There are so many other business lessons I think can be learned from Dolly Parton. Whether you love her or hate her you can’t deny that she has had great success and endured in a business where so many disappear.

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I’ve mentioned this on numerous occasions in the past but it is worth saying again: not every one is going to like you and your approach to business. Not everyone is going to warm to you or feel comfortable with your style or ethics.

And that’s OK...

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Early on in this series we talked about not making excuses for what you don’t have and making the best of what you do. If you spend your time making excuses you will never actually start DOING anything!

But you should also be aware of your weaknesses and know when it’s time to bring in people that can do the things you are less able to do.

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As a business person you should be prepared to use different media to communicate to your customers.

Different people like to consume information in different ways. Some of us prefer the written word, some like video and some like audio. 

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In order to have an enduring career any music star has to grow as an artist and reinvent themselves and what they do in order to appeal to new generations.

You should also be growing your business and appealing to new customers. However, it's important not to leave your raving fans behind.

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Today's lesson from Dolly Parton is actually more of a life lesson that can (and should) be applied to your business.

Robert Brault said “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”

Celebrate the little things in your life and your business.Don't become jaded.

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If you are starting an online business, it's easy to believe that you need endless courses, tools, gadgets and software in order to succeed. Some of these can make life easier or teach you valuable new skills, but they aren't essential. You can get started with whatever skills and resources you do have and add to these along the way.

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The first of our "Things I Learned About Business from Dolly Parton" is to stop making excuses for the things your DON'T have.

Dolly was brought up in the poorest of circumstances but it didn't stop her pursuing her music career. She didn't wait until everything was perfect, she just went ahead and did it.

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Many of us have business heroes - people we feel we would like to emulate in business, or who we respect for their business prowess.

Some obvious business heroes include, Warren Buffett, Richard Branson, Anita Roddick and Oprah Winfrey, but it could just as easily be a family member who has inspired you to succeed.

This Bitesize podcast introduces a famous name who may not immediately come to mind as a business heroine.

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There are still many of you bristling at the idea of what you see as "fabricating" your personality, so I want to illustrate what I mean by returning to the world of radio presenters.

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Once you've given some thought to the key aspects of the persona you wish to portray in public, you have your story, and you have aligned yourself with a particular personality model, what can you do to share, develop and maintain that persona?

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Some business personas work better than others and seem to have greater longevity.There are some personalities that are simply more appealing.

You probably will naturally align your own persona with one of these (or even a mixture of two) and then build your story around it.

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There are endless courses online teaching "How to be a Social Media Celebrity" which are essentially designed to show you how to build a strong persona online and use social media to improve your business.

These can be a huge turn-off for people who "don't want to be a celebrity"!

But what exactly is celebrity all about?This podcast explores the term further.

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It's human nature to want everyone to like you, but if you want to be a market leader you will have to take a stand for something (and against something).

This will make you unpopular in some areas but will help you build a raving fan base. Being lukewarm is not something that makes a market leader.

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Breaking down what market leaders do to make them the market leaders is a great exercise, and there are some success models that you can adopt too.

But if you want to be a leader and not a follower you need to stop imitating and be uncommon.

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A great exercise is to think about the people who are leaders in your market or in markets you follow and are interested in.

What do you know about them? Why do you follow them? What's their story? Then see if you own online content is as easy to analyse.

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What do you have in common with these films, books and tv shows?

Well, if you want to be a market leader then people will want to know about you before they invest time, money and energy in you.

Who are you? What do you stand for? What are your personal philosophies? What's your story?

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If you're in any doubt about the idea of people buying into people, then this Bitesize podcast illustrates the point further.

Examples from tv, film and literature prove that people buy into characters not just with money but with their time and emotion too.

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Why is your persona important? Why can't you just be yourself and go with the flow?

Essentially, people buy into people and you are your own USP. In order to build a relationship with your audience/followers/customers they are going to know who you are and what you stand for.

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In this SWBN Bitesize podcast Lisa introduces the idea of creating and establishing your online and business persona.

This isn't about play-acting or deception, but about highlighting and enhancing the parts of your character and areas of your life that will appeal to your market and the people you are interacting with. Helping you establish yourself as the leader in your field.

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Our final success principle in the series is to simple be EXTRAORDINARY in everything you do.

You are your business's greatest asset so stop worrying about what you can't do and be the best YOU possible.

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One business principle which, when adopted, will help you to grow your business dramatically is to stop doing everything yourself and start outsourcing some of the smaller, more time-consuming tasks.

Once you release those from your control you will find greater focus and be able to concentrate on the bigger picture.

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When you work in an online business or as a sole trader it's easy to start thinking you don't need anyone else and can work-out everything on your own. But seeking out the best mentors, teachers, and business network is vital to your (speedy) success.

Take the time to find the people and the environments you feel comfortable with, but who you know have the skills, experience and knowledge you need, and who will challenge you to improve your business.

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Many people enter into a business so excited about finally being their own boss and being able to follow their passion. They know what they are interested in and what they want to do.

But in order to be successful there is an important principle you can't (or shouldn;t) avoid: Find a Need and Fill It.

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This week we continue exploring success principles.

Today's principle applies in business and beyond - always give great value. Stop thinking about "What's in it for me?" and start thinking about what your customer wants and needs.

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Many people, even marketers, talk about marketing techniques as if they are something dirty and underhand. But learning and applying good marketing techniques is vital for any business.

Simply put, direct marketing is communicating with individuals through different media in order to acquire a desired response. What's dirty and underhand about that?

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Today's success principle involves pursuing and acquiring information continuously throughout your lifetime.

Never stop learning!

But knowledge is not power - you have to apply that knowledge to succeed.

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We all have ingrained beliefs, especially surrounding what we can and can't achieve, what's possible and what isn't.

It's time for you to release those limitations and re-program your thinking.

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P.S. I say a word in this one that some would consider "explicit" - just a warning for the sensitive!

There are some principles that apply to achieving success, whatever your goal and whatever your business.

In today's Bitesize podcast I talk about one of the most important of all - taking action.

It's time to be courageous!

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If you look back over the past decade you'll realise just how much you have packed into 10 years, and how many things you've achieved.

In the future, everytime you think something is too tough remember those achievements (small and large).

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