In my experience, now is the perfect time to be thinking about how to improve and grow your business in 2009. It’s time to review your progress during the last 12 months and begin to think strategically about the year ahead.
Did 2008 bring you the success and growth you desired? If not, why?
Many times entrepreneurs spend their every waking moment running the day-to-day operations of their business. Very little time, if any, is designated for thinking and planning. And yet, 80% of businesses that have a business and marketing plan, and use it, will reach their goals.
Wouldn’t you like to be one of those companies?
In order to ”get there” you first must take the time to figure out where you want your business to be in the next 12 months. Do you have certain revenue goals? Staffing goals? Vacation or number of days you want to be able to take? How much money does your business have to generate in order for your to take out the ”salary’” you desire? How many people do you have to employ, and what skill sets do they need to have in order for you to take time away from the business?
By spending the time now, before the New Year, business owners can ensure that come January 1st, their road ahead is clearly in sight. Entrepreneurs should also begin strategically thinking about the long-term. These days, that can mean three to five years, but for those business owners who are thinking about retirement, planning now for retirement is essential.
In the world of entrepreneurship ”retirement” is probably the wrong word. In fact, I know of few entrepreneurs that ever retire, but in any case, what do you want to do with your business when you want to go off and do other things?
Whether you’re planning on selling your business, handing it down to Junior, or simply closing its doors, pre-planning is essential for a smooth and effective transition.
By developing and implementing a strategic marketing system and staffing it appropriately, you can cover the bases.
Following are our four favourite reasons to develop a system for your marketing:
1. You get really clear on who you are and why certain prospects should do business with you.
2. You identify areas and markets where the greatest opportunities exist, and develop strategies for capitalizing on them.
3. Your entire team will get a clear shot of the big picture and how it positively impacts them.
4. Your business will show higher profits.
Revolutionizing the way small businesses grow.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Get Over Your Hero Complex in Time for a New Year
Last week I had an interesting experience with a client who was getting so bogged down with serving everyone else, she was forgetting the most important person, herself. It called to mind a recent article by my good friend Jude Smiley of Rainmakers and Beyond Bitch. Here it is:
Having a hero complex; the fifth fatal flaw
Remember the Bonnie Tyler song, “I Need a Hero”? With a great beat and an amazing voice, Bonnie Tyler verbalized what many women have been ingrained to believe, that we are all looking for and needing a hero.
We are waiting for a knight in shining armor that shows up on a high, beautiful and fast horse to whisk us away to his glorious castle high in the clouds. There we would be held in the highest esteem, with people and things at our disposal. We would be free of stress, free of work, and responsibility. Content to eat bon-bons, shop the world, do all the things we want to and have the universe at our command.
We have been taught to fantasize glorious gowns, wedding ceremonies, and handfuls of cherub children all fresh and clean and happy. Money and things we desire would magically appear before we even were aware of our desire. We would want for nothing.
Every fairly tale and children’s story reads the same way. A hero appears and rescues us once and for all. We live happily ever after.
But then we grew up. The fables got buried deep into our minds and we began to begrudgingly read them to our children. Knowing and feeling deep down that what we were presenting to our kids was not reality. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White got put onto a shelf.
Our realities told us that Prince Charming wasn’t coming. He didn’t exist. Our mothers and other women role models decided to take a stand. They began telling us that we needed to become our own hero. They said nobody is going to take care of you. If you want something, you have to get it for yourself.
And so, we picked ourselves up and declared, “I AM the HERO of my OWN life!” And that was great; for a while.
Deep down we still craved the idea of being taken care of, being looked after, not being ‘on our own’. So women decided that instead they would become the hero for everyone around them. Our children, our parents, our spouses and partners, our clients, our staff; we put their needs before our own.
“I’m here to help – it’s what I do!” you shout. And so we do, and do and do and do. But deep deep down, there’s a small voice inside or maybe an urge you are feeling, saying ‘there is more to life than this.’
Where are the rewards, the fulfillment, the money, the accolades, and the abundance? Until your wondering becomes complaining and the more you complain the more things you find to complain about. Then complaining turns to ranting and rage, to resentment and bitterness. Until finally, you find yourself unhappy, alone and back to fantasizing about a hero who can take you away from all of it.
Sound familiar?
