"never surrender" by mike anderson
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If we keep moving and never give-up, we will always arrive at where we want to be.
For Tayla & JoshThe entrepreneurs of tomorrow
Written by Mike Anderson – Design by Leanne Rhodes - Copyright © 2012 Mike Anderson
Small Business, Big Future There are many wonderful books related to
the topic of entrepreneurial success. This book
doesn’t replace them, it merely gives a quick
and easy reference that can be started and
completed in a hurry. Hopefully the key factors
and tips will get you moving in a positive and
accelerated direction, maybe even contribute
to changing your life – the way they did mine.
The book is designed for aspiring entrepreneurs
and business owners; those mercurial
individuals who fight at the coalface on their
tireless journey in the quest for success.
Society needs to understand that when a small
business closes down, in most cases a family
closes down too. Homes are lost, families are
destroyed and children are always negatively
affected – all due to financial adversity as a
result of the decisions we have made.
We all have an obligation to help small business.
This sector is the mainstay of our society, the
future of our economy and the engine of job
creation. So here is a challenge to all – whenever
we go out to shop, let’s go big by supporting
the ‘small’.
One thing is certain. As entrepreneurs we all
will, at some time on our journey, experience
some form of adversity or – as I prefer to call
it – obstacle. It is at this time that we need inner
strength, that resilience factor, to conquer
these challenges, come back and become the
victor. Remember, whatever adversity we
encounter, it is temporary and success is a given
– of course, only if we decide that.
Over the years, I have experienced my fair
share of life-altering situations. Although it
can be difficult to sustain a positive attitude
while working through adverse situations, we
will encounter our greatest strengths deep
down by working through and learning to find
purpose and meaning in these circumstances.
Although it can be difficult to sustain a positive attitude
while working through adverse situations, we will encounter our greatest strengths deep
down by working through and learning to find purpose
and meaning in these circumstances.
I have lived at the coalface my entire life, an
unconventional and full life filled with enormous
success, happiness and adversity. I am fortunate
that I have been able to experience life and set
out to achieve whatever I desired. I have been
an entrepreneur almost my whole working life
and I live daily with the entrepreneurial spirit –
unbounded energy, determination, resilience,
passion and an attitude of never taking “no”
for an answer. One thing is for certain: I have
always loved what I have done.
In my earlier years I was obsessed with success.
Success to me at the time was money. I was
driven towards more money and living a
life that was not really me. Some of us set
personal goals that are not really meaningful
to ourselves. That is undoubtedly the first and
biggest mistake people make in life. I made that
mistake. The outcome is that we eventually get
to somewhere we don’t want to be and on the
way we lose a great deal that was important to
us, but don’t realise it at the time.
As entrepreneurs we make thousands of
decisions, but it can take only one poor decision
to pull the rug from underneath our feet. Some
years back I made one of those decisions that
would result in the loss of everything we had.
What we have to understand and accept is that
entrepreneurship can be a dangerous game and
obstacles are a way of life. We have to accept all
that comes our way, take responsibility, learn
from it and bounce back.
That time was the lowest point in my life, but
also the turning point. I set off to the hills of the
Cradle of Mankind, just north of Johannesburg.
I needed to take stock of my life, remove myself
from the box. It took me some time to get there,
as I had no vehicle. In fact my entire possessions
were a bag of oranges, a litre of water, the
clothes I was wearing and R12 in my pocket.
Although it was the month of November, the
evening was chilly. I couldn’t sleep so I spent the
night gazing back at the lights of Johannesburg
city.
It was an incredible experience. I was not
depressed or unhappy. I was grateful because
I could have been worse off. It was the time
Some of us set personal goals that are not really
meaningful to ourselves. That is undoubtedly the first and
biggest mistake people make in life.
to ‘dig deep’ – get up close and personal with
myself. I was proud of who I was and what I
had achieved in my life. I zeroed in on all the
positives and analysed my mistakes for the
purpose of moving forward. I had gone from
zero to hero and back to zero again, fairly
normal in the world of entrepreneurship. I
wasn’t prepared to stop there. It was time to
come back and conquer the world in a way that
I had never done before!
