Tags |
|
|
Links |
|
|
Suggest You - Is Your Business Ready For a Do-Over?
You probably realise how the wrong tone of voice and negative body language can cause problems when dealing with other people, particularly customers and staff. However, using the wrong words can also cause problems.There are certain "trigger" words that cause people to become more difficult especially in emotionally charged situations and they should be avoided. These include:* Have to - as in - "You'll have to speak to the sales department yourself"*I can't or you can't - as in - "I can't do anything about that" or "You can't do that"*I'll try - as in - "I'll try and speak to finance department today"*But - as in - "I agree with what you're saying but…….."*Sorry - as in - "I'm sorry 'bout that""What DO I say I hear you cry?"Instead of the words "Have to" which are very controlling type words, why not try - "Are you willing to…" or just a straight - "Will you…."Can't, can be replaced with - "I'm unable to because….""I'll try," which is pretty wishy-washy, can be replaced with something more honest - "This is what I can do" or "This is w
- Do you like what you do?
When looking at everything you do as if you are a beginner, you will get the opportunity to see with more clarity.
Step Two: Eliminate anything standing in the way of your success:
What is the one true thing bothering you about your business?
- Do you work longer hours than necessary?
- Are your fees too low? Too high?
- Do you have the time in your schedule to complete
the required business tasks?
First, STOP! Wasting Time.
Small business owners, entrepreneurs and independent professionals who are not successful can waste loads of time on inconsequential tasks.
-Give up answering your telephone. Hire a service or only answer your phone at specific time
In some states, people can work as an accountant even if they have no formal education or experience whatsoever. In order to impose standards of quality and respectability upon the accounting industry, the idea of a CPA was born.A CPA is someone who has earned a board-certified accounting license that guarantees that he or she has at least the entry-level skills required to be a good accountant.If an accountant acts in an incompetent or unethical way, his or her CPA license can be revoked. Furthermore, a CPA is required to receive continuing education in the accounting field, to ensure that he or she stays up to date with the latest updates and changes in information. Each CPA license is granted for only one of the 55 U.S. jurisdictions, which include each state, plus the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. If a Certified Public Accountant wants to work in other jurisdictions, he or she must obtain a license for each one separately. What are the Steps to Becoming a CPA? In order to be licensed as a Certified Public Accountant, a
However, your clients get in the way.
They may contact you too much, not follow up on their commitments, cost you too much, drain your energy or may just be the wrong clients for you at this stage of your business.
Maybe it’s time for a Business Do-Over.
What does a Do-Over require?
First, review your client list. Second, check out how you are acting in your business. Third, evaluate, eliminate, elevate and expand your business.
For either long or short term clients, depending on how your business operates, you always want the best business fit.
What does a good fit mean to you?
A good fit is your Ideal Client. An example of a good fit is someone:
- Ready to pay your fees. - Prepared to respect your ideas and input. - Willing to do whatever it takes to be successful - Able to commit to the process of success.
-Willing to be satisfied with the process and its outcomes. - Ready to ask you the right questions that push them to
where they want to be.
When you are signing up prospects, what they are called prior to becoming clients, the prospect may seem excited, ready to go forward and say Yes! To everything.
Then things change.
Clients may turn on you and themselves; the client may be late with fieldwork, consistently cancel appointments, stretch out the contract, (especially if is time dated) and do many other things that make you question your abilities, commitment and theirs as well.
What do you do?
Step One: You Evaluate the process.
- Did the problems occur because the client does not fit your
criteria?
- Did you bend your own rules?
- Did you become too attached to your clients’ outcomes?
No matter the cause, you must reevaluate.
Operating your own business does not mean you were meant to suffer. It is time to take stock of your existing client base, your criteria for new clients as well as where your life, and business are heading.
Reassess the client:
1. Is the client following through, creating success and satisfied with the outcomes? If the answer is No, time for a conversation.
2. Is the client lazy, unwilling to stretch themselves or unable to take directions?
If the answer is Yes, again, time for a conversation.
If the results of the conversation are that the client will not change, or transform, time to let them go.
This is also the time for you to evaluate your process.
