Posts by Mark Morgan Ford
Taking the Big Leap
Sometime in your business career, you will have a chance to do something or sell something – and it will be obvious to you that you are looking at a great opportunity. However, you will realize that you simply don’t have the time, the knowledge, or the resources to meet that challenge. If you are sensible, you will probably say “No thanks,” and bow out. But – if the opportunity is really extraordinary – you might want to try the Grand Canyon Jump.
Read MoreHow to Find Purpose – and Happiness – in Running a Business
You don’t have to wait until you are financially independent and actually retire to enjoy an early retirement mindset. The sooner you can make your business about something other than making money, gaining power, or in some other way enhancing your personal situation, the sooner you’ll begin loving your work.
Read MoreI’m looking for ways to supplement my primary income
I have a strong background in Corporate Finance, and I’m looking for ways to supplement my primary income or to transition into my own business. Most of your recommendations are for people with sales and marketing backgrounds. Do you have suggestions for someone with more quantitative skills and experience?”
Read More8 Speechmaking “Rules” You Should NOT Pay Attention To
I found the following “rules” in a popular book on speechmaking. It occurred to me that they are all wrong.
Read MoreBest Way to Get Funding for Your Business
Last week, I suggested that it takes more than an idea – even if it’s a really fantastic idea – to attract potential investors. You need to prove that your idea has legs by turning it into a working model.
Read MoreWhen Common Sense Gets in Your Way
When you’re at a crossroads in your career – when your heart tells you to go in one direction, but your family and friends are trying to convince you to take a more practical path – what do you do?
Read MoreThe First Step to Getting Funding for Your Business
One of the most commonly asked questions we get at ETR from would-be entrepreneurs is: “How do I get money for my business idea?”
We’ve answered it before, but it’s worth answering again because the question keeps coming. Let’s start with a bit of harsh truth: It isn’t easy.
Read MoreHow to Create a Perfectly Organized Office
What does your office say about you? That you are orderly and businesslike? Messy but creative? Hopelessly overwhelmed?
Read MoreRewarding Yourself
When I was first getting into the business of selling educational programs, a famous zero-down real estate guru asked me, “Do you know the thing people who take my courses want most?”
Read MoreA Little Post-Christmas Holiday Spirit
One of the best things about the holiday season is the Christmas spirit. But just because Christmas has passed doesn’t mean you need to give up that joy. To get yourself back into the spirit – and to find some always-needed motivation – check out The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits by Les Standiford.
Read MorePut a Little Levity in Your Life
I’ve been writing New Year’s Resolutions for Early to Rise since 2001. In previous years, I’ve recommended that you make resolutions to improve your health, grow your wealth, become a better person, and shake up your personal life. This year, ETR’s experts have resolutions in all those areas that you can put into action.
Read MoreChristmas Predictions for 2009
Builders make plans. Entrepreneurs make goals. Gamblers make bets. Fools make predictions.
I am quite sure that some of the following predictions will make me look foolish by the end of 2009, but I thought you might be interested in a few of the actions I plan to take, business-wise, next year.