Beating Your Small Business Fears

All too often fear is responsible for stopping even the best laid out plans in their tracks. Truth is, fear is nearly always just a self imposed limitation and the reluctance to go beyond it. We essentially quit on ourselves. When it comes to small business, fear can be a monumental obstacle to overcome.

Usually it’s a fear of failure or a fear of rejection that stops us in our tracks. However, there are times when success is the factor for fear as well. No matter the source, fear will undoubtedly disrupt your daily operations and limit the growth potential your small business could enjoy.

There are a few basic steps to eliminating the “fear factor” from your small business and set your sights on moving on toward bigger and better things.

Identify what it is that you fear. Determining exactly what it is that is causing you to pull back is very important. If you don’t know what the issue is, you cannot effectively provide a solution. It’ s comparable to providing the answer to an algebra equation before ever seeing what variables exist.

Admit to yourself that fear is having this effect. It’s not uncommon for fear to be excluded from the conversation because, most people are conditioned to dismiss fear as a real factor.

Accept that fear is present. We all know, denial can be the easier thing to actually do but, in that, you truly end up doing nothing. Once you have determined the cause of your angst, accepting it’s effect is the first step in moving forward toward your goals.

Do something about it. Don’t allow fear to be your roadblock. Once you have identified the source, admitted fear is a factor,and accepted that it is actually fear that is thwarting your efforts. That’s when building and executing a plan to resolve it comes in to play. Don’t allow fear to manifest longer than it has already, remaining idle will allow you to simply do nothing about it.

Procrastination is a physical manifestation of fear. That’s why, if you find yourself procrastinating, ask yourself a simple question, “What am I actually afraid of here?” The answer to that question, is the first step to eradicating the source. Owning up to it, is a different story. Realize, fear is actually common for small business owners and most will tell you that fear is something that occurs more often than they would like to admit anyway.

Action cures fear and inaction perpetuates it. Even if you fail, take the opportunity to learn something from it. You have to fail once in awhile in order to understand that failure is not the end of the world. Successful people fail all the time, it’s the ability to get back up and try again that is difficult for some of us. Fear cannot stop your progress, it’s the unwillingness to face the fear that will stop your small business progression.

Identify fear as a possible factor.

Admit that fear exists.

Accept the role fear is playing.

Do something about it.

Common sense will tell you fear within your small business will wreak havoc. When it comes to moving forward, we can be our own worst enemy. Implement the four steps and you will be back on track in a very short amount of time. I once read a quote on the subject that summed it up perfectly.

“Having courage is actually being scared the entire way, and moving forward anyway.”

 Please feel free to leave any comments, as we would love to hear your thoughts.

Clearing The Path for Change……

Change can be a daunting task in small business. Change can mean an empowered and prosperous existence or, if not put into effect properly, change can be one of the last initiatives we take on.

In this article we will lay out some of the reasons small businesses struggle when instituting a change in policy or procedure and what we can do to get in front of the 8-ball per say.

1. The more complex the plan, the harder it is to initiate effectively.

What to do: Simplify the plan in whatever way you can. It can be helpful to fragment, if needed, into sub-stages to ease the transition and establish a sense of urgency. The most important part of establishing change is being able to see the results in a timely manner. If you have to break up into stages, determine the most pressing areas and attack them first. Divide and conquer, move on to the next.

2. Lack of clear vision.

What to do: Before ever attempting to establish change, a plan is obviously needed. Once the plan is formulated, understanding how that plan is going to be carried out and what it is intended to effect is imperative. Not understanding clearly what the actual goal is and what the desired effect on your small business will be can lead to failure before you have ever really had a chance to get started.

3. Failure to communicate the vision to the involved parties.

What to do: This doesn’t need explanation beyond one simple sentence but, we will use two. Communicate often, communicate clearly, and communicate throughout. The best laid plans are usually for not, if every party involved is not absolute in their task.