I’m sorry ladies, but this cycle is one I have heard hundreds and hundreds of times. From my clients, my friends, and yes even myself at one time or another. But there is another way. The fables weren’t all wrong, and neither were our mothers who told us not to believe in them. You can be the hero of your own life. In fact, I like to refer to you as the White Knight and Leader of your own life. But many of you have swung the pendulum too far, and have taken on a hero complex. It is this ‘complex’ that is the fifth fatal flaw that holds women entrepreneurs back from the success and fulfillment they desire.
Thankfully, there are many positive attributes of a hero that you can take into your life, but when the needs of others consistently get put before your own, you are heading down a compulsive and what psychologists call a pathological road. Getting distracted and going down this road is one of the largest barriers to success that women entrepreneurs face, and until it is overcome, success and fulfillment is unattainable.
A complex is when you have an unmanageable compulsion to help others and make the world right, even at the sacrifice of your own health, wealth and well being. While wanting to help others is very positive, it does have many negative implications. Specifically, if your high standards and ‘must do it all myself’ mentality leads to overextension, depression and withdrawal. Those women who are plagued by a hero complex feel great guilt when presented with a choice between doing something for themselves and doing something for others.
I am not advocating bitchy selfishness. In fact, it is my hope that you will take the positive attributes of the White Knight and the Leader and use them in your business and in your life. That is what Beyond Bitch is about, becoming the leader of your own life and developing your inspired leadership traits that will help you make quantum leaps in your income, your time off and your personal satisfaction. And developing these traits in a short, easy to implement, systematic way that generates results immediately. Visit www.beyond-bitch.com and speak to my good friend Jude.
Having a hero complex; the fifth fatal flaw
Remember the Bonnie Tyler song, “I Need a Hero”? With a great beat and an amazing voice, Bonnie Tyler verbalized what many women have been ingrained to believe, that we are all looking for and needing a hero.
We are waiting for a knight in shining armor that shows up on a high, beautiful and fast horse to whisk us away to his glorious castle high in the clouds. There we would be held in the highest esteem, with people and things at our disposal. We would be free of stress, free of work, and responsibility. Content to eat bon-bons, shop the world, do all the things we want to and have the universe at our command.
We have been taught to fantasize glorious gowns, wedding ceremonies, and handfuls of cherub children all fresh and clean and happy. Money and things we desire would magically appear before we even were aware of our desire. We would want for nothing.
Every fairly tale and children’s story reads the same way. A hero appears and rescues us once and for all. We live happily ever after.
But then we grew up. The fables got buried deep into our minds and we began to begrudgingly read them to our children. Knowing and feeling deep down that what we were presenting to our kids was not reality. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White got put onto a shelf.
Our realities told us that Prince Charming wasn’t coming. He didn’t exist. Our mothers and other women role models decided to take a stand. They began telling us that we needed to become our own hero. They said nobody is going to take care of you. If you want something, you have to get it for yourself.
And so, we picked ourselves up and declared, “I AM the HERO of my OWN life!” And that was great; for a while.
Deep down we still craved the idea of being taken care of, being looked after, not being ‘on our own’. So women decided that instead they would become the hero for everyone around them. Our children, our parents, our spouses and partners, our clients, our staff; we put their needs before our own.
“I’m here to help – it’s what I do!” you shout. And so we do, and do and do and do. But deep deep down, there’s a small voice inside or maybe an urge you are feeling, saying ‘there is more to life than this.’
Where are the rewards, the fulfillment, the money, the accolades, and the abundance? Until your wondering becomes complaining and the more you complain the more things you find to complain about. Then complaining turns to ranting and rage, to resentment and bitterness. Until finally, you find yourself unhappy, alone and back to fantasizing about a hero who can take you away from all of it.
Sound familiar?
I’m sorry ladies, but this cycle is one I have heard hundreds and hundreds of times. From my clients, my friends, and yes even myself at one time or another. But there is another way. The fables weren’t all wrong, and neither were our mothers who told us not to believe in them. You can be the hero of your own life. In fact, I like to refer to you as the White Knight and Leader of your own life. But many of you have swung the pendulum too far, and have taken on a hero complex. It is this ‘complex’ that is the fifth fatal flaw that holds women entrepreneurs back from the success and fulfillment they desire.
Thankfully, there are many positive attributes of a hero that you can take into your life, but when the needs of others consistently get put before your own, you are heading down a compulsive and what psychologists call a pathological road. Getting distracted and going down this road is one of the largest barriers to success that women entrepreneurs face, and until it is overcome, success and fulfillment is unattainable.
