6 Tips For New Entrepreneurs
Life as an entrepreneur is extremely different than that of an employee and it requires some retraining to prepare yourself for success.
Firstly, this post is for entrepreneurs who are part of the New Rich, which is defined as:
“…Those who abandon the deferred-life plan and create luxury lifestyles in the present using the currency of the New Rich: time and mobility.” – Tim Ferris’ Four Hour Work Week
I recently joined the New Rich and have some great tips that have helped me increase my productivity tenfold.
Entrepreneurs are directly responsible for their activity or inactivity. This realization that there is no boss to direct you and no employees to impress was a strange lesson to learn. I felt free but oddly lost. I had the power to choose between inactivity and activity and in the beginning I chose inactivity.
It took me 2 to 3 weeks to really get my ass in gear and take responsibility for my businesses because when you have the freedom to work wherever and whenever you want, it feels like you’ve retired.
1) To Do or Not To Do?
As a new entrepreneur, you are likely responsible for everything at the beginning, which means you need to manage your time effectively. I have found that by writing my to-do list for tomorrow, today, I am much more efficient.
This works for two reasons, (1) you will become distracted with less important tasks throughout the day. Having a set of clear prioritized points that were written prior to these small distractions helps you to stay on task. (2) When you write your to-do list the night before it allows your brain to subconsciously think about the task at hand. Try doing this and you’ll notice that solving problems will become easier. Note: Do not consciously think about the tasks! Work time is work time, playtime is playtime.
2) Where Should You Wear?
My dad taught me this tip and it has helped me tremendously, although he taught me in reverse order. Everyday my dad returns home from work he would walk straight upstairs and change into his “home clothes”. He told me that it helps him to mentally disconnect from his work, as if he threw all of the work stress in the dirty hamper with his socks.
For us entrepreneurs, we can adapt this in reverse. I work much more effectively if I change into my “work clothes”, which is usually some jeans and a T – shirt and out of my home clothes (sweats and a hoodie).
Not sure why it works for me. It’s a mental thing, give er’ a shot!
3) Don’t Work From Home, Work from Home Office.
If you’re working from home, ensure you have a designated place in your home for work. It’s important to separate your work life and family life in order to maintain your sanity.
The best way to do this is to have a great home office. Every entrepreneur I’ve ever met has created a great home office because they know this tip works. Your office needs to be a separated section of the house, somewhere that is quiet, and somewhere that can be distraction free. It also needs to be organized and free of clutter because an ” organized office is an organized mind”. I’m going to write about the most effective office set up soon!
4) Take Breaks and Stretch yo’ Body!
Hello my name is Jordan and I am a workaholic. “Hi Jordan”, when I have built momentum for a specific task its often difficult for me to stop working. I have experienced several caffeine fuelled 14-hour days where I started work with the Tuesday sun and finished work with the Wednesday sun. Bad Jordan.
First of all, being extremely focused and driven are essential attributes of the New Rich, so don’t avoid them. All I’m saying is take breaks to separate yourself from your tasks. Sometimes taking a step back will help you to get a new perspective on the issue at hand. Take a moment and stretch, get that blood flowing, and you’ll find yourself producing better work!
5) Write it Down!
This is a great tip for you entrepreneurs who have more on your plate than you can mentally handle. Its effectiveness is found in its simplicity, write. it. down.
You have a huge proposal tomorrow? Write it down.
You have to write 5 more blog posts by Thursday? Write it down.
You need to get the dog fixed? Write it down.
Start writing down these annoying tasks that come to mind and then drop them. There’s no need to stress over them anymore, you’ve written them down and will get to them next time you start working.
Write it down…take a deep breathe…feel better? I thought so!
6) Leave Your Cave Once And a While
One of the reasons workplaces are designed the way that they are is because it works. Sometimes you need to work alone but having people around you, not necessarily coworkers will increase your productivity. Get a change of scenery once and a while, experiment with different locations, and see which one makes you the most effective. My personal favorites are the library and Starbucks (nothing like caffeine to keep those energy levels high!).