Each time I arrive at a T-junction, I know it is just
one more step closer to the top of the ladder.
Instead of curling up in a ball and waiting for time
to pass, I think about today and the inevitable
success and happiness that lies ahead. This
eases the pain and frustration. As long as we
keep moving and never give up, we will always
arrive at where we want to be. Overcoming
the difficulties in my life was tough, however
the hard times got my attention, released me
from self-centeredness and prepared me for a
meaningful future.
Most of my business ventures over the years
had revolved around conceiving and developing
projects, specifically exhibitions, publications
and special events within the entrepreneurial
arena. After selling out to an international
organisation and the tough times I encountered,
I realised that I was well positioned to do
something extraordinary with my life, and that’s
when the National Small Business Chamber
(NSBC) was born.
I have committed my own future to Small
Business South Africa through what I do
today as Founder and CEO of the National
Small Business Chamber (NSBC), a non-profit
organisation dedicated to the success of Small
to Medium Size Businesses.
The organisation was founded in June 2007. I
was motivated by my burning desire to utilise
my experience in a meaningful way. I wanted to
help other business owners and entrepreneurs
not to experience what I had experienced – to
reach rock bottom. The National Small Business
Chamber (NSBC) would allow me to achieve this
goal.
Within 42 months the National Small Business
Chamber (NSBC) became one of the fastest
growing organisations of its kind in the world.
Each time I arrive at a T-junction, I know it is just one more step closer to the top of
the ladder.
The high growth rate and success of the
organisation is probably because it was founded
on a simple vision – if my team could just help
one small business in some small way, then we
would be successful. To date we do that with
over 42 000 small businesses, growing at about
2 500 new members per month.
Our focus is providing business owners and
entrepreneurs with an array of powerful
benefits to give them that extra edge to stay in
business and succeed beyond the norm. It has
to be the most rewarding feeling on earth.
Our successes are based on the message
within this book. We all love what we do, we all
believe in our abilities to reach the top of our
game in our respective fields, and our industry
partners and members love what we do. We
have a committed and talented team where all
are equal, simply with different functions. We
are not afraid to innovate and challenge the
status quo, we think big and do big things, we
surround ourselves with the best, we never
accept “no” as an answer, and we will never give
up on our quest to be the best organisation of
its kind in the world.
Because of what we do, I have had the fortunate
opportunity to meet the mega-entrepreneurs,
humble tycoons who stand out, those like myself
who have gone from zero to hero, many back
to zero again and then once again catapulting
back to hero status. These interactions with
like-minded individuals have enabled me to
identify the most powerful success factors that
stand out above all.
I hope the following key messages will make
a positive difference in your life, the way they
have for me.
Mike AndersonFounder & CEO
National Small Business Chamber (NSBC)
Because of what we do, I have had the fortunate opportunity to meet the
mega-entrepreneurs, humble tycoons who stand out, those
like myself who have gone from zero to hero, many back to
zero again and then once again catapulting back to hero status.
What It Takes To Conquer The WorldIt’s not easy out there. However, if you have
decided to become a business owner or
entrepreneur, don’t allow your journey to the
top to come to a sudden halt as a result of
taking the wrong route.
There are hundreds of success factors, but I
have focused on the most prominent ones that
have been dominant in my own journey, as well
as that of the most successful people who I
have met and interviewed.
If you have not decided to ‘be your own boss’
yet, you first need to ensure that you have what
it takes. Also, share your vision with your family,
and make sure you are all on the same team –
100%.
Share your vision with your family, and make sure you are all on the same team – 100%.
“Believe in yourself, and the rest will fall into place. Have faith in your own abilities, work hard, and there
is nothing you cannot accomplish.” – Brad Henry
There is something magical about people who
have the guts to risk all and go it alone. Starting
and building a business is certainly rewarding
but it is not an easy option, even compared with
the most demanding of careers.
Entrepreneurs are self-motivated; they don’t
need anyone or anything other than their goals
to motivate them.
Everything begins with courage and self-belief.
