It’s been a while since I last wrote an entry on my blog and I apologise to all my readers, members and followers of my blog. Many of you have read my blog with interest over the last year or so and many of you have either come close to what I have experienced or have been directly affected by bankruptcy or administration of your businesses, while some of you have yet to embark of the wonderful journey of being an entrepreneur.

Either way we all dream of success and understand the challenges that we face in trying to make our dreams a reality. With 2.5 million people currently unemployed in this country and business failures at an all time high you sometimes wonder what our government is doing to bring positive change to aid the financial recovery of our great nation.

 Running the country is of course a business in itself and with the grips of recession starting to get behind us – are we really doing enough to support UK business owners and entrepreneurs, or can we do more?

We can criticise someone else’s decisions but it is only when we truly hold the wheel of the ship ourselves do we really understand what stormy seas can do to a man.

This is where a battle is either won or lost and strength is even grown or torn apart and relationships are either forged or ruined forever. It takes a greater strength than many could imagine or endure to navigate the perilous and unforgiving journey of running a business, especially if you have been or are building a business during a recession.

I name this entry on my blog “An Entrepreneur called Icarus” for a reason. We all know who Icarus was and of course his father Daedalus – Here is a recap:-

Icarus’ father, Daedalus, a talented and remarkable Athenian craftsman, attempted to escape from his exile in the place of Crete, where he and his son were imprisoned at the hands of King Minos, the king for whom he had built the Labyrinth to imprison the Minotaur (half man, half bull). Daedalus, the superior craftsman, was exiled because he gave Minos’ daughter, Ariadne, a clew of string in order to help Theseus, the enemy of Minos, survive the Labyrinth and defeat the Minotaur. Daedalus fashioned two pairs of wings out of wax and feathers for himself and his son. Before they took off from the island, Daedalus warned his son not to fly too close to the sun, nor too close to the sea.

 Overcome by the giddiness that flying lent him, Icarus soared through the sky curiously, but in the process he came too close to the sun, which melted the wax. Icarus kept flapping his wings but soon realized that he had no feathers left and that he was only flapping his bare arms. And so, Icarus fell into the sea in the area which bears his name, the Icarian Sea near Icaria, an island southwest of Samos.

The morale of the story here is this – When you start your business ensure that you can get the best solicitor and accountant that you can and ensure beyond a doubt that you have formed your new company correctly and you have all the correct statutory documents filled because if you do not then surely you will melt your wings and fall into the sea.

In 2009 it is expected that the number of business that failed will have doubled on last years figures. Could any of these businesses have been saved or is the simple truth that many of the business owners made decisions which resulted in their demise?

Whatever your point of view I believe that information, knowledge and support holds the key to preserving so many businesses now and perhaps may have prevented some of the business failures we have seen in the past – But who can provide this information and should the source provider be government run or should it be conducted in the private sector?

It is true that entrepreneurs combined with their courage and risk taking as well as their innovation skills and abilities play a major part pushing countries out of recession. Entrepreneurs create jobs, jobs create wealth and wealth is what recovers any country from recession – well that’s what I think at least.

Well back to the story of Icarus and his burnt wings! Well of course that’s me.

I had a dream in 2007 that I was destined to create an information, knowledge and support facility to help entrepreneurs and business owners increase their chances of success, decrease business failures and even help reduce the UK’s all time high unemployment levels of 2.5 million people.

Now lets get this into perspective if were to get all the UK’s unemployed people and put them into Wembley Stadium then we would need to fill it and empty it nearly 30 times to speak to them all. Add to the pot the 10,000 people who went bankrupt in 2007 plus the astronomical figures for 2008 and 2009 for both insolvencies and business administration and you have nearly the same amount of people as the population of Wales, Astounding isn’t it!

So why is it that entrepreneurs who risk everything to try and help increase business success rates at a great cost to themselves personally are sometimes so misunderstood?

There is a massive gap between the government supporting businesses from startup through seed stage and indeed growth and development. Of course there are business incubators and there are courses and mentors and if you look hard enough you may secure funding, investments and grants for your businesses – but what if the entrepreneurs that start these businesses are doing so without a high enough level of commercial acumen and business experience that is required in order to survive and grow? Well you get what we have now….

