The Millionaire Mind Support Network™

…and Looking for Opportunities to Expand Existing Businesses

The message most Millionaire Mind Intensive graduates took away from our three-day experience was: if you don’t have a business, start one — if you have one, expand your business to produce both residual and passive income streams.

The Millionaire Mind Support Network™ site is designed to be a self-help resource for action-focused information we all need to master the inner and outer game of businesses and personal development. With that purpose in mind, I have gathered some resources to help our members make sound business decisions as we navigate through this invigorating and complex time.

Millionaire Minds ask questions, listen carefully to the answers, and develop a profitable plan forward.

POWER PRINCIPLE

You can always be more, have more and do more because you can always learn more.

Small Business Administration: where to find the answers for your most frequently asked questions.

Office of Advocacy Resources

Office of Advocacy Resources

The Small Business Economy: A Report to the President

Quarterly Indicators: The Economy and Small Business

Small Firm Lending Studies

State and Territory Small Business Economic Profiles

Regulatory Research

Research on Owner Demographics (women, minorities, veterans, etc.

Advocacy Working Paper Series

Advocacy Conference Proceedings

Small Business Journals

Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice

International Small Business Journal

Venture Capital: An International Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance

Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship

Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance and Business Ventures

Journal of Business Venturing

Journal of Small Business Management

Small Business Economics

Web-Based Resources

Center for Women’s Business Research

Kauffman Entrepreneurial Research

Kauffman-RAND Center for Study of Small Business and Regulation

National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series

National Women’s Business Council

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, SMEs and Entrepreneurship Dep’t

Research Papers in Economics

Social Science Research Network

The World Bank’s Doing Business Project

Data Sources

U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census 1997 Economic Census

2002 Economic Census (Survey of Business Owners

American FactFinder

Nonemployer Statistics

Center for Economic Studies (CES) Data and Working Papers
CES Data is available at Research Data Centers for approved research proposals.

Statistics of U.S. Businesses — partially funded by Advocacy

County Business Patterns

Survey of Income and Program Participation

Business Employment Dynamics

Current Population Survey

Federal Reserve Board

Survey of Small Business Finances

Survey of Consumer Finances

Senior Loan Officer Survey on Bank Lending Practices

Internal Revenue Service/Statistics of Income Division

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation/Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity

National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Economic Trends

Small Business Polls

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor

Panel Study on Entrepreneurial Dynamic

Live Well and Prosper

Gamesmanship —
the art of winning games by gaining psychological advantage.

Mastermind Groups…A Winning Strategy

In the Millionaire Mind Support Network™ September 7th Blog entry, Business Strategies: Be Part of a Master Mind Group, Chris Sherrod, our very own Prosperity Guy, shared how much his master mind groups had helped with his very popular Prosperity Game Book and his other business adventures. Chris strongly suggested anyone who is serious about growing creative projects into real business ventures find or start a Master Mind group.

Modeling Success

Following Chris’ advice, I stated my purpose for the Master Mind Group, and my intention of finding people who can give and receive support. I wrote my intentions in my workbook and read them during my meditation practice.

Next on my “Find or form a Mastermind Group” list included attending seminars and workshops in my field of interest, speaking to the other attendees to determine if the person has a compatible energy level and an interest in personal and professional development through a Master Mind Group.

While pursuing that process, I found a terrific resource I’d like to share with you called Meet Up: http://www.meetup.com. The site is great for those of us who are new to the area, or for home-based business owners who would like to expand their personal and professional network.
In the Austin area, there are literally hundreds of “Meet-ups” scheduled every week serving a wide range of business and personal areas of interest. If you can’t find one that suites you, it is amazingly easy to start your own meet up. There are easy to follow instructions on the Meet Up site. This is a wonderful tool to expand your sphere of business influence. Please take some time and explore the site.

