Small Biz Forward Magazine

Small Biz ForwardSmall Biz ForwardSmall Biz ForwardSmall Biz Forward Exploring the Entrepreneurial World of TodayExploring the Entrepreneurial World of TodayExploring the Entrepreneurial World of TodayExploring the Entrepreneurial World of TodayExploring the Entrepreneurial World of TodayExploring the Entrepreneurial World of TodayExploring the Entrepreneurial World of TodayExploring the Entrepreneurial World of Today

THE PLACE WHERE BUSITHE PLACE WHERE BUSITHE PLACE WHERE BUSITHE PLACE WHERE BUSINESSES COME TO CONNECT, COLLABORATE NESSES COME TO CONNECT, COLLABORATE NESSES COME TO CONNECT, COLLABORATE NESSES COME TO CONNECT, COLLABORATE

AND SUCCEEDAND SUCCEEDAND SUCCEEDAND SUCCEED

Vol. 20. N0. 4 April Issue

Table of Contents Small Biz Forward is

published monthly by

Celebrate Business Publishing:

Nancy Becher.

CONTRIBUTORS

Ed Becher

Nancy Becher

Liz LaClair

Gail Turluck

Dan Neumann

Jerry Sarno

Greg Olson

I’m in Business...Now WHAT? ............................................ 6

OMG I’m Outside My Comfort Zone .................................... 8

Benefits of Telecommuting ................................................... 9

ENTREPRENEURS: Your Break Time Routine ......................... 11

Security and the Entrepreneur ............................................. 13

What’s Driving Your Business? ............................................. 14

Is Your Flight Plan Ready for Your Small Business ....................... 15

Hibernation Time is OVER — Let’s Wake Up and Get Going ....... 19

Celebrate Business and Business Success Unlimited

701 Prairie Street

Sturgis, MI 49091

269-651-3555

h)p://success4biz.biz

Nancy Becher, Publisher

Interested in Advertising? marke/[email protected]

Business card size ads are $25; half page ads are $75; full page ads are $125

As a member of Small Biz Forward Club you lis/ng in the directory and business card

size ad are FREE!

If you’d like your events posted, send

them to

[email protected]

Or join us on

Facebook

h)p://facebook.com/bsuconnector

UPCOMINGEVENTS

Networking, Learning and

FUN

Show Me The Money

April 18, May 2, 16, and June 6, 20 9-11am online

You've been working hard and have your

dream business started. Where do you go

from here? How do you let people know

that you're available? Wouldn't it be great

to get a loan to help you buy new products

or support the business? Want to be part of

a group with other people who are also

looking for ways to grow their business? Why not spend some /me ON your

business, learning, improving, adding or just sharing with others things that

are guaranteed to help you go from where you are to where you want to

be.

Held on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, this mastermind telecon-

ference brings 10-12 business owners together to discuss ways to grow

their business. If you want to keep your business going and growing for the

long-haul, you need to be part of this program. You can register at:

Give ‘Em a Pickle

April 16 National College, South

Bend, IN

While we all know that we give our customers

GREAT customer service, there is a difference be-

tween a sa/sfied customer and a RAVING Fan! Come learn how to create

that fan by "giving 'em a pickle!"

$35 a person or 3 for the price of 2.

Stay tuned for more

events in the near

future:

A Monthly Talk Show

Webinars and Tele-seminars

Small Biz Forward Club

Where businesses go to connect | Collaborate | SUCCEED

Purchase a Platinum Membership with Business Success Unlimited and become a member of the Small Biz Forward Club ($100 per year) which gives you access to several different types of programs.

