by annavital.
Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.
Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.
At QuantumShift’s leadership development program, one of the many tips that attendees received, was that in order to succeed as an entrepreneur, they would have to dedicate themselves to a life of learning. Focusing on improving yourself and a dedication to knowledge of all types was a main ingredient to having a successful business.
While many balked at first, thinking this meant continuing education, what was really meant by this was learning more about yourself, more about your customers, your product and anything else you were interested in. It was the actual learning experience that brought the owners of these companies to the forefront and helped them keep up with ever changing business demands.
They found it was not so much about balancing learning with their other interests, as it was about priorities. One of those priorities should be to always learn. In today’s quickly evolving business community, knowing what you need to do is just as important as finding the time to do it. We all have the same 24 hours a day, yet some people seem to accomplish all they set out to do, while others don’t do much of anything.
Changing your daily routine will gradually result in a change in your life and these business owners found that the more they became interested in not only various aspects of their business but hobbies and subjects which were far outside of the scope of business, the more they found different ways to provide new services for their customers. The small act of even the simplest changes seemed to activate something that evolved gradually and then began to pick up steam.
Looking back, in the past, what these entrepreneurs were gathering would have been considered knowledge, a general understanding of various skills and principles, but most of us have lost the ability (or interest!) to learn in this way. Discovering a new way to do something routine or adding to what we already know seems to be a lost art.
Amid all of the other tips that these entrepreneurs received, they realized that learning in a classroom or learning a new business skill has somehow become more important than expanding their interests. What small business owners are now finding out is that learning itself is a skill, and if they wish to excel, learning must be practised.
© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2014
One of the key benefits of working with our virtual team is that your key information is backed up within our systems. If disaster strikes and your computer dies, your information is safe with us.
This weekend I got the chance to check out the wonders of the naturally formed ice caves on Crystal Beach. This cold winter allowed Lake Erie to freeze over completely, creating amazing ice caves in the process.
Although Crystal Beach is a bustling summer destination, this tends to be their off-season. It was evident from the drive in that the city was not used to this level of activity.
The final stretch to the beach took 45 minutes, when it usually takes 15 or less because of all of the traffic. I was curious to see how many seasonal businesses would be capitalizing on all of the new potential customers.
By the time we reached our destination, I desperately needed to ‘use the facilities’. I found a restaurant and we vowed to return after we utilized sunlight hours. (It was empty at the time…)
The ice caves were definitely cool, but there were too many people to get many good pictures.
On the way out, we noticed a gathering of firemen and police. A snowmobile had also caught fire on the ice, so we figured that’s why they were there. It turned out, shortly after we left they evacuated everyone because the ice had become unstable.
When we returned to the restaurant it was PACKED and the staff was completely overwhelmed. We waited 10 minutes for them to notice us to bring us menus and clean our table. We were then notified they had already sold out of many menu items. (Apparently their wing special sold out in 26 minutes.)
The prior patrons who sat at our table left a 50¢ tip on a $50+ bill. It was clear that although I understood the staff were simply inundated with sudden tourists, others didn’t feel the same empathy.
The experience really got me thinking about being prepared in business. The best-laid plans in business can always be thrown off by too much business. Some would say that’s not a bad problem to have, but it can backfire.
Although Crystal Beach is prepared for high-activity in the summer season, nature’s brilliance and the subsequent media coverage made the city completely lost when a huge influx of off-season opportunity arrived.
In business, it’s essential to have your future vision mapped out, as well as the systems and processes in place to allow you to scale. We all want our businesses to flourish, but growing too quickly can lead to customer service issues or worse.
If your business became an ‘instant success’ (after 10 years), would you be prepared for all of the activity?
Update: They have decided to destroy the caves, thus ending the impromptu ‘second season’ for Crystal Beach.
© Tamara Smith, DemGen Inc. 2014
Image courtesy of theweathernetwork.com
Everyone’s ideas of a dream life and a dream business are different. As mentioned in last week’s post on thinking your way to a successful life, a little pragmatism goes a long way and it helps even further when creating a successful business.
Focusing on what is most important both in your life and your business and looking ahead to the consequences of your actions, not only makes sense, but is absolutely necessary if you are serious about your success. Each aspect of your business makes up the whole – marketing, finance, products and services, your customer base. Though you need to be flexible in order to make your products and services attractive to a variety of people, your focus needs to be on the final result.
Having your own business, while there to help your customers, is to mainly be of benefit to yourself. It’s to make a difference in your life and the lives of your family members. Being realistic about the reasons for your business, how you run it and what the outcome will be, means you can look at the way things really are, take the steps to change the things that need to be changed and be honest with yourself about what those are and why they need to be changed.
While a philosophical view of business seems to be popular at the moment, philosophy is not going to where you need to be to get what you want from your business. Work will do that, so will taking the time to educate yourself and organize your business to the best level of your ability. If you can’t do that, bring in a team in that can do it for you. It will be the smartest money you ever spend. Thinking pragmatically means you don’t spend time on the superfluous and unnecessary, you go straight to the important details, the ones that will make a difference in how well your business does, the details that will lead to success.
