Everything Old is New Again in Business

http://www.ivankatrump.com/

For this week's blog post I've decided to share with you a book I've been reading.  "The Trump Card- Playing to Win in Work and Life" by Ivanka Trump (daughter of Donald Trump).  I"m always striving to find new ways to improve my Etsy business.  I enjoy reading books/websites about business.  Sometimes they provide me with fresh ideas and sometimes they just provide good reminders.  "The Trump Card" is an easy read.  It gives you a good understanding of the Trump's background and offers some business basics thrown in the mix for good measure.  I would recommend it especially for young women in college. There is a great section about job interview basics. 

Here are some of the major points I walked away with that are applicable for us Etsy shop owners:

-Identify the void in your market and position your brand so that you uniquely fill it.

-Get away whenever you can.  Expose yourself to something new that will open you up for opportunities for growth.  

-The customer is always right..even when they are wrong. You want your client or customer to feel good about the transaction.

-Take full advantage of the contacts you make through family and friends but do not take them for granted.

-Handwritten personal notes are very important.

-Be flexible in your thinking.

-Be prepared to reinvent yourself.

-There is tremendous value in staying open to new ideas and opportunities.

-Enthusiasm and drive can certainly compensate for experience.

I will conclude with a great quote Ivanka included in her book by Abraham Lincoln.  It's my new favorite quote.

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing."
    Abraham Lincoln