BENEFITS:

• You get listings on the Business Success Unlimited website. You also get the opportunity to submit an article to the magazine Small Business Forward for possible in-clusion. Mentoring Projects, Entrepreneurial Forums, Talk Radio, Business Abundance Networking, Lunchtime Learners (Lunchtime Learners Book Club is FREE; Mentoring Project [Mastermind] is $25 for 3 months; Entrepreneurial Forums are $10; Talk Radio will be FREE; Abundance Networking will be FREE) Member to Member Discounts (at least 10%) Job Listings, Referrals, Authors & Publishers, Events Tradeshows and EXPO’s (Annual conference in October. Vendors booth will be $75 or just attendance will be $45. Other events as they come up Plus, other highly customized programs If you’re ready to build a strong referral network, then JOIN THE CLUB! We’re here to support you and

help make your connections count! As our community grows, we will add valuable enhancements to this

site with new features and benefits for all our members. This business club creates unique opportunities

to connect with other professionals.

JOINNOW

Dear Readers,

This is our third addition of Small Biz Forward for 2013, and I’m really excited to see it beginning to take shape and form the magazine of my dreams. For many years I’ve provided articles of interest to entrepre-neurs, but now I want to do something that REALLY supports you all. I love magazines like Success and Entrepreneur, and while they provide wonderful content for businesses both big and little, my goals are to really help you — the mom and pop, small business, who may be struggling with the day-to-day “How Do I DO THIS?” questions that we all have. In business for over 30 years, I know the feelings of “If I can just make it through one more day, then tomorrow I’ll be a success.” In both good times and in those frustrat-ing days of should I just give up? I’ve been right there with you, and I’m here to tell you that I have sur-vived because, in large part, of the wonderful mentors I’ve had, and the on the ground learning experi-ences that I’ve been given. This magazine is my attempt to give back, to say thank you to those mentors, and to support YOU in your dreams to become successful in your business. I have two favorite quotes — both from a wonderfully innovative and successful business man — Walt Disney.

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.

"Nothing's impossible." - Doorknob from Alice in Wonderland

I share them with you in the hopes that you take them as your own and become YOUR dream!

Nancy Becher

Our business is open. How

do we get the phones to

ring?

I’m In Business … Now What? NANCY BECHERNANCY BECHERNANCY BECHERNANCY BECHER

recently talked with a gentleman who had

opened a small business in his home, as an

accountant, and was really excited about all

the potential there was for income. He

printed business cards, brochures and set up an

“identi-ring” that he would only use for his company

calls. He sharpened his

pencils, bought a six pack of

legal pads and made sure his

calculator was working.

Then he waited … and

waited. With his college

diploma hanging on the wall

telling everyone that he was

highly qualified for this job,

he couldn’t understand why

no one called, or walked in.

After all, it WAS tax time.

What was he missing? What was he missing? What was he missing? What was he missing?

There are three things

right away that I can think

of that this gentleman

needed.

1. Who knew he was there

and open for business?

Marketing is Really

Important.

Had he done anything to let people know that

XYZ Accounting Services was at the ready to help

with last minute income tax returns? People need to

know you’re there and what you do in order to know

if its something they need to be thinking about.

What was this gentleman’s specialty: corporations,

small business, personal?

Who was his target market

and where did they “hang

out”? He needed to know

who would use his services

and how to tell them how

he could support them was

a very important part of

getting people to walk in

the door.

Those business cards

and brochures he had made

were great but unless they

were in the hands of his

potential clients, they were

not doing him any good.

Was there a local

newspaper? Maybe he

could get an article written

about his new service

business opening. All he

had to do was call the

news department and let

them know that he was

IIII

6 · Small Biz Forward

Cont., 6

running a first time discount on Schedule Cs (along

with a full return) for new clients. This would be a

great way to let people know he was there.

2. Local Newspapers and other print ads are not the

only media available

Yes, traditional media such as radio, television,

newspapers are good ways to market, but they may

be a bit expensive for relatively new businesses.

However, anyone who is in business should have a

website with an email address connected to that do-

main. Using email addresses that end in yahoo, or

gmail, or some of these other generic Internet pro-

viders is great for personal email, but if you want to

show someone that you are a serious business, it

costs somewhere in the vicinity of $14 a year to

have your own domain. And it’s THAT important.

I would also recommend getting online with a

business page on Facebook, joining LinkedIn and

some of the other social media sites, and then be-

coming active. Talk on them, share on them, get to

know others both in your industry and those who

could be potential clients. It’s all about creating a

relationship and letting people know who you are

and why you are the best person for their job.

