What's the BIG Deal Anyway?

As small business owners our dreams are often to be the boss, the one in charge, the one calling the shots -- making the decisions. Right? We want to set our own hours, have the money earned go into our piggy banks, take off when we want a day to play in the sun or with our friends and family. Yet, often times, once we've actually started that business, we find that it's not really "all that we thought it was going to be." 

We are busier than ever, have no one but ourselves to be in charge of, the piggy bank is squealing for dimes, and we haven't seen the sun for weeks. This is, in part good news. Probably means that we're growing and that we're busy. But it also means that we need help. And therein comes the fear and insecurity. If we hire someone, do we lose control? What little money we're making gets spent on salaries for others? We're going to be even busier "being the boss." What to do? What to do?

I talk often about the phenomenon of working IN the business as opposed to working ON the business. For most small business owners, we're so busy working IN that we don't have or take the time to work ON our business, and thus we don't grow the way we should. In an article I just read at http://nyti.ms/1BpkUYp, the author talks about working ON your business and gives you some tips and what to do. Take a few minutes to read the article. It will help, I promise. If we sit back, pull away from all the to-dos of the day to day, and concentrate (just for a little bit) on our goals, what we want for ourselves and our business long-term, and ways to get there, I guarantee, we'll be further ahead, with more time on our hands, than when we spend every minute working IN the company. I guarantee it.

How Does Your Business Make Money?

Over the past several blogs we’ve been talking about why you started your business. For many the reasons have been very heartwarming. They wanted to have an impact on people, including their families. They wanted to share their passions and talents with others. They wanted to be in charge of their own destiny.

But along with that came the fact that in order to be successful, there had to be a financial component. The harsh reality however is that you can have the BEST widget or service in the world, but if people don’t know it exists, or if people haven’t had the opportunity to get to know you (the old know, like and trust philosophy), you’re not really in business — you have a hobby.

So, what do we do? You started your business for a very good reason. You gave it your all. Yup. The doors are open, you have a website (does anyone see it?), an email address through gmail or yahoo (how professional is that), and you’re ready to rock the business world. Unfortunately, I hate to tell you this, but I don’t think it’s going to happen anytime soon.

Especially for those of you that really had a passion and wanted to be successful, you have to put in the time, talent and even money to get to a level where you can step back and say, I’ve made it up the ramp and am better than I was before. How do you do that? You have to not only know what you want to do, you need to know who you want to work with, why, and do they want what you have to offer?

That’s done through a number of ways — one of the easiest is by doing some recon. A survey, talking with people one on one, listening to people on Facebook and LinkedIn. What do other people in the same industry have to say? Who are their customers? How does all of that feel to you? Does it resonate with you? Is it something that you really want to do?

This is the first step in being both a responsible business owner and filling the passion that you created originally. There is so much more work to do, but it takes time and you need to know whether you can/will be successful and if what you want to do is what people want. So, let’s get started. If you want to create a survey, there are several places online that can help. SurveyMonkey is one and I just found another one here: create and analyze surveys, for free.

I’d love to hear more from you on what it is you need to get your business rocking, and how the survey turned out. Let me know at nancy@success4biz.biz and we’ll start building that necessary relationship! And as a thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas, you can find a couple of worksheets on my website that are meant to help you. One is a SMART goal form and the other is helping to form your mission and vision statements. Head on over to Business Success Unlimited - Business Leadership Coaching, Executive Coaching, Educational Consulting to pick up your gifts. There is no opt-in needed. It is simply a thank you and hopefully you’ll check out some of the other things on the site and consider becoming part of the “family”.

Until then, soar higher!

Why Did You Start Your Business?

I’ve had a very interesting couple of days. I asked this survey question on a couple of my social media sites and got some remarkable answers. One person told me she wouldn’t tell me, I had to figure it out for myself. Another told me now one cared about how or why someone else started their business, but the rest (and I got a LOT of answers) were very thoughtful, creative responses. The interesting part, however, was that the answers I got were not what I was anticipating.

