I drove by a restaurant/banquet hall here in town yesterday, and their sign out front still said "Reserve now for our New Year's Buffet". I'm pretty sure they aren't talking about next year's already, and so this is an example of a business failing to do a proper and regular Circle Check of their premises. If they were practitioners of our Circle Checks, they'd have noticed this out-of-date sign right on January 1st or 2nd, and wouldn't be suffering the embarassment of now having it still up on January 17th.
For those of you who ARE already using the Circle Check in your business, this won't be an issued, but for those of you who aren't, or who maybe have slipped off the routine, TODAY is the day you need to look around your business and ensure that all evidence of the "holidays" is removed from your space. Are your decorations all put away? Have all your kind wishes for a great holiday season been removed (including from places like memo lines on invoices and till tapes)?
We're likely all sad that the holidays are over......but, fact is, they are. So lets make sure our businesses reflect it!!
Happy New Year - what does 2009 mean for you?
The coming of the new year always seems to me to be a natural time to take a moment, step back and look at my business and what lies ahead for the next 12 months. It gives me a chance to look back at this most recent year and how I fared in my business compared to what I thought would happen 12 months ago, and lets me look ahead to what I can do differently to achieve my goals this year based on what may have changed in terms of my competition, new opportunities or challenges, or the marketplace or economy overall.
The new year always brings with it a sense of renewal, and for many, triggers a set of promises of things they'll do differently this year. The stereotype, of course, is that such "resolutions" never last very long, and so are normally pledged to with a large anticipation of falling short anyway.
So, I don't want any of you to set any "resolutions" for your business for this new year, lest they suffer the same fate as the personal resolutions many people make and soon break.
Instead, what you should use the new year for is a chance to revisit your strategy and plans for your business. Look around at what might be different this coming year from last. Will your position in your market still be the same? Will it be challenged by new competitors? Can you identify skill sets that, if you could hire them, would help launch your business to the next level? Will your customers change the way they buy?
As I have undertaken this exercise for Vista Enterprises, my financial-controller-for-hire and income tax prep business that is my "main" business, I have identified the need to grow and expand my clientele even further in 2009, and most importantly to do it more proactively than the traditional "wait for the phone to ring from client referrals" method that has been the driver of my still-fulfilling business growth for the previous 14 years.
I have had a look at "expansion" through a few different lenses, and have chosen a few strategies to pursue. One is through actively working on expanding one specific segment of my income tax business, and for the first time in my business, I will be placing ads in a few targeted places over the coming months, seeking to gain many new clients within this one market. To me, this is a bit of an "internal" expansion, where I am being active to tap further and more aggressively into a market I already have a little bit of a presence in, and within my existing geographic reach.
The other view of "expansion" that I have had is more "external", in looking to broaden the geographic reach of my financial controller/bookkeeping services, well beyond my city and hopefully across several provinces. Again, this will take far more proactive and aggressive actions on my part than what I have done in my business in the past in obtaining new/more clients. So, I am excited by the challenges of both of these different attempts at "expansion", and will be sure to keep you all posted as to their results.
In the meantime, I hope that you all take this time to revisit and review your own plans for your businesses for the next 12 months, and wish each of you a successful and fulfilling 2009!!
The new year always brings with it a sense of renewal, and for many, triggers a set of promises of things they'll do differently this year. The stereotype, of course, is that such "resolutions" never last very long, and so are normally pledged to with a large anticipation of falling short anyway.
So, I don't want any of you to set any "resolutions" for your business for this new year, lest they suffer the same fate as the personal resolutions many people make and soon break.
Instead, what you should use the new year for is a chance to revisit your strategy and plans for your business. Look around at what might be different this coming year from last. Will your position in your market still be the same? Will it be challenged by new competitors? Can you identify skill sets that, if you could hire them, would help launch your business to the next level? Will your customers change the way they buy?