4. Permitting resistance to change.

What to do: Resistance to change can thwart efforts quickly. How do we get over this hurdle and get everyone on the same page? Simple, empower people to effect change themselves. As we all know, some of the best innovations started as something different entirely. Allow for ideas to flow freely, and if one comes in that will make the change more effective and beneficial, run with it. Giving each person the understanding of their tasks and allowing them to power to provide feedback and initiate change themselves can pull even the most resistant on board.

5. No plan for the short term results

What to do: Formulate your plan with short term goals built within it. Streamline the process, through achievement staging. Nothing can keep a plan on track more than seeing results. Achieve part A, attack part B, achieve part B, attack part C, so on and so forth. Goes back to the first point but, truly understanding this part in the planning stages is hugely beneficial. Secure the short term wins as they come and keep the momentum.

6. Failure to change organizational culture.

What to do: This is one of the big ones. Change in small business can be adversely effected if the entire organization is not affected. Change is never about just the policy or procedure itself but about the thought process involved. Change is effective if the thought process is successfully changed and not until then. In a way, it goes back to the communication aspect but, even deeper. If you set out to effect one part of a process, you must understand that all processes within that circle will be affected. Very much like a ripple effect.

7. Declaring victory prematurely.

What to do: Very simple.Keep moving ahead.  Even when it seems as though, your plan has succeeded. The change to your small business is in effect and has had it’s desired result. Do not become complacent, stick with it and be diligent in your follow up. Sometimes it’s not until you sit back to breathe, that the first obstacle will rear it’s head. Be ready and be prepared to provide a solution that is in line with the original plan for change.

After all this, there is a phrase we would like to leave you with.

A catalyst possibly, “If nothing at all changes, nothing at all changes.”

More simply stated, change is up to us. We are the driving force and we will not truly know the potential of an idea if we do not take the risk and make it happen.

Feel free to leave your comments. We would enjoying hearing from you.

I Didn’t get the Memo……

In this post, we are going to discuss taking personal responsibility for keeping up to date on information that relates to your small business and the market in which you do business.

One of the most common things we will hear, when it comes to information or lack thereof is, “I was never told that.” or “I must not have been here when they put that memo out.” All either of these phrases are, is a shift of responsibility from one person to someone else for their lack of understanding or just not knowing. In today’s business climate, information is moving at a rate never seen before. The many mediums used to communicate information back and forth has grown ten-fold in recent years. It is falling more and more on us to make sure we are up to date and absolutely current with the knowledge we need, to help us provide the product or service we have to our clients.

Taking ultimate responsibility for receiving information is the key to our own successes. It has become unacceptable to depend on someone else to notify us about market changes and product advancement in our given fields. Performing your own research is beneficial in many ways but, clearly the most beneficial, no longer depending on someone else to keep you in the loop. Gone are the days that your lack of information is easily pushed aside by shifting the focus to another.

Some of us may ask, “Is it possible to stay completely caught up, if industry changes are coming at us so quickly?” We say, yes it is. When is the last time you met with a client and answering one of their questions with, “I don’t know.” helped you close a sale? When did your lack of knowledge last help you land that new account. In both of these examples, the problem could easily be rectified.

Do your research and just when you think you are as informed as you can possibly be, do more research. Allow yourself the time in your day to gather information about your field. Take the task seriously, as it could land you that next big client. It could also be the one thing that will make a client go elsewhere to obtain the solution they have been looking for.

“ Knowledge is power”, is a term we have all heard and probably used at least once in our own careers. It is however more true today than ever before. No one is going to be able to hand all the useful information to you. Technology has come so far that being able gather and verify information can happen from anywhere and at anytime. Take the responsibility personally, strip away the urge to use excuses, and give yourself the drive to make sure you are up to date on the facts.

Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know what you think.

Improve Your Personal Productivity

In small business, one of the most demanding areas to maintain and improve is productivity. It can be very easy to become side tracked and decrease our productivity while trying to do exactly the opposite.

Here we will lay out a few simple tips to help you accomplish your goals and improve your personal productivity.

1. Focus on the Critical Tasks

Truth is, 80% of what you do on a daily basis accounts for only 20% of your results, and vice versa. Therefore, when outlining your day, only plan to work on the critical tasks and you will achieve higher results. Almost like de-fragmentation of your day. It will actually require less energy to achieve more.