All the coaches out there cry out that they will help you make more money, find more time to spend doing the things you want to do, and show you how to have less stress. But as a business owner myself, while those are great things to want, they are not things you’re going to get — at least not for a while. What people seem to really want is to be able to share their passion with others that have the same dreams and goals. They want to be able to guide their own destiny and support their families with their own hands and structures.

Money and time for doing things they love to do were there too of course. You can’t protect family and destiny without being able to pay the bills. Yet, for each of those that answered my questions, those things were not the driving force. In fact, a good paying job provides the money they need to live, the time off for vacations, etc. (generally speaking), and a bit of security. When you go out on your own, your stress levels go higher, your destiny becomes much less secure (at least in the beginning and I argue that even with success comes insecurity at times), and the amount of time and money to provide for your family is less than with a job. Those are NOT the things that cause someone to go out on their own and start their own dreams.

If you’re still reading this, take a minute and stop and think about what really got you started in your own business? Why are you putting yourself into the wild and crazy world of being your own boss? And what does success mean to you? Is it making a million dollars? Two months vacation? What?

Now, I have a bit of homework for you. I want you to go on a bit of a time travel adventure. Picture your life 5 years from now and write an essay telling me what a day in your life looks like. Be specific, down to what time do you get up in the morning, and go to bed at night. Do you have pets? What do you eat? What are you working on and what gets you going. Don’t give me vague definitions, but define in very clear words how you want your life to be 5 years from today. That will really tell you a lot.

Running a business is a lot of work, and it can be hard work. But it is necessary. And unless you understand, in your own core, what the costs are, what the reason is for doing what you’re doing, then you’re never going to reach that level of success you described above. If you take the time to do this (don’t take a long time to think about it first, but do it off the cuff), I think you’ll be amazed and appreciative of what you’ll find out.

And if this intrigues you, and you’d like to work more in-depth on these ideas, then come on over to my website and join us in the MEGA group where we’ll be deep diving into these and many other issues throughout the next few months. Check it out at Business Success Unlimited. I hope to see you there.

I Need Some Magic, Darn It!

I am like you — a business owner with dreams and passions and the desire to help other people. I’d like to make money while helping you make money, too. But I’m finding out that that’s not as easy as I’ve been led to believe. You’re not alone if you are finding yourself in this situation, too. I hear you!

I am so tired of all these Facebook ads, and emails telling me that someone out there has this FREE 7 point system to grow your mailing list, to start you on your way to a 7 figure yearly income. I’m sure that for some that has happened, but I can tell you, it’s not an easy — or normal — thing.

I listen to the podcasts, I read the emails, I sign up for the webinars…and about halfway through (if I even get that far), I know that 99.9 percent of the time, the program is built around what a great person the presenter is, how much money they have made, and if you want to be “just like them”, you have to buy their product or service. It could be as little as $29 or as much as thousands (just examples here, guys).

I’ve bought the kool-aid and I’ve bought into the magic pill philosophy but so far, what makes the most sense to me is “the harder I work, the luckier I get”. I have been working really hard for the last couple of months — I’ve done all the things I have been telling my clients to do. It’s not the old saying of “do what I say, not as I do”, but truly is “I’m practicing what I preach”.

I’ve figured out who I really want to work with, and what makes me the happiest doing. I’ve tested what my clients past and present consider to be my greatest attributes so that I can continue to create and improve on my services to them. What do they want me to give them? I have figured out answers to these questions somewhat but still want to know more. For example, you’re reading this blog. Why? I would love to have you send me a note to nancy@success4biz.biz to tell me what you like or dislike about what I write. That would be a great benefit to me, so that I can help you.

I have to admit, however, that this is HARD WORK and I’m not the most patient of people. I want to be successful, and I want it NOW. Doggone it, where is Samantha from Bewitched when I need her the most? I need the magic. What do you mean I can’t get 1000 new signups on my newsletter every day of the week, just by writing this cool blog? What? It takes time and effort and an understanding of what you’re doing and why? Psychology plays a role? Dang, and I even have a degree in psychology — but I just don’t get it. Why does it take so long? (By the way, disclaimer here…my newsletter sign up is at Home — just saying).