Reassess yourself:
- Are you using sales techniques from years past?
- Are you satisfied with your initial presentation?
- Do you want to quit and start all over again?
Maybe it’s time to go back to the beginning.
- Why did you want to start your own business in the first
place?
- Has your niche been empty for a while?
- Do you like what you do?
When looking at everything you do as if you are a beginner, you will get the opportunity to see with more clarity.
Step Two: Eliminate anything standing in the way of your success:
What is the one true thing bothering you about your business?
- Do you work longer hours than necessary?
- Are your fees too low? Too high?
- Do you have the time in your schedule to complete
the required business tasks?
First, STOP! Wasting Time.
Small business owners, entrepreneurs and independent professionals who are not successful can waste loads of time on inconsequential tasks.
-Give up answering your telephone. Hire a service or only answer your phone at specific times
“@#$%& it! Will you quit bugging me with your planning meetings – I’ve got work to do!”That was a statement made to me by a manager when I asked him - for the third time - to work with a group of us assigned a critical project. The project, if carried off well, would have profound effects on the long term health of the business. But it ended up fizzling after two months. Why? Because this manager, in a crucial department, didn’t see the need for planning, and wouldn’t ‘play’.Planning can be looked on as a pain in the neck. Often, at the very best, we do it because we know we ought to. But it’s done grudgingly, and because of that incompletely. And then when the plan doesn’t work we reinforce the thought that planning is a waste of time. But really, is it? What are the pitfalls of not planning?PITFALLS OF NOT PLANNING Well, first there’s the effect on the plan itself. What happens when we don’t plan at all? That’s more easily seen if we look at a good vacation. Most of us wouldn’t think of going on an extended vacation without doing significant planning. Why? Because it’s precious t
What does a good fit mean to you?
A good fit is your Ideal Client. An example of a good fit is someone:
- Ready to pay your fees. - Prepared to respect your ideas and input. - Willing to do whatever it takes to be successful - Able to commit to the process of success.
-Willing to be satisfied with the process and its outcomes. - Ready to ask you the right questions that push them to
where they want to be.
When you are signing up prospects, what they are called prior to becoming clients, the prospect may seem excited, ready to go forward and say Yes! To everything.
Then things change.
Clients may turn on you and themselves; the client may be late with fieldwork, consistently cancel appointments, stretch out the contract, (especially if is time dated) and do many other things that make you question your abilities, commitment and theirs as well.
What do you do?
Step One: You Evaluate the process.
- Did the problems occur because the client does not fit your
criteria?
- Did you bend your own rules?
- Did you become too attached to your clients’ outcomes?
No matter the cause, you must reevaluate.
Operating your own business does not mean you were meant to suffer. It is time to take stock of your existing client base, your criteria for new clients as well as where your life, and business are heading.
Reassess the client:
1. Is the client following through, creating success and satisfied with the outcomes? If the answer is No, time for a conversation.
2. Is the client lazy, unwilling to stretch themselves or unable to take directions?
If the answer is Yes, again, time for a conversation.
If the results of the conversation are that the client will not change, or transform, time to let them go.
This is also the time for you to evaluate your process.
Reassess yourself:
- Are you using sales techniques from years past?
- Are you satisfied with your initial presentation?
- Do you want to quit and start all over again?
Maybe it’s time to go back to the beginning.
- Why did you want to start your own business in the first
place?
- Has your niche been empty for a while?
- Do you like what you do?
When looking at everything you do as if you are a beginner, you will get the opportunity to see with more clarity.
Step Two: Eliminate anything standing in the way of your success:
What is the one true thing bothering you about your business?
- Do you work longer hours than necessary?
- Are your fees too low? Too high?
- Do you have the time in your schedule to complete
the required business tasks?
First, STOP! Wasting Time.
Small business owners, entrepreneurs and independent professionals who are not successful can waste loads of time on inconsequential tasks.