Google Analytics stats are WAY different than Google Adsense!
This morning when I woke up, the sun was shining, I had a great breakfast planned, and my favourite shirt was ready and waiting for me. After making breakfast and a cup o’ Joe, I sat down to check my stats so far and this is what I saw…[click to zoom]
More than 4000% less!
I promptly spent the next 32 minutes cleaning the coffee I spit out off of my desk and Macbook, the next 10 minutes reading this awesome article explaining potential causes and the next hour running geeky tests to try and fix the issue! I haven’t drawn any concrete conclusions yet but will post them as soon as I do. If you’re having the same problem stay tuned, maybe you’ll learn something!
In the mean time, check out leffic.com for some awesome blog, SEO, and online marketing info!
D is for Diversify
General Motors…47000.
Sears…50000.
IBM… 60000.
What are these numbers? Great question. These numbers represent the thousands of dependant people who were laid off without an option. Doesn’t matter if they were a newly hired high school kid or a 40 year corporate veteran, to these corporations, they were just a number. And that my friends is why you cant depend on these “secure” jobs.
Many of my friends are doing everything they can to land one of these secure jobs but haven’t considered the fact that their jobs, their livelihoods, could be wiped at any moment. Costs get to high? Lay them off. Can we outsource for cheaper? Lay them off. Do we really need you? Laid off.
Who is really in control of your life? If you are just an employee, then its not you. You are still a dependant who cant survive without your CEO. That sense of independence you feel when your manager gives you more freedom on a specific task, yeah, that’s fake. It’s an illusion that our society and corporations have adopted to make employees feel like real grown – ups when really they are dependant babies relying on their mommy for milk. I apologize if that seems harsh but it’s hard watching my friends fighting for these jobs, thinking that once they get it they’ve made it.
Robert Kiyosaki, founder of the Rich Dad empire, makes a great point when he says to have a business as well as a job.
First Rule of Investing: Diversify.
Having a day job is great, but its only one source of income. You need to increase the sources of income you receive to ensure stability no matter the economic situations. Like filling an empty swimming pool with water. If you have one hose it will take days. If you get several hoses not only will your pool (wallet) fill quicker but if one of those hoses stops flowing you’ll still have several others filling your pool.
Diversifying my income streams has been my main focus for the last year. This is what my current portfolio looks like:
1 – Adsense Website #2
2 – Facebook Affiliate Website – great for quick cash
3 – Vending Machines Company – steady income
4 – Adsense Website – will be flipped and sold for a profit
5 – Part – Time job at a pub – for fun 🙂
6 – Rental Property – Held for long term appreciation
7 – Jordancapiral.com – eventually monetize the traffic
Stay Curious!
I am a dabbler, I enjoy dabbling in new things because I am naturally a curious man. I encourage you all to be curious, try new things, take calculated risks and diversify your financial life.
Some of you may be saying, “…but Jordan, I don’t have time to start or manage a business, my life is too busy!”. You know what? Everyone has time, otherwise we’d be dead. If you feel like you don’t have time its because your priorities are not in order. My advice, from personal experience as well as repeatedly seeing this trait in successful entrepreneurs, is to “just do it”. I like how Tim Ferriss puts it…
― Timothy Ferriss, The 4-Hour Workweek
For those of you who truly are short on time don’t worry, there are some sneaky ninja tricks that I have used to add new sources of income without any significant work/effort/time required. I did this while I was in college, flipping a house, managing a social life and working a part-time job simultaneously.
I’ll write that sneaky ninja tricks post soon so stay tuned!
P.S. Leave me a comment, lets get to know each other, shake hand, and make millions together.
6 Best Habits For New Entrepreneurs
Life as an entrepreneur is extremely different than that of an employee and it requires some retraining to prepare yourself for success.