3. Networking

This final category is probably the most costly of

the three, but it is highly recommended. Find groups

in your community such as the Chamber of Com-

merce, or business networking groups, educational

programs such as Business Success Unlimited where

you can meet other business people (for lack of a

better wording “like-minded” people). This helps

spread the word, but you will also find that you can

connect with others. You will learn that others have

similar views, may also need support, are willing to

help you, and more. Networking is a great way to

get yourself out there and into the fray.

However, I can only STRESS, do NOT go with

the idea that you will come away with hundreds of

business leads. You might find a few, but more like-

ly you’ll find others who are also looking for leads.

A much better way to network is to talk with a few,

sharing what you do, and finding out more about

what they do as well. By getting to know others, you

can begin to think about ways to help them, as they

think about ways to help you. It’s a win-win situa-

tion, and will in the long-run get you more business,

and more success.

By focusing on these three areas, our accountant

will be able to start bringing in business and before

you know it, his phone will be ringing and he’ll be

using those legal pads for more than tic-tac-toe.


Passionate about suppor/ng “mom and pop”

businesses, Nancy Becher is the Chief Everything

Officer of Business Success Unlimited, an

educa/onal training program and success

mentor for entrepreneurs and small business

owners.

Nancy is

privileged to have

worked with such

organiza/ons

since 1990 when

she realized that

there were a great

many

solopreneurs and homebased businesses that

were looking for ways to share in networking,

knowledge and training but didn’t know where

to go. Hearing “I’m so alone, I don’t know where

to turn”, she felt that it was /me to create a

program that not only brought people together

so that they weren’t so alone, but to help guide

them through training and educa/on that

brought out hands-on, “been there, done that”

experiences, led by experts in their fields.

1. Getting/retaining clients

2. Paying bills

3. Getting noticed

4. Marketing (wait that’s part of the getting noticed thing) – working on my own newsletter and blog page. Oh, let’s not forget the email advertizing (crud – that’s part of steps 3 & 4) Whew! That’s a lot of stuff for someone to have to do – and I’m only scratching the surface. Talk about being waaay outside my comfort zone! But, even though there are days when I get scared and wonder why it was I started a business in the first place, I think of the phrase “put on your big girl panties and get on with it.” When I have projects for clients I think about how much I enjoy what I’m doing – a sense of peace sort of washes over me. During this time I think WOW, this is why I have my business! Then there are the times when I don’t have any client work – the slow times. We all have them. This is when panic sets in and I get nervous. I’m back outside my comfort zone. Yes, the day will come with my business that I’ll have staff to do the things I don’t like to do. At least one person will be in charge of keeping me visible and getting new clients interested. The rest (for this particular stage) is fairly easy for me to handle. But then again, once I get staff, I’ll need to put my accountant to work! But, until my dream becomes reality I need to be the one to do all of the things that

need to be done. I need to learn to be comfortable stepping out of my comfort zone. How else am I going to create my empire?


Liz LaClair is the owner of Virtually Helps a virtual assistant company. She’s PASSIONATE about helping her clients.

OMG I’M Outside My

Comfort Zone

I’ll be honest with you, I’m almost always outside my comfort zone. I was comfortable working all those years in the corporate world. Some-one else was in charge and made all the decisions. All I had to do was show up for work, and do what I was suppose to do. I liked doing that – I enjoyed many of the things I did. Now? Well now my business is that of a virtual assistant and doing many of the things I used to do along with some new things I’ve learned. This is my joy and bliss. But there’s all the other business things that have to be done:

Today’s technology means just about everything in life can be done remotely, from turning on your lights before you arrive home to dating someone on the other side of the globe. It’s not surprising that modern conveniences have paved the way for employees to spend their days working from home instead of punching a clock at company headquarters. The telecommuting trend doesn’t seem to be slowing. Telework Research Network figures state the number of people opting to telecommute skyrocketed 73 per cent from 2005 to 2011. Over three million Americans – not counting the self-employed – considered their home to be their primary workplace in 2011. The decision to allow your employees to telecommute, or to begin telecommuting yourself, has some major pros and its share of cons. More companies are extending the alternative arrangement to staff, while at the same time others that have embraced the work-at-home model for years are discontinuing the practice.