-Give up answering your telephone. Hire a service or only answer your phone at specific time
The workplace in today’s environment is a stressful place. The uncertainty of the economy coupled with your dependence on the decisions of others leaves you in a fragile position. Do you constantly ask the following questions of yourself?• Am I working too much and making to little? • Am I trapped in this job? • Do I feel as if I am on a treadmill, spinning faster and never moving forward? • Am I just busy or am I accomplishing something? • Do you daydream about a joy of freedom? • Am I fed up with missing family time, family events, and making other personal sacrifices? • Do I crave for more free time to do the things that matter most to me? • Do I think about the autonomy of owning my own business?If you answered “yes” to most of these questions, you are not alone. Starting now you can limit this discomfort. It is time to work for your self. It is necessary to change your self awareness. First, it is time to understand that your current situation is only a phase of life that you are passing through. Next, begin to research the options available. Many opportunities
What do you do?
Step One: You Evaluate the process.
- Did the problems occur because the client does not fit your
criteria?
- Did you bend your own rules?
- Did you become too attached to your clients’ outcomes?
No matter the cause, you must reevaluate.
Operating your own business does not mean you were meant to suffer. It is time to take stock of your existing client base, your criteria for new clients as well as where your life, and business are heading.
Reassess the client:
1. Is the client following through, creating success and satisfied with the outcomes? If the answer is No, time for a conversation.
2. Is the client lazy, unwilling to stretch themselves or unable to take directions?
If the answer is Yes, again, time for a conversation.
If the results of the conversation are that the client will not change, or transform, time to let them go.
This is also the time for you to evaluate your process.
Reassess yourself:
- Are you using sales techniques from years past?
- Are you satisfied with your initial presentation?
- Do you want to quit and start all over again?
Maybe it’s time to go back to the beginning.
- Why did you want to start your own business in the first
place?
- Has your niche been empty for a while?
- Do you like what you do?
When looking at everything you do as if you are a beginner, you will get the opportunity to see with more clarity.
Step Two: Eliminate anything standing in the way of your success:
What is the one true thing bothering you about your business?
- Do you work longer hours than necessary?
- Are your fees too low? Too high?
- Do you have the time in your schedule to complete
the required business tasks?
First, STOP! Wasting Time.
Small business owners, entrepreneurs and independent professionals who are not successful can waste loads of time on inconsequential tasks.
-Give up answering your telephone. Hire a service or only answer your phone at specific time
Finding The Right FranchiseWhether it’s hamburgers, pizza, telecom, coffee, Internet, muffler parts, or seniors’ services, there are Franchise opportunities available to evaluate. There are great Franchise systems, good Franchise systems, and bad Franchise systems. The challenge is to ask the right questions to find the right system that will fit your goals and dreams. The key is to ask the questions – and listen closely to the responses. Only then can you determine if the Franchise opportunity is the right fit for you. So whether it’s food services like burgers or coffee, professional services like telecom or IT, or manual services like cleaning or oil changes, ask the questions and record the answers.Unified ThinkingThe entire process of due diligence, for both parties, should be about determining whether there is unified thinking. My counsel is to step back at the end of the due diligence process and ask yourself the following question: Did the process help both parties to determine if they have unified thinking about the business at hand? If the answer is not yes, then you’ve either got more w
2. Is the client lazy, unwilling to stretch themselves or unable to take directions?
If the answer is Yes, again, time for a conversation.
If the results of the conversation are that the client will not change, or transform, time to let them go.
This is also the time for you to evaluate your process.
Reassess yourself:
- Are you using sales techniques from years past?
- Are you satisfied with your initial presentation?
- Do you want to quit and start all over again?
Maybe it’s time to go back to the beginning.
- Why did you want to start your own business in the first
place?
- Has your niche been empty for a while?
- Do you like what you do?
When looking at everything you do as if you are a beginner, you will get the opportunity to see with more clarity.
Step Two: Eliminate anything standing in the way of your success:
What is the one true thing bothering you about your business?
- Do you work longer hours than necessary?
- Are your fees too low? Too high?
- Do you have the time in your schedule to complete
the required business tasks?
First, STOP! Wasting Time.
Small business owners, entrepreneurs and independent professionals who are not successful can waste loads of time on inconsequential tasks.
