After a conversation with a friend this morning I started thinking, what is it that makes large incomes possible for the average entrepreneur? The people with small, home-based or online businesses.

As an Entrepreneur, you are being paid directly proportional to how valuable your SKILLS and/or PRODUCTS are to the market place. That value can be translated intangibly, meaning it appeals to one or more of people's 5 senses (they like how it looks, feels, tastes, smells or sounds) or that it offers some emotional or impassioned feelings within the person (It makes them feel they are of certain status, gives them confidence, makes them feel they are part of the "In" crowd.)

Value can also be translated tangibly, meaning the product or service itself holds meaning, purpose or worth. (This is why some people prefer one product to another, because they deem their preference as the better choice.)

And no matter what business you start, regardless of your niche, values or beliefs, you are in it to make money. Either for yourself or for someone else. And if you want to make more money, you have to develop your skills and create something of value.

Well now you may be thinking that there are some entrepreneurs (namely bloggers and YouTube stars) that don't create products but yet have millions of followers/viewers, and that they are just getting by on popularity and doing things that are cool. This is not true. The value they create is intangible, meaning it's felt. They make people laugh, think or learn new skills. Their "skill" is the art of performance. Just as a salesman's skill is the art of negotiation.

The people who develop SKILLS to keep up with the changes in technology and in their respective industry as a whole will be worth more than all the other people who don’t possess these skills. This goes for entrepreneurs, employees, politicians, anyone who has a career or profession of some kind. The value you create is inexplicably tied to your success. To get ahead, you have to offer something, or do something, others are not. There are hundreds of beverage makers in the world but there is only ONE Coca-Cola.

So ask yourself, are you developing new skills every single day and making yourself more valuable?

Are you learning the latest marketing methods so that you have the ability to reach more to your customers, clients, or business partners? Or even expand the scope of your target audience?

Are you keeping abreast with the changes in your industry and keeping pace with the current technology in your field? Or are you thinking innovatively at how you can apply tech from other industries to make your own more efficient?

If you don’t see that there is a strong connection between how much you KNOW, how well you LEVERAGE WHAT YOU KNOW, and how valuable you are to others, then please take heed to what I am about to tell you.

The vast majority of entrepreneurs don’t get paid because they lack value. They don't do anything "special" to draw new customers or clients to their business. These are the people you see promoting the same, tired, old and outdated info on the internet, or the people who open shops and boutiques that are nearly identical to other businesses in the area. The people who think "he is doing it, so I will do it to." And if you are among them that fall into this category (you know whether or not you're making money from your business), then don’t worry because I am going to show you how you can turn it all around.

By investing in yourself.

Invest in your own personal development and immerse yourself in a community of people who want to do the same. It amazes me how many people THINK they can build a 6-figure business because "everybody else is doing it." The entrepreneurs who make the most money, create the most value. ALWAYS! And you create value by LEVERAGING your knowledge and skills to create products and services people want. And you do that by investing in yourself, and strengthening the knowledge and skills you can use to make money. Doctors spend so much time in school for a reason. Because they are refining their skills and knowledge to become successful doctors. It's also why the most successful doctors attend conferences, seminars and medical expos.

Once you begin to invest in yourself, you will be more successful at whatever it is you are doing. It truly doesn’t matter what it is, you will be more successful at it. This doesn't mean you'll be guaranteed to make money. It only means that you will be more able to do so.

That’s what thousands of empowered business owners are doing right now. Creating Value, and getting paid for it! And they create they value by using what they know to leverage themselves into better opportunities for growth and expansion. Once you start building on your strengths and truly understanding the industry you are in, you'll start to notice changes in your professional life, and in your personal life as well.

Take care, and be blessed in your endeavors!

~ Ra

PS> When you have time, be sure to read my other post on creating value HERE.