The freedom to telecommute can be a powerful recruitment and retention tool and many employees who work from home report higher job satisfaction and reduced stress,

especially when a long daily commute to the office is eliminated. In turn, that boosts productivity and reduces turnover rates. Allowing telecommuting can benefit the bottom line, leading to savings in everything from office supplies to real estate costs. But that’s not to say that allowing your employees to work from home automatically means they will cover all associated costs or that you’ll be off the hook when it comes to liability. Employers are still liable for health and safety issues, including ergonomics, when working from home and proper equipment security can be worrisome in the residential environment. Of particular concern is the documentation of hours – not only to ensure optimal productivity, but to protect the company against future claims of unpaid overtime and other labor violations. Perhaps the biggest reason many companies are no longer encouraging telecommuting is its effect on the culture of collaboration. The decision by Yahoo to have all employees return to the office was based on this

principle, coupled with hard data from the company’s virtual private network that showed workers weren’t spending enough time on their assignments. Some businesses are even sharing space with other unrelated companies for the benefit it brings, not only for effective use of resources, but for idea generation and creative socialization. It’s been proven that we are motivated and inspired by the people we interact with on a daily basis. Allowing staff to work from home has had a positive outcome for many companies, but has been a hindrance for others. Examine each circumstance on its own merits. Consider if the position is a good fit for telecommuting, whether the individual is well-suited to work from home, and if the concept meshes with your company culture. Telecommuting can be a mutually beneficial work arrangement, but it’s a decision best made on a case-by-case basis.

9 - Small Biz Forward

Telecommuting

skyrocketed 73 percent

from 2005 to 2011.

Jerry Sarno is a

Strategic Partner

with Schooley

Mitchell Telecom

Consultants, North

America’s largest

independent telecom consul/ng

company.

[email protected]

269-408-8679.

Telecommuting


Give me three good reasons to come to

Business Success Unlimited! …

How about FIVE!

Entrepreneurs: Your Break Time Routine GAIL M. TURLUCKGAIL M. TURLUCKGAIL M. TURLUCKGAIL M. TURLUCK

olo entrepreneurs need a morning and

afternoon break just the same as their office

and factory working friends, but often fail to

take them. A few simple tweaks to the day can

make your breaks a reality and result in a more

productive day.

When making up your daily calendar, set the

time for your morning break, your afternoon break,

and your lunch break. These times

are sacred and may only be set

aside for family emergencies.

Next, set an alarm in your phone,

computer, or watch to go off at the

same time every business day.

Just as the hourly worker does,

when the alarm goes off (can be

visual), make a note of where you

are leaving off and step away from

what you are doing, immediately.

This is important to do.

The next 10-15 minutes are

your personal time. They are not

for work. Make a cup of tea, freshen your coffee,

have a piece of fruit or a protein-based snack. Go

for a five minute walk. Stretch. Make a phone call

to take care of a nagging chore. Clean out your

briefcase or purse.

The trick is to limit your break to no less than 10

and no more than 15 minutes. If you are away

longer than 15 minutes, you are late returning from

break. Put a $1 bill into a jar for your late penalty.

Set a time for your daily lunch break. Take

lunch at the same time, every day.

Take a full hour for your lunch

break. Have a healthy lunch: a

salad or some soup with a half

sandwich, and a piece of fruit.

Take a 10 minute walk, at a

minimum. The physical exercise

gets your blood flowing better,

clears your lungs, and starts your

mind back up refreshed. You can

run errands over your lunch break,

too. Just remember, it is one hour

long, 60 minutes, and no more. If

you are gone longer, you are late

returning from lunch. Put $1 into your late penalty

jar.

SSSS


Cont., 11

By the end of the year you likely will have some funds in your penalty jar. Come December 30, you will need

to choose a charity. Donate your penalty jar funds to that charity as your business' philanthropic beneficiary.

