Can "Anyone do it"

[Location114]

So I have just started reading Duncan Bannatynes "Anyone can do it" book and thought can they really?

 

I really like Duncan because he really seems to be a poor come rich guy! but i know that although it worked for him it never would for me.

 

I have tried several small business ideas and never really made anything from it which is most likely due to the fact i have NO business skills but niether did he at the start?

 

So do you personally think that "Anyone can do it"?

 

 

I would be interested to know of any good business stories relating to this kind of thing.

[HeadingNorth]

I don't believe that "anybody" can be successful, but that's because I view ambition, like talent, as something that you might possess inherently or might not.

 

People with not much inherent talent can train and improve it, if they're ambitious; people born with no inherent ambition can't learn to be ambitious, because if they had any desire to be ambitious it would mean they weren't born with a lack of ambition.

 

Trevor Hemmings was a jobbing builder who, at a very early stage of his career, built a house with his own hands, from start to finish. Then he sold it, and used part of the money to build another house. He sold that one .. and so on .. then he started employing builders to do it for him, and now in his seventies he's worth upwards of a billion pounds and owns a large chunk of Blackpool.

 

I could have learnt how to build houses. I could never have learnt to be willing to work that hard, for that many years, in order to become rich and successful.

[davi]

Sometimes when people are successful (however you measure it) they can at times be described as lucky. But for the most part having "good luck" is when preparation meets opportunity. But it is definately the case that some people live more for the moment, whilst others tend to plan aspire to longer term objectives. It is also interesting to note that Duncan has admitted to have been depressed whilst being very successful. Personally I don`t think that you have to work any harder than what is neccesary to live the life style you want to live. Work too hard and it becomes counter-productive.

[Location114]

Yes i completely understand what your saying here because I have no business talent but i am very ambitious and i think that one day this will make me succesful.

 

Dont get me wrong im not particularly fussed about making millions of pounds i just want to make enough money to live a good life. Ie own a nice car, house, job, and go on holidays.

 

Its nice to hear Trevors story so thanks alot for that.

 

 

 

I don't believe that "anybody" can be successful, but that's because I view ambition, like talent, as something that you might possess inherently or might not.

 

People with not much inherent talent can train and improve it, if they're ambitious; people born with no inherent ambition can't learn to be ambitious, because if they had any desire to be ambitious it would mean they weren't born with a lack of ambition.

 

Trevor Hemmings was a jobbing builder who, at a very early stage of his career, built a house with his own hands, from start to finish. Then he sold it, and used part of the money to build another house. He sold that one .. and so on .. then he started employing builders to do it for him, and now in his seventies he's worth upwards of a billion pounds and owns a large chunk of Blackpool.

 

I could have learnt how to build houses. I could never have learnt to be willing to work that hard, for that many years, in order to become rich and successful.

[quisquose]

Ambitious for what though?

 

Money, fame, to be the best, or happiness?

 

If it's the latter, as it is in my case, then the former might help but it might also hinder it. Lack of ambition might actually be a realistic assessment. That's my excuse anyway.

[Location114]

I consider succesful for me to have enough money so that me and my family can live a good life but i wouldnt sacrifice happiness for that its not even a question id consider.

 

I just want people to remember me when i pass away for something good ive done in my life.

 

Now wether thats the fact ive never let my family go hungry or wether its the fact ive donated £10million to charity it doesnt matter to me i just aspire to be remembered for one of the positive things ive done.

 

Ambitious for what though?

 

Money, fame, to be the best, or happiness?

 

If it's the latter, as it is in my case, then the former might help but it might also hinder it. Lack of ambition might actually be a realistic assessment. That's my excuse anyway.

[epiphany]

I saw an interview with Duncan Bannatyne and he actually said "making millions is easy". I would dispute that. Perhaps it's easy in retrospect, when you can look back at your achievements from the position of success, you perhaps forget about just how much "blood sweat and tears" went into it.

 

Someone (I forget who) once said "being successful is simple, but it's not easy". So I think what Bannatyne means is, the actual process of becoming successful is not complex, even if the actual work involved is hard.

 

I strongly believe that talent is not a prerequisite of success. Hard work and developing a skill will get you where you want to be. You might think this is a crap example, but Will Smith is an outspoken believer in hard work over "raw talent". He is fully aware he is far from the most talented in his field, but he puts his success down to what he calls a "sickening work ethic". When someone else is sleeping, he's working. When someone else is dossing around, he's working.

 

Skill and hard work trumps natural talent any day. As long as you have the means to develop your skill, I believe anyone can do it.

 

This is partly why I believe if we are to have a society based on equal opportunity (not outcome), the means to developing a skill must be open to every single one of us.

[HeadingNorth]

Ambitious for what though?

 

Money, fame, to be the best, or happiness?

 

If it's the latter, as it is in my case, then the former might help but it might also hinder it. Lack of ambition might actually be a realistic assessment. That's my excuse anyway.

 

You may have a valid point. I worked, save money, and now I have a small income and don't work. I'm not anywhere near rich - I don't even have a big enough income to have to pay income tax on it - but I live comfortably, and happily. You might well consider me to have been ambitious just to achieve that much - I certainly never had any desire to work 16-hour days for years on end so that I could owning a string of racehorses. I'd like to own a string of racehorses - but I don't want it enough to spend decades working on it.

[tinfoilhat]

So I have just started reading Duncan Bannatynes "Anyone can do it" book and thought can they really?

 

I really like Duncan because he really seems to be a poor come rich guy! but i know that although it worked for him it never would for me.

 

I have tried several small business ideas and never really made anything from it which is most likely due to the fact i have NO business skills but niether did he at the start?

 

So do you personally think that "Anyone can do it"?

 

 

I would be interested to know of any good business stories relating to this kind of thing.

 

If you went to a bank manager in this country and asked for a loan after you told them you had three failed businesses their brow would furrow and you'd get a big stamp on your application saying failed.

 

In the states they become interested with that fact and ask what you learned, then if you gave a decent answer, give you the loan. They see it as a learning experience and we see it as a failure.

 

Anyone can do it, but not everyone can do it, if that makes sense. It's not just working every hour god sends but working smarter (I'm not very good at the last bit, which is why I'm not a millionaire)