2. Re-think your To-Do’s

Start by actually creating an 80/20 list. Write the top priority tasks at the top and low priority at the bottom, draw a line between the two and attack. Focus intently on the upper portion of your list and only move below the line after you complete the upper portion. Sounds very simple right? It is, with discipline. Maintaining your focus is the only way to become more productive.

3. Complete the “Dreaded” Tasks First

Refer to your list and ask yourself which task is the one you would most like to forget. Start your day with that task. Training yourself to do the least enjoyed activities first, you sub-consciously urge yourself to tackle and accomplish the tougher tasks before all else.

4. Limit Multi-Tasking

Everyone knows that having a million things going on at once can lead to critical errors and less efficient service. Multi-tasking can sound to be extremely productive but, in most cases, it actually slows you down and takes away focus. Focus is key when trying to accomplish a set goal within a given time frame. It can also be the source for stress and anxiety which will kill productivity on it’s own.

5. Saying No isn’t Always a Negative

Discipline yourself to decline if you have too much on your plate already. Increasing your workload and turning it into a manageable scenario over a realistic one is productivity killer #1. Do your best to not fall into situations that stretch yourself too thin and make accomplishment of your goals difficult to reach. Defining your capabilities and doing your best to stay within them will improve your success rates.

6. Slowing Down isn’t Always Your Enemy

In times when our workload is heavy, most of us tend to try and become superhuman. Taking your time to complete each task thoroughly is paramount. One of the most unproductive things we can do to ourselves is having to work on the same task more than necessary. If you move too quickly in an attempt to accomplish more you increase your chances of mistakes that could cost you much more time in the long run. Think of it this way, spend an extra few moments now or spend larger amounts of time later. If you make a mistake it usually takes longer to correct than it would have if the task was completed correctly the first time.

Most of the tips above are basically common sense and as you read this entry you probably went from item to item thinking, we should already know this. Chances are, we all do. It’s actually a matter of do we do them and do we do all of them consistently. Chances are……………………….we don’t.

Please feel free to leave your comments and let us know what some of your tips for increasing personal productivity are.

Staying In Control

Staying in Control can seem like a perfect world scenario in the ever changing world of small business ownership. In truth, it doesn’t have to be. You can be firmly in the driver’s seat and still maintain your ability to service your clients in the manner that they require. All it takes is a little re-training of our own brain, slowing down the thought process and learning how to consistently react when the need arises.

Below are a few tips to help you accomplish this and keep your business moving forward and not spinning out of…………you guessed it, CONTROL.

Re-train your brain………

This phrase may cause you to ask yourself, “What in the world does that even mean?” It’s pretty simple, everyone has the ability to learn and re-learn. One of the hardest things, is not the process of re-training but, the acceptance of a new way of doing things. A key focus we all need to perform better is the evaluation of ourselves fairly and more often. Expect the same from yourself as you would from someone else. I would go as far as to say, expect much more but, we have to start somewhere right?

Every person involved with your small business has the ability to learn and  re-learn how business is going to be conducted. Especially if the move is a beneficial one. This includes clients and vendors. We have mentioned before about being clear and consistent in your communications. Re-training yourself is dependent upon it. If you understand that unless you are providing electricity or water supplies there are very few actual emergencies in business from a provider standpoint. They do exist but, not nearly as often as most people would think. Most of the time, if the panic button is pushed the initial reaction is to match the emotion or intensity in the providing of a solution.

If you can re-train yourself to stay in control, think your way through an issue, the solution you  provide will be both timely and more efficient from all aspects. One of the hardest parts to re-training is understanding that a yes is a yes, all of the time. On the other hand, no is a no, all of the time. One of the biggest advantages a small business has over it’s larger competitors is the ability to react at a faster pace and more personal nature to a client’s concern or need. One of the disadvantages of being a small business is the almost chaotic effect this can have on a day to day basis if it becomes the “norm”. Do not fall into the reaction based platform because the control has clearly shifted and is nearly impossible to regain. Clear and consistent communications will stabilize your business operations and overall performance.

