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SuccessCopyright © 2003 by Birgitt ThursbyWhat makes a person successful? How does the ordinary, man-in-the-street become a success? Had to think a bit on that one. Actually, it's not really that complicated. What makes a successful person? Amazing talent, friends in high places, born with a silver spoon? They may help, but I think you'd probably find that a lot of successful people didn't start from such stellar beginnings. Whether you are a success or not is something that's totally under your control. Know your craftYou'd think that knowing what you're doing would go without saying, but you might be surprised by the number of people you talk to that are not happy about a particular product or service they received. Recently, we went to visit a new client who wants a web site. We chatted for a while, going over the ins and outs of life online. At one point, our new client mentioned that he did have some trouble browsing the web with his email program. Say what?!! His computer had crashed and he sent it off for repair. When he got it back, Internet Explorer wasn't working, so the "repairman" took it away again. When the "repairman" returned it, he explained to our bemused client that he couldn't get Explorer to reinstall, but that was ok, because he could use his MS Outlook email program to browse the net. I won't repeat what I was thinking about the "repairman" - this might fall into the hands of children. This "professional" passed off a shoddy result as "ok". I wonder how he sleeps at night? Know your stuff! If you don't know something, don't just hope nobody will notice - find out! Ask someone, take a course, buy a book, go to the library and research it - get the answers. Hand your client exactly what they asked for and then some - and they'll be happy. Find your nicheMaybe you're an accountant. You've studied hard, got your qualifications and you're good at what you do. But, you find that helping a small businessman set up his fledgling business is a lot more satisfying than crunching numbers. Or maybe, you've been a secretary for years, know the ins and outs of office administration, but you really want to write children's books. Why go on for years in a job that you don't enjoy or leaves you feeling dissatisfied at the end of the day? If you're not happy doing what you're doing, change it. Find your passion and run with it. It will make all the difference. PersistScratch the surface of any successful person and you will find, just below the surface, someone who didn't give up, despite all the set backs and heartache. They had a dream and they kept going. Persisting when everything seems too hopeless, too complicated or just plain too hard is the most difficult thing you'll ever do. Many people find they can't cope and so give up. Years ago, when I first started out in my own business, someone emailed me something that I've hung on to - and it's stopped me (many times) from throwing my hands in the air and screaming "enough!". Here it is - maybe it'll help you too: Failed in business in 1831 "You cannot fail unless you quit." - Abraham Lincoln Birgitt Thursby is a successful virtual assistant and web site designer, specialising in helping small business -
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