Core Business Solutions Advice

December is the perfect time to set your goals for 2011.
A lot of people create excitement around new goals and ideas, but then those lofty goals more often than not, fall to the wayside. Why is this?

To begin with, let's look at the excuses we use to justify why our goals fail.

Ever notice yourself using these excuses?:

1- I don't have time / I'm too busy

2-I don't have enough money

3- It's (insert someone else's name)'s fault

4-It's too hard / harder than I expected

5-I'll do it later

6-I don't know how

7- It's just not "the right time"


Let's talk about setting goals. You have to be SMART about your goals.

SMART goals are:

S – Specific

M - Measurable

A - Attainable

R - Realistic

T - Timely


Here are some common business goals:

A- Make more money (how much?)

B-Generate more sales (how many more?)

C-Meet more people (how many? /How?)

D-Generate more leads (how many more and what are the demographics?)

What happens if you don't meet your goals? It's ok! Just take a realistic look at what happened, and set a new milestone date. Just don't go back to the excuse list!

If you don't respect yourself or hold yourself in high enough regard, why should other people?

Learn to keep your commitments to yourself first [Self integrity], and then you will be better prepared to deal with the commitments to others in your life -your clients, family, and employees.

Watch how others start regarding you when you take yourself seriously.
What if you really don't have time? Oh right...you're *different*. The truth is, that everybody has time for the things that are important to them. If you don't have time, then maybe it just isn't really a priority for you (and, that's OK!?). You probably need someone to help you, so reach out and get help.

If someone offered you a million dollars to do something you "don't have time to do," would you find time?

What is achieving your goals really worth to you? If you did achieve them how much better would your business and your life be?

Keys to accomplishing your goals:

1-Write them down [Planning, sound familiar?]

2-Tape them to your wall, or carry them in a notebook.

3-Look at them every day.

4-Tell other people - enlist others in helping to make you accountable.

5- Ask people for help - don't assume people know what you want or need.

Try being direct, it's a rare trait these days.


In conclusion - being SMART about your goals, is the key to achieving them.

In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.

Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment


All The Best,
Walt Morey
Core Business Solutions
Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business

http://www.corebizsolution.com/

It is said "you can't judge a book by its cover." But people do. It is the packaging
that sells it. The title and design of the cover will make all the difference in its
appeal. You can do the same to develop a big booming business with something called BRANDING.

Branding is the immediately recognizable "ah-ha there it is!" That is what you want
in your product and especially your business. People may see it as in a picture, or hear it in a phrase that
identifies the product or service as the one that focuses on them and their desires. Upon entering the brain
through the eyes, ears, or both, good feelings are triggered and drug-like chemical
reactions in the body flood all nerve receptors with desire for the product.

Branding is a form of mesmerism by easy memorization to your prospects, who
then become customers, because when they go to buy the product they think of
you. You get famous through branding. The brand is you, how you get known,
how you get success, and how you will get to charge more for what you have or
do. The jingle they cannot get out of their heads screams at them to buy and try
your product. It is a response, not a choice, because people know what they
know, and through branding what they know is your product.

Branding makes your product sexy, seductive, irresistible, and "must have."
Coming up with tactics for branding is your chance to be creative. Come up with
an overwhelming benefit of your business above what other businesses have and
make it catchy. Make it sing an opera, dance the twist, and sparkle like fireworks. This is what drives your
marketing into the minds and hearts of your market.
Be bold, be different, one-of-a-kind, outstanding, magnetic! Use branding to
be what only you can be and people will buy when you fill their need.

Here are some things people need:

• They need things FAST. 
• They need things that make them FEEL GOOD. 
• They need things that ELIMINATE  PROBLEMS. 
• They need things that ACCOMPLISH GOALS for them. 
• They need things that FILL VOIDS in  their life. 
• They need SECURITY. 
• They need to BE IMPORTANT. 
• They need GUARANTEED RESULTS. 
• They need LOVE. 
• They need BARGAINS. 
• They need HOPE. 
• They need RELIEF. 
• They need a FRIEND and ALLY. 
• They need to SURVIVE and THRIVE. 
• They need YOU to FULFILL THEIR DREAMS.

Satisfy any of these cravings once for your customer and you can add one
product after another to your business and the customer will buy. It will be
because YOU are the brand the customer has gotten to know with
fondness and learned to trust. Get personal with customers and keep in
contact.