Is there anyone out there that hears me? Do you have the secret? I am afraid I do, and that’s the fact that there is NO secret. It’s just finding that passion, learning what it takes to let others get to know, like and trust you with something they want to buy, and being a strong, patient and forward-thinking person. When you commit to the hard work and the long-haul, then you’ll find yourself suddenly (over a long time) with a great business.

I’d love to talk with you about this. Got a minute, how about letting me know and we’ll set up a time to chat. I look forward to it.

You Say Tomato, I Say Tomatto

You say Tomato, I say Tomaato

What does it take to be successful in business? There is a commercial on TV right now for a company that sells makeup for women. And the ad is about these people "hawking" their wares, chasing after this woman, wanting her to buy everything they're selling. This makes me think about my own business and all the others out there that say they help business owners make more money, help them find more time for family and friends, and create the ability for them to be "their own boss".

The competition for most businesses can be fierce, and what we really hope for is to find our place amidst the many where we can stand out, build a substantial following, and have enough success to do the things we really want to do with our lives. Some of us of course want to be "the wealthiest", "the most well-known", "have the most people talking about us", and more. Yet, I believe for most of us, a more modest dream of time for ourselves, money to pay our bills and have some of the niceties in life, with a group of loyal fans who will always buy from us, recommend us and be part of our "family". I know that's what I want for my business. I don't need to be the BEST. or make the most, or all those other things. What about you?

But I do know that whatever it is we want for our business, it is not going to just show up one day. The articles I read about how "I made $10,000 in my first month" -- well all I can say about that is: Really? Do you have Aladdin's Lamp handy?  Unless you're really really lucky, I am sure that's not going to happen to you. Sorry to say, it takes work, and effort to get a business started, and then it takes more work and more effort to keep it running. It's not easy and it's not cheap.

The work that you must do to get your business running is time consuming and hard on the brain. First, you have to understand things like, what is it that I'm providing? What value and benefits do I offer? And here, I'm going to let you in on a little piece of information -- you don't sell washing machines, for instance. You sell a simple way to get your clothes clean, with little work. You provide the person doing the washing with an easy way to protect their clothing so that they look good and last a long time. Get the idea? Benefits and value are much different than the product or service. People buy things that either give them pleasure, or take away a perceived pain. A washing machine is a washing machine is a washing machine. But one of the new gizmos that are becoming "hot" right now, are washing machines that have built in sinks. That's supposed to help with prewashing, etc.

You need to figure out what your goals are and how you're going to accomplish them. SMART goals are goals that provide to dos, and time tables and accountability. For a goal, without a direction to achieve it, will never get accomplished. Once you've got those goals in place you have to work at it to make sure you're moving ahead. If you set it up and then leave it to grow on it's own, it will never happen. I often see people using the visual of growing a garden -- you have to water it, pull the weeds, and consistently check in to make sure that there are no bugs or animals digging around it. The same is true for your business. Focus, focus, focus -- it takes time.

Once you have all of this in motion, your next step is to figure out just how do you get the people to know what you sell, and want it. There's a difference between marketing, advertising and sales. You need to understand the differences and figure out how to make them work for you. When you're just starting out, you are going to be EVERYTHING for your business, and so of course you are going to be the marketer, salesman and everything all wrapped up in one. Get used to it and don't let it intimidate you. You're not going to be able to get a customer unless they know you exist. It's a very important step in the process.

In our next article, we'll talk more about marketing and go into more depth with what is needed here. But for now, whatever you call starting your business, you need to work hard at it for it to be successful. If you'd like to talk some about this, or other business strategies, I'd love to chat. Give me a holler at nancy@success4biz.biz and we'll set up a time for a one-on-one.

The Secret to Achieving a Goal

Have you ever wanted something really badly…you think about it, how to accomplish it, why you want it, and what else is an important component? Then life happens and you forget all about it for the time being? When it comes to mind again, later, you can’t for the life of you remember what it was or what you had decided had to be done to get to the success of that particular goal. What should you have done to remember it?