-Give up answering your telephone. Hire a service or only answer your phone at specific time
We have developed a set of rules regarding financial analysis that we apply in writing business plans. We share them with you in this article in the hope that you will find these rules worthy of adopting in your efforts to write business plans as well.Rule 1: Financial analysis techniques are tools to uncover facts, not define them.People use a number of financial analysis techniques, such as ratio analysis, bankruptcy analysis, sensitivity analysis, etc. The purpose of these exercises is not to arrive at some final result that looks good. Rather, the analyses are performed in order to find how the business can be improved. Never be lulled into thinking everything is good. Things can change on a dime. Look for areas than can be improved in order to give you a cushion in case things go bad.Rule 2: Results are only good or bad within the context of the whole.I had someone ask me once if a current ratio of 2.0 was good for his business. Well, it depends. Granted, a ratio value of 2.0 means that the value of current assets is large enough
- Do you like what you do?
When looking at everything you do as if you are a beginner, you will get the opportunity to see with more clarity.
Step Two: Eliminate anything standing in the way of your success:
What is the one true thing bothering you about your business?
- Do you work longer hours than necessary?
- Are your fees too low? Too high?
- Do you have the time in your schedule to complete
the required business tasks?
First, STOP! Wasting Time.
Small business owners, entrepreneurs and independent professionals who are not successful can waste loads of time on inconsequential tasks.
-Give up answering your telephone. Hire a service or only answer your phone at specific times. Leave a voice mail message that says: ‘I will return all telephone calls between the hours of 11 a.m. and noon, and 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. during weekdays.’
- Clean out your office.
- Do only tasks of high value, and then go for a walk.
- Review your clients and friends and eliminate those who do not support you.
- Answer your email in the afternoon only. Use the morning time for high-level tasks. If any message requires an immediate response, wait until the next day to attend to it. Always let issues settle for at least twenty-four hours.
If possible, hire an assistant to do these tasks for you. It is time to create a clean plate, to go back to the beginning.
Then, fire your lowest paying clients. Yes, I said fire. Trust yourself that you will be able to attract higher paying clients,
train them better and make you more money.
If you work strictly on commission, as in sales or real estate, stop working with losers. If a prospect has not purchased or listed in over a year, reframe your contact time to once every three or four months. Send a letter, postcard, email them or pick up the phone.
Just don’t spend unnecessary amounts of time pushing them. It doesn’t’ work, you will get frustrated and letting them go will give you more time and energy to find newer, better prospects.
Step Three: Elevate Your Standards
It is time for you to raise the bar, as far as you, your business, your clientele and your values are concerned.
First, you. If you are not living up to your own expectations, take a survey of clients and friends and get feedback.
Ask them questions like:
“What five words define me?”
“ What do you know about what I do?”
“ What do you think I do?”
You may be amazed a how your clients and friends perceive you. Be willing to listen to them and adjust your own evaluation of yourself.
Are you providing Nordstrom’s service?
One thing Nordstrom’s subscribes to is:
“Act as if it is your name on the door.”
If you own your business or are an independent professional, this goes without saying. But does it show?
The other motto from Nordstrom’s is:
“Respond to unreasonable requests.”
These statements go hand in hand with your business. Also, do you have an assistant? Without an assistant, your success may be limited. We were not meant to work alone. Reassess the technical aspects of your businesses. You may need just to hire someone to submit your articles, redo your website or handle your mailings.
Do you have a business vision or are you just going from day to day, client to client?
With a true business vision, all your decisions are easily made, because all your decisions are in alignment with your vision.
Create a vision for your business, align it with your goals and mission and start anew.
Also start anew with your choice of clients. Make sure that the criteria you have established is criteria y
HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.suggestyou.com/article/20339/suggestyou-Is-Your-Business-Ready-For-a-DoOver.html">Is Your Business Ready For a Do-Over?</a>
BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.suggestyou.com/article/20339/suggestyou-Is-Your-Business-Ready-For-a-DoOver.html]Is Your Business Ready For a Do-Over?[/url]
Related Articles:
5 Ways To Delegate Without A Payroll
The 30 Second Scan - An Employer's Perspective
Bookmark it:
|