          When Dave Thomas started doing commercials for his Wendy's Restaurants, the business revived
from its slowdown because people could see what a likable guy he was. Take what you do and present it to the public over and over in advertising and promotion and prove it in performance to your buyer.

Let's say your business fills the need in people to have what they want fast. Here
are a couple successful slogans that went far to brand these companies. For
Domino's Pizza - "30 minutes or it's free." For Federal Express - "When it
absolutely, positively has to be there overnight."

Such branding made an impact, made a reputation, and made sales. If you want
to establish yourself in business, you can have no better strategy than branding. It
is how cotton swabs become Q-tips, how tissue became Kleenex, how a copy
became a Xerox. Branding is what makes franchises so successful. You pay a lot of money for a
franchise because if you work at it, it is sure to work, because it is already
branded. McDonalds Restaurants are found worldwide as well as next door.

Brand yourself, your business, with the right ideas to motivate and excite, and
whenever people think of your product or service, they will think ONLY OF YOU!


Core Business solutions can help you Brand your company.


Remember: To get your business to the top, you must get off your bottom."

 In the next few weeks I'll post another article to help business owners work "on" their business.
Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment



All The Best,

Walt Morey

Core Business Solutions

Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business

http://www.corebizsolution.com/

There once was a bunch of tiny frogs who arranged a climbing competition and the
goal was to reach the top of a very high tower. A large crowd gathered around the tower
to see the race and cheer on the contestants. The race began.

No one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower.
The crowd began to call out... “That’s far too difficult!”, “You’ll never make it to the
top!”, “You will never succeed, the tower is too high!”

Sure enough the tiny frogs started to collapse one by one as the task became
too tough and the cries of the crowd began to affect them. Except those who
got a second wind and climbed higher and higher. The crowd continued to yell
out. “It’s too difficult, no one will make it!!” More tiny frogs got tired and gave up but
one continued higher and higher...

This one wouldn’t give up! At the end that one
tiny frog who made a big effort reached the top of the tower. Everyone wanted to
know how the tiny frog had managed it. A fellow contestant asked him how he
had achieved such a magnificent feat.

The winning tiny frog looked blankly at his fellow contestant and said that he had focused only on the goal - and didn’t hear the negative comments. The moral of this story...

Never let other people’s tendency to be pessimistic or negative take your dreams
and aspirations away from you! Always be POSITIVE. Focus on your goals when
people tell you that you should not try to fulfil your dreams.

BELIEVE and ACHIEVE!    Keep Your Eye On The Prize !
 
In the next few weeks I'll post another article to help business owners work "on" their business.


Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment

All The Best,

Walt Morey
Core Business Solutions
Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business
http://www.corebizsolution.com/  

I hear this question many times per month: " Why should I use Social Media as part of my marketing strategy?" To me the golden rule in marketing should be 'People Buy From Those They Know, Like and Trust.'  Social Media platforms are just the place for people to get to know and like you and even trust your business. I don't think anyone can deny that Social Networking is big and only getting bigger. Social networks are going to become more important to any business operating on the Internet.

Over 85% of marketers claim the number-one advantage of social media marketing is generating exposure for a business.

Social Media tools like Facebook and Twitter can help you in three ways:

1. Building your status as an expert or guru in your business. This helps your prospects to know and like you and your business. You keep exposing your knowledge and expertise to all those who discover you on Social Media, many of which will be prospects for your product or service.
2. Social Media can drive traffic to your website. As your prospects go to your website from your Blog or your company Face Book Fan Page for more detailed info about your product or service a comfortable sense of trust develops as your website provides even more detailed information about you and your company.
3. Social Media can create back links to help raise your ranking on Google thus providing additional search engine optimization. 

So how big is Social Media at this point? Here are just a few brief facts to give you an idea:

• Since March 2010 Facebook tops Google in Internet traffic in the US
• Social Media is the #1 activity on the Internet
• 96% of the millennial (Y) generation [those born since 1980] is on a Social Network
• 1 out of 8 couples now getting married in the US met via social media
• If Face Book were a country its 500 million members  would be the third largest country in population behind India and China
• Fastest growing segment of Face Book is females age 55-65
• Ashton Kutcher and Britney Spears have more Twitter Followers that the entire populations of Sweden, Israel, Ireland, Norway and Panama
• YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world
• Wikipedia has over 15 million articles and studies show its as accurate as the Encyclopedia Britannica...78% of the articles are not in English!
• 34% of bloggers post opinions about products and brands-what are they saying about your brand?
• 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations, only 14% trust ads
• Only 18% of traditional ad campaigns generate a positive ROI

Because of Social Media 'Word of Mouth has now become World of Mouth' according to best selling author Erik Qualman in his book "Socialnomics".  In his book Qualman says "The ROI of Social Media is your business will still exist in 5 years." 