There really is no mystery, or secret, to achieving a goal. It is very straight-forward, and I know for me, the more I have on my mind the more I need to do this — WRITE IT DOWN. By writing it down when I think of it, I make sure that I have a way to remember it later and don’t have to reinvent the wheel. It’s right there in front of me.

However, one of the aspects of this miraculous achievement is something called a SMART goal. People have been debating whether this type of technique or strategy is important, but I can tell you for myself it has made a world of difference. SMART goals are ways to not only create a goal, but to give it a timeframe, and the hows, or To-Dos, of actions in which to get the tasks done, in order to complete that particular goal.

For many of you who are used to reading my blogs I will once again refer to two of my favorite movies. The first, The Wizard of Oz, shows us that if we have no particular place to go, anywhere will get us there. But when you have a goal, something you want, some place you want to go, then you set yourself a roadmap and head out in the direction that will get you there.

The second of my favorites is Gone With the Wind, and here I will remind you of Scarlet's sayings, I’ll think about that tomorrow. How often did that action she was going to think about “tomorrow” never come to pass. She did not have a specific goal in mind, simply that she would at a later date try and figure out an answer to her question or dilemma.

I like it when I am given the tools to get things done, and when you Google SMART goals there are many online printable templates. I’m old school and still like to write things down. This has two benefits: the first is the act of writing it down in and of itself. That helps the mind to coalesce what it’s thinking about and gives it some weight. Secondly, when it’s written down, you can then take that piece of paper and place it somewhere where you can look at it regularly. By seeing it over and over again, it makes it more urgent to complete.

I suggest that you don’t take my word for this secret formula, but try it out for yourself and see how well it works. I’ll bet that you’ll see some wonderful results. Of course there are other things that need to be kept in mind — for instance, don’t make the goal TOO difficult, it won’t get completed and you’ll get frustrated and not try again. On the other hand, don’t make it too simple — you need to stretch a bit if you want to have your business succeed long term. But keep those things in mind, do your strategy goal planning and I bet you’ll get some wonderful results!

Shaking Things Up

If you’re reading my blog you know that I am an entrepreneur at heart and my heart is focused on helping other entrepreneurs. I am so grateful to be able to work with others who are passionate, eager to get their own businesses off the ground and are willing to work to get results. For many years I ran a successful business and my clients were happy and had healthy bank accounts to go along with their hard work. Lately, however, I’ve not seen this happening as often and I’ve not had the success that I had before. I’ve realized that there are two things that I need: a compelling and relevant service, and the ability to let people know that that service is available. I have the first in spades, but where I need work is on the second — letting the right people know and providing them with the correct message. Hard work has been happening and I’m getting there. Now, it’s time to get you there too! In other words, it’s time to shake things up!

Being unique, standing out and getting noticed in this very noisy world is what’s important today. Doesn’t matter if you’ve been in business for 35 years or for 35 minutes. If no one knows you exist, or if they don’t know that what you do is worth their time and energy, you’re either not going to be in business for long, or you’re not going to be making as much money (or as successful) as you could be.

The first thing you have to do to stand out is figure out who your target market is. Once you have that down, you have to decide what exactly that target market wants and is drawn to.

1. You have to focus on what solutions you have that will support the client. Those products and services that the client wants, are already halfway sold.
2. Make sure that your message is clearly understood by the target market. If there is confusion, then the purchase is harder to get. The market doesn’t know whether they really want/need it and so they won’t buy it.
3. Do you have a hook? When you offer something, like a white paper, a free webinar, an ebook — from that point it is easier to get the customer to buy the “REAL” product or service.

These all should become part of your marketing program. This is the part where people know what you do, but you still have to get them to know that they want to work with YOU. They need to know, like and trust you. Being honest and trustworthy, open and friendly, sharing and caring — these are all ways for people to get to know you. I must tell you, though, while this is the best way to gain clients, it’s not the easiest or the quickest. My coach, Vicky Knee, of http://vickyknee.com tells me constantly to be patient, darn it all anyway.

But when you work as hard as you can ON your business as well as providing the best you can for your customers, you will find that in the long run, you will have a successful and supportive business.