Without those things, it becomes difficult to
succeed. To venture out on your own, you must
have confidence in your ability to triumph. Self-
belief is an act of faith. Never allow anyone
or anything to dispel that belief. It is knowing
beforehand that you can do what you want to
do and that you will succeed. It is an internal
force which turns on the ‘engine’ that allows
you to manifest your abilities externally.
If you want to start your business and reach the
top of the game, believe in yourself… rise to the
occasion with confidence and take your rightful
place.
Believe In Yourself
01
Everything begins with courage and self-belief. Without those things, it
becomes difficult to succeed.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
Embrace failure positively. Don’t lose opportu-
nities due to the fear of failure. A temporary
failure is a big step towards success. One small
failure or obstacle (as I like to call them) will
give you many different positive lessons. It
will increase your level of self-confidence and
make you more determined and resilient, and
you will be more ready for the next risk. In fact
you will look forward to it.
It’s more than ‘ok’ to fail. I really mean that.
After every obstacle, you move one more step
up that success ladder. Few have what it takes
to embrace failure, but those who do will find
opportunity and reward en route.
Those that snub failure have lived the life of
mediocrity. Our time on planet earth goes by
in a flash. Let’s exit with substance. I would
rather fail a thousand times than never have
tried. It’s a vital ingredient of success. Would
a life of mediocrity satisfy you, or would you
opt to leave a legacy when you depart planet
earth?
Don’t Be Afraid To Fail
02
Few have what it takes to embrace failure, but those who do will find opportunity and reward en route.
Find something you love to do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life – Harvey Mackay
“Find something you love to do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” – Harvey Mackay
I doubt that there is one successful person
who would eliminate the phrases “Love What
You Do” or “Do What You Love” from their list
of the top key success factors. This will give
you that extra edge! It enables you to persist
during those trying times and it gives you an
energised and enthusiastic drive from day to
day.
Have the courage to follow your heart and
intuition. The only way to do great work is to
love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet,
keep searching deep, long and hard. Don’t ever
accept less than you deserve.
Just after the turn of the millennium, I lost
everything that I had. In a nutshell, I was in the
gutter and I was 100% responsible for that.
One thing I didn’t lose was the love for what I
did. I knew that it was purely a matter of time
until I came back.
If you don’t love what you do, stop and change
direction. Most importantly – change it now!
Do What You Love And Love What You Do
03
Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. The only way to do great work is to love what you do.
“Make your product easier to buy than your competition, or you will find your customers buying from them, not you.”
– Mark Cuban
Loving what you do is first prize, but creating
a business around a product or service where
potential customers don’t become actual
customers normally results in business failure.
You may think you know what customers
want, but what if you’re wrong? One of the big
reasons why so many start-ups fail is because
they are trying to create a demand where
there isn’t one.
Before you venture out there and commit to
irreversible overheads and place your family
at risk, your product or service needs to be
accepted or your ideas need to be tested.
At the National Small Business Chamber
(NSBC), we always ask our members and
partners about our value proposition and
we survey our members and partners on
their experiences with us. In this way we are
confident that every day we are providing what
the market wants us to provide.
You now have the right product, service or
idea in place, but what’s equally important is
for your customers to love the way you behave
– your customer service. It’s the small things
that will make the biggest difference: be fast,
on time, say “thank you” and meet with them
face to face frequently. An e-mail doesn’t have
a smile, but is a great backup to that in-person
relationship.
Make Sure Your Customers Love What You Do
04
You may think you know what customers want, but what if
you’re wrong?
It’s the small things that will make the biggest difference: be fast, on time, say “thank you” and meet with them face to face frequently.
“If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.” – Alan K. Simpson
The recipe for success: get happy and you will
get ahead in life. Happiness, rather than slog-
ging at the coalface, is the key to success. Bub-
bly and spirited people are more likely to chal-
lenge the status quo, do different things and
put themselves to the test. Inducing a happy
effect leads people to be high-spirited, pro-
ductive and money machines. Happy people
are more likeable, and as many know, the big-
gest reason why people will do business with
you is because they like you – nothing else.