So Social Media is not a fad, it's a basic shift in communication. We don't have a choice on whether to use Social Media, the real question is 'How well will we do it?"

If you want more info on how to manage your Social Media Marketing campaign, I'd be happy to help you.

In the next few weeks I'll post another article to help business owners work "on" their business.

Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment


All The Best,

Walt Morey

Core Business Solutions

Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business

http://www.corebizsolution.com

Dale Carnegie said “Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.”

Effective communication is essential in today's work environment. Good communication is as reliant on good listening as on coherent speaking. Here are some tips on how to be a better listener:

1. Look at the other person as they speak. Smile and acknowledge them as they speak. They will open up more as you provide a very positive and interested audience.
2. Ask questions as your conversation goes along. This will draw out more detailed information.
3. Don't interrupt the other person. Let them complete their thought before you jump in and provide feedback.
4. Don't change the subject unless the person speaking does. The more comfortable the speaker is the easier it will be for them to speak plainly.
5. Occasionally reflect back to the speaker what they said, in your own words. This tells the speaker you were listening and that you understand what they have said.
6. Express emotion with control. Try not to overreact to anything.
7. Respond appropriately by considering how you want the speaker to think of you.

Using the methods above can help you help others and be a better listener as well.

In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.


Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment

All The Best,

Walt Morey
Core Business Solutions
Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business
http://www.corebizsolution.com

It is official!  If you have a very tough decision to make - you are much better to 'sleep on it'.

A team of Dutch scientists has come to the conclusion that if you are making a simple and basic choice, like deciding which peanut butter to buy, then a conscious decision is better. However, these same scientists found that as the decision gets more complex and important, you're more likely to make a better quality decision if you 'sleep on it'.

A study in the journal "Science" gave the results of a series of tests which appeared to demonstrate that people who relied only on conscious thought processes tended to perform worse when decisions became more complex than those who were able to 'sleep on it'.  The research team explained that the problem with conscious thought is that the brain can only focus on a few things at the same time, which can lead to some aspects being given undue importance.

Lead researcher Dr. Ap Dijksterhuis said "The take home message is that when you have to make a decision, the first step is to gather all the information necessary for the decision. By going through this collecting process you begin to break down all the different parts of the decision as you think about each part of the information you need."

Once you have all the information, you have to decide and this is best done with conscious thought for simple decisions, but left to unconscious thought - to 'sleep on it' - when the decision is complex.
William Golding said  "Sleep is when all the unsorted stuff comes flying out as from a dustbin upset in a high wind."

Jonathan Schooler of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver told Science that "too much (conscious) reflection could be detrimental in some situations."

Strategic planning for a business involves many complex decisions that should be reviewed and thought through over time and this is why I explain to anyone who is doing business planning of any kind to understand that this 'is a process, not an event.' 

In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.


Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment

All The Best,

Walt Morey

Core Business Solutions

Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business

http://www.corebizsolution.com

Many small business owners or sole proprietors find themselves stretched for time in an economy that requires businesses to do more with less to stay competitive. That’s why it’s wise for entrepreneurs to develop good time management habits so that everything that needs to be done, gets done.

First understand that you can not actually manage time. There will always be only 24 hours per day. But you can do a better job of managing how you interact with and deal with the time you have.
It's about managing your activities or behavior.

Here are 12 tips to help you work smarter and use your time wisely.


1. Buy a week-at-a-glance appointment book and use it religiously. Write everything that you need to accomplish in this book. This book is your brain!

2. Differentiate between the urgent and the vital. The urgent may be making a lot of noise to get your attention, but it is rarely vital that it be done right now or at all. Have a sense of urgency but without panic.

“The vital task rarely needs to be done today. The urgent task calls for instant action. The momentary appeal of these tasks seems irresistible, and they devour our energy. With a sense of loss we recall the vital tasks we pushed aside. We realize that we have become slaves to the tyranny of the urgent.” –Charles Hummel

3. The key is not to prioritize what is on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.


4. Keep track of your time by 15 minute increments for 2 weeks to see how you actually spend your time. Compare this to what you should be or want to be spending your time on. It will help give you the motivation to make needed changes.