When I reviewed the Meet-ups in process, I found a Law of Attraction Group meeting at the Unity of the Hills on Tuesday nights. Universal Synchronicity was working in its perfect way. In addition to spending time with a group of like-minded folks, several were Millionaire Mind Intensive grads; I was fortunate enough to meet Jonathan McMahon.
Jon was in the process of forming the type of mastermind group I had described in my intentions.

“…a Master Mind group where people with many different goals come together to support each other in the achievement of their goals. Although the people in this kind of group are not totally focused on your project all the time, they help you brainstorm and strategize and introduce you to other people and resources that might help you do the same for them.”

It really was the Law of Attraction in action. Jon, placed a Meet-up notification that very week and the perfect group of individuals, with like-intention, came together. We each have different Business goals and are committed to helping each other reach these goals. Additionally we have a common goal…upgrading our financial blueprint.

Jon is an excellent group moderator who knows that joyful play gives us the edge in our Inner Game of Wealth. In the supportive environment of this mastermind group I’m using our shared tools and techniques to “Hack” my personal financial blueprint programming, working on an intimate level rewrite my financial blueprint and installing code changes to my personal operating system.

Chris was right about how energizing active participation in this type of Master Mind Group can be — asking questions and sharing opinions, helps each of us gain the insight and new ways to approach common issues.

We have designed our Master Mind Group to express our joy and facilitate the support each of us needs to move to the next level of our abundance. Napoleon Hill stated that genuine, measurable financial progress is made by people who participate as part group, moving toward a common goal, because working as individual, it’s so easy to fall back into old, dysfunctional patterns. Our old financial blue print aided ably by our ego is not going to give up without a fight.

Our Master Mind is focusing on changing the way we think and express energy about our finances. The group supports members as they share authentic experiences with finances as well as solutions to problems. Feeling the energy that money issues generate has been — interesting. Even after completing the 90-day Wealth Conditioning Workbook, it is still amazing what comes up. Working weekly with others, making and celebrating positive changes in our financial energy signature are really helpful. We consciously created a peer group in which it has become the norm to increase our income and manage that income proactively. It’s great to share and celebrate each other’s successes.

So once again, Thanks to our Prosperity Guy, Chris. Your suggestions were great and your encouragement to just get out there and find or form a Master Mind was really, really, appreciated.

If a Master Mind Group sounds like something you would be interested in finding or forming, read Chris’s suggestions in the September 7th Blog entry and check out www.meetup.com.

I’ll continue to share observation, insights and tools from our Master Mind Group. If you have experiences and observations about your Master Mind Group, please share them in the Millionaire Mind Support Network™ Blog and Forum.

Copyright © Millionaire Minds, LLC 2007
All writings here are copyrighted. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. And remember, You Have a Millionaire Mind!

Master Mind Groups

I had the opportunity to spend some time with Chris Sherrod, our very own Prosperity Guy, a few months ago. When I asked him how he maintained his creative productivity while successfully managing several business ventures, he credited the support he receives from the members of his Master Mind groups. He belongs to several. Chris strongly suggested anyone who is serious about growing creative projects into real business ventures find or start a Master Mind group.

Chris has joined existing Master Mind Groups and has founded a few. Chris is very clear about how much his mastermind groups had helped with his very popular Prosperity Game Book.

When I asked Chris how to find participants for a Master Mind group he had several suggestions.
.
1) State your purpose for the Master Mind Group, and your intention of finding people who can give and receive support. Writing these intentions and reading them regularly can help to focus your energy around that intention.
2) Attend conferences, seminars and workshops in your field of interest. Make a point of speaking to the other attendees. In these conversations you can determine if the person has a compatible energy level and an interest in personal and professional development through a Master Mind Group.
3) If you don’t have the time to really talk to each other during the seminar, exchange cards and set a date for a coffee meeting. Expanding your businesses means expanding your personal and professional networks, so even if the person turns out not to be interested in the Mastermind Group, adding another like-minded person to your network is always worth while.
4) Don’t be limited by location. One of Chris’ Master Mind groups has members from all over the country. They meet by phone once a month and stay in touch via email.