Happiness is a choice. Start by doing many
small things that make you happier and cata-
pult yourself to the top of your game!
Jim Rohn once said, “The greatest reward in
becoming a millionaire is not the amount of
money that you earn. It is the kind of person
that you have to become to become a million-
aire in the first place.”
Now, we could have separate chapters on ‘Be
Positive’, ‘Be Grateful’, ‘The Happiness Factor’,
‘Take Responsibility’ etc. However, if you think
about it, these important topics all contribute
Get Happy And Be A Nice Guy to the ‘Nice Guy Factor’. So if you really are a
nice guy, you possess all the key ingredients of
the cake to get you moving towards success.
As I say in many of my seminars, you know if
you are not a nice person. Becoming a nice
person will happen automatically once you
have adopted the happiness factor – smile, be
grateful, help others, be positive, forgive eas-
ily, take responsibility for everything and have
more fun in your life.
Of all the successful people that I have met, I
have to say, every one of them has been a re-
ally nice person. Start by doing this one task:
every morning when you wake up, go to the
mirror and smile at yourself. Your day will be-
come 50% more successful if you do this. Just
some advice, try not to let anyone see you do
this. They will think you are an absolute idiot.
05
Bubbly and spirited people are more likely to challenge the
status quo, do different things and put themselves to the test.
“It’s easy to get good players. Getting them to play together, that’s the hard part.” – Casey Stengel
Your team is at the core of your business and
your success is based on them. Especially in
smaller businesses where there are fewer
employees, the team members must share
similar values and culture. It is also vital to
recruit your weaknesses. Remember, you are
only as good as the people around you within
your business.
Before hiring new staff members you need to
make certain of three things. Firstly, be sure
that you really need extra help – sometimes
you can re-shuffle duties and responsibilities
amongst existing staff members. Secondly,
ensure that there is sufficient space for them
in the business, and that you have the financial
resources to equip them with the appropriate
technology, equipment and furniture. Thirdly,
make sure there is adequate time to train the
new recruit and test to see if they fit in with
the culture of your team – allow yourself and
your team to meet the potential employee
in a social environment, maybe a lunch or
dinner, where sometimes a bit of wine brings
out some pleasant or unpleasant traits and
characteristics. All the checks and balances
are crucial, as letting them go is an unpleasant
ordeal – embarrassing, time consuming and
financially draining.
Building your business goes hand in hand with
building your team. You need to provide an
environment for your team to prosper and give
your staff the responsibility to make decisions
and make mistakes.
Create an atmosphere of mutual respect and
keep your team informed of the company’s
state of affairs. If they know what’s going on
with the finances, sales, expenses, your vision
etc. then they will have that sense of belonging
and in turn will contribute to your successes.
Recognise the efforts of your team, not just
with salary increases, but also through written
communication. Demonstrate appreciation,
increase responsibilities, and maybe now and
again that weekend away does wonders. If
you have a happy and recognised team, staff
retention and productivity will be high.
Build A Team
06
It is also vital to recruit your weaknesses. Remember, you
are only as good as the people around you within your
business.
“If you think big, then it’s going to be big.” – Emeril Lagasse
If you and your team don’t know where you’re
going then it will be impossible to reach your
end goal. How can you possibly achieve your
objectives in the shortest amount of time, with
the least resources, if you’re not clear about
what you want to accomplish? If you want
smart people to follow you, they need to know
where you’re going. Ensure you have a vision.
You need big goals. If a goal doesn’t excite
you and make you a little nervous, you need to
think bigger. Moreover, your team isn’t going
to be inspired or motivated by average goals.
Visualise your goals every day. If you aim high
you will probably get there – think about that!
Initially, set short-term goals that are easier to
realise, but are also meaningful to you and are
in accordance with your own values.
As time goes on, set longer-term goals that
are more challenging. Reaching your goals will
give you direction, encourage you to continue
your journey, and increase your sense of
achievement, self-confidence and happiness!
Carry your goals in your purse or wallet. Glance
at them daily. Tick them off when realised and
then add new ones! Goal setting is one of the
most important areas you need to focus on to
get ahead.
