Lindsey's post from the other day reminded us about the importance of undertaking that daily routine and constant repetition of the practices we discuss in Trucker Management - doing that Circle Check of your business space regularly to check on its condition, and looking at your Dashboard often for the most recent measurement of the different aspects of your business.
Last night, after teaching a class at the local college, I was headed for a lazy-man's dinner from a drive-thru at a fast food chain. Taped up on their menu board was a piece of paper with a typed notice that said: "Today, October 28th, the restaurant will be closing at 10pm and re-opening tomorrow, October 29th at 7am." Problem was, I saw this notice at about 8:45pm on October 29th.
Such "expired" notices on businesses is one of my pet peeves, and was a big part of the motivation behind looking to develop the Circle Check to help business owners avoid such things by having an easy tool to use each day to check out their premises. Obviously, here was a business that had NOT done a Circle Check at any time on October 29th, or they would have removed this expired note.
This is surprising that it would happen with an international fast food chain, whose rules and regulations are usually so strict, and their routines so entrenched. But, it goes to show, that kind of lack of attention or apathy can settle in to any business. Did you outperform this international franchise today by doing the proper Circle Check of your business?
Be a good driver!
Yesterday I presented a workshop in Barrie Ontario on networking. Driving there and back (and getting lost in the middle) I was on the road for 8 hours. Not a lot of excitement along the way, but one road sign did stick out and made me think about our book. I didn't have my camera and even in today's world of technology I can't seem to track down an image of it to share, but it said "Be a good driver, check your truck daily."
That fits so perfectly with the analogy we use in the book. "Be a good business owner, check your business (inside and out) daily." When was the last time you did a circle check or looked down at your dashboard?
That fits so perfectly with the analogy we use in the book. "Be a good business owner, check your business (inside and out) daily." When was the last time you did a circle check or looked down at your dashboard?
Kelowna a Success!
Last week Matt and I took the trip out west to train a bunch of young professionals on building an efficient and successful team. The challenge was called 'Assembling Success'. Now, we've done this exercise all over the world to over 150 people and this one had them all beat!
Without giving away all our trade secrets, the objective is loosely around trying to make as many products in the allotted amount of time. Typically we see anywhere from 1-10. I think the count on this team... over 30 (before the stealing rampage began that is).
I'm not sure why this team was more effective, but they sure assembled a successful team! Good work!
PS. Check out our new website - www.igniteyoursmallbiz.ca.
Not just a book anymore!
Ok, so we never were just a book, but now our website shows that. IGNITE Consulting now has a website with just a page about the book (Trucker Management for those that don't have a copy yet). It provides information on our training, speaking engagements and who we are. So have a peek - let us know what you think - www.igniteyoursmallbiz.com.
On another note, Matt and I are off to Kelowna tomorrow to do another training session for JCI called Assembling Success. Next week we'll post some pictures. In the meantime, we're still looking for training opportunities, so if you know of any let us know!
On another note, Matt and I are off to Kelowna tomorrow to do another training session for JCI called Assembling Success. Next week we'll post some pictures. In the meantime, we're still looking for training opportunities, so if you know of any let us know!
Listen to your CB - People are talking
Last weekend I participated in the Women's Art Festival. Throughout the day I had many people talk to me about the difficulty finding beach glass now a days with all the recycling and plastic. They also told me about all different sources of media talking about this.
I was completely unaware of any media covering anything about beach glass; and being a beach glass artist this is really important for me to know. I could be missing opportunities to be featured as an expert, showcase some of my rare pieces or even just be in the know when customers talk about the media story. So I may not have been successful in listening to my radio (in this case it was literally the radio, not just a metaphor, and some print) to catch the media stories, but at least I was listening to my CB and heard my customers talking about it.
Here's one of the stories one of the customers passed on to me from the Art Festival. It was in National Geographic Magazine.
PS - if you're wondering where the CB / Radio analogy comes from.. from our book Trucker Management.
Simple = Effective (The "duh" Factor)
Sometimes the most simple ideas are the ones that seem to elude us the most, but also prove to be the most effective.
I was in a parking garage in Ottawa this week, and saw an idea so simple in execution and so obvious in solving a problem, but yet is the only place I've ever seen it.
A common source of frustration, even comedy (thanks to a Seinfeld episode), is the notion of trying to remember where you parked your car when entering a large store or shopping mall. They have invented gadgets for our keychains to help us find our cars in crowded lots, and they have numbered and lettered lanes and aisles and levels of parking lots. Yet still we often seem resigned to the fact that this frustration is simply all part of the experience we face when entering such a parking lot or structure.