Chris strongly recommended Joe Vitale’s book, Meet and Grow Rich, as a guide to optimize the Master Mind dynamic, and of course, Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill. He suggested reading both before either starting or joining a Master Mind group.

In Meet and Grow Rich, Chapter: 15, The Truth About Master Minds; Joe Vitale quotes Napoleon Hill’s definition of a MasterMind group: “…an alliance of two or more minds working in perfect harmony for the attainment of a definite objective.”

Joe does so, to illustrate the two types of MasterMind groups. The type Hill described, is a MasterMind group in which all the members are focused on the attainment of the same objective. The industrial giants featured in Think and Grow Rich had such groups, consisting of their management teams, and experts with specialized knowledge they needed.

“In this type of Master Mind group, the originator of the group, the driving force behind the goal, gathers together a group of people who have the knowledge, expertise and connections he or she lacks. A Master Mind group is a practical way for you to appropriate and use the experience, training, education, specialized knowledge, and native intelligence of other people, as completely as if it were your own.”

“The second kind of MasterMind group is where people with many different goals come together to support each other in the achievement of their goals. Although the people in this kind of group are not totally focused on your project all the time, they help you brainstorm and strategize and introduce you to other people and resources that might help you do the same for them.”

If you are serious about using the power of a Mastermind group, read Meet and Grow Rich. For sheer inspiration read Think and Grow Rich… again and again.

Chris had one last word of advice about finding Mastermind partners, “Ask!”
“Never assume that someone is too successful to spare you the hour or two a month. Never under estimate your value and what you can contribute to another.”

Did we mention that Chris Sherrod has a Millionaire Mind!

Copyright © Millionaire Minds, LLC 2007
All writings here are copyrighted. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. And remember, You Have a Millionaire Mind!

Since the June 8th Blog entry, “Whatcha Do?” I’ve fielded a number of questions about the difference between a mission statement and a vision statement.

A Vision statement summarizes WHAT the stakeholders of an enterprise intend it to be — its ideal identity. This future-focused statement is crafted as a source of inspiration, describes what winning looks like by identifying targeted milestones and accomplishments and provides clear decision-making criteria to get there. A well-crafted Vision statement is SMART — Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound — and can motivate stakeholders to realize these defined objectives.

An effective vision statement is specific not ambiguous. It precisely states achievable aspirations that are in alignment with organizational values and culture. It is engaging, memorable and can be assimilated into the enterprise’s daily practice. The Vision statement embodies a desired expectation that the organizational leaders have the responsibility of communicating through their daily actions, short-term objectives and corporate decision processes. To embed these aspirations within the organizational structure, individual stakeholders are usually encouraged to craft their own personal vision that is compatible with the enterprise’s overall vision. That practice is one way to make sure everyone is on the same page, understands and accepts the direction the leaders have set for the organization and are ready and willing to contribute what they can to achieve the stated goals. Vision statements that are reflected and acted upon at every level of an organization have a direct and positive impact on the bottom line and success of the organization.

A well-crafted Mission statement isn’t bound by a time frame — it can remain unchanged for decades — it defines the purpose for the organization’s existence and provides a path to realize the Vision in line with its values.

In and environment of organizational initiative or transformation, it is essential to acknowledge the existing conditions — resources and obstacles — the mission, and to identify where you want to go —the vision, and what you will need to do to get there.

Copyright © Millionaire Minds, LLC 2007
All writings here are copyrighted. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. And remember, You Have a Millionaire Mind!

Success Report!

Millionaire Mind Support Network’s very own Prosperity Guy, Chris Sherrod — has BIG NEWS — his new e-book, The Prosperity Game is now available.