Reward yourself when you achieve a goal. Be
clear in your head what you really want. Keep
your destination exciting, to help your dream
become real.
Remember your goals must be SMART –
specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and
timed.
Think BIG And Set Big Goals
07
If a goal doesn’t excite you and make you a little nervous,
you need to think bigger.
Map Your Journey
If you don’t know where you are going, how can you expect to get there? - Basil S. Walsh“If you don’t know where you are going,
how can you expect to get there?”
– Basil S. Walsh
To ensure that you attain your vision, you need
copious amounts of planning – working out
how you will reach your targets, meet new
challenges and improve your business. Having
the courage to act upon your vision, you now
need to build your strategies. You will need a
business and a marketing strategy. These are
the formulas that you will use to drive forward
and manage your business.
A goal is worthless without a journey plan. You
need to set yourself a clear course.
Develop a focused plan with meaningful objec-
tives. A plan has no use if you cannot execute
it! Getting to the top takes consistent and suc-
cessful innovation. You have to be willing to
risk failure and put yourself out there if you
going to achieve anything of significance.
Every journey needs a destination. The same
principle applies to life. Having direction is
key to getting ahead. Without clear direction,
you will float through life without arriving at
where you want to be.
Map Your Journey
08
Every journey needs a destination. The same principle applies to life. Having direction is key to getting ahead.
Become a Rainmaker
If you are not working on your ideas each day, you’re working on someone else’s - Marjorie Blanchard
“If you are not working on your ideas each day, you’re working on someone else’s.” – Marjorie Blanchard
Make it rain and become a star. It all comes
down to sales – if you have an abundance of
sales, cash will flow and if cash flows you can
fix anything – marketing, your team, your tech-
nology etc.
A rainmaker seeks out, secures and retains big
clients, brings in big money, and concludes big
deals. How do they make the rain fall? They
don’t wait for luck or a brighter economy; they
operate and make things happen. Rainmakers
don’t have excuses. They either make the sale
or they don’t. In today’s business culture, one
of the most competitive fields is sales. There
are more products and services available than
ever before. To be a star, you must make it rain.
The rainmaker is the sales person everyone
else wants to be.
You, as the business owner, must be the rain-
maker in your business.
Become A Rainmaker
09
To be a star, you must make it rain. The rainmaker is the sales person everyone else wants to be.
Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
“Be who you are and say what you feel be-cause those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Seus
“If you are not willing to risk the usual you will have to settle for the ordinary.” - Jim Rohn
Get out of your comfort zone and innovate. Do
things differently, walk on the wrong side of
the road, swim upstream, challenge the status
quo and always keep looking for the next big
thing. Winners always look at the bigger pic-
ture while losers cannot go beyond the way
things are at the time.
If you always do what you have always done,
you will only ever have what you’ve got. Inno-
vation is about new ideas, a new process and a
new way of doing the old way differently. The
main reason why we don’t challenge the status
quo is probably because the unknown is more
risky and therefore our fear of failure kicks
in. This is the seesaw of success or failure, or
worse – living an existence of mediocrity.
Stand up and state what you believe to be the
right way without fearing the consequences.
Step outside your comfort zone and experi-
ment. Most ideas never get off the ground be-
cause people are afraid to take a risk and fail.
You have to experiment and put your idea to
the test. The consequence could be, most like-
ly, success. Innovation relies on trial and error.
If it doesn’t work, bank it as experience. This
will allow you to move forward and try again.
Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
10
If you always do what you have always done, you will only ever
have what you’ve got.
“Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn’t have the power to say yes.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
Eventually everyone will do business with you
and you will always get what you want in life, if
you remove the word “no” from your mind. This
doesn’t only apply to sales people, it applies to
all of us. Take a look at your kids – that’s the
way they are. Have you ever witnessed a kid ac-
cepting “no” for an answer?
It’s fine when your potential client, supplier or
whoever says “No”. Just bank it, move on and
return. Keep doing this over and over again and
you will move closer to that “Yes”. It is recog-
nised that eventually just about everyone will
do business with you if you keep coming back.