The one I was in the other day had a very simple wall-mounted dispenser beside the elevator of little paper cards pre-printed with the level, sector and side (east or west) of where you had just parked your car within this massive garage that spanned an entire city block. Those waiting with me for the elevator must have wondered a little about my sanity when I exclaimed "Duh! Of course!" out loud. But the idea, so simple, and so obvious once presented, struck me full on. How could this not be in EVERY parking garage in the world by now??
What aspects of doing business with you have people perhaps simply resigned themselves to enduring as an unavoidable part of the experience, that maybe, just maybe, such an easy solution exists for you to resolve this for them?
I was in a parking garage in Ottawa this week, and saw an idea so simple in execution and so obvious in solving a problem, but yet is the only place I've ever seen it.
A common source of frustration, even comedy (thanks to a Seinfeld episode), is the notion of trying to remember where you parked your car when entering a large store or shopping mall. They have invented gadgets for our keychains to help us find our cars in crowded lots, and they have numbered and lettered lanes and aisles and levels of parking lots. Yet still we often seem resigned to the fact that this frustration is simply all part of the experience we face when entering such a parking lot or structure.
The one I was in the other day had a very simple wall-mounted dispenser beside the elevator of little paper cards pre-printed with the level, sector and side (east or west) of where you had just parked your car within this massive garage that spanned an entire city block. Those waiting with me for the elevator must have wondered a little about my sanity when I exclaimed "Duh! Of course!" out loud. But the idea, so simple, and so obvious once presented, struck me full on. How could this not be in EVERY parking garage in the world by now??
What aspects of doing business with you have people perhaps simply resigned themselves to enduring as an unavoidable part of the experience, that maybe, just maybe, such an easy solution exists for you to resolve this for them?
The Birdhouse Challenge in Jasper Indiana
Matt and I presented a full day of workshops in July in Jasper Indiana. Over 50 people were at the conference. One of the sessions was the Birdhouse Challenge where teams are paired off to live the life of an entrepreneur from start to finish, concluding with promoting their product. In the 70 or so times we have done this session, we have never had a team actually make a commercial...until now. So here it is.
How the dashboard came into play this week
Yesterday I submitted my letter of resignation as the Manager of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre. A big step. In doing so, the Dashboard as we discuss in Trucker Management was in full action:
1. Roadmap - a plan to get to where you are headed (I had a business case and had several critics review and challenge it)
2. Logbook - record of where you've been (I looked over my accomplishments over the past 3 years to see if I had completed my original objectives)
3. Fuel Gauge - how long can you operate with the resources you have (I reviewed mine and my families to see if we had the energy and ambition to continue on the same path or move on)
4. Battery Power Gauge - what contingencies are available? (This was really important, what if this plan doesn't work, what will we do?)
5. Trip Meter - how long have you been on this particular journey (When I started the position I thought I would maybe be there 6 months, not 3 years. I enjoyed it for a long time, so I stayed, but when it became 'work' it was time to leave.)
6. Air Vents - rejuvenation and refreshment (A need for this was at the core of the decision.)
7. Most importantly CB / Dispatch - assistance. Running any type of business, and especially starting something new takes a team (even a proprietorship). So this decision includes friends and my family's support and encouragement.
I am excited to see where this new road will take me!
1. Roadmap - a plan to get to where you are headed (I had a business case and had several critics review and challenge it)
2. Logbook - record of where you've been (I looked over my accomplishments over the past 3 years to see if I had completed my original objectives)
3. Fuel Gauge - how long can you operate with the resources you have (I reviewed mine and my families to see if we had the energy and ambition to continue on the same path or move on)
4. Battery Power Gauge - what contingencies are available? (This was really important, what if this plan doesn't work, what will we do?)
5. Trip Meter - how long have you been on this particular journey (When I started the position I thought I would maybe be there 6 months, not 3 years. I enjoyed it for a long time, so I stayed, but when it became 'work' it was time to leave.)
6. Air Vents - rejuvenation and refreshment (A need for this was at the core of the decision.)
7. Most importantly CB / Dispatch - assistance. Running any type of business, and especially starting something new takes a team (even a proprietorship). So this decision includes friends and my family's support and encouragement.
I am excited to see where this new road will take me!
Book Signing Event
This coming Thursday, June 5th from 5pm-7pm we will be doing a book signing event at Chapters (near Smitty's in Kingston) as part of their 10 year anniversary celebrations. Come learn about the book, future plans for Matt and I and get a signed copy.
Marketers are the ones that don't know what BRANDING is!
