Ten Famous Quotes - How can they be applied today?

We all love quotes. Whether they be light and funny such as the many Homer Simpson faux pas or whether they are time honored and serious, they add meaning to our writing, our conversations and even our attitude for the day. But what about your business? How are some of the most famous quotes relevant to you and your entrepreneural spirit today?

1. America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. Abraham Lincoln

Many businesses today stand resolute to outside forces. They are quick to harvest new ideas and will expand to new markets. However, if they lose that since of personal investment - that sense of team - it can destroy the very fabric of a company. It doesn't matter if you have four employees or 400, the people in your business need to feel valued and a part of the success. A business that values its people and keeps them as a team can surpass seemingly impossible challenges. But if that sense of team, sense of belonging to something bigger then self, is lost; the company will slowly implode from the inside out. More then once, teams have fallen apart and departments have quit communicating. When this happens, the company is not destroyed by economic trends, it is destroyed from the inside out. Always look inward when your company is struggling. Does your team feel valued? Are they communicating? Does the right hand truly know what the left is doing?

2. Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. George S. Patton, Jr.

Do not micro manage your business. Let your employees know what you want to accomplish and when you need to accomplish it by and then ask them for ideas or just let them go with it. Trust but inspect. You want to give them a chance to use their own creativity and bring to the table the ideas that you would have never considered. Keep a basic idea of what is going on, but do not dictate every little step on every project. It kills moral. It kills creativity and in turn, can kill growth and expansion of your business. My Direct Marketing Mentor points me to a new tool, a new idea or venue but then he lets me run with it in the way that best fits who I am and what I stand for.


3. Blessed is he who has found his work; let him ask no other blessedness.
Thomas Carlyle

This one rather speaks for its self. Find a business that you truly enjoy. If you do not have a passion for it, how will you maintain it for years to come? However, if you sit down at your desk, step into your studio or open your store with a sense of pleasure - prosperity will follow you. Wouldn't you rather do business with someone with a genuine pleasure at their task or in the making of their product then one who clearly is there for the money and naught else?

4. It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. Aristotle

Openmindedness is essential in today's constantly changing markets. Business can not continue to be done as it has always been done or it will be left in the dust. New inovations, new ways of marketing, new everything continues to evolve in our fast past world. Think back, it was not that long ago when almost everyone was like, what is a twitter? Listen to new ideas, read new ideas, analyze whether or not they are fruitful or possible for your business. If you do not know, check out if a small test run is possible without a great expense. Do not fear putting a toe in the water, after all, it might just be warm and soothing.

5. Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.
Hans Christian Anderson

Do not forget what your are living for, what you are striving to have. Most people will talk of happiness, success and freedom. Ask any man who has ever gone to prison what he misses most and the answer will almost always be the same; "people that love me and freedom of choice." Yet so many people, in the persuit of those words success and happiness, lose the very thing they seek. They turn around and their children are grown and they have missed it. They suddenly find they are to old to (fill in the blank) now that they can really afford to without any sacrifice or cost to their business. Have balance in life and live it. Do not fret and worry the hours away till there is no sense or purpose to the money in your bank account. It is fruitless if you never live to enjoy it.

6. Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them -- a desire, a dream, a vision. Muhammad Ali

You have to have dreams, goals and a vision for you business and your life. They also need to match up. Even better, put them in visual form so you see them every day. Let that vision remind you of why you are taking on that task you don't always enjoy. Why you will NOT give up.

7. Champions keep playing until they get it right. Billy Jean King

In other words, if you don't succeed at something, analyze it. Get more education on what ever it is to make sure you are truly prepared. Make sure you aren't riding an old horse in a new race. Once you have a new game plan, jump back in and try again. Take marketing, you can't just do one thing. You can just place ads in newspapers these days. That will hit some of your market, but take me for an example. I can't remember when I last read my news from print and not online.

8. The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable receiving. -Albert Einstein

Make sure that in this life, you give. One of the first things that I have found is that it doesn't matter if you are religious, believe in Karma or philosophy; one universal principle holds true. People remember those who gave them something. It might have been time, an idea, a kind word or a multitude of other things that do not cost money. In time, those gifts come flowing back into our lives, often when we need them most. When chosing between two people, often people will choose the one that has brought them value. It is not always the lowest bid that wins but the one that comes with reputation, integrity and value. What do you stand for? Do those who work for you know what you stand for? Do your clients/customers know what you stand for. Most importantly, is what you stand for of value to your dreams, visions and goals; are they in alignment?

9. He that lives upon hope will die fasting. -Benjamin Franklin
In today's business world, you cannot just open your door and hope for the money to pour in. You must take action. You must get involved. Market, volunteer, get involved in your community and become known for who you are and not just where you are located. Do your homework. Get an education on your competition, product line and marketing options. The modern meaning of this quote - TAKE ACTION!

10. Do not wait; the time will never be ''just right.'' Start where you stand,
and work with whatever tools you may have at your command,
and better tools will be found as you go along.
--Napoleon Hill

The time is right now. Learn what you need as you go. Make every day a learning experience. You have tools, utilize the ones you have as you move forward. Mr. Hill is right, the time will never be "just right." The goal is to make it right.

So to sum these up:
1. Make sure your team/employees know they are valued and communicating well.
2. Harvest the creativity of those around you; don't micro manage for it is the death of creativity.
3. Find a business you can love and be passionate about.
4. Be openminded to new ideas, technology and techniques.
5. Enjoy life today before you are to old to do so.
6. Make sure you have dreams, goals and visions for your future.
7. Don't Quit!
8. Give of yourself, it will come back to you ten fold if not more.
9. Take Action!
10. Start Today

These quotes are not in order of any importance. Each of us have strengths and weakness that will change that order. Regardless of where you are today, do not forget the most important of all quotes to Business. Carpe diem - Seize the Day!
Make it a prosperous one emotionally, mentally, spiritually and financially!