When will it change, when will the government realise that actually in order to increase business success rates that it is indeed entrepreneurs that are needed to teach aspiring entrepreneurs!

Give me 100 unemployed people from the DWP who have spirit, desire and will work relentlessly to build their businesses. FROM THE GOVERMENT I ask you to offer them funding so that they can survive and support their families financially and as long as they are not quitters, I will make winners out of them and even if some of their businesses do not survive, the process they will have opened up so many doors that they will surely not need DWP support even again – They will be innovated, motivated and will go on to teach their learning’s.

I have made my mistakes and I am sure I will make plenty more to come, but I always get back up even when I feel that I can’t walk or take no more. If the government will not answer then how about a TV production company, are you up for it and would you like to talk to me – I believe it and I know that I could do it.

You see we are not looking at the wider picture and it is costing our country million of pounds and it’s this.

TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER

TOGETHER WE ARE WISER

TOGETHER WE ARE A TEAM

TOGETHER WE WILL GET THIS COUNTRY BACK ON TRACK

Dreams to Reality

Bradley Chapman Founder

Million Impossible
Raw Business Magazine
Entrepreneur School

Habit 1 – be proactive®

This is the ability to control one’s environment, rather than have it control you, as is so often the case. Self determination, choice, and the power to decide response to stimulus, conditions and circumstances

Habit 2 – begin with the end in mind®

Covey calls this the habit of personal leadership – leading oneself that is, towards what you consider your aims. By developing the habit of concentrating on relevant activities you will build a platform to avoid distractions and become more productive and successful.

Habit 3 – put first things first®

Covey calls this the habit of personal management. This is about organising and implementing activities in line with the aims established in habit 2. Covey says that habit 2 is the first, or mental creation; habit 3 is the second, or physical creation.

Habit 4 – think win-win®

Covey calls this the habit of interpersonal leadership, necessary because achievements are largely dependent on co-operative efforts with others. He says that win-win is based on the assumption that there is plenty for everyone, and that success follows a co-operative approach more naturally than the confrontation of win-or-lose.

Habit 5 – seek first to understand and then to be understood®

One of the great maxims of the modern age. This is Covey’s habit of communication, and it’s extremely powerful. Covey helps to explain this in his simple analogy ‘diagnose before you prescribe’. Simple and effective, and essential for developing and maintaining positive relationships in all aspects of life.

Habit 6 – synergize®

Covey says this is the habit of creative co-operation – the principle that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, which implicitly lays down the challenge to see the good and potential in the other person’s contribution.

Habit 7 – sharpen the saw®

This is the habit of self renewal, says Covey, and it necessarily surrounds all the other habits, enabling and encouraging them to happen and grow. Covey interprets the self into four parts: the spiritual, mental, physical and the social/emotional, which all need feeding and developing.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to Anne Milton MP for officially opening our Entrepreneur School in Guildford last night. The event was held The University of Surrey – Continuing Education Centre.

The agenda for the evening was a follows:-

6.00pm – Registration and Meet & Greet Event Attendees

6.30pm – Welcome from Bradley and introduce Guildford Entrepreneur School Leader

6.40pm – Agenda and introductions by Peter Hartley (Guildford ES Leader)

6.45pm – Opening of the school by Anne Milton, MP (Shadow Health Minister)

6.55pm – “Looking Ahead” by Peter Hartley

7.05pm – “My Business and how I got there” – Speaker Dr Andrew Lucas

7.50pm – Coffee Break, Group Networking and Meet the Invited Professionals

8.30pm – Session Close

Anne Milton MP – Shadow Health Minister expressed her appreciation for entrepreneurs and the strength and courage that it takes to succeed and indeed bounce back from adversity. She also stressed that during any financial recession that the number of Mental Health cases rises significantly and she confirmed that it is a wide spread problem along with obesity and other mental and physical health issues. Anne was pleased to see a school for Entrepreneurs developing and would have loved to have been able to utilise a school for politicians when she started out her political career.