I recently went to see a high paid speaker who is one of Canada's most well-known and wealthy marketing gurus and I was disappointed - yet again the marketing world has confused what BRANDING really means. She spent half of her talk discussing how non-marketing experts have a hard time figuring out what branding means and that only true professionals really know how to define it. Well, she's wrong. Marketers are confused and everyone else has it straight; and I can say this after owning a marketing company for years. Marketers have made the concept so complicated and tried to appear smart, but have gotten so far from the true definition even they don't know what it really is. She was trying to say that branding is the way others would describe your company when they see an ad or commercial - in other words what's the word on the street about your business, and what do the employees say it's about. I would argue this is your culture not your brand.
A brand, plain and simple, is a marking (burned or not as you see below) that labels something to a certain person / business. In others words, no matter how hard marketers try to tell you it's not about your logo - it is! You design a brand and stamp it everywhere. Whereas your culture is created over time and can't be designed, it simple happens based on the environment you create about and around your business.
Here's the true definition of brand according to http://dnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn:
trade name: a name given to a product or service
identification mark on skin, made by burning
burn with a branding iron to indicate ownership; of animals
a piece of wood that has been burned or is burning
mark: a symbol of disgrace or infamy; "And the Lord set a mark upon Cain"--Genesis
A brand, plain and simple, is a marking (burned or not as you see below) that labels something to a certain person / business. In others words, no matter how hard marketers try to tell you it's not about your logo - it is! You design a brand and stamp it everywhere. Whereas your culture is created over time and can't be designed, it simple happens based on the environment you create about and around your business.
Here's the true definition of brand according to http://dnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn:
trade name: a name given to a product or service
identification mark on skin, made by burning
burn with a branding iron to indicate ownership; of animals
a piece of wood that has been burned or is burning
mark: a symbol of disgrace or infamy; "And the Lord set a mark upon Cain"--Genesis
Expanding your circle check...and how we broke our own rules!
I was driving past a bus stop bench in town the other day that had advertising on it, but with all of the snowfall we have had here, the sign was almost completely invisible. The poor realtor (I think that's what was advertised) who paid for that sign for this month has been tossing money away, since no one can see it.
If they had expanded their Circle Checks of their "business", to include any offsite locations where their business is "present", and checked in on this sign, they could have gone and cleared the snow away themselves, so that their money wasn't being wasted. Its one thing to do your Circle Checks around your "main" business space, but any other physical presence you have should also be regularly reviewed.
And we're guilty of this ourselves..... We had created a Facebook event for our upcoming Kingston small business training on March 27th, but we both failed to notice that somehow it got posted in Facebook as March 17th. It wasn't until a potential attendee told us it said the 17th, that we knew it was incorrect....despite both of us having viewed the page several times. More evidence of the need for Circle Checks - those objective timeouts to view things differently, where you can spot problems that you might not notice in a quick passing glimpse.
Aside from your office or shop, where else are you "present" that you need to check up on today?
If they had expanded their Circle Checks of their "business", to include any offsite locations where their business is "present", and checked in on this sign, they could have gone and cleared the snow away themselves, so that their money wasn't being wasted. Its one thing to do your Circle Checks around your "main" business space, but any other physical presence you have should also be regularly reviewed.
And we're guilty of this ourselves..... We had created a Facebook event for our upcoming Kingston small business training on March 27th, but we both failed to notice that somehow it got posted in Facebook as March 17th. It wasn't until a potential attendee told us it said the 17th, that we knew it was incorrect....despite both of us having viewed the page several times. More evidence of the need for Circle Checks - those objective timeouts to view things differently, where you can spot problems that you might not notice in a quick passing glimpse.
Aside from your office or shop, where else are you "present" that you need to check up on today?
Support for the Circle Check
Recently we heard a presentation about the principles of lean manufacturing by Jim Beswick of Calgary, who helps companies become more efficient and successful by focusing on the processes and aspects of their business that lead to things that are truly valued by their customers, and minimize the time spent doing all the other "stuff" that customers don't care about.
One of the tools he talked about was an observation checklist, a tool he uses with businesses to have people simply stand still for a moment and watch what goes on, identifying things that are not working well, or efforts that are wasteful.
We were amazed at how similar this approach was to our own Circle Check, a tool that forces you to take that objective time out and stand back to look at your business space with fresh eyes. This approach of taking a break to see things as you don't normally see them amidst the mad day-to-day rush of work and business, is a necessary step to get a full view of your business, whether its monitoring the conditions of your physical space as with our Circle Check, or whether its reviewing efficiencies and waste as with Jim's work.
When was the last time you stood back and just "watched" your business?