Maintaining control is crucial and re-training yourself to commit to your operations as you designed them can be key. It’s truly not about lack of flexibility. More about performing the 96% of your daily operations, the same way every single time you get the opportunity. Remember, it’s your business, your vision, there is no one more invested than you in it’s successes and failure. Staying in control of today will insure you have a business of tomorrow.

Please feel free to leave your comments below. We would love to hear from you.

Doing Your Homework

In the everyday “hustle” of running a small business, information can be king. In fact, in every aspect of your business operations, the information you have or have been provided can prove to be crucial. This is why, doing your homework, is an absolute must. Obtaining information is vital but, researching and verifying the information can mean the difference between a successful venture and one that ends up as a statistic.

As mentioned in the first paragraph, all aspects of your business rely on the information at hand. Whether it’s the financials or product development, if you have relevant and accurate information, your decision making process can become simplified. The only way to know exactly where you stand when working to analyze your data is to work just as hard on the verification as you do on obtaining it.

Sales and Marketing can be the most difficult to get a handle on the verification process. Everything from lead generation to advertising demographics can be viewed as nearly impossible to report on as completely accurate. Variables in these areas can be hard to forecast, so sticking to verifying the information that actually is verifiable is twice as important. Information like products your client currently uses, where they are located, contact information and current spending, are much more stable fields to analyze and can give you the starting point you need.

Productivity is an area that information is very easily analyzed and verifiable. Putting in the effort to properly verify that your information is accurate, will allow you to make your decisions affect your operations in the manner you choose. If you were to implement a new procedure without understanding your current output, your results could vary and actually cause you to lose production value. Moving backwards is virtually always a negative but, moving in the wrong direction because you didn’t rely on the facts, is a mistake your small business cannot afford to make.

Manning or staffing is a very tricky aspect, when it comes to obtaining and verifying information. This is true because, most of the time, you are relying on the information given to you by the prospective associate. In today’s small business world, there are many aspects to finding out who you are dealing with and if the information supplied to you is accurate and correct. One of the most common areas to focus is the references. Always make sure when calling to verify a reference the number you call is directly linked to the business it is listed as linked to. Call as many of the previous employers, as possible,  for proper dates and job titles. Many times, this area is where doing your homework is not an option. It’s useful in determining how much experience a potential associate has but also gives you some insight as to what kind of attention to detail you prospective associate possesses.

Finally, what about the financials? As we all know, if you actually know what revenue is being generated and how much you are spending, your life as a small business owner will be much less dramatic. You can focus on areas that will allow for growth and potentially generate more revenue streams.

At the end of the day, it’s all about planning, and being able to plan properly depends solely on whether or not your information is “Tried and True” . If you are able to rely on the information you gather based on properly analyzing it, your small business will benefit from your dedication for many years to come. That means so will you.

Doing Your Homework, isn’t something we can afford to overlook.

Please feel free to leave us a comment below and let us know what you think.

Creativity….Friend, Foe or Both?

In this entry, we would like to touch on a subject that can cause alot of different thoughts, depending on which side of the fence you prefer to stand. Then there are those of us that will be right in the middle or on the fence as they would say. No matter what your opinion on the subject, realizing that everyone in small business will have an opinion on this subject, will be an indicator of just how powerful creativity in the business world really is.

So let’s touch on the “Friend” side of the equation. Creativity is a driving force in the innovation of new and exciting business practice. Necessity will drive the process but, without the insight and creativity, the solution can be almost impossible to obtain. A creative mind is more apt to search outside the proverbial box when tasked with a solution but, also realizes that operation within the box can offer plenty of solutions also. Being able to “see” innovative modifications to policy and procedures already in place takes more creativity at times than implementation of a completely new standard of operation. Not to mention, it’s almost always easier to implement modification than it is to change absolutely. Forward thinking is the friend of small business and vision and creativity are it’s foundations.