I was first to speak at the event and was pleased to share my own story of adversity from bankruptcy and beyond with all the attendees explaining my idea, how far we had come and I shared our aspirations of creating Regional Training Centres for Entrepreneurs for the future which might help decrease the business failure rates in the UK.

The Guildford School is being headed up by Mr Peter Hartley who is highly regarded and has a wealth of business and ex MOD based work experience. Peter is also passionate about the SME sector and particularly entrepreneurs. Peter faced his own personal adversity after caring and for his late wife who sadly passed away after being diagnosed with Cancer.

Peter is determined, kind, considerate and unmistakably determined and focused on helping to build Entrepreneur School now and in the near future. I am also pleased to say that he is now my friend.

With a BSc in Physics from Imperial College, Peter started in Business as a Graduate Engineer, collecting various post-Graduate Certificates and an MSc in his spare time. Peter spent some 37 years in corporate business, spanning most roles from basic Design and Development through to Test, Production, etc, before moving into Systems and Programme Management. The opportunities to travel around the world, supporting Marketing and carrying out contract negotiations, were used to great advantage. Having reached Cabinet level and 4* level contacts, he finally left international corporate business and took the Independent route, achieving the success and the work/leisure balance he wanted, with a Science and Technology Consultancy company.

Separately, the growing Business Consultancy, which he offers in conjunction with Entrepreneur School, is intended to provide support to others, whether via Tuition, CVs, Documentation, ICT and Websites, Assistance to find Investors, Commercial Analysis, Business Planning and Reviews.

Peter is currently working with SMEs to achieve major contracts (in excess of GB£40M) with the Primes; he is also setting up a complete Internet based business package as a Turnkey system for a Farmer who wishes to sell meat products directly to the public, providing ‘worthy individuals’ with CVs and websites, and still carrying out some Tuition work (the future lies in the Education of the young).

Peter’s hobbies include most Country sports, including fly-fishing (when he can catch the flies!) and breeding and working his gundogs. His garden is a place of continuous development, and he is now seeking a new house for a development project.

The Guildford Entrepreneur School speaker was Dr Andrew Lucas born in Melbourne, Australia in 1949, Andrew gained his Bachelor’s (Honours) Degree in Mechanical Engineering in Melbourne and later, his PhD in Aeronautical Engineering at Queens College, Cambridge University, UK.

After spending some 20 years in the UK and Australia, in a wide variety of high technology posts, including Associate Director of the Australian Artificial Intelligence Institute, Andrew formed his first company, Agent Oriented Software (AOS) Pty. Ltd., Melbourne in 1997. From that beginning, Andrew then extended his activities across the UK the USA. Andrew has over thirty years of experience in various engineering roles in aerospace, software, robotics and defence.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to Peter Hartley for putting so much energy into the night, Anne Milton MP for opening the school, Dr Andrew Lucas for delivering an inspiring and inspirational speech, the attendees, Robert Copping and Jeremy Webb who are also Entrepreneur School leaders and the team at MI for staying focused and dedicated during this very testing time and of course my family who keep pushing, driving and supporting me – without you none of this would be worth fighting for.

Dreams to Reality

Bradley Chapman – Founder

Million Impossible – Raw Magazine – Entrepreneur School

www.millionimpossible.com

Watch our latest video about Entrepreneur School

Watch Bradley Speaking at The British Library “Inspiring Entrepreneurs Event”

Have you pitched Simon Dolan Yet?

Simon Dolan went from paperboy to “Accountancy Guru” after he created SJD Accountancy now a multi million pound business that he started with just ten pounds. Simon’s firm currently employs around 150 people.

Simon is more than your average Entrepreneur, he runs a successful business and is now an active Business Angel investor. He has made the headlines recently offering a share of his £5 million investment fund to aspiring and experienced Entrepreneurs using Twitter.

When Simon was introduced to me I saw that he was not a high profile TV style Entrepreneur but something drew me to him and he kindly allowed me to run an interview. Read the Interview Here.