Many of the Millionaire Mind Intensive graduates have attended Prosperity Game potluck parties. Chris Sherrod’s Prosperity Games teaches you how to create amazing unique business ideas based on what you love and have tons of fun.

From Chris…

Do you want to do something that you love and make money at it?

Give me 2 1/2 hours and I’ll show you how to come up with more ideas than you can imagine…all using my guaranteed 6-step easy system…

I’ve come up with so many ideas that I thought about not publishing this book and just implementing my ideas – however – I got such good feedback from both the book and the Game Parties, that now I’m teaching others how to create new business ideas… Want to be next?

Are you happy doing what you are doing? Are you happy with your income and your lifestyle? Do you feel down and can’t think of any ideas to turn into a business?

My passion is to show, as many people as possible that they are in fact FULL of great ideas…because you are the only one who knows what you truly love to do!

So first I help you discover what you love and my system is so successful because you do not use your logical mind…you let your right brain take over and simply follow the guidelines.

And second, most people feel they do not know what to do, or what they would like to do and this stops them from thinking freely. You do not have to worry if you are a “creative” person or whether you have had good ideas in the past; my process helps you generate a dozen or more new ideas quickly…while having fun.

I am convinced these steps work…I have seen people come up with ideas doing what they love right before my eyes. I want you to try them out and feel the joy of doing something you love

So, are you ready for a bunch of new ideas to play with? You are ready for success, aren’t you?

What would you do with ten ideas a day?

Would you like a new business idea based on what you love?

Here are a few of the exciting highlights you’ll read and hear:

Lesson #1: You’ll learn six ways to be more creative.

Lesson #2: Why you don’t have to be a genius and why you don’t want to be a genius.

Lesson #3: Nine ways to be open to new ideas.

Lesson #4: Learn why, no matter what your background, you can create ideas at the genius level.

Lesson #5: Learn ten games to play that produce ideas based on what you love.

Lesson #6: Learn the top ten reasons to listen your way to ideas.

Lesson #7: You’ll find the six characteristics of creative people.

Lesson #8: Unblock the six obstacles to creativity.

Lesson #9: Learn how to track your ideas

Lesson #10: Learn how to rank your ideas.

Obviously, those brief descriptions don’t give you a complete sense of the power in this system. But you get the idea.

Click her to learn more aboutThe Prosperity Game“> Play Prosperity Games.

Congratulations to Chris for living his dream of helping others find their own.

Copyright © Millionaire Minds, LLC 2007
All writings here are copyrighted. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. And remember, You Have a Millionaire Mind!

My family and friends often tease me about my tendency to “Follow the Rules.” I read ALL the instructions before I start something. As a product of the Catholic schooling system, rules, processes and procedures are a big deal in my little orderly world. Of course I fell in love, married and founded a business with Zen Buddhist, but that is another story.

The effective use of time, treasure and talent, is the hallmark of a good steward and a successful business owner. Developing a game plan (rules) for your workday gives you access to power business tools.

As a print production manager, effective time management and prioritization of daily tasks was my way of life for over 20-years. I bought my first copy of Stephen Covey’s “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” in 1989. Since then I’ve purchased dozens of copies since as gifts for friends, or required reading for employees and contractors.

In addition to the habits of successful people, the book shares the importance of a principle centered life. Millionaire Mind Intensive graduates will notice that T. Harv Eker expresses some of the same principles when he talks about the importance of living and working in integrity.

I highly recommend that you make “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” a part of your business library. It is available in print and CD.

Until you have a chance to pick up a copy here is the extreme “Cliff Notes Version”

Print and post these seven habits somewhere on your desk where you can read them often through your workday.

“The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”

1. Be PROACTIVE
2. Begin with the END IN MIND
3. Put FIRST THINGS FIRST
4. Think WIN/WIN
5. Seek first to UNDERSTAND then to be UNDERSTOOD
6. SYNERGIZE
7. Sharpen the Saw (Balance and Self Renewal)

“The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” helps entrepreneurs prioritize, focus and follow through. Please share the winning tactics that keeps you focused and productive.