Whether it's $5 or $100, the charity will be glad recipients, you will have been more productive and you will

have learned how to discipline yourself with strong time management.

Connec/ve Marke/ng provides non-profit management and consul/ng services.

Connec/ve Marke/ng has a par/cular focus on sailing and sailboat racing organiza/ons and events. Contact

Gail for solu/ons to your communica/ons needs. Be confident you can drop your dock lines and sail away

knowing your needs will be met.


Want to see more money in your pocket at the end of the day, but just NOT SURE how to

accomplish it?

Would you like to have several businesses focused on

YOU, ready to help with ideas, knowledge, experience?

Make your dreams big enough to fuel your passion. Re-

member, never ever give up because the only thing stand-

ing in the way of your dreams is YOU. Taking advantage of

the wisdom and experience of mentors will help you to

reach your goal faster!

Join the Small Business Forward Club at BSU , “water” your business through networking,

training, and FUN, and you’ll see it GROW!

h)p://success4biz.biz * h)p://facebook.com/bsuconnector

For many of us owning our own business has always been a dream and for some having a home based business is even better. But how do we as home based business owners handle security? You need to keep in mind that being home based, it is not only your business you need to keep secure, but your

family and home as well.

Let’s talk about one item that many of us pass out at every networking event we attend...the business card. What address and phone number do you have on that card? Home address and phone number? I hope not. If you’re running a home based business there are many places such as Mail Boxes, Etc. that you can use as a business mailing address. Yes, it may be a hassle to pick up mail there, but do you want a potential client showing up at the front door at 9pm asking about a product or service you offer? Now for phone, it is easy to do a reverse phone number lookup and voila, I have

your home address off that phone number and guess

what….knock knock. Go out and purchase either a second unlisted phone number or a second cell and use that number exclusively for

your business.

Client meetings should never occur at your home unless this client is well known to you. You do not permit strangers in your house normally, why start with an unknown client. Meet at a spot out in public, such as a coffee shop, restaurant or even better a cowork center. How much do you really know about this new potential

customer?

Another key area to keep in mind is computer and internet safety. Many of us run wireless connections at home: is that connection a secure connection? There are people who will troll for those unsecured networks then basically take a peek at what you have on your network. Is access to your checking account on your computer? How about other

business or family financial

information?

Smart Phones; (IPhones and Andriods) can be another security issue. Is the location application on your phone turned on or off? A capable and knowledgeable stalker can locate you and track you through what you put up on the web, on sites like Facebook, FourSquare, Twitter and even Flickr. So use caution on what and where you post personal

information.

Remember as a home based business you have a responsibility to keep not only your business safe and secure but your home and

family as well.

Ed Becher PPS is the Owner and Director of Training for The BodyGuard Academy located in Sturgis, MI. He can be contacted at [email protected] or by calling his office at 269-651-3355 to discuss your security concerns.


How do we, as home-based

business owners, handle

security?

Security and the

Entrepreneur By Edward G. Becher, PPS


MEMBERSHIP

DIRECTORY

MI Security Training/Bodyguard Academy

Providing quality training for those working in the

private security industry in Michigan

AVAS, LLC

AVAS provides photo scanning, photo montages, social

media consulting, and project assistance.

Heartwood Renaissance Academy

A Lutheran school for grades 7 through 12, promoting

Christian morals and values. Challenging students to

learn through Academics, Music, Art, and Theater.

Individualized Learning Program. Small class size.

River Country Journal

Celebrating and nurturing life in Southwest Michigan

river country.

Premier Women’s Network

To Uplift, Encourage, and Inspire all Women in

Business and Career Seekers to Achieve their Highest

Capabilities through Networking and Education

Your Business Needs Fans

Encouraging businesses create and maintain their

online presence by teaching best-practice Facebook

marketing and so much more.

Come and join us for

GREAT

training, network

ing and

FUN!