It was one of the most interesting interviews I have experienced. The reason I found it interesting was not because Simon is now a successful businessman but because he was listening to me and taking everything on board even though he had already gone through the adversity I spoke of. I could hear the cogs of thought, the calculation, the assessment of me and my business. It amazed me how quickly he grasped the concept of Million Impossible and took the time to ask about the business.

I was really inspired by the interview and have now had the pleasure of meeting Simon formally (I spilt coffee on his lovely reception floor at his offices) and I have met and interviewed his sister Lisa Keeble as well millionimpossible.com/entrepreneur-interviews.asp?iid=17″.

When you start a business it can be very difficult to secure investment and there are so many hoops to jump through. Simon has taken that myth and smashed it out of the ball park.

Simon Has Announced That He is Here & He is Here to Play!
I interviewed Simon again yesterday while he was enjoying a short break in Monaco with his family. I apologised for catching him on holiday and he said “No problem let’s talk”, that is the kind of support and availability you will get from Simon Dolan once you have passed the Twitter Test!

Read the rest of the interview and to find out how to pitch your idea to Simon Dolan then click here now

NEWS FLASH – Login to Million Impossible’s web site every day next week as we are giving our members an opportunity to pitch their business idea to a Private Entrepreneur Investor who has a £5 Million Pound pot available to invest in UK business opportunities. Do not miss your opportunity to secure investment from this high profile, success and driven UK Entrepreneur – Login and make your dreams a reality!

www.millionimpossible.com

I am pleased to announce that Anne Milton MP is to open Entrepreneur School Guildford.

Entrepreneur School – Guildford
Launches on Thursday 29th October and then every other Thursday at the same venue
Location: The University of Surrey
Tickets: On Sale NOW : http://esguildford.eventbrite.com

We now have a further 8 Entrepreneur Schools to go live during October and November 2009. |For further information about Entrepreneur School please click here

Million Impossible – The Entrepreneur Network

www.annemilton.com

Bradley Chapman came up with the idea of creating a UK and potentially a World leading Entrepreneur based support business back in 2007 after he had been through some major personal adversity after breaking up with the mother of his two children. Bradley had been involved in a wide range of businesses and had worked 6-7 days a week for most of his working career but found himself not being able to find one place that he could go to that would provide him with a cradle to the grave entrepreneur support network to help improve his chances of business success. He found that there were singular specific facilities available on the market but not one all encompassing entrepreneur based support service.

Million Impossible’s online network was born during November 2007 with zero members – but Bradley had a big dream that one day the company would become a world leading Entrepreneur Authority. Million Impossible have now progressed the business and offer both online networking (Million Impossible) , face to face networking (Entrepreneur School) and publish a business Magazine called (Raw Business Magazine) which features high profile Entrepreneurs like Rachel Elnaugh, Duncan Banatynne, Doug Richard and Max Clifford – The journey Is far from complete!

With the launch of Entrepreneur School Chelmsford in June 2008 and with 10,000 registered online members the business now has 10 ES school areas planned to go live during October and November 2009 with UK wide coverage planned by the end of 2010. Each school is run by an ES leader, who is also a Million Impossible online networking member. Attendance levels range from 15-30 people per event (held every two weeks) . As the exposure grows and the word spreads so will our attendance levels….

But that is not the final picture!

The company plans to open 3 regional Entrepreneur training centres during 2010 – one in the north, one in the midlands and one in the south. The residential training centres will be called “Entrepreneur School”. The schools will be syllabus lead with experienced and established entrepreneurs teaching aspiring entrepreneurs how to start up their business (safely). There will be a second tier syllabus for companies established under 2 years and a third tier master class for established business.

The Overall Aim!

To provide start up business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs with comprehensive start up knowledge using an initial training course. Upon leaving the course they gain automatic membership to an online network of 10,000 online contacts (continually growing) to do business and network with. The third benefit is Entrepreneur School local events which provides the Entrepreneurs with face to face networking opportunities – In fact everything that a business would need to start, grow and succeed!

Indeed cradle to the grave… or as Bradley suggests “Dreams to Reality”

YouTube VideosBradley speaking at the British Library “Inspiring Entrepreneurs”
Million Impossible at the “Business Startups Show”
“Entrepreneur School launch”

Million Impossible is currently building a new GLOBAL business networking website which is due to go live during Jan/ Feb 2010!

