'Keys for Success Monday" Being a Black Entrepreneur in America

Regardless of race or ethnicity, entrepreneurs always begin at a disadvantage. However, blacks tend to need to reach levels of traction with our own money, since seed money is often unavailable. Worst of all, the sentiment against business owners comes from the top. Immediately after his State of the Union speech, President Obama embarked on a shame tour, giving speeches about how American workers are paid too little. Put aside that these companies employ people at a time of disturbingly high joblessness. Rather, the president and his union allies targeted businesses by promoting policies like higher minimum wages, even though there is no correlation that higher wages lead to job growth. One can make an easy argument that the opposite is true, but business owners have become the easy target. They must be wealthy, and therefore must be hurting our fellow citizens. Successful people know that they need to start Monday on a high note, so they take time on Sunday to plan ahead for the week. Set aside some time for yourself to check in on your schedule for the week ahead so that you know exactly what needs to be done first thing Monday morning. Make a list of events, meetings, or important things you need to do to keep momentum toward your goals. Another great idea is to make an "I did" list of things that you accomplished in the last week--this will keep you motivated and excited about pushing forward.