for equipment or contracts, etc)

    9. Support From Your Tribe

    If you have grown up inside corporate environments, many of your friends may not be experts in entrepreneurship. You don’t need to know everything about your new business, but you should know people who do. Support checkpoints:

    Do you have active networks on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter?
    Do you have at least one mentor, mastermind buddy, staunch advocate, technical expert and friend at your fingertips?
    Do you regularly and willingly help others, share information and provide resources without being asked and without expectation for reciprocation?

    10. A Mixture Of Faith And Mistrust In The External Market And A Backup Plan

    I have now lived through two significant upheavals in the financial markets as a business owner: Silicon Valley in 2000 and Phoenix, Arizona in 2008. What I learned by living through the busts is that nothing last forever (both the good and the bad). If your business success depends on the economy staying the same for the next 5 years, you are doomed to intense moments of panic and possible financial ruin. Market checkpoints:

    Have you learned as much as you can about the market you are operating in?
    Do you have a positive mindset and constructive thoughts about your new venture?
    Are you willing and able to look on the bright side of the most stormy market condition, even if it means radically adjusting your plans?

Courtesy : Pamela Slim, author of Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur, is a former corporate manager turned entrepreneur focused on helping frustrated employees break out and start their own business. For more information, visit her blog at www.escapefromcubicalnation.com.

Insomnia & Hypersomnia


Last month I was suffering from insomnia a disorder where in I was not getting sleep. I didn’t sleep day and night for 2-3 consecutive days and this happened on three to four occasions. This was the first time I suffered a disorder like this and I thought of having a doctor checkup. By the time I went to Bangalore 2 weeks back and the work was so hectic that I started sleeping normally.

But for last four days I suffer from another disorder that is total antonym to insomnia. Last four days I’ve been sleeping for more than 12 hours a day and yesterday it was even worse I slept by 10 PM and woke only by 2.30 PM the next day. It is 16 hours of continuous sleep. When I googled about this problem I came to know about hypersomnia which is the name of the disorder.

I’m wondering why this sudden change. I always take pride by telling people that I can control my sleep and many of my friends envy such a trait of mine. Now I don’t know if I must wait and watch or should I goto a doctor immediately and consult him. Anyway I’m very busy for next 3-4 days and let me wait and watch how things progress.

Never mind Mahe!!!


I think it is high time for Indian fans to get mature when it comes to their expectation on Cricket. Personally I’m a great cricket fan and I can’t tolerate India loosing. But we have to understand how we loose. For sure the current team is the best even team India has produced in last 60 years and it has got lot of laurels.

But yesterday I got frustrated to watch a Tamil news channel telling Dhoni would be removed from Captaincy for Team India’s exit from T20 world cup.

Also I think Media is going over board in doing their postmortem. All I can say is Dhoni has proved his mantle as a captain on more than one occasion and this one defeat should not question his capabilities as a leader.

We must acknowledge that T20 is a game of luck. In this format of game any one player’s overwhelming performance can turn any match. This is evident from Team’s like Ireland & Netherlands winning prominent teams which would have been a challenge for them in One day format.

T20 doesn’t allows any martin for error compared with one day format where in you can make up for your mistake. This short version of game is highly speculative and more of a gamble.

We must also blame our Media for this defeat because from the beginning of the game they created lot of unnecessary issues like Shewag incident, IPL fatigue etc. Their interference on player’s privacy and team’s privacy has gone beyond limit. All we have to do is to control our media from doing nonsense job of criticizing.

I’m sure Dhoni & Co will bounce back strong with their capabilities. Good luck Team India for future endowers.

Initiative: BECOME EASIER TO GET THE BLOOD WE NEED


Now it has become easier to get the blood we need.

All you have to do is just type

“BLOOD <Needed Blood Group> and send SMS to 96000 97000”

EX: “BLOOD B+”

A BLOOD DONOR WILL CALL YOU!!

So please pass this message to all. It certainly would save many lives..

It’s a Must to Know & Share. Do it now….

Forward this to all your friends whom you care ….as the minute you spare to share this information can save somebody’s life with rare Blood Group!

If you couldn’t be a Donor, be a Communicator.

Courtesy : Ganesh Virudhagiri

Sweet Thought Of The Day


One man cried when He had no shoes, but he stopped crying when He saw a man without legs.

Life is full of Blessings, Always try to understand it.”

Met couple of people for STARTUP Community Website


Today had meeting with Bala Murugan who is the chief architect of this site. Also we met with couple of people today to get their insights about the concept and asked for their availability to be a part of it. Couple of people has shown interest to be a part of it.

So I took a print out of my previous blog post which is the starting point for our discussion. Bala was happy with the list of things I showed him and also we have added couple of more features.

So we made a list of things which has to be completed before our next meeting. 

  • There are some options for domain and book the available one.
  • Choose volunteers and these are as per priorities
    • Technology Geek: Some one having passion for LAMP technologies as we will be integration many open source and PHP freeware.
    • Vertical managers/admin: Someone having passion to manage websites and good in research with wide knowledge in using Google & social media.
    • Content writers: Bala said he can rope in content writers from different verticals.

List looks small but I think it will be a challenging task to coordinate and form a group that have common interest and passion to make it big. But I think the first priority to get tech geek who has tremendous passion for LAMP technologies and passion for community contribution. Once when we get such a person we can start working on the website and simultaneously look for other people.

So one thing what came in our mind is to answer a common question;

What is in it for us if we volunteer?

The answer this is a community website and all the initial members will be co-founders. Also members can benefit only after making the website a brand and it is upto them to make use of the brand. Since it is a community it is more of giving than taking and one must always believe that Givers Take.

I’m happy we have taken this to next level and would be glad to make some progress everyday. You can expect a blog from me for every progress.

Once again please ping me if you are interested to volunteer for any of the above positions or you can help us by passing this message through blog posts or by twitting in twitter or any other available methods.

Community Website for Startups


We are planning to launch a community driven website for Startups. I can see several forums and forums for startups but I don’t think so if they are really catering for Startup’s real needs. So, I think these are some good features which will be helpful for startups;

Jobs Portal: This feature will allow startups to share their resumes database and also we will allow candidates to post their resumes for free. Startups in time of need can access these resumes.

Marketplace: Startups can post their abundant resource for barter or for sale. Also startup which is in need of any resource can make use of abundant resource.

Forum: This is one common element which is a part of any community portal.

Directory: Startups can list their company and service in this column.

Blogs: We would request prominent personalities of different sector to write blog in their specialization which will be helpful for startups.

Webinars: Frequent webinars which helps startups in training and knowledge sharing.

Resource Index: This section will contain information like;

  • Startup Due-diligence
  • Docs like Offer letter, Relieving letter, Termination letter, Employee Contracts etc.
  • Business plan writing tips

Contests: Monthly contests with special gifts.

Events Calendar: Update on startup events calendar for events like Proto, Headstart, Startup Saturdays, OCC meets etc.

Kindly pass if you have any other ideas or features I missed. Also we are looking for volunteers to maintain the site. Please soot and email to anand@anandnataraj.com if you are interested to be a part.