5. Say “no” to the project, not the person. You cannot do everything everyone asks you to do.


6. Learn how to effectively delegate. This means picking the right person, giving clear directions, setting benchmark and due dates, and then letting them do it.


7. Procrastination has a lot of different causes: fear, boredom, perfectionism, an overwhelming task and unclear goals. Identify the reason behind procrastination, so you are solving the right problem when dealing with it.


8. If you earn $10,000 a year, each minute is worth $.09. If you earn $30,000 a year, each minute is worth. $.26. Use these thoughts to help you prioritize your activities and to determine to whom you should be delegating. Any time you are doing work that someone at a lower wage could be doing, you are losing money.


9. Set goals. They help you prioritize your activities and let you know that you have succeeded.

10. Don't waste time waiting. We are all trapped into waiting for the dentist or an appointment to start. Have something with you that you can work on: Use your I Phone to check your email; Return calls you received on your cell phone or even just balance your checkbook. Make every minute count.

11. Set Time Limits For Tasks. Set aside a maximum times (i.e. 1 hour; 90 minutes, etc.) to review email or return phone calls or any other task. Set a timer to remind you when your time is used up.


12. There are 1,440 minutes in a day and 29020 days in an 80 year lifetime. Take control of your time and make this year the year you do what you want.

I hope I've provided you some ideas that can help you work better 'on' your business and perhaps even in it as well.

In about 2 weeks or so I'll cover another that can assist you with your business.

Until Next Time : 
Live Simply
Speak Kindly
Care Deeply
Love Generously 
Live In The Moment


All The Best,


Walt Morey


Core Business Solutions
Executive Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business
http://www.corebizsolution.

One of the greatest challenges of leadership is the definition. There are literally thousands of  books, documents, and lecturers that have each defined what their idea of leadership is.
There are definitions for corporate leadership, civic leadership, home leadership, and more. We attempt to
break down leadership and make it more complicated than it is.

At its core, leadership is an individual achieving results through people. In many cases you are considered a leader if you hold a particular title, have a certain set of personality traits, a particular skill, or lucky enough to be a born leader. None of these by itself define leadership, mainly because leadership is an individual decision. Just because someone is in a leadership position doesn't mean they necessarily exercise leadership. In some cases the informal leader exhibits leadership even though they aren't in a leadership role.

The people focused leader is adaptive and receptive to change. They understand the need to change in order to stay a step ahead in order to meet the demands and challenges of a rapidly changing marketplace. They have a vision for their organization that is clearly communicated throughout and the ability to influence at all levels in order to meet organizational goals and objectives.

The people focused leader realizes that it's not just management that drives performance in the organization, but also its people. Happy employees are productive employees. The people focused leader understands the importance of creating an environment that encourages diverse views and stimulates employees to take initiative, work as a team, and continuously learn.

The people focused leader has the interpersonal skills to develop relationships throughout the organization
especially in the new millennium where many workers have more knowledge than those that are leading them.

The people focused leader is quickly replacing the autocratic leaders of yesterday. They recognize the
importance of the people element to be critical to the success of the organization.
With the marketplace becoming more global, competitive, and turbulent, characterized by a highly mobile, skilled, and educated workforce.

The people focused leader will need to demonstrate their "people skills" to drive organizational performance and business success.

As we move forward in the new millennium leadership will be the differentiating factor between successful
and unsuccessful organizations. Rapid innovation and quality improvements will require even greater effort from the workforce in the future, and those that are able to change, influence, and transform his/her
organization will be ready to lead their organizations well into the 21st century.

Are you a people focused leader?  If not, I hope I've given you ideas on how to move in that direction.

In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.


Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment

All The Best,

Walt Morey
Core Business Solutions
Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business
http://www.corebizsolution.com/

To connect the powerful commercial ideas of the business to the necessary levels of sales or customer retention, the sales and marketing function has been treated as a process that is 95%  bribery by price and some science and 5% natural ability.

A more effective approach is based upon six universal principles of sales and marketing effectiveness that impact performance. These principles are relevant to all types of sales organizations irrespective of size, sophistication or location. The exact weight that each principle carries in producing final results will vary between markets and, to some extent, between companies.

The critical foundation is forming a common view of those weights between customers, senior and front-line
management.

