Bill Rancic's 2009 Small Business Survival Guide - Fear
By: Bill Rancic | Category: Bill & Giuliana | Published: 2/4/2009
Views: 27844 | Comments: 18 |

Fear

As we begin the New Year I know many entrepreneurs who are experiencing mixed emotions on what the future holds. We have an economic crisis on our hands that is the worst most of us have ever seen in our lifetime. Fear is probably the most frequent emotion that any small business owner is experiencing… Fear of the future, fear of failure, and fear of not being able to provide for their employees and most importantly, their families.

Fear is a funny thing; it is the one emotion that can ruin an entrepreneur. They say that when we are born into the world we are born with only two natural fears:

  1. The fear of falling
  2. The fear of loud noises


Every other fear we have is learned, believe it or not. We pick them up from our parents, our siblings, mentors etc… We have trained our minds to have fears, and the most common fear is the fear of failure. This is the time to re-train our minds to face our fears head on; we cannot allow the fear of failure to cause paralysis on our futures. This is the time when agility is your most prized asset. If you expect business to go on as usual this year then you will more than likely be out of business by Thanksgiving. Take the blinders off and look around, try to find opportunity and seize it!!

When I was in the cigar business we had to reinvent ourselves after being in business for just 4 years. The world around us was changing and as a result we had to adjust if we wanted to survive. When I started Cigars Around the World it was the first of it’s kind, a cigar of the month club that provided home delivery of 5 different cigars each month. The novelty of the “of the month” concept lasted about 4 years before sales began to decline sharply. I had to move quickly and find other opportunities for the company. We redirected our resources and began a wholesale division selling cigars to casinos, country clubs, wine shops etc…as a result of our agility we were able to build a business within our business. Be flexible!

Don’t be afraid to find opportunity, don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

Best Wishes,
Bill Rancic
Comments

On 8/16/2009 Erin said:

My goodness, the emperor is truly naked. What perceived wisdom does this man hold. He is yet another in a long line of "motivational speakers." Wonderful Bill, you have some money, now can you please move on and live your own life?


On 8/6/2009 Stef said:

I have an opportunity coming up and I was afraid of interviewing and of making a MISTAKE. I am not afraid anymore Thanks, Stefanie


On 7/20/2009 Chris said:

When I first watched "the apprentice", I could not believe that there were so many candidates with great achievements in life who however lacked soft skills within the game. But as the show progressed one precious stone revealed itself. It keeps shining to this very day and it seems brighter than ever before. It is fascinating to see a person making correct decisions over and over again. You deliver a sense of security in uncertain times. I also admire your good faith and your indestructable smile. I often forget that fear is only there to make us eventually ovecome it and become stronger afterwards. Although you don t know me I would like to thank you a lot.


On 6/13/2009 carole salah said:

I bought your book, i look forward to reading it.


On 5/11/2009 Neal said:

Hey Bill! Thanks for the words about Fear! My wife Sara started a new business 2 years ago and we have found that when we struggle it is due mainly to fear of the unknown. Thanks for the vision. Sara would love to get a note from you with some entrepreneurial encouragement! ..and yes you should remember me from our days in college. Keep it up and looking forward to your new series this fall. -Neal


On 5/10/2009 playmaker said:

I believe you meant fear of failing, not "falling", terrible English in the blog, seems like Bill doesn't even write it, or even look at it really...a shame and waste of time.


On 4/27/2009 ngy said:

very motivational, thank u may God bless u.


On 4/23/2009 Michael A. said:

Hey, bill? My name is Michael Amado. My father's named amado. I'm lazy. I don't like outsider. I want business. My favorite business: Michael's sandwich dinner....and other all. I'm not start new business! Help me out. Call me. I must talk too much. : )


On 4/4/2009 KIm said:

Hey, Bill, What do you feel about the Real Estate/Mortgage/Credit and Financial Industries now? I have friends who are still hanging on in those industries and others who have moved into new careers. Do you think we will recover and when?


On 4/1/2009 Elvis said:

Bill, I'd love to read some war-stories from your experiences as an entrepreneur. Could you talk about some of the nuts-and-bolts of operations, maybe some specific challenges you faced and how you overcame them?


On 3/23/2009 Steph said:

Hey Bill, Just adding my voice to the others saying how much I enjoy We Mean Business. Great concept, very well-executed and extremely motivating. Thanks so much for doing it and looking forward to future episodes.


On 3/15/2009 Pat Comstock said:

I think you are full of it!(just kidding). Great website, hope everything is going great for you and your wife in sunny Cal. Pat


On 3/14/2009 Mel said:

I hope there will be a WE MEAN BUSINESS (TOO) ! I love this show. I try and catch the re-runs for guidance and inspiration. My husband and I have 5 small business and struggling like rest, we are on the verge of shutting them all down. We have 6 kids, a grandbaby, new baby on the way, just trying be there for their future !! Thanks for a great show, web site, books and dvds!!! You are inspirational.


On 3/11/2009 Phyllis said:

Hi Bill, I enjoyed watching you on The Apprentice and I enjoy watching you on the A&E network where you help failing businesses turn around by offering ways for them to "reinvent" themselves. I work for a company that works with small businesses. Is there a way I could ask you a question or two in an attempt to help a client I am currently working with? Thanks/


On 2/26/2009 Claudius Stewart said:

Hey Bill, a friend of mine lent me the DVD of the first season of "The Apprentice" and boy it did teach me a lot of what was wrong within myself and what I needed to do to change in order to become a better Process Engineer. Im from Trinidad, West Indies


On 2/24/2009 kelvin said:

Great, very motivated!!~


On 2/17/2009 Keith said:

Hi Bill, Great blog! Its important to remember to focus in on the experiences and lessons learnt within your sector. Analyzing your sales statistics can often uncover opportunites you otherwise may not have found. I find this a great way of moving forward and thinking big with minimal risk.


On 2/13/2009 Izzie said:

Hello ,Bill~!I have learned that you have put most of your energy on the speeches around the world and I think perhaps better concentration on the business world will be a nicer choice .We all hope to see you finally become a guy like Trump!Keep moving!


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