Successful people aspire to tenacity and pas-
sion; they want to be associated with the few
who don’t give up. People want to do business
with people who are committed and believe in
what they do.
Never Take “NO” For An Answer
11
People want to do business with people who are committed and believe in what they do.
“Be the type of person you want to meet.” – Unknown
Surround yourself with individuals who will
make a positive difference in your life. Don’t
expose yourself to negative and unsuccessful
people.
Sometimes, the courage to venture out on your
own means getting rid of ‘toxic elements’ in
your life. It means saying goodbye to negative
people and removing yourself from situations
that poison your spirit, pull you down, instil
fear in you, undermine your efforts, make you
second guess your abilities and cause you to
abandon your important life dreams and goals.
‘Toxic’ people drain your energy and force you
back to the land of “I can’t do it”, “I am afraid to
start my business” or “I am not good enough”.
Instead, surround yourself with people who
make you come alive in their presence and gen-
erate creativity and progress in you.
Get rid of those around you who drain you and
suck all the positivity out of you. If you want to
succeed you have to spend your time with the
positive, the big thinkers, the achievers and
the happy.
Mix With The Right People
12
Sometimes, the courage to venture out on your own
means getting rid of ‘toxic ele-ments’ in your life.
“Rise and rise again until lambs become lions.” – Robin Hood
Succeeding as an entrepreneur or reaching the
top of your game in whatever you do is not
easy. The ability, courage and desire to keep
going positively during trying times is what
counts. This is what separates success from
failure.
Along the way you will come across many
hurdles and setbacks. You will need to dig
deep, make your changes and keep going.
Determination and the belief in your vision and
plans will keep you on the road to success.
Do you have the resilience factor – that
ability to bounce back positively after losing
everything? Remember, it is only failure when
you decide to throw in the towel.
Successful entrepreneurs are not people who
never fail but people who have the capacity to
bounce back after failure. Most will talk about
their failures as part of their learning curve.
When you hit the wall, just stop what’s not
working, change direction and keep moving.
As long as you get up and keep moving, you
will succeed – there is no way around it. The
most successful people do three simple things:
1) They always learn new things
2) They always try new things
3) They never give up!
If you launch towards your goal and resolve in
advance to NEVER SURRENDER, your success
is virtually guaranteed.
Keep Moving And Never Surrender
13
Remember, it is only failure when you decide to throw in
the towel.
The people who have become successful in
changing the world have successfully changed
themselves first. They have transformed them-
selves from being arrogant to humble, from
being lazy to hardworking, from being nega-
tive to positive, from giving up easily to never
giving up, from being unhappy to happy, from
being pessimistic to optimistic, from being un-
likeable to likeable and from other poor quali-
ties to strong qualities. As part of the process,
they constantly think and behave like a winner.
Think big and dare to dream, give without
expecting anything back, be persistent even
when it all looks too hard, speak positively
about yourself and others, never stop learning,
smile even when no-one is looking, demand ex-
cellence from yourself, put people before pro-
jects, take responsibility for everything that
happens, have integrity – always do what you
say you will do.
It’s all about passion, self-confidence, resil-
ience and that dogged quest for success. Noth-
ing can stand in your way and no one can stop
you. You can become that unstoppable runa-
way success train.
NEVER GIVE UP … NEVER SURRENDER
If you live at the coalface, you are bound to get dirty – Mike Anderson
Now, Get Out There And Succeed!
14
Happiness is my priority. I smile all
the time, make others happy and always find
ways to be happier.
I accept who I am and where I
am in life.
I am grateful for what I have. I could
be worse off.
I am true to myself, positive and always help
others.
I live for the moment.
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a
mystery. Now is the time to make things happen.
I take care of myself and live a
healthy life.
I focus on my strengths, positives and what I do well,
and not on the things I can’t change.
I commit time to my friends and family.
I have direction in life - that is my key to
success. My goals are SMART (specific,
measurable, achievable, relevant
& timed)
I will NEVER SURRENDER - I have passion,
determination and I will never give up.
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