One of the tools he talked about was an observation checklist, a tool he uses with businesses to have people simply stand still for a moment and watch what goes on, identifying things that are not working well, or efforts that are wasteful.
We were amazed at how similar this approach was to our own Circle Check, a tool that forces you to take that objective time out and stand back to look at your business space with fresh eyes. This approach of taking a break to see things as you don't normally see them amidst the mad day-to-day rush of work and business, is a necessary step to get a full view of your business, whether its monitoring the conditions of your physical space as with our Circle Check, or whether its reviewing efficiencies and waste as with Jim's work.
When was the last time you stood back and just "watched" your business?
Always look close to home
During our world tour this past year, Matt and I have traveled all over North America and even some in Europe. At these events our average book sales ratio is 1:6. Lately we have been doing more training and speaking events closer to home (one because our family have said so and two because people have started asking for it) and suddenly our sales ratio is 1:4 and sometimes even better.
So even though the travelling is fun and exciting and sometimes can be easier (I know strange but true), it's important for every business to look close to home. What opportunities lie right in your backyard that you haven't seen yet?
So with that said... here's some information on our upcoming Kingston workshop.
Thu, Mar 27, 2008
8:30 AM - 11:00 AM
$60 (includes snacks, 2 training sessions, autographed copy of Trucker Management)
A Day in the Life Contingency Planning for your Small Business
In this interactive seminar, participants roleplay a full day of operations in a small business, brainstorming actions and reactions as everything that can go wrong does. By the end of the seminar, participants will be well equipped to transfer the lessons learned back to their own businesses, ensuring they have all of the necessary contingency plans in place to avoid costly disruptions. Useful tools that participants can immediately implement in their businesses will be provided as take-away resources.
Assembling Success
Do you have what it takes to lead your team to victory? Successful organizations depend on quick-thinking leaders, an ability to recognize strengths and weaknesses of team members, and plans that allocate resources for maximum efficiency. This fun and fast-paced session has teams competing to design and execute an assembly line, and get quality products to market more quickly than the others while facing unique challenges associated with the abilities of each team member. The lessons illustrated by this exercise can easily be transferred to any type of business or organization. Team leaders will have their decision-making and communication abilities tested in a hectic environment how will you measure up?
To register contact us at:
613-546-0222, info@truckermanagement.com
So even though the travelling is fun and exciting and sometimes can be easier (I know strange but true), it's important for every business to look close to home. What opportunities lie right in your backyard that you haven't seen yet?
So with that said... here's some information on our upcoming Kingston workshop.
Thu, Mar 27, 2008
8:30 AM - 11:00 AM
$60 (includes snacks, 2 training sessions, autographed copy of Trucker Management)
A Day in the Life Contingency Planning for your Small Business
In this interactive seminar, participants roleplay a full day of operations in a small business, brainstorming actions and reactions as everything that can go wrong does. By the end of the seminar, participants will be well equipped to transfer the lessons learned back to their own businesses, ensuring they have all of the necessary contingency plans in place to avoid costly disruptions. Useful tools that participants can immediately implement in their businesses will be provided as take-away resources.
Assembling Success
Do you have what it takes to lead your team to victory? Successful organizations depend on quick-thinking leaders, an ability to recognize strengths and weaknesses of team members, and plans that allocate resources for maximum efficiency. This fun and fast-paced session has teams competing to design and execute an assembly line, and get quality products to market more quickly than the others while facing unique challenges associated with the abilities of each team member. The lessons illustrated by this exercise can easily be transferred to any type of business or organization. Team leaders will have their decision-making and communication abilities tested in a hectic environment how will you measure up?
To register contact us at:
613-546-0222, info@truckermanagement.com
Meet the Meanie
Those of you that have known me a few years have probably heard this crazy idea I had a back in 2004. The idea is that instead of fearing and loathing your competitors, embrace them, in fact, invite them for lunch or coffee. I believe in this concept so much that I developed a set of lunch sessions called 'Meet the Meanie' for different tourism operators.
It worked like a charm, especially for the museum industry. Each museum was struggling to promote themselves on such a limited budget. Collaboratively, they realized their budget for advertising was much greater and they could stretch it further. So they developed a joint brochure, ad campaign and a visit multiple museums passport type activity. It worked to increase the pie and not just the piece of pie, therefore everyone's pieces increased.
In the tech industry I have seen several competitors get together to post joint job ads. Two different ways that meeting your meanie can be effective.
Have you met your meanie? More importantly, have you thought of ways to work with your meanie, instead of fearing them?