Copyright © Millionaire Minds, LLC 2007
All writings here are copyrighted. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. And remember, You Have a Millionaire Mind!

Notes and thoughts concerning T. Harv Eker’s Speed Wealth™

“How to Make a Million In Your Business In 3-years or Less”

Power Principle # 5

You can always be more, have more and do more —

because you can always learn more.

T. Harv Eker states that rapid change equals great opportunities for fast return ONLY if we have educated ourselves so we have the skill set to take immediate action.

There are three MUST READS for all folks interested in aggressively growing their business enterprises. All are available at not only online and brick & mortar book stores, but within the public library system in both printed and audio versions so this is a NO EXCUSES business development suggestion.

If you don’t think you have time to read, then get the audio books, and LISTEN while you are driving, while you have your meals — anytime you have a few unallocated minutes please devote them to expanding your business expertise. Millionaire Minds place a higher priority on building true financial freedom than knowing who is singing on American Idol.

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t
by Jim Collins

In Good to Great, Jim Collins asks the question, “Can a good company become a great company and if so, how?” Collins concludes that it is possible, but finds there are no silver bullets. Collins and his team of researchers began their quest by sorting through a list of 1,435 companies, looking for those that made substantial improvements in their performance over time, and discovered common traits that challenged many of the conventional notions of corporate success. At the heart of those rare and truly great companies was a corporate culture that rigorously found and promoted disciplined people to think and act in a disciplined manner. The book offers a well-reasoned road map to excellence that any organization would do well to consider. Good to Great is one of those books that managers and CEOs will be reading and rereading for years to come. –Harry C. Edwards, Amazon.com Editorial Review

Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras

Built to Last identifies 18 “visionary” companies and sets out to determine what’s special about them. The book has been hailed as an instant classic and one of the best business titles since In Search of Excellence. The authors, James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras, spent six years in research, and they freely admit that their own preconceptions about business success were devastated by their actual findings — along with the preconceptions of virtually everyone else. The core myth, according to the authors, is that visionary companies must start with a great product and be pushed into the future by charismatic leaders. Collins and Porras are much more impressed with something else theses companies shared: an almost cult-like devotion to a “core ideology” or identity, and active indoctrination of employees into “ideologically commitment” to the company. An eloquent chapter on the wildly successful 3M describes the company as having no master plan, little structure, and no prima donnas. Instead it had an atmosphere in which bright people were both keen to see the company succeed and unafraid to “try a lot of stuff and keep what works.”
—Editorial Reviews —Amazon.com

Winning
by Jack Welch (Author), Suzy Welch (Author)

As the legendary retired CEO of General Electric, Welch has won many friends and admirers in high places.
In Winning, Welch focuses on his actual management techniques. He starts with an overview of cultural values such as candor, differentiation among employees, and inclusion of all voices in decision-making. In the second section he covers issues around one’s own company or organization: the importance of hiring, firing, the people management in between, and a few other juicy topics like crisis management. From there, Welch moves into a discussion of competition, and the external factors that can influence a company’s success: strategy, budgeting, and mergers and acquisitions.

Winning is a very worthwhile addition to any management bookshelf. It’s not often that a CEO described as the century’s best retires, and then chooses to expound on such a wide range of management topics. –Peter Han Editorial Reviews — Amazon.com

I have all three of these books in both hard cover and as audio books. I feel so strongly about their value to any businessperson, I have given them as gifts to friends and business associates. No matter where you are in your business life right now, working as an employee, self employed with an at-home-business, building an emerging business enterprise, or growing the next Inc.500 business — there is something you can learn, do or change about how you are currently approaching your day.

Read. Grow. Do. Win!

Copyright © Millionaire Minds, LLC 2007
All writings here are copyrighted. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. And remember, You Have a Millionaire Mind!