Now ask yourself, Is it even possible for creativity to be a “Foe”? Absolutely, without a doubt, it can be a nemesis to your small business. If you spend too much of your time looking for opportunities to become the creative genius, you can hurt your production and lose focus on the fundamentals. Staying grounded is a good attribute and can offset the “head in the clouds” effect. This in turn will help allow you to step out of the creative process and get back to basics when a break is needed. Creative thinking is most effective when spurred by inspiration and necessity. Allowing the creative juices to dominate your daily operations can leave more fundamental areas in a weaker position.

Being down the middle in this scenario, for most, is the productive and effective way to run a small business. Keeping grounded in fundamentals but, not losing the fear to explore new options may be the key. All this really means, is understanding when to hit the brakes on the creative train and dive back into the daily grind per say. Balance in these aspects would seem to be the logical way to approach your operations and working toward integration of both friend and foe can truly be a benefit.

Personality can be a huge factor in which way you will tend to lean but, we don’t think there are many that could find any true reasons that the balanced mode of operations would better serve your journey in the world of small business. Keying in on innovation when the necessity to improve becomes more evident is a trait of a successful small business. Understanding when and exactly how to approach this will allow you to maintain your focus and better serve the needs of your small business.

Feel free to leave a comment below and let us know where you stand…………

Quality as a Commandment

Have you ever really thought about how important quality is in a small business?

Chances are, every one of us has seen the effects of a company cutting corners on their quality to meet a spike in volume or streamline a process of operation. In this blog, we will discuss the effects of this and how it can become a more regular occurrence if not seen as unacceptable compromise in small business.

Let’s start with how it can effect your small business and the associates within it. If you strive to maintain a standard of operation, the word quality will come up on a regular basis. This, in itself, will demonstrate the high level of importance that quality holds in the future of your operations. Quality should be viewed as an unbreakable standard and should never be sacrificed in order to alleviate an immediate need. There are times when a good look at the quality assurance guidelines may need to be reviewed, but never overlooked.

 1.  Quality is directly linked to the reputation you work to uphold. If a customer notices a decline in the product or service you provide, they will be left with doubt about your ability to provide the solution they seek.

 2. If sacrifice is made in the assurance of quality, compromise or complacency in other aspects of your small business are sure to follow. When quality is not seen as the first priority, other areas of your business will start to decline. Never waiver, nor accept anything less than your absolute standard of excellence.

 3. Clarity provides stability. The strength you show in execution of your standard will build a foundation for your small business. Many areas of your operations can go through changes over time, both in standard and implementation of tasks. If the quality remains at a constant and high level of expectation, any change you face will be much easier to incorporate.

4. The quality of the product or service you provide is a catalyst for maintaining morale. Even if your small business consists of just yourself, belief that your business is providing the best possible product at every opportunity will instill a pride within your operations. If you strive day after to day, to put out the best you possibly can, the positive impact on how you and/0r your associates feel will mirror this loyalty and dedication.

It’s one of the most important aspects in all business, if not the single most important. Whether you make sandwiches or build rocket engines, if you put out an inferior product or service your client will have to pay the price. Remembering that your client is ultimately the one that a compromise in quality will burden and that a client’s burdens translate to less opportunities for you to as a provider of solutions for that client. No one finds an inferior product to be worthy of a 2nd or 3rd shot. If you stick to your guns and not allow for your quality standards to spike up and down, in all likelihood your client base will stay at a more consistent level also.

Do not accept less than the quality you would expect for yourself and do not compromise your quality standard, as this is a compromise in the dedication you have to become the best small business of your capabilities.

The Small Things Can Build Small Business

Many small business owners spend countless hours trying to come up with the next big thing. Although that is not a waste of time and energy, giving yourself a break from the “think tank” can be necessary. If an equal portion of your time is spent focusing on some of the little things your benefit can be to similar scale. Understanding that thinking small doesn’t equal trivial. There are times that the smallest can have a huge positive impact.

Here are a few of the small things that you can do to advance your small business.

1. Evaluate Client Base

It can be difficult for small businesses to turn away or decline new clients. However, knowing if the relationship will be a beneficial one for both parties can save in the long run. Asses your ability to meet the clients’ expectations and determine the overall potential. It doesn’t sound like a business friendly way of thinking but, proper analysis at the onset of a relationship is key to it’s success.