I am totally immersed in my goal of trying to create a “World Leading Entrepreneur Business” that i forget to say thank you to the ones i love..

Yes my emotions are running high and the pressure for my team and myself at this juncture for Million Impossible is immense. The struggle to build a business on a limited capital investment combined with fighting against the odds grows every day.

There are so many people that know my story but very few people that know the full and true story. It is a tough one to tell and i hope that one day i will be able to tell you all in graphic detail. My friedns investmed thier hard earned cash in a little idea called Million Impossible, our members have invested thier money in memberships looking to Million Impossible for immediate and long term benefits, my friedns have stood by me but there is one or two people that i do not say thank you too enough.

My sister Simy who believes so much in me it brings me to tears. My mum Brenda who has stood by me through all my sins and successes and my very loving supportive mrs Emma who has been a rock for me and our 4 children (the 5th is one the way).

It’s been an emotional day for me for one reason or another and while i am working in the office at 11.46pm as usual i put my Will Young CD on a this song hit me, made me cry and urged me to say thank you from the bottom of my heart – between you three ladies “You have put my Bones back together”. Thanks for being there – I love you all so much

From a son a brother and lover and father
143 Forever

Braddles – Keep believing in me, you are my rocks x x x x
www.millionimpossible.com

During the last four months I seem to have gone to hell and back. Two back to back burglaries in our current building, delayed lease on our new building, staffing issues, increasingly challenging revenue against cost targets. My recent workload is reaching unbearable levels which see me working crazy hours through the night and then missing parts of the day from being disorganised. From merchant service issues to dealing with the stigma of post bankruptcy…

Does mind over matter really play a major part in my day or with the business being nearly two years in have we reached the point that so many businesses fail to overcome?

I think that it is probably a mixture of the two. Mind over matter is very important as each day we face ultimate challenges that seem Impossible to overcome and equally we seem to have reached a point where we need to consolidate our brand and our values.

I have made so many mistakes with Million Impossible and our offshoot businesses that you can often forget to look at your successes. I know that I have learned a great deal in the process and indeed added to my existing skill set but at what true cost?

Time money, energy, passion and personal and business relationships could have all been cultivated and nourished much more beneficially. I find that I shield my true thoughts and try to be strong for others that are perhaps not as strong and experienced commercially – yet I preach that by not showing your true thoughts is a weakness, so am I being weak when I should be strong or am I actually being strong?

For those that have followed the Million Impossible journey you will know that we have come such a long way and have had to face and overcome many hurdles, some of which you know about and some you don’t.
I am thinking to myself right now “MIND OVER MATTER – MIND OVER MATTER” my goal is to create the Worlds leading Entrepreneur Business Networking website and Entrepreneur based publishing company “EVERYTHING ENTREPRENEUR” a website that entrepreneurs come to from all around the world because we have something that they want……….

I am also thinking selfishly to myself that my old job gave me so much money. I was employed at a corporate level. I was brought in to turn businesses around and after six months I had turned them.. Luxurious cars, great home, meals out, great clothes, holidays and money to treat my loved ones……….. but that would be just too easy and I do not think I would enjoy it anymore.

I have come this far we have a good team, a good product and an exploding market and all we need now is a little investment, some decent operational controls, a steady growth plan and we could achieve our ambition.

It is in my experience exactly these of wobbly thought patterns that see businesses and the entrepreneurs that run them FAIL and that is why I must continue, I must not falter an I must find a way.

So yes I do believe that MIND OVER MATTER plays a massive part of an Entrepreneurs business journey.
Do you have any thoughts on mind over matter, is there a commercial term for it and would you like to present a seminar at one of our Entrepreneur Schools to au audience of willing listeners. I would also like to features this person on our web site www.millionimpossible.com under our Mi features section.
Please email me at Bradley@millionimpossible.com or leave a comment.

Dreams to Reality
Bradley Chapman – Founder
www.millionimpossible.com

Read the latest edition of Raw Business Magazine featuring Doug Richard former Dragons Den Investor here

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