All posts for "Business"
You Know More Than You Think
Is there something in your life that you absolutely love doing? Do you have a passion for something, like a hobby that you would love to make some money from? Have you ever told someone you would like to go into business doing one of your hobbies, only to have them say: "You can't make money doing that"? If your like me, then you have answered yes to almost all of those questions.
I'm a firm believer that you can make money doing the things that your passionate about. Usually the things you are the most passionate about are the areas where you know a lot about the subject. To enjoy something typically means that you immerse yourself in it. Naturally that means you'd likely have a lot of knowledge on this subject.
What you may not know, is that others most likely desire the information that you already know, and you probably know more than you think.
When Customers Go Away
Today I had the unfortunate event of saying goodbye to a customer. Nobody likes to see a customer go away, but sometimes saying goodbye is the right thing to do. As we all work really hard to get customers, there are those customers that make us work even harder. There is nothing wrong with that, but one must always be careful and to make sure they aren't just "Working You".
That was the case with this customer. I started to wonder why I never got any follow up work, and it was because they were basically using me to figure out how to do the same work and then resell it. There is nothing wrong with that, we should all be in the game of teaching others, it's just how you go about it that makes all the difference in the world.
Don't Give Up That Latte
When I started my business, I did what everybody else seems to do, tell your friends and family about your new idea. After thinking about that a bit, that was probably one of my larger mistakes. Your idea is exciting to you, primarily because it's your idea, and not someone else's. Don't be surprised when someone eventually tells you that "you can't make money from that" or "there is no money in this". I don't know about you, but I'm rather lucky because all of my friends and family are business experts, yet only a handful of them run their own business.
One of the pieces of advice that I was told over and over again, was that if I was going to start my own business, then I needed to start saving every last cent and use it to fund this adventure. They all told me how much I was going to have to "sacrifice" in order to get this off the ground and running.
Did that mean I was going to have to give up my morning latte? Was I going to have to start walking to the grocery store instead of using my car? Did I need to shut off the heat in the winter and buy everyone an extra blanket to stay warm?
The Little Things Count
Remember when you were a child and your mom use to tell you that it isn't the amount you spent on the present, it's the thought that counts? We've all heard that, whether it's from a family member or a Disney movie, we all know what that means. When it comes to business it's absolutely the same way. The little things that you do for a customer can be the difference between getting the sale and not.
Being a small business means I have some advantages over the bigger guys, and one of those advantages is being able to offer very personal service.
Expect the Unexpected
How many time have you heard expect the unexpected? I thought today was going to be one of those lazy Sundays where I would watch some football and play with the kids. Well that is what happened until I went to turn on my computer, and then BEEP BEEP..... BANG! Nothing. Yeah my computer crashed and I hadn't backed it up for a while. Which means, I lost EVERYTHING. All those contacts I was keeping, and all the detail information about customer and potentials is now gone.
Cloning Isn't So Bad
There never seems to be a shortage of cloning news, either on TV or on the Internet, and as I write this post (late at night), I'm starting to wonder if it's really that bad after all. Today was one of those exciting days, one of the days that I enjoy the most. Today I got to meet a new client, and the best part about it was that this new client came to me as from a reference. That's right, good work has finally paid off and now other clients are passing my name along to their friends and associates.
Getting new jobs by way of referral is great, but remember, there is added pressure when taking one of these opportunities. The person that referred you has put their reputation on the line for you, and you surely don't want to disappoint them either. However the real point of this wasn't about making sure you do a good job for each client, the point was how I felt as I was driving away from this client.
Don't Let Price Be An Issue
With the economy in the state it's in, everyone running a business or managing their personal finances, are starting to tighten the purse strings. Inevitably that means that many of my clients are either not buying as much or not buying at all. One of the reason that I've heard lately, is that the price is just too much. The funds used for the products I usually provide, are being used in other places.
In order to combat the issue of price, I have developed the following steps to move past pricing objection:
1 Month Down 11 More To Go
January is over with and now February is upon us. I'll be posting my January numbers shortly, but before we dissect them, I think it's important to start February off right. Most businesses have a full month under their belts now and they should have a firm grasp on what they are going to need for at least the first part of the year.
For me the beginning of the month has the potential to bring about big changes. I'm not talking about the kind of changes that I necessary get to dictate. My current employer has announced that they will be letting go about 450 employees this month with their last being April. That should pretty much destroy moral and make for a very unpleasant working environment for those of us who might be lucky enough to keep our jobs.
Helping Customers In Need
This week I took on a project that produces no revenue for me, and will probably never put any money in my bank account. Sometimes it just worth it to help others and do something that you feel good about. Unless you've been living under a rock for the last month or so, you've inevitably heard of the disaster in Haiti. An organization came to me asking for a donation of my time and energy and not a product.
I've been asked to screen print 100 shirts for a relief effort, and all I have to do is donate the ink and the time. They are actually paying for the shirts, they just couldn't afford the screening service. I'm ok doing this kind of work once in a while, but it can't be something that becomes an ongoing theme.
Categories