Jeff Williams is the CEO of Bizstarters.com, a business startup coaching company specializing in clients over age 50. Over the past twenty five years Jeff and his team o expert coaches have guided more than 4.000 individuals through the business launch process. Bizstarters.com was selected as “The Best Entrepreneurial Guide for People over 50”.
Entrepreneurial Role Models:
Richard Branson
When business started difficulties overcame:
“Well I think probably the number one difficulty i had to overcome was the confidence issue. Even though i was this very successful marketing executive in the corporate world there was this very serious doubt in my mind about whether or not I could take all this skill-set and get people to pay me for it. You know in the corporate world people are paying you for ability but you kind of get into a groove in the corporate world, I was really good at one particular thing and as long as i did it they paid me and i didn’t have to think about well where does the business come from. Well all of a sudden I’m going to have to go out and use my wits and experience to get people to pay for me, and I’ll never forget my very first payment was $275, that was 25 years ago, and even though I’d made $100,000 a year as a corporate executive, you wouldn’t believe how excited I was about that $275 because it proved to me that I could explain my value clearly enough so someone would part with their money so number one was the confidence so I could get people to pay for me”…[Listen for More]
Favourite Books:
The Art of the Start Book by Guy KawasakiFavourite Quote:
Just Do It – Nike
Recommended Online Resources:
Inc – Get advice, tools, and services that help your small business grow
Huffington Post Entrepreneurship section – The latest UK business, economic, comment and analysis blogs and news from the Huffington Post
Entrepreneur – Advice, insight, profiles and guides for established and aspiring entrepreneurs worldwide Home of Entrepreneur magazine
Best Advice to Other Entrepreneurs:
“Don’t be afraid to share, you will almost always get back more than you give you. Secondly you need to have a spiritual mission that runs in parallel with your financial one. You need to give back, I try to give at least 5 hours a week volunteering to charitable enterprises, and money too, it’s really important I think. You can get completely overwhelmed, particularly in your first five years, and all you’re thinking about is the business and that’s all you’re working on. You have to diversify your life from the beginning and you have to work hard to do that”…[Listen for More]
More About Jeff Williams:
Neil’s Quote at the Beginning:
“I think that everyone at any age should ask themselves, ‘where do I want to be today, where do I want to be tomorrow, and where do I want to be in a hundred years?’ We all have clear answers to those questions. We only have so much time. It’s a real shame if we don’t spend our lives trying to do that.” Jack Antonoff
Other Quotes From the Chat with Jeff Williams:
- A key part of culture is figuring out a relationship that’s win win all of the time, no matter who it’s with
- Too many entrepreneurs want to micromanage, they won’t give up control, now obviously I do watch the process, but I don’t micromanage, that belittles people
- You’ve got to be honest with yourself about what you’re good at and you have to have the confidence to go out and show people
- You have to not be afraid to admit you don’t know something, you have to have people who you can go to and say I don’t understand
- You’ve got to have a network, you’ve got to be able to go out and say what do you think about this, how would you do this, am I doing this right?
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