Wake Up! Actions to Take Now
It's easy for successful businesses to coast --
to keep doing what they've always been doing.
But the world is changing at a breakneck pace and you can't continue to be successful
if you stay the same.
Here are some tips to keep you up to speed:
Update your marketing materials.
I think this should be done at least every five years. Photos need to be reshot, colors
and fonts up-dated, layout styles changed. What was cutting edge in 1995 isn't today.
And I don't care how many boxes of the old letterhead you have. Saving a few hundred
bucks isn't worth losing position in the marketplace.
Fire the problem employees.
You know who they are - they are always negative, they just can't seem to get it
together, they suck the life out of your team. You want to thrive? Be a leader and get
rid of them.
Increase the value you offer your customers.
What other services can you provide that will make their lives easier? Can you
provide valuable information on your web site? Offer a 1-800 number to solve
problems? If you sell clothes, is it time to offer alterations? Make yourself
indispensable.
Go where the money is.
Determine which jobs or clients generate the most profit for your company and focus
on expanding your market share. Often businesses will "dance with those that brung
them" when they need to move on to more profitable partners.
Do something scary.
If you're not doing something scary, you're not growing. What's scary? Launching a
new product or service, making a large capital purchase, moving your offices to a
larger market, adding employees —change is scary. While you're playing it safe, your
competition is snatching up great new opportunities. You didn't play it safe when you
started your company - you were aggressive, passionate and offered something new to
the marketplace.
Take care of business.
Are you certain you are covering the basics? Many companies have grown so fast,
they've lost control. They offer a lousy customer service, their salespeople are poorly
trained and their people are overwhelmed. It's just a matter of time before this house
of cards falls. If you aren't taking good care of your customers, you're creating a great
opportunity for someone else to do so. Don't rely on comment cards - unhappy
customers won't waste their time filling them out. Develop an objective way to survey
customers (ask for outside help if necessary) or you may never know the true situation
until it's too late.
Don't listen to the naysayers.
Don't give in to all those who say business is bad -- it's always going to be good for
somebody! If things are slow, this is a great time to do all those things you usually
don't have time to do. If you're a retailer, update your store's appearance or set up that
online shopping system you've been thinking about. If you're a service provider,
update your database; develop new services; network - now you have the time!
Think of the current economic situation as an opportunity -- it always is, for someone.
Will it be for you?
Denise Ryan, MBA, is a Certified Speaking Professional, a designation of excellence
held by less than 10% of all professional speakers. She is a blogger at Motivation by
Chocolate. Visit her website at Fire Star Speaking where you can see more articles and
sign up for a free newsletter.
It's easy for successful businesses to coast --
to keep doing what they've always been doing.
But the world is changing at a breakneck pace and you can't continue to be successful
if you stay the same.
Here are some tips to keep you up to speed:
Update your marketing materials.
I think this should be done at least every five years. Photos need to be reshot, colors
and fonts up-dated, layout styles changed. What was cutting edge in 1995 isn't today.
And I don't care how many boxes of the old letterhead you have. Saving a few hundred
bucks isn't worth losing position in the marketplace.
Fire the problem employees.
You know who they are - they are always negative, they just can't seem to get it
together, they suck the life out of your team. You want to thrive? Be a leader and get
rid of them.
Increase the value you offer your customers.
What other services can you provide that will make their lives easier? Can you
provide valuable information on your web site? Offer a 1-800 number to solve
problems? If you sell clothes, is it time to offer alterations? Make yourself
indispensable.
Go where the money is.
Determine which jobs or clients generate the most profit for your company and focus
on expanding your market share. Often businesses will "dance with those that brung
them" when they need to move on to more profitable partners.
Do something scary.
If you're not doing something scary, you're not growing. What's scary? Launching a
new product or service, making a large capital purchase, moving your offices to a
larger market, adding employees —change is scary. While you're playing it safe, your
competition is snatching up great new opportunities. You didn't play it safe when you
started your company - you were aggressive, passionate and offered something new to
the marketplace.
Take care of business.
Are you certain you are covering the basics? Many companies have grown so fast,
they've lost control. They offer a lousy customer service, their salespeople are poorly
trained and their people are overwhelmed. It's just a matter of time before this house
of cards falls. If you aren't taking good care of your customers, you're creating a great
opportunity for someone else to do so. Don't rely on comment cards - unhappy
customers won't waste their time filling them out. Develop an objective way to survey
customers (ask for outside help if necessary) or you may never know the true situation
until it's too late.
Don't listen to the naysayers.
Don't give in to all those who say business is bad -- it's always going to be good for
somebody! If things are slow, this is a great time to do all those things you usually
don't have time to do. If you're a retailer, update your store's appearance or set up that
online shopping system you've been thinking about. If you're a service provider,
update your database; develop new services; network - now you have the time!
Think of the current economic situation as an opportunity -- it always is, for someone.
Will it be for you?
Denise Ryan, MBA, is a Certified Speaking Professional, a designation of excellence
held by less than 10% of all professional speakers. She is a blogger at Motivation by
Chocolate. Visit her website at Fire Star Speaking where you can see more articles and
sign up for a free newsletter.
Home Office Weekly is a BackPorch Publishing site Click Here to Get Your FREE SUBSCRIPTION Today! Marcia Passos Duffy, Publisher & Editor Author of Be Your Own Boss 301 Moved Permanently |
home|your business|your office |your time |your home life|yourself |art|books|tools|site map|about us
home|your business|your office |your time |your home life|yourself |art|books|tools|site map|about us
|