Firstly, this post is for entrepreneurs who are part of the New Rich, which is defined as:
“…Those who abandon the deferred-life plan and create luxury lifestyles in the present using the currency of the New Rich: time and mobility.” – Tim Ferris’ Four Hour Work Week
I recently joined the New Rich and have some great tips that have helped me increase my productivity tenfold.
Entrepreneurs are directly responsible for their activity or inactivity. This realization that there is no boss to direct you and no employees to impress was a strange lesson to learn. I felt free but oddly lost. I had the power to choose between inactivity and activity and in the beginning I chose inactivity.
It took me 2 to 3 weeks to really get my ass in gear and take responsibility for my businesses because when you have the freedom to work wherever and whenever you want, it feels like you’ve retired.
1) To Do or Not To Do?
As a new entrepreneur, you are likely responsible for everything at the beginning, which means you need to manage your time effectively. I have found that by writing my to-do list for tomorrow, today, I am much more efficient.
This works for two reasons, (1) you will become distracted with less important tasks throughout the day. Having a set of clear prioritized points that were written prior to these small distractions helps you to stay on task. (2) When you write your to-do list the night before it allows your brain to subconsciously think about the task at hand. Try doing this and you’ll notice that solving problems will become easier. Note: Do not consciously think about the tasks! Work time is work time, playtime is playtime.
2) Where Should You Wear?
My dad taught me this tip and it has helped me tremendously, although he taught me in reverse order. Everyday my dad returns home from work he would walk straight upstairs and change into his “home clothes”. He told me that it helps him to mentally disconnect from his work, as if he threw all of the work stress in the dirty hamper with his socks.
For us entrepreneurs, we can adapt this in reverse. I work much more effectively if I change into my “work clothes”, which is usually some jeans and a T – shirt and out of my home clothes (sweats and a hoodie).
Not sure why it works for me. It’s a mental thing, give er’ a shot!
3) Don’t Work From Home, Work from Home Office.
If you’re working from home, ensure you have a designated place in your home for work. It’s important to separate your work life and family life in order to maintain your sanity.
The best way to do this is to have a great home office. Every entrepreneur I’ve ever met has created a great home office because they know this tip works. Your office needs to be a separated section of the house, somewhere that is quiet, and somewhere that can be distraction free. It also needs to be organized and free of clutter because an ” organized office is an organized mind”. I’m going to write about the most effective office set up soon!
4) Take Breaks and Stretch yo’ Body!
Hello my name is Jordan and I am a workaholic. “Hi Jordan”, when I have built momentum for a specific task its often difficult for me to stop working. I have experienced several caffeine fuelled 14-hour days where I started work with the Tuesday sun and finished work with the Wednesday sun. Bad Jordan.
First of all, being extremely focused and driven are essential attributes of the New Rich, so don’t avoid them. All I’m saying is take breaks to separate yourself from your tasks. Sometimes taking a step back will help you to get a new perspective on the issue at hand. Take a moment and stretch, get that blood flowing, and you’ll find yourself producing better work!
5) Write it Down!
This is a great tip for you entrepreneurs who have more on your plate than you can mentally handle. Its effectiveness is found in its simplicity, write. it. down.
You have a huge proposal tomorrow? Write it down.
You have to write 5 more blog posts by Thursday? Write it down.
You need to get the dog fixed? Write it down.
Start writing down these annoying tasks that come to mind and then drop them. There’s no need to stress over them anymore, you’ve written them down and will get to them next time you start working.
Write it down…take a deep breathe…feel better? I thought so!
6) Leave Your Cave Once And a While
One of the reasons workplaces are designed the way that they are is because it works. Sometimes you need to work alone but having people around you, not necessarily coworkers will increase your productivity. Get a change of scenery once and a while, experiment with different locations, and see which one makes you the most effective. My personal favorites are the library and Starbucks (nothing like caffeine to keep those energy levels high!).