2. Don’t Wait

What are you waiting for? Flexibility is still a huge advantage held by small business over the “big chain” companies. This doesn’t mean proceed without your research but, we have all heard the phrase, “Opportunity does not come to those who wait.” Be thorough, be precise and most of all be timely. Do not let a client slip away because of over analyzing.

3. Be in Control

This is quite possibly the main thing that drove you to small business ownership in the first place. Believe you will not succeed unless you take charge of your business. Your business will reflect your personality and your drive and determination will bleed through. Strive to excel and accept nothing less.

4. Be an Innovator

Most of us acknowledge that it’s small business that drives the innovation train in the world of business. Many business owners will become slightly timid in this area. Innovation is completely relative, ranging from the truly inventive to the more mundane aspects of small business ownership. Any business is capable of innovation in any given area. Just remember this quote,  “Innovation is what distinquishes a leader from a follower.”

5. Give Customers the Value They Want

Consumer behaviors have changed in recent years. Most consumer are looking for high quality products or services at the costs or values of years past. With that, comes the your ability to give them the service they may not be expecting. If you can provide consumers with a product or service that meets their expectations and couple that with a level of service that blows them away you will succeed.

6. Be Aware

Be willing to do a top-to-bottom assessment of your small business. The key is to be keenly aware of where you stand and what is going on so you can proceed in a timely manner. Markets have changed and so have consumer focuses. Start by asking yourself these three questions: How can I deliver more value for my clients?  How has the market changed?  Will I need to change in order to fulfill consumer expectations?

Focus can be fragmented in many different areas but, when not working toward the breakthrough of the century, if you can always go back to the six small things we outlined here. You and your small business will enjoy a much sturdier footing and accomplish the longevity

Set Your Own Ceiling, or Don’t

In this blog we will talk about setting your own limits or not setting limits in your small business. There is a big difference and neither one is wrong or right, to be honest. It’s truly about comfort and knowing in which scenario you will achieve the results you desire.

We will start with setting your own limits. In this case, the words “goals” would not mean the same thing. Setting a goal in your small business would refer to a task or a specific area of operation in which you are striving to attain a particular result. Setting your limits is more a reference to your small business and how you will factor into it’s operations. For example, if you understand your particular skillset and know that in the near future you will need to branch into the world of website building and maintenance. You may set out to outsource this portion of your operations to obtain the best results. This is what setting your own limits means. In small business, more than large companies, it is more common to find someone that wears many different “hats” per say. If you know that your field of expertise is not in a given area, the decision to find a viable option for your companies needs can be the right thing to do. The outgoing revenue may be justified if the end result will generate revenue in return. If it means that the need will be fulfilled in a more efficient manner and at the high level of expectation you have. The setting of your own limits may be the route to take.

Let’s move to not setting limits. If you read the first paragraph then I am sure you know exactly what is coming, right? It’s possible that you do but, here it is. Not setting a ceiling for yourself can pay big dividends in many ways. The obvious way is the outgoing revenue stream stays much lower. If you are the personality that enjoys “the hunt” this option may be more toward your side of the fence. Making the effort and keeping the operations under your control will allow you much more independence in the daily operations of your small business. Staying involved allows you to better know exactly how all areas of your business are and when a problem or difficult question is thrown your way, because you operate within a broader portion of your operations, you will be better suited to rectify without depending on the availability or schedules of others. Quite simply, it’s about being willing to accept more of, if not all of your small businesses operations. It’s having the confidence and believing in your own ability to pave the way toward your future goals with minimal outside influence.

As you can see, neither scenario is a wrong or right approach. If you work better in an environment where you are responsible for capitalizing on your own areas of experience and an outsource to obtain your goals is a “quality” decision. You are the Set Your Own Ceiling.

If you are the small business owner that enjoys keeping everything”in-house.” If you work better with more responsibility and accountability,then you are most assuredly the No Ceiling type of entrepreneur.

In  closing, it is admirable to wear all the hats possible but, knowing and recognizing when assistance is the right call can be huge for your business.