("Motivation 2.0"), to what research is finding to be a higher motiva-tion, labeled "Motivation 3.0". Earlier versions of motivation were responses to external forces. Unlike those earlier revisions of motivation, Motivation 3.0 is char-acterized by a human desire for a sense of autonomy, a chance to become masters of our particular craft, and to be driven by a purpose that is beyond ourselves. The book progresses from sharing studies that have indicated that "carrot and stick" motivation only yields its desired results for a subset of repetitive, non-creative activities, to a discussion of intrin-sic and extrinsic types of motivation. For people who are intrinsical-ly motivated, their motivation is fostered by their sense of autono-my, mastery, and purpose. Autonomy can be expressed in various aspects of our work:

15· Small Biz Forward

Dan Neumann is an Agile coach and trainer at NeuManagement, LLC. Dan is also an entrepreneur. Having seen a need for a different style of office space and coworking in South Bend, Indiana, he is currently work-ing to open a new space in the heart of downtown. Watch for The Branch to open this spring.

What really motivates your team? And, what does traditional management believe motivates people? How well aligned is the traditional belief about motiva-tion and the reality of the situa-tion? These questions are ex-plored in Daniel Pink’s book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Daniel traces the evolution of motivation from its biological roots in self-preservation (dubbed "Motivation 1.0") to the carrot-and-stick incentives of seeking reward and avoiding punishment

Cover via Amazon

What’sDrivingYour

Business?

Cont., 15 1. The task itself,

2. The time in which we do it,

3. The technique we apply to the work,

4. The team with which we work Different people will value autonomy over various aspects of their work more than others. For example, I may most value autonomy over technique, and you may value autonomy over the time in which you elect to do the work most. A couple of items in this discussion resonated with me: 1. You can have autonomy, yet still be interdependent.

2. Accountability still exists, even when there is autonomy. Mastery is all about working toward a high level of execution. 1. Mastery is a mindset: It requires a dedication to performing activities that will help us become better.

2. Mastery is a pain: Becoming a master requires repetition over a long duration.

3. Mastery is asymptotic: You can get closer and closer to mastery, but never be truly perfect. Purpose is all about having a cause that goes beyond ourselves. Author and consultant Esther Derby, who has spent the last twenty-five years helping companies design their environment, culture, and human dynamics for optimum success, identifies purpose as being critical to a team’s success. First, an effectively stated goal “focuses the attention and effort of the team. When the team has a shared understanding of what their task is, they pull in the same direction.” Without an effective goal, lots of waste and confusion can ensue. Second, she says “a well-formed goal engages the team in a meaningful challenge. An effective goal provides a sense of purpose to the teams work.” When working on your business, consider ways in which you can apply the lessons from Drive. If you be-lieve as Norm Kerth states, “….that everyone did the best job they could, given what they knew at the time, their skills and abilities, the resources available, and the situation at hand,” you can safely explore what facets of autonomy, mastery, and purpose are absent. Working to create an environment where those elements are more present will yield lasting results for your team and your business.


Is Your Flight Plan Ready for Your Small Business?

Reprinted with permission from Greg Olson at Delightability, LLC. Visit www.delightability.com/blog for the original post or to download

the delight flight plan tool.

GREG OLSONGREG OLSONGREG OLSONGREG OLSON

hat, why do I need a flight plan you say? Because more than half of the pilots involved in mishaps did not file a flight plan before the accident flight. You might not fly a small aircraft but, if you are a small business owner

or entrepreneur, you need the equivalent of a flight plan too. Otherwise you may be an accident waiting to

happen.

Flight plans for small craft pilots are filed with the FAA so there is a record of where the pilot intends to go. If the pilot doesn’t arrive within a window of time then a search is initiated. The lack of a flight plan has led pilots and their craft to go missing for days. If you want the benefits of a search and rescue

party, you’ll need to file a flight plan.

So what does this have to do with running a small business? Well, you too, should be prepared and know where you are going each and every day. How long will you fritter about before you get down to business? Will you be distracted by social media, the next phone call, and the insurmountable email inbox? If you are an emergency room doctor or a first responder your plan might be to respond and react. But, if you are an entrepreneur or small business owner wanting to grow your business,

you’ll need to cut through the noise and be more proactive. You’ll also want to identify the people that can help you – your small business search and rescue; these might be customers, partners, or

vendors.