These six principles are:
• Knowledge
Having a full understanding of the marketplace and how your products serve its needs. Do your homework.
This is usually the basis of your competitive advantage and can help you differentiate yourself  from others in your business segment.

• Strategy
Providing a focus and direction for the sales and marketing effort commonly understood through the
company. Communicate your strategy to everyone so all are 'on board' with the idea and pulling the same way.

• Structure
The division of work among individuals and the coordination of the work once it has been divided.
Even if you only have one sales person, tasks have differing priorities. Be sure those priorities re clear to all concerned.

• Marketing Operations
Relating customers’ needs to your products. Driving customers to being positively disposed towards your
products. In many businesses this is largely driven by consistency and service delivery. Is your customer service really 'world class'? If not, get an evaluation and fix it.

• Sales Operations
Making it easy for customers to buy your products. The more convenient you make it for your prospect to buy, the more comfortable that sale will be to not only the customer, but to all others in your organization. Can your customers or prospects buy right from your website with an easy and simple process? Do you accept all forms of payment?

• People
Recruiting, integrating and developing quality sales people to achieve maximum performance (and
removing any under performing people quickly). Be sure your sales people have the skills and the tools required to make the sale.

All of these principles need to be incorporated into the process and actively managed to take control of the sales and marketing function. One tip- DO NOT Micro-manage sales people. Set the proper expectations and get their buy-in. Then just hold them accountable to their commitments. This is called Macro-Management. It will work for you.

In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.


Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment

All The Best To Everyone,

Walt Morey
Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business
http://www.corebizsolution.com/

Working as a professional business advisor, you may be forgiven for thinking that my main competitors would be other advisors or consultants. But no, it’s actually the companies that need my
type of help that are the ‘competition’ - preventing themselves from getting the help they need - and making their lives tougher as a result. Here are the top 10 comments I hear.

1. ”Haven’t got time for that - I’ve got too many fires to fight!”

Fire fighting can make you feel useful and needed, and can become addictive. Too much is a sign that your business is out of control, and I can guarantee that your business performance will be suffering as a result.

2. “What difference could an outsider possibly make to my business?”
Quite a lot actually! You’re likely to be ‘too close’ to your business. An outside view, from an expert who can take an overview of your whole business is likely to result in rapid and far reaching benefits for you. I’ve helped a number of businesses where the owners were originally convinced that no-one from outside
could help. I have a saying “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got - if you’re lucky!”

3. “I’ve resigned myself to live with the problems - I’ve lowered my expectations and given up on my original dreams - I guess there was no alternative.”
This is working on the ‘If you can’t change the problem, change the way you think about it’ approach, and is a natural human reaction to preserve your sanity! But don’t write your dreams off yet - get an impartial view from a business professional who has probably encountered most of the difficulties you face.

4. ”I know I don’t really understand this, but I’ll have a go and hope for the best, as I don’t want to spend money unnecessarily.”
You may be tempted to think “How difficult can this be?” You are the expert in your field - this is what you enjoy and do best, and where your time and effort should be spent. Be smart and bring in expert help to support you in the other areas where you feel less comfortable. Likewise, where I support clients, I can
coordinate what is best for their business as a whole, and won’t hesitate to bring in other experts known to me when I feel the client will be better served.

5. “I know I should do something about this, but I really can’t be bothered.”
Some areas of your business are just not going to inspire you - even when you know they’re important!
I can help you understand your situation and suggest the benefits you may gain by taking action versus the likely results of carrying on as you are. The choice is then yours. I can arrange for experts (who enjoy these areas that you don’t) to take care of these for you. Some clients want me to hold them to account as
this can give them the gentle nudge they need, and the structure they want.

6. “It’s just not the right time to do anything about this.”
There will always be circumstances that you can use to justify to yourself why now is not the time to finally sort your problems. When is the best time to plant a tree?  Answer: 20 years ago.
When is the second best time to plant a tree?  Answer: Now!

7. “Problems, what problems? It’s just a temporary blip.”
This is the most dangerous place for your business to be and is characterized by: Finger-pointing; “problems are temporary”; “it’s someone else’s fault”; “our business is different”. Often there is an irrational attempt to be optimistic, or to look for comforting data. You need an external influence to bring realism and help lift you
out of this ‘den of denial’.

