“Me In My Element” (MIME). What does that look like for you? What are you passionate about? What are the thing(s) that spark you into life? I don’t mean family, that’s a given. I mean the passions that you have beyond that.
For me, it’s business, writing, public speaking, road cycling and soul music. Those five things get me excited, float my boat, are different enough to give me some diversity in life. They are broad, allow me to meet a wide variety of different people, learn different things, plus feed mind, body and soul.
I’ve met a lot of people who live for business exclusively. Never taking a moment to do anything else. that’s OK – we all have choices. We all have to work hard, particularly if you’re starting a business or trying to keep it afloat. If however, your business is getting to a stage when you can throttle back a bit, invest your time in something outside of work, then do something you can get passionate about.
Setting your mind new challenges, keeps you fresh. Keeps those electrical connections going, keeps your brain active and keeps you at your best. Physical activity, will reduce stress and help to promote long-term well being – a no brainer. Most importantly, when we do those things and someone says “look at them, they’re in their element” – that’s the moment when you need to think, “I should do more of this”.
When you become passionate about something, it’s not a chore, it’s something you participate in willingly. Passion adds some spice to life, makes you a more interesting personality, lets you engage with a wider social circle and makes you feel alive. Go and grab it with both hands.
Created by: Online Schools
I’m a big fan of Infographics. An infographic being a highly visual way of presenting data or facts. This one has just hit the net and it’s really worth a look, to give you some sense of where the internet is at right now.
Bartering has been around for centuries. A common way of getting things done in the absence of currency or funds. In my own experience of working alongside some smaller businesses, bartering is alive and well, particularly for cash-starved start-ups. In the absence of bank lending, I think it’s on the up. People, fuelled by entrepreneurial passion, want to start things and if they have a skill or patent which they are prepared to swap for get their idea off the ground, then off they go.
As long as you can agree the exchange rate for your transaction and it is clear, fair and transparent to both parties, then it is an excellent way of obtaining something of value to you, for a lower value potentially to you, when related to your time or idea/future project. As for the tax implications, I’ll leave that for someone else to explain, but I guess the rules are that if you make a profit from something, then you become liable for a taxable gain. So, it’s important to understand if a profit exists somewhere in the barter.
My main point is this. What is your personal asset? Your advice? Your thoughts? Your presence somewhere? And, what would this be worth to someone else? If you’re trying to get something done, it’s amazing what can be achieved if you have a barter option. Perhaps it’s equity in a start-up that you can swap, some business advice, consulting time, a speaking opportunity? You’d be surprised what deals can be struck.
I know of many start-ups that have got going using this technique. It’s less practical for bigger businesses, however, starting up – it could make all the difference between starting and not.