It worked like a charm, especially for the museum industry. Each museum was struggling to promote themselves on such a limited budget. Collaboratively, they realized their budget for advertising was much greater and they could stretch it further. So they developed a joint brochure, ad campaign and a visit multiple museums passport type activity. It worked to increase the pie and not just the piece of pie, therefore everyone's pieces increased.
In the tech industry I have seen several competitors get together to post joint job ads. Two different ways that meeting your meanie can be effective.
Have you met your meanie? More importantly, have you thought of ways to work with your meanie, instead of fearing them?
Assembling Success Toronto-Style
We had an enthusiastic group of young professionals at the JCI Central Region conference in Toronto, who came up with some creative ways to assemble their products in the "Assembling Success" exercise. In addition to having fun, they learned about allocating resources, assigning team duties, as well as aspects of communication and leadership & management. A big thanks to all for their participation!
Continuing the World Tour in 2008
For those of you keeping up with the World Tour we've been on this past year, we're not done yet! Some of the places we are trying to secure training and keynote opportunities for 2008 are:
- Iceland
- Malta
- Washington, DC
- Florida
- North Carolina
- Quebec City
- Ottawa
- London, ON
- Winnipeg
- Northwest Territories or Nunuvat
If you have any connections or would like to help us plan something in any of these places (or anywhere else on the globe for that matter) please let us know.
Public promises
I was in a restaurant in Belleville on Friday, and on my way to the washrooms, noticed the sign overhead, painted permanently right onto the wall, pointing the way to "Clean Washrooms".
As a customer, it was a great re-assurance that I was about to enter properly cared-for washrooms, with a permanent promise that no matter what time of day or week you went in, they were going to be clean (which they were).
As a business owner, I thought it was a great way to challenge yourself and your staff by forcing them now to deliver on a very public and permanent promise to your customers. How much of a difference do you think it makes to the staff in their care for and attention to the condition of the washrooms with that big sign overhead always promising that they will be "clean", as opposed to simply having a line in the staff manual or daily procedures checklist that the washrooms need to be kept clean?
Finding ways to publicize your business promises, so that you and your staff can see them as easily as your customers can, will help you ensure that they are top of mind, and therefore that you are constantly and continually delivering on them. What promises are you ready to post today?
As a customer, it was a great re-assurance that I was about to enter properly cared-for washrooms, with a permanent promise that no matter what time of day or week you went in, they were going to be clean (which they were).
As a business owner, I thought it was a great way to challenge yourself and your staff by forcing them now to deliver on a very public and permanent promise to your customers. How much of a difference do you think it makes to the staff in their care for and attention to the condition of the washrooms with that big sign overhead always promising that they will be "clean", as opposed to simply having a line in the staff manual or daily procedures checklist that the washrooms need to be kept clean?
Finding ways to publicize your business promises, so that you and your staff can see them as easily as your customers can, will help you ensure that they are top of mind, and therefore that you are constantly and continually delivering on them. What promises are you ready to post today?
Part Truck Driver, Gladiator and Mule
I can't do this entry without admitting that yes - I'm a junkie...a Starbucks junkie. Everyday I make my way to the nearest Starbucks, order my caramel macchiato and look forward to reading the inspirational quote on the cup. Today was no exception. For the last month I have been looking for inspiration for my next blog entry - and thanks to Starbucks I found one.
The quote on my cup today was #260 "Playing in an independent rock band will eventually make you equal parts truck driver, gladiator and mule. Glamour is for those with trust funds." It made me smile - sounds a lot like being an entrepreneur.
On Wednesday nights we've been teaching a class at our community college on starting a business. Just this past week we talked about the lifestyle of an entrepreneur and how especially in the early days you are a jack of trades, including the chief cook and bottle washer, I never thought to include gladiator and mule too!
The best part about the Starbucks quote is the recognition that many jobs include similar traits to that of a truck driver - you need to be able to multitask, maneuver in dangerous situations and arrive alive. Great way to think when you're running your business.
The quote on my cup today was #260 "Playing in an independent rock band will eventually make you equal parts truck driver, gladiator and mule. Glamour is for those with trust funds." It made me smile - sounds a lot like being an entrepreneur.
On Wednesday nights we've been teaching a class at our community college on starting a business. Just this past week we talked about the lifestyle of an entrepreneur and how especially in the early days you are a jack of trades, including the chief cook and bottle washer, I never thought to include gladiator and mule too!
The best part about the Starbucks quote is the recognition that many jobs include similar traits to that of a truck driver - you need to be able to multitask, maneuver in dangerous situations and arrive alive. Great way to think when you're running your business.
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