What is business development? Ask several business owners the same question and you’ll get a variety of answers.

While most will tell you it’s sales or some form of marketing technique, business development is actually a combination of many things but most importantly, it is how you offer your products and/or services and the relationship you have with your customers because of this.

Customer acquisition – the techniques or strategies you use and the processes you put in place that draw customers to you, should make it easier for your customers to ask questions, receive relevant answers and purchase exactly what they need. This in turn leads to more customers, more loyal customers and from there a solid customer base that grows over time.

The resourcefulness you show in developing your strategies and your ability to negotiate with your clients will show up in your results. Acquiring customers – developing your business – requires discipline and knowledge of what your company offers and what your customers not only want to purchase but need to purchase.

Business owners who excel at business development tend to be persistent, patient and always willing to learn more about who buys their products. From there, they expand their product line because they are willing to go the extra mile and identify what works or doesn’t work for their customers and therefore, for their business.

Creative thinking, organizational skills and knowledge of current industry trends are all important aspects of business development. Knowing how and when to generate new ideas which will lead to new sales is also part of the combination of necessary abilities which provide the whole that is business development.

As you can see there is no one fits all description for the definition of business development. The term is used to describe the multitude of skills that business owners need and the necessary steps they need to take to grow their business. When done to perfection, both the customer and the business owner receive value, which is a win-win situation.

© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2014

Many business owners feel they are overworked, don’t have the time for things that are important to them and always feel they are getting further behind, while at the same time they are putting off the things they would really like to do.

Yes, part of this is due to the many aspects of running a business but the other part is quite often due to the way they think, most of their thoughts centered around reaching the next goal on their list. But what if you quit thinking that way? What would happen if you spent more time concentrating on the things you can control right now and let those things that you can accomplish lead you to the outcome that is the result of focusing instead of feeling frazzled?

An important part of your business is not only knowing what your customers want but also knowing what you want. So many business owners seem to be afraid; afraid of missing out on the newest thing, afraid of not keeping up; afraid of not looking like they are in tune with everyone else. Do your customers care? I doubt it. What they want is good service and quality products. Running a business from a state of anxiety and worry will not help you get ahead. Focus on your main points, do what you have to do to accomplish them and take your mind off your work for awhile.

So now you’re asking, how do I accomplish what I need to without complicating things? How do I keep it simple, run my business and still keep up?

That’s what technology is for. If you don’t feel you can organize things online, hire virtual support, hand over the responsibility of those tasks to them, and continue with your strategy. Schedule everything you can, keep to your schedule and keep moving. Be smart and use your website creatively; to advertise, to update information on your complete list of products, including all prices and ordering information. Discount any items that aren’t selling and then discontinue them. It doesn’t make sense to put effort into services or products that aren’t popular. Include an RSS feed. If you don’t feel comfortable blogging, hire someone for that too.

Complexity doesn’t have to be the result of running a successful business. The choices you make are what cause your business to become a mess, usually due to too many marketing strategies, expanded product and service offerings and a desire for fast growth. Remember, time is your most important asset. Use time wisely by simplifying where you can and getting help. Quit squandering your most precious commodity on non-essentials and you’ll find you have more time for the other important things in your life.

© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2014

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