As I have undertaken this exercise for Vista Enterprises, my financial-controller-for-hire and income tax prep business that is my "main" business, I have identified the need to grow and expand my clientele even further in 2009, and most importantly to do it more proactively than the traditional "wait for the phone to ring from client referrals" method that has been the driver of my still-fulfilling business growth for the previous 14 years.
I have had a look at "expansion" through a few different lenses, and have chosen a few strategies to pursue. One is through actively working on expanding one specific segment of my income tax business, and for the first time in my business, I will be placing ads in a few targeted places over the coming months, seeking to gain many new clients within this one market. To me, this is a bit of an "internal" expansion, where I am being active to tap further and more aggressively into a market I already have a little bit of a presence in, and within my existing geographic reach.
The other view of "expansion" that I have had is more "external", in looking to broaden the geographic reach of my financial controller/bookkeeping services, well beyond my city and hopefully across several provinces. Again, this will take far more proactive and aggressive actions on my part than what I have done in my business in the past in obtaining new/more clients. So, I am excited by the challenges of both of these different attempts at "expansion", and will be sure to keep you all posted as to their results.
In the meantime, I hope that you all take this time to revisit and review your own plans for your businesses for the next 12 months, and wish each of you a successful and fulfilling 2009!!
Do as I say
Well, over the holidays I had two of our own recommendations for small business owners bite me in the butt. Matt and I talk about have systems in place that don't allow you to miss important steps in business; and we encourage to have a contingency plan in place too. Two times this past fall I got sloppy and now I'm paying for it! So I thought maybe we could all (and mainly me) learn from my mistakes:
1. I accepted a credit card payment from someone I didn't know. I took an imprint of their card which includes the credit card number and their name. But that's all. The card got declined, but the customer walked away with the product. Those of you that have read the book, what should've I have done? I should have wrote down their address, email address and phone number to follow up in case that happened, not to mention to follow up from a customer service point of view. And even better - I should've called in the number right there on the spot instead of waiting until after the event.
2. Throughout Kingston I often get asked by clients to buy my book, and if I have a copy on me I give it to them right there and then (don't want to loose the sale, right?). However, sometimes the customer doesn't have exact change on them or we don't have a pen to write down a credit card number, etc. Since I usually know these people I'm not worried as I can follow up with them about payment... if I remember that is. In 2008 we have probably given out 5 books to people and forgot to write down who. It's hard to follow up when you can't remember with who. Trucker readers what should we have done? Write it down right there, or leave ourselves a voicemail if we don't have a pen; have one master record of accounts outstanding; follow up with 48 hours of delivery, and the list goes on.
So, in looking back, what did you miss in 2008 that you'll be sure to fix for 2009?
PS - if you one of the 5, consider this your follow up and please pay up! Thanks.
1. I accepted a credit card payment from someone I didn't know. I took an imprint of their card which includes the credit card number and their name. But that's all. The card got declined, but the customer walked away with the product. Those of you that have read the book, what should've I have done? I should have wrote down their address, email address and phone number to follow up in case that happened, not to mention to follow up from a customer service point of view. And even better - I should've called in the number right there on the spot instead of waiting until after the event.
2. Throughout Kingston I often get asked by clients to buy my book, and if I have a copy on me I give it to them right there and then (don't want to loose the sale, right?). However, sometimes the customer doesn't have exact change on them or we don't have a pen to write down a credit card number, etc. Since I usually know these people I'm not worried as I can follow up with them about payment... if I remember that is. In 2008 we have probably given out 5 books to people and forgot to write down who. It's hard to follow up when you can't remember with who. Trucker readers what should we have done? Write it down right there, or leave ourselves a voicemail if we don't have a pen; have one master record of accounts outstanding; follow up with 48 hours of delivery, and the list goes on.
So, in looking back, what did you miss in 2008 that you'll be sure to fix for 2009?
PS - if you one of the 5, consider this your follow up and please pay up! Thanks.
Oops....here's one who forgot!
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?
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.
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