Anything that has positive implications for your business is something that you strive to do while ignoring those tasks that aren’t needed to get your business where you want it to go. Satisfying your customers and having tried and true solutions in place for any problems that arise, discovering how your business flows best and automating what you can, should all be priority tasks. One aside – don’t necessarily rely totally on technology and digital. Should there be an outage, even a short term one, this can affect your business negatively. Being there when no one else is available, is a big advantage that you should always keep in mind.
Pragmatism comes down to being efficient, wise with your time and having the ability to say no. It’s being open to change when necessary and knowing when what you have is enough. It’s a balancing act that many have problems with but it will keep you ahead of the competition.
© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2014
Here at DemGen, we believe it’s essential for marketing and sales teams to be aligned to close the circle to ensure goals and results are being achieved, both internally and for our clients.
You could ask ten different people what their idea of a successful life is and still receive ten completely different answers.
Few would tell you that in order to succeed, you have to put a lot of thought into the small details of your life. Most are focused more on what they consider to be the big things: money, popularity, ownership of things and many others.
How you think about the obstacles you encounter daily makes a big difference in the outcome of your life. What you spend your time on daily also affects where you end up. Deciding what’s important to you will help you to enjoy a successful life, one that incorporates your business as well as every other aspect of what makes a happy life. And isn’t that what we want?
Most of us go through our day on automatic, never stopping to think about why we do certain things or if there is a better way. Many of the things we spend our time on aren’t necessary and actually are just time wasters. We rarely challenge ourselves in any way or stop to think what we would really like to be doing or what we really want. Many of us don’t know what we want. It’s in this way that most entrepreneurs start a business and continue to build one over time.
With little time to stop and go over what they’d really like to do with their business, most business owners continue on the same track they have been on for years. It’s what they have always done, it seems to work (at least financially) and they have never stopped to consider their options or how they would like to tweak their business so it better represents what they enjoy doing.
The first step in the process of successful thinking is spending time doing it. Sitting down and thinking about what you would like to see your business become and exactly how you could go about making that happen. Successful thinking means adding a dose of pragmatism to the little details of your day. Think about the outcome of your actions. Will they benefit you, make no difference at all, or will they actually benefit someone else?
This doesn’t mean you need to be selfish. It just means that you have to be realistic, realize this is your life, and you are the one responsible for it. It’s the same in business. Someone else may have ideas on how you should run things, which products or services you should offer and how often you should work. But in the long run, you are the one doing the work, dealing with the customers and at risk of failure.
Thinking your way to success in your business will involve a change in the way you do things and developing new habits. It will involve saying no to distractions and choosing, for there is always a choice. Making the best choice for you, for your business and for the way you wish to live your life is what makes the difference. Keep the time that belongs to you separate from the time that belongs to others. Spend that time on what is important, what is relevant to moving your business ahead in a way that you will enjoy yet will still be beneficial.
© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc., 2014
We’ve learned through countless lead generation campaigns that persistence is essential to maximizing sales from qualified inbound leads! One call or email is not going to generate an immediate sale, consistent communication is key. Share information, make regular calls – check in and be genuine…
Only 50% of qualified leads are ready to purchase immediately. In fact, 80% of sales are made on the 5th to 12th contact!
Instead of focusing on the ‘quick sale’, get to know your prospects and build a real relationship.
Maximizing Sales From Qualified Inbound Leads – An infographic by InsideUp
Many entrepreneurs have trodden the same path in the last several years, following the advice of many, those that tell them they should be a niche brand; that this will give them an advantage over others who offer too much of a variety. After all, don’t numerous businesses do that already?
The mistake is in taking the advice literally. Specialization has turned into such a fad, that many entrepreneurs are only skilled at one thing, leaving them at a loss in an economy that may not need them at the moment. Most business and financial experts will tell you, (especially if you are just starting out), to leave specializing until you have been in business for many years, preferably retired and scaling down. By then you will know what you do best and what interests you the most. By that time you will also feel more secure with a part-time income.
Planning your career path far in advance can leave you wondering if you have made the right choices. Content business owners tend to be those who veered from a predictable path many times, often because they found themselves interested in something else. These interests, whether they realized it at the time or not, added value to what they were offering. They became professionals in many things, created a business that was unique and at the same time attracted more customers with their knowledge of products and services that may have been outside of their usual offers.
While some entrepreneurs feel they should focus on a core message in order to be taken seriously – women in particular – there are others who welcome the generalist approach, fearing they will get stuck in one business and in the future will find they have no way to expand into another. They find that the “following your passion” approach to business leaves a lot of room for accountability and professionalism as well as too many so-so entrepreneurs masquerading as authentic and knowledgeable business people.
The perfect business is one that is a combination of what you are good at and also don’t mind doing. At the same time, it needs to be something that others find value in and will pay you for. Don’t worry that your business won’t be recognized as a niche market. Aim for quality; in your products and services but mostly in how you treat your customers. An established small business can create products for niche markets when it has been around longer and has a loyal and satisfied customer base. It will be known for what it provides and how it provides it, not just for being a brand.
© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2014
Image courtesy of sitepoint