Like most entrepreneurs and small business owners, you likely have a long list of things that get shoved off to the back burner waiting for another day when there is more time. But more time never actually

does come right?

“Today is no different than yesterday and tomorrow will look much the same. You only have 24 hours in a day. When it comes to time, there is no aristocracy of wealth. genius or laziness is not rewarded or punished with any more time.”

So, to make the most of what little time you have you must make a daily plan. At Delightability, I use the delight flight plan. It’s a free download; you can use it too. Visit http://www.delightability.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Delight-Flight-Plan-Mar-through-May-2013.pdf to download. Check back

later for future versions as calendars change.

WWWW


Cont., 17Cont., 17Cont., 17Cont., 17

The 3 legged stoolThe 3 legged stoolThe 3 legged stoolThe 3 legged stool

There are a few visual indicators at the top of the flight plan that serve as reminders. The first is the 3 legged stool. Any small business owner struggles with balancing between running a smooth operation, delivering on whatever their product or service is, and performing the sales/marketing/business development function. Even if you are good at all three, you’ll struggle with the limited time available in a day. With the 3 legs being all consuming there isn’t much time for personal life – that should be you sitting atop the well balanced 3 legged stool. But, get out of balance and you and your personal

life topple to the floor.

The 3 funnelsThe 3 funnelsThe 3 funnelsThe 3 funnels

The 3 funnels visual is a reminder that no matter what business we’re in we have customers to serve. Those customers didn’t start out as customers, they started out as prospects. And hopefully, they’ll move beyond being customers to become loyal advocates. So, the 3 funnels are the exposure funnel where you

turn suspects into prospects, the adoption funnel where you turn prospects into customers that are using your product or service, and the retention funnel where you turn customers into loyal

advocates. For a bit more read this previous post.

TouchpointsTouchpointsTouchpointsTouchpoints

The other visual reminder are touchpoints reminding us that we can affect the quality of the interactions that our customers have with us. Exceed the customer expectation at a touchpoint and you have the recipe for delight. Check out the previous issue of the What’s Next newsletter to learn more about the Delight-O-Meter model and see a couple of examples. See it here: http://delightability.createsend.com/t/ViewEmailArchive/

r/36EFED44B1030958/C67FD2F38AC4859C/

Week numbersWeek numbersWeek numbersWeek numbers

Other items on the delight flight plan that can help you get about your business are the weekly calendar that goes 3 months at a time and the Guiding Principles. You don’t want your business to end up like the small craft pilot that landed with his gear up. So, download your flight plan, use it daily, and check it frequently. Use it to note the people you’ll reach out to whether they are customers or consultants. You might not get any more time in the day but you’ll make the most of the time you have

available and make a bigger impact along the way.

Greg founded Delightability with the

belief that we all have the poten/al

to do be)er. He brings his

experiences across marke/ng, sales,

engineering, services, and opera/ons

to help leaders and organiza/ons

make a bigger impact. His educa/on

includes a BSEE, and MBA from

Sea)le University while his informal

and ongoing educa/on is about how humans think and

interact with brands and the world at large. An entrepreneur,

business coach, consultant, speaker, facilitator, and author he

serves as a volunteer Board member for Oikocredit Northwest

and an advisory board member for Sea)le University’s

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Reach

him at [email protected] or on

h)p://www.twi)er.com/fordoers,

h)p://www.linkedin.com/in/olsong, h)p://

www.facebook.com/thebigideatoolkit, and h)p://

ww.facebook.com/delightability


Hibernation Time is OVER – Let’s Wake Up and Get Going!

Nancy Becher

I’m so happy to see the sun shine and the warming temperatures. It feels like it’s time to get moving. I

have been waiting to get out and start walking – it’s when I do my best business thinking. Yesterday was it.

And it gave me time to think about what we all think about – how we are going to run our business over the

next few months.

I’ll be the first to admit that running a business can be tough work. I’ll bet I’m not the only one that has

thought, “let’s just forget it. I’m going back to the 9 to 5. At least I can call my life my own at that point.”