A complex is when you have an unmanageable compulsion to help others and make the world right, even at the sacrifice of your own health, wealth and well being. While wanting to help others is very positive, it does have many negative implications. Specifically, if your high standards and ‘must do it all myself’ mentality leads to overextension, depression and withdrawal. Those women who are plagued by a hero complex feel great guilt when presented with a choice between doing something for themselves and doing something for others.
I am not advocating bitchy selfishness. In fact, it is my hope that you will take the positive attributes of the White Knight and the Leader and use them in your business and in your life. That is what Beyond Bitch is about, becoming the leader of your own life and developing your inspired leadership traits that will help you make quantum leaps in your income, your time off and your personal satisfaction. And developing these traits in a short, easy to implement, systematic way that generates results immediately. Visit www.beyond-bitch.com and speak to my good friend Jude.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
The Gift of Referrals
Ho Ho Ho! The holiday season is upon us. If you have been working on getting your greetings cards and holiday gifts out…..have you considered having them help you to generate referrals for your business?
With so much fluff and junk out there, using every touch point with an existing customer can be a great way to remind clients of the referrals you are looking for.
According to our Ultimate Marketing System there are two key sources to draw upon when looking for referrals: your existing clients and your networking partners. Who among your ‘list’ can get you in front of your target prospects?
The biggest thing we have found to generate referrals is that you must be ‘deserving’ of them. What have you done this year to help your clients reach their goals?
Thank them for a great year, and talk about the goals you’ve met together. Remind them of the insights the year has brought, as well as the achievements.
Then say, “This year gave us a lot to be thankful for. If you believe we have added to your success, we hope you will introduce us to colleagues and companies who can benefit as you have done.”
If you can make your holiday greetings and gifts part of your referral strategy next year is bound to generate results.
Give it a try.
With so much fluff and junk out there, using every touch point with an existing customer can be a great way to remind clients of the referrals you are looking for.
According to our Ultimate Marketing System there are two key sources to draw upon when looking for referrals: your existing clients and your networking partners. Who among your ‘list’ can get you in front of your target prospects?
The biggest thing we have found to generate referrals is that you must be ‘deserving’ of them. What have you done this year to help your clients reach their goals?
Thank them for a great year, and talk about the goals you’ve met together. Remind them of the insights the year has brought, as well as the achievements.
Then say, “This year gave us a lot to be thankful for. If you believe we have added to your success, we hope you will introduce us to colleagues and companies who can benefit as you have done.”
If you can make your holiday greetings and gifts part of your referral strategy next year is bound to generate results.
Give it a try.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The Art of Lead Generation
While the concept of lead generation is unlikely to be new to any small business owner, effective lead generation, or the art of turning “suspects” into actual “prospects” who need and want what you have to offer seems to evade many.
Why? Because there is no magic bullet. What works for one company may not work for another. Unfortunately this means you will have to try a variety of approaches in order to find one that works for you and sticks — and keep in mind, what worked last year may not work this year, so constant reviewing, measuring and refining will be necessary.
Following are some of our favorite ways to help clients develop their lead generation initiatives:
1. Contact every media outlet in your market and request a media kit to start comparing different forms of advertising.
2. Look to your clients and their problems and frustrations for ideas then create one or more “hot topic” information products for your market.
3. Ask your current clients what publications they read to help you determine where you should consider placing your advertising, or submitting articles.
4. Create several direct response promotions such as ads, direct mail, or email campaigns.
5. Create a lead generation initiatives calendar based on your desired results and budget.
…and most importantly,
6. create a system to track your responses.
Good luck, and please do send us what has worked the best for you!
Why? Because there is no magic bullet. What works for one company may not work for another. Unfortunately this means you will have to try a variety of approaches in order to find one that works for you and sticks — and keep in mind, what worked last year may not work this year, so constant reviewing, measuring and refining will be necessary.
Following are some of our favorite ways to help clients develop their lead generation initiatives:
1. Contact every media outlet in your market and request a media kit to start comparing different forms of advertising.
2. Look to your clients and their problems and frustrations for ideas then create one or more “hot topic” information products for your market.
3. Ask your current clients what publications they read to help you determine where you should consider placing your advertising, or submitting articles.
4. Create several direct response promotions such as ads, direct mail, or email campaigns.
5. Create a lead generation initiatives calendar based on your desired results and budget.
…and most importantly,
6. create a system to track your responses.
Good luck, and please do send us what has worked the best for you!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)