8. “I know I need help, but what would others say about me bringing in experts.”
You are an expert In your field -- which has made you successful. But no one person can be expected to have all the expertise to solve all the problems you’re likely to encounter in running a successful business. I’m not an expert in everything either - but I am an expert in taking an overview on what needs to happen in a business, and I make it my business to be in touch with experts in every field that you may need. People will not think less of you for bringing in support - they will quickly realize your wisdom in sourcing the right solution - making your business better!

9. “I realize that I could probably make or save five times my investment, but it’s still spending money isn’t it?”
There are times in life when you have to ‘spend money to make money’ - think of it as an investment with a good likely rate of return. In most cases, it will actually cost you more money, yes - MORE money, NOT to use my services. It’s a bit like having a leaking roof which needs to be fixed - and if you ignore it - the
damage will spread and be much costlier to put right later on!

10. “This is really hurting now, and I can’t see a way out -- my options seem to be disappearing -- only to be faced by  options that I like even less!”
If this is where your business is now, or if you realize this is the path you are on - you need to get professional help now. This will not improve without the right help; don’t suffer alone.

Whatever the circumstances, I can help you now.

If you or someone you know needs help wth their business have them give me a call for a free consultation.

I hope this info can help business owners work better "on" thier business.

In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.


Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment

All The Best To Everyone,

Walt Morey
Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business
http://www.corebizsolution.com/

Many types of problems can threaten the very survival of any business.

The typical problems are:

• Lack of Sales
• Lack of New Customers
• Marketing Problems
• Cash Flow Problems
• Poor Employee Productivity

And the list can go on ad nauseum.

But how should you react or behave when these problems arise?

What you can't afford to do is to behave like the following:

• A Goldfish - simply does not realize that there is a problem until it is too late.
• An Ostrich - buries it's head in the sand and will not face up to how serious the problem(s) are.
• A Deer in the headlights - frozen into inactivity by the fear of the inevitablility of the impending crash (which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy).
• A Headless Chicken - runs around making lots of noise and complaining about everything ('the sky is falling'), but is unable to focus on taking the structured actions necessary to tackle the real issues.

The management animal you need to be is the Sheepdog:

1. Remaining in control of the situation
2. Identify the actions required to solve the issues
3. Staying focused on achieveing your objectives
4. Herd (lead) your business around the obstacles and distractions back to the safe path

Remember, operating a successful business requires three steps that you must complete and these same 3 steps will help you solve most any problem:

I- Plan- Put a plan down on paper; What will you do to solve the problem (brainstorm all possible solutions)? Who will do it? Why will you do it? How will it get done? When will the plan be accomplished? Is there expert help I need to be sure the plan gets done?

II- Execute- Implement the Plan; "Plan your work and work your plan"; Be sure all the steps are completed on time; FOLLOW THROUGH!

III- Measure- How did the plan work? What were the results? Has the problem been resolved? If not, develop another plan (See step I above)

So in a quick summary you should:

A- Be conscious of your difficulties as soon as possible
B- Face up to the situation and plan what you will do
C- Get expert help to stay on track
D- Design systems (probably some type of report) to give early warning of problems ahead

Once the problem(s) has been solved, make changes in your business to stop the problem from reoccuring.

In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.


Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment

All The Best To Everyone,

Walt Morey
Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business
http://www.corebizsolution.com/
Core Business Solutons is proud to be an Affiliate of Amazon.com

A lot of people create excitement around ideas, but then those lofty goals more often than not, fall to the wayside. Why is this?

To begin with, let's look at the excuses we use to justify why our goals fail.

Ever notice these excuses?:
1- I don't have time / I'm too busy
2-I don't have enough money
3- It's (insert someone else's name)'s fault
4-It's too hard / harder than I expected
5-I'll do it later
6-I don't know how
7- It's just not "the right time"

Let's talk about setting goals. You have to be SMART about your goals.
SMART goals are:

S – Specific
M - Measurable
A - Attainable
R - Realistic
T - Timely

Here are some common business goals:
A- Make more money (how much?)
B-Generate more sales
C-Meet more people (how many? /How?)
D-Generate more leads

What happens if you don't meet your goals? It's ok! Just take a realistic look at what happened, and set a new milestone date. Just don't go back to the excuse list!
If you don't respect yourself or hold yourself in high enough regard, why should other people?

Learn to keep your commitments to yourself first [Self integrity], and then you will be better prepared to deal with the commitments to others in your life -your clients, family, and employees.
Watch how others start regarding you when you take yourself seriously.