Ideal Lifestyle – December 12, 2013
Hey guys, while driving today I had a great feeling of euphoria, like everything was going to be okay. The reason? Today I was living my ideal lifestyle.
Now that i’ve experienced it, its making it much easier to clarify exactly what I want.
The Dream Lifestyle
So here it is…I want to spend my time learning how to dance. Yes I said dance. I took a couple lessons a few months ago and loved it but haven’t been able to pick it up because ive been too busy.
Id also like to start fighting again. A couple of years ago I trained in a martial art called Jeet Kune Do for 3 years. I was damn good and it made me happy but decided that I needed to use my time to become rich (mistake #1).
I want to pay off all of my debts and reduce my personal monthly expenses so I can use my money for those things that I enjoy most.
And of course…I need to start travelling! I want to go to Africa by January.
Steps to Success
The only thing I need to focus on is my financials and heres what ill do.
1) Make one more smart investment. (within 1 week)
2) Operate the sites and develop processes. (1 month after investment)
3) Replace myself. (2 weeks)
The Goal
Reach $5000 of automated monthly cash-flow by June 2014.
Mistake #1 – Dont focus 100% on money
The year was 2011, I was 21 years old and I had my shit figured out. I was an experienced martial artist, which helped to humble and mature me. I was averaging an 80% studying business, had a job, and had an active social life.
One day, it dawned on me that I would be finishing school soon and needed a plan to become financially independent. I already knew that I wasn’t going have a job for the rest of my life so I was going to have to be creative.
I immediately stopped martial arts, focused all my studies towards entrepreneurship, and spent my weekends testing different business ideas.
This is a bad idea! Never…NEVER…do this.
Like looking for that one piece of lego you’ve need but cant find, until you take a step back and AHA, there it is. You need time away from your projects, it will make you more productive.
You need a break from your projects! Don’t forget that chum, now go do something other than work.
November Goals 2013
I had some free time on this frigid november morning so I took the opportunity to review my goals and aspirations. Here they are…
November 2013
– Build my online presence: I am making the transfer from a physical brick and mortar to an online entrepreneur, which means I need to build a following and reputation. I’ve recently jumped into a niche that I love and need to establish myself as a respected authority.
– Close [insert important business deal] before December 2013: Fine tuning this deal for a couple weeks, its time to close #excited
– Get christmas shopping done: Ho Ho Ho Holy its already christmas! I’ve noticed that time accelerates faster and faster as each year passes.
– Learn how to work from home (harder than it seemed): I’ve always wanted the freedom to work from anywhere. Now I have that opportunity but am having a hard time. First of all, Im constantly distracted and lose track of what I’m supposed to be doing. Im testing out some cool ninja work-from-home productivity tricks to turn myself into a productivity machine!
What are your goals this month amigos?
Adios!
$5 Dream Come True
Let me introduce Darren.
He is a homeless man who lives on the streets of downtown Ottawa from April to September and hopefully, if he’s lucky, in a shelter from October to March.
I met him on my way to pick up some Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup, mmm mmm good! On my way out of the store I notice Darren, he was sitting in the cold (it was -2 degrees Celsius) surrounded by old styrofoam coffee cups. I immediately felt like I should do something for him so I introduced myself and asked, “Darren, if you could have anything in the world, what would you like?”
For Darren, the answer was simple. Captain Crunch.
I didn’t have the heart to ask him where he kept the milk…
It cost me less than $5 to give this man the one thing he wanted in the whole world, a sugary cereal that rips apart the top of your mouth when you eat it. Not only was Darren happy but so was I! In a survey conducted by Harriss Interactive, they found that volunteering makes 76% of people feel physically healthier and 94% say that it has improved their overall moods. (http://www.researchscape.com/health/volunteering-health-survey)
Feel free to email with cool things you’ve done for others at capiraljordan@gmail.com and Iíll post them on here to be read by MILLIONS!
Jordan Capiral 
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