When first starting a business, most entrepreneurs take on all the clients that they can but once their business is grown, they need to learn that not everyone is the best match for them to work with. They need to spend more time attracting clients that have the same mind set and this in turn creates great work.

But how do you do this? Start with your website and advertising materials. Everything on them should reflect your personality and way of working, your beliefs and how they can work best for potential clients. This will avoid attracting less than ideal clients that can cause problems for you and are never happy.

Your ideal clients should be those who are focused on the same outcome as you are and the steps taken to get there. They are seeking great value with a fantastic outcome and realize that is what your business provides. They have a healthy respect for both your time and efforts and are results oriented.

You need to know who would work perfectly with you and which qualities you are looking for. Looking at your competition and what they offer is vital to this process as you could be vying with many others for the same type of client and pricing will make a difference.

Look closely at your business and that will help you figure out which clients you would like to work with. If you were them, what would you be looking for? Establish a reputation for that type of business client in order to draw more clientele that is compatible with you and the way you work, what you offer and how you offer it.

First point of emphasis is that you are comfortable with those clients you choose. If it doesn’t feel right, then move on and look for others. The longer you are in business, the easier it will be for you to recognize those who will work best with you and that you will be happy working with.

Realizing that not everyone will be a good match for your business and continuing to look for a great fit in a client will help your business grow larger, not only because of results but because of word of mouth.

© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2014

image courtesy of actuallywecreate

   Though we are more relaxed as a society in general and don’t tend to follow the strict manners and protocol of previous generations, etiquette is extremely important to your small business. Your customers notice it and talk about it with others. It can often make the difference between a good business and a great business.

Many small business owners make the mistake of not adhering to certain rules, which even in our technological era, are still expected. If they have employees, the employees are not trained to deal with customers over the phone properly and know even less about how to deal with clients in person.

When greeting customers, it is expected that you will shake hands and listen when you are introduced. Remembering your customer’s names and greeting them by name shows you care about them and their business. If they have called you and left a message, always reply as quickly as you can and the same goes for business email.

One of the most noticeable and unprofessional examples of bad manners, is to use the expressions “no problem”. It’s “you’re welcome”, “please” and “thank you” that are necessities. When you are running a business, service is expected as it is your job. Be careful of your language. Leave out the overdone slang and of course, leave the swearing elsewhere. Your customers are paying attention and expect you to act like a business professional.

Another example of unprofessional behaviour is to accept cellphone calls or texts while in conversation or meetings with others. Turn the phone off unless the call is so important that you can’t risk missing it, in which case it’s best dealt with before important meetings.

When dealing with international customers and those of different cultures, make sure you are aware of their customs. It is easy to insult a customer when their business behaviour is much different than that of the country you live in. Be aware and be considerate.

Be honest and don’t cheat. This involves all members of the business community, social media and your customers. People like to deal with businesses that are direct and honest in their dealings. Any dishonesty in your company will quickly be picked up on and you will lose customers.

Lastly, treat others as you would like to be treated. Customers want to deal with you as a person and not just a business entity. Building a rapport with them and learning about them while following proper business etiquette can mean a lot for your business.

© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2014

image courtesy of hdl-uk.co.uk

  As an entrepreneur, you are used to stress and the areas of your business that make you unsure of your future. When that stress starts to get out of control, it affects not only your business but your physical and emotional health. Unnecessary worries don’t need to be added to your day to day concerns. Learning to deal successfully with stress caused by being a small business owner and not dwelling on perfection takes strategies that you need to incorporate into your everyday life.

As a small business owner, you know which fears are normal and which are not. Anxiety over problems which may never arise can be dealt with in the same way as other worries in your life. Exercise has always been promoted as a great stress reliever. It doesn’t have to take up a lot of your time and you don’t need to go to a gym. Just getting out and walking every day can help.

While you are busy focusing on your concerns over your business, you aren’t thinking about other things or other people. A great way to fight this is to look outside of yourself. Try to concentrate on what is going on around you; other people, your pets, nature – anything other than what is going on inside your head. Irrationally focusing on what is going on with your business – and this includes the good things too, may be difficult but you need to keep your perspective on your problems.

Successfully combating business related stress means you have to look at the whole picture, not just the parts that aren’t working at the moment. It helps you to remember that some stress is actually good for you. It’s impossible to live a totally stress free life and just knowing that is a help to some business owners. Try to turn your negative thoughts around and look at them in a different way. Focus on what is working in your business and find a way to relate those processes to where you are having problems.

Realizing that entrepreneurship and unpredictability go hand in hand and that you have chosen this way of life will help you to feel less like a victim and more like you are the one in charge. It’s the loss of control that most of us fear and that causes the most stress. Accept responsibility for where you are in your business and find the tools that will help you to overcome stress related problems. Find the routines that work best for you and look at how much progress you have made so far.

Accepting the uncertainties of being a small business owner and realizing that stress will always be with you is one of the most important things entrepreneurs will ever learn. Dealing with it in a healthy way while remaining optimistic is a lesson that all of us need to learn.

© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2014

image courtesy of the guardian

   Trait ascription bias: a tendency to describe one’s own behaviour in terms of situational factors while preferring to describe another’s behaviour by ascribing fixed dispositions to their personality.

Our behaviour tends to affect the way our business grows (or doesn’t grow). There are business owners who are pragmatic, based firmly in reality and while they do look at past business and future trends, they realize that what is going on day to day is what will affect the eventual outcome of their business.

While outside factors can and do have some effect on your business, it’s how you deal with them that will count. If you are unable to look at yourself realistically, whether it is your good traits or those which aren’t so good, this can have a negative effect on not just your business but those that work closely with you and even your customers. We all like to think we don’t have any major faults and when things go wrong in our business, we would like to look for any excuse outside of ourselves for things being the way they are.

We can sometimes be quick to point out the flaws in others that are causing a slowdown in their business but rarely do we see these same things in ourselves. We see the variables in our own personality but find those of our business competitors quite predictable. We feel we can handle a variety of situations with flexibility and if it doesn’t work out, it has to be because of something beyond our control. Ascribing traits to others for the same behaviour we show while laying the blame for the behaviour firmly on them is trait ascription bias and we are all guilty of doing this at one time or another but when it becomes a common thing and our business reflects this, then it’s time to reflect a little on why we are this way.

A good example is a business owner who angers easily, tends to take it out on their employees and at times their customers. While they call this a reasonable misunderstanding when it pertains to them, they consider it neurotic in other business owners and accuse them of a lack of discipline and not trying to co-operate. There is always a reason for one’s own behaviour that is quite understandable but in someone else they are accused of deep rooted personality traits.

Being aware of your own flaws is much more important than jumping to conclusions over the idiosyncrasies of others. Allowing your behaviour to affect your business while maintaining the outlook that nothing is your fault can mean the downfall of your business.

© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2014