What if you really don't have time? Oh right...you're *different*. The truth is, that everybody has time for the things that are important to them. If you don't have time, then maybe it just isn't really a priority for you (and, that's OK!?).

If someone offered you a million dollars to do something you "don't have time to do," would you find time?

What is achieving your goals really worth to you? If you did achieve them how much better would your business and your life be?

Keys to accomplishing your goals:

1-Write them down [Planning, sound familiar?]

2-Tape them to your wall, or carry them in a notebook.

3-Look at them every day.

4-Tell other people - enlist others in helping to make you accountable.

5- Ask people for help - don't assume people know what you want or need.
Try being direct it's a rare trait these days.

In conclusion - being SMART about your goals, is the key to achieving them.

In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.

Until Then : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply & Love Generously.

All The Best To Everyone,

Walt Morey

Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business

http://www.corebizsolution.com/

Do you even have a specific plan for building customer loyalty?
Have you truly given the subject much thought? In most successful businesses 20% of their customers generate 80% of their volume.
If you currently retain 60 percent of your customers and you start a program to improve that to 70 percent, you'll add an additional 10 percent to your growth rate.

Because of the high cost of landing new customers versus the high profitability of a loyal customer base, you might want to reflect upon your current business strategy.

Here are ten ideas to help you improve customer loyalty:

1. Product Awareness. Know what your steady patrons purchase and keep these items in stock. Add other products and/or services that accompany or compliment the products that your regular customers buy regularly. And make sure that your staff understands everything they can about your products. This is crucial. Cross selling is easy if the product knowledge has been provided to your employees. Be sure your staff knows that they are 'expected' to offer the cross sale item. Train them.

2. Reliability. If you say a purchase will arrive on Wednesday, deliver it on Wednesday. Be reliable. If something goes wrong, let customers know immediately and compensate them for their inconvenience. The best way to handle this is to always under-promise and over-deliver. If you know it will take 3 days to deliver your product, tell the customer it could take 'up to 5 days'. When you deliver in 3 or 4 days your customer will be pleasantly surprised and a more loyal customer.

3. Be Flexible. Try to solve customer problems or complaints to the best of your ability and as quickly as possible. Excuses — such as "That's our policy" — will lose more customers than most anything else you can do. Remember- "The customer is not always right, but the customer is always the customer." Use the 'Golden Rule' here.

4. Use People over Technology. The harder it is for a customer to speak to a human being when he or she has a problem, the less likely it is that you will see that customer again. In the name of cost savings companies have automated much of customer service. This will cost more in the long run with lost customers in the name of efficiency.

5. Know Their Names. This another part of the 'human' equation to business success. Remember the theme song to the television show Cheers? Get to know the names of regular customers or at least recognize their faces. Welcome them to your business and thank them for coming.

6. Communicate. Here's that 'human' thing again. I call it "stirring the pot" It's also known as Appreciation Marketing. Whether it is an email newsletter, monthly flier, a reminder card for a tune up, or a holiday greeting card, reach out to your steady customers. This tells your customers you are thinking of them. This creates a positive comfort level in your customer base.

7. Customer Service. Go that extra mile and meet customer needs. Train the staff to do the same. Customers will remember being treated well and return.

8. Employee Loyalty. Loyalty works from the top down. If you are loyal to your employees, they will feel positively about their jobs and pass that loyalty along to your customers.

9. Employee Training. Train employees in the manner that you want them to interact with customers. Empower employees to make decisions that benefit the customer.

10. Customer Incentives. Customers need a reason to return to your business. For instance, because children outgrow shoes quickly, the owner of a children’s shoe store might offer a card that makes the tenth pair of shoes half price. Likewise, a Hair Salon, Massage Therapist or Auto Repair Shop may give a 30% discount off all services on every 3rd visit to any regular customer. A simple "Loyalty Card" program can work well here with simple tracking. In personal services businesses, keep a file on each customer to track their prior purchasing habits and preferences. Train your employees (& yourself) to review these files before a customer comes in for their next appointment. Ask them how their past purchases worked out. That 'human' personal touch will seperate you from your competition.

So to sum it up, creating customer loyalty is critical to the success of most businesses. Make sure the culture of you company/business is customer friendly and 'human'. Plan now to implement startegies to improve your customer retention in 2010.

In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.

Until Then : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply & Love Generously.

All The Best,
Walt Morey an Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Businesswww.corebizsolution.com