There are lots of good points to being an employee (like a paycheck, regular hours, and a split between work

and personal). There are also lots of reasons to be in business for yourself (creating your own work schedule,

answering to no one but yourself, and more).

Why not use these charts to see where you’re at in your business dreams.

PROs and CONs of Business Ownership

Now, do the same for the potential problems you could have being a sole proprietor in business for

yourself. Make this REAL as well; get a feel for what it will be like if you do start that business for yourself.

(Or get energized into putting your ALL into your already existing business)

Think about your goals for business ownership. Dream about what the PERFECT business would mean to

you. Take a few minutes and write them down here so that you can refer back to them. SEE them, taste them,

really feel what it would be like to be a business owner.


Cont., 19

Jumpstart Your Business

One of the first things we all need for our companies, regardless of what industry or structure, is cus-

tomers. A lack of customers is one of the most common reasons small businesses fail. Without people coming

“in” to buy (whether online or off), your business will not survive.

But don’t fear, there are some relatively easy ways to direct traffic to you. They don’t need to be ex-

pensive, but they need to be creative. You can do it, I’m sure. Here are a few examples:

Can you put together a marketing campaign that involves giving away something for free? Use some-

thing that people will like, but that does not cost you a great deal of money to provide. A coupon for a 25%

discount? Isn’t it better to get 75% of the cost than 0%? Generally, this coupon is used for an add-on service or

product that goes along with an item that you are NOT discounting.

Does your business lend itself to gift bags? A business card, a brochure, the coupon, a tchotchke of

some kind that has pertinence to your business. I used to buy chocolate business cards and hand them out to

everyone I met. Huh? A chocolate business card is a mold of your own personal business card made out of

chocolate. Many of the people I gave them to liked them so much they refused to eat them, but rather kept

them around to look at and show others. What great marketing is that? What can you think of to put in a gift

bag?

When you provide these relatively inexpensive materials it does several things for you: Often, you can

deliver these to people in person so they get to see you, shake your hand, and know that you are a REAL,

breathing person, someone they can remember. Another great tool I used when I first moved into a new office

space years ago, was to bake chocolate chip cookies (do you see a theme here – chocolate?). I wrapped colored

paper plates filled with cookies in bright colored cellophane and tied them with a bow which included a busi-

ness card and brochure. I then personally delivered these goodies to every office in the building and introduced

myself. Within days I had people calling me and asking me what I did and how I could help them.

Does this bring any ideas to mind that you can use for your business?

I can’t end this article without talking about one of my passions, however: relationship building. I

know we’re all hungry for business and need to get those customers coming in the door. But, we also need to

keep in mind that people buy from those they know, like and trust. Without those three things, a person may

buy something once in a while, but a loyal, Raving Fan, customer they won’t be. You need to make sure that

you are appreciating those clients that you already have, in ways that make them say, “I’ll never go anywhere

else.” Send them a thank you, buy them a coffee, ask their opinion, listen to their

thoughts. These are, again, all relatively inexpensive ways to treat your customer

like family.

When you create an environment that says “we appreciate you and your

business” – not just the words, but in reality – then you will start to see repeat

business, new customers, and your bank account growing bigger for your busi-

ness’ success.


Follow us on Twi)er @ http://www.twitter.com/smallbizjunkie

Like us on Facebook @ h)p://www.facebook.com/bsuconnector

Join us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/in/nancybecher

Celebrate Business @ h)p://bizsuccessunlimited.blogspot.com/

Ways to Connect

We’d love for you to connect with us on any of these sites, give us sugges/ons for future ar/cles, let us know how we might

make upcoming issues that much be)er, and just start conversa/ons. I believe very strongly that for any of us to grow our

businesses, we need to be in rela/onship with our clients, or compe/tors and our staff. If we don’t know who’s out there,

how can we do business with them? And if we don’t know what services or products you provide, we can’t know how much

we want and need them. So, let’s get connec/ng!

Small Biz Forward Magazine

Documents

Transcript of Small Biz Forward Magazine