So many posts on Social Media are about the same thing and that is getting clients – it’s no secret that this is the No.1 issues for most small businesses and after being around many for some time now, I believe there is a common theme.

This is in no way meant to discourage anyone – this is my opinion and if it helps a few prepare better before jumping in then it’s served its purpose.

So many people start their businesses because they have a skill or service and believe there will be a need. Being good at what you do does not mean that you would be good at running a business (unless of course that’s what you are good at) or that there is a need and because all you need to start a business is an ABN many people running small businesses really struggle with all the facets of running a successful business. The majority struggle on never really getting the dream they had when they started and is why many stop trading (not so much financial failure – but the reality of running a business is that it’s often tough and lonely and for many it’s easier to go back to paid employment).

How to overcome this?

For starters people / businesses only buy for 2 reasons;
i) they want what you do or sell or
ii) they need what you do or sell.
In other words there is a demand and the most successful businesses are those that look for gaps or demand where there is an undersupply of solutions. What I am saying here is that you really need to research the market and see if what you propose is really wanted or needed because if not it’s going to be very tough from day 1 no matter how good you are at doing it. The same applies if there is an oversupply in the area you’ve chosen because this usually means there are more suppliers than buyers – also very tough.

Now assuming there is sufficient demand the next hurdle is how to make people / businesses aware of your product or service (commonly referred to as marketing). Too many people believe a website is the answer to all their needs, when in truth unless you come up high on page 1 of a search and have a brilliant conversion rate, it’s not.

Marketing takes on many forms but before rushing out to market you really need to be very clear of a few things.

• How does your product / service answer a basic need or solve a specific problem?

• What makes you or your product / service more unique and visible in the market?

• What is your or USP (in other words why would I choose you over someone else)?

• Who are you trying to sell your product to?

Getting these answers will help you clarify your Competitive Advantage, which is critical in your business having a future.

As far as marketing – I have a simple presentation which I’d be happy to share, get in touch and I’ll send you a copy.

It’s just over a year since I posted more Insights from the bike and eight months have passed since I posted a PB on this same route.

1. Last PB was in June last year and was part of a steady improvement as I got fitter and believed only a matter of time before I achieved the next one however eight months have passed before I could.  Business parallel – expectations need to be tempered with reality.
2. After getting agonisingly close on a few occasions (within 3 sec more than once), I realised I had to do more than just more kilometres which wasn’t producing the result. Business parallel – just doing what worked before might not produce the result you’re after.
3. I engaged the help of a trainer to work on areas that he thought might make a difference.  Business parallel – sometimes our own efforts / knowledge falls just short of what’s required to take that next step (we don’t know what we don’t know).
4. I did specific exercises to build strength in the areas that the trainer promised would deliver and committed to the program.  Business parallel – sometimes a little guidance and consistent effort is required to get the results we want.
5. Initially it was tough but after a couple months I could feel the difference in my strength and endurance.  Business parallel – many things are difficult before they become easy and it’s only through discipline and constant application that we see results.
6. Finally the day arrived that I felt good to have a go, however it was not all smooth sailing.  I was caught at a crossing, had to stop and had to brake hard to avoid a dog both of which ate into my average speed and time.  Both were good enough excuses not to have made the mark but I pushed a little harder because the stats were saying I was still close enough.  Business parallel – no matter how clear the path seems there may be unexpected challenges and it’s up to us to accept these as a reason not to deliver or to take them as additional motivation to try even harder.  It’s just a question of how important your goals are.  As for stats, these are the KPI’s that were covered in the last post referred to above.

Having yet another client that’s come to me after an unhappy franchise business coach experience has prompted me to share a few points that I hope might help business owners chose a little more wisely.

The business advise / coaching / mentoring industry is unregulated and as such anyone can wake up one morning and decide they are now a business advisor / coach / mentor  or some may attend an information session from one of the many franchise or template coaching systems out there and decide to give that a go.  Now I am not knocking some of the brilliant advisors / coaches /mentors that I have met that started this way but I am sceptical of those that are “helping” others when truthfully their own business acumen is a little short and as someone that’s going to pay for a service, so should business owners be.

When engaging someone to help you in whatever capacity surely their track record (experience) should be a factor.  Hiring someone to help you do something they have never done themselves doesn’t strike me as sound strategy and you are within your rights and in fact should ask a few questions.  I get that there are some without experience that could well be capable but if you’re paying to learn something, should you be paying the person helping you to learn it as well? Has the person you are considering ever run a business (excluding the advising / coaching / mentoring they may now be doing)?  Do they have any real life practical experience in doing what you want them to assist you with?  What specific areas are you looking for assistance?  Does the person you are considering seem a good fit for your business (staff, the way you do business)?  More than that can you get feedback from past / existing clients that have been helped in this area?  Testimonials, written or video are often scripted, in my opinion it’s better to call and ask your own questions, can they provide you with real live references?

Before signing anything I’d also advise to be wary of contracts that are inflexible with fixed terms and notice periods.  Remember it’s your money and time you are about to invest and like anything you should be considering what are you getting in return, if that’s not really clear, then it may be worth speaking to someone else or getting people you trust to recommend someone.

I believe if you’re looking for someone to help you and your business, as a minimum they have some of the things they are offering in place in their own businesses? Walking the talk as they say – Business planning, shouldn’t they have one? Profitable, shouldn’t they be? Marketing, how do they do it and are they successful? Giving advice about business, shouldn’t they have a good track record of running successful businesses (not just micro or solo) over more than a year or two?

There are many great sources of help for your business out there to help in areas that aren’t your core skill but make sure those offering you something are able to demonstrate it clearly in their own areas too.

It’s surprising how many people I come across that are fixated with “being in touch”.  I’ve read tweet and status updates that are sent from some obscure places?  Is it really that important? Are we being overloaded?

Communication is now instant and non-stop (if you let it be), we get messages / updates via email, voice mail, fax, instant messages, pager, Blackberry, mobile phone, Facebook, Skype, Twitter and the list goes on.

You receive even more communication during meetings, teleconference, webinars, web conference, and even my favourite being face to face.

Even before we get to the office in the morning and, for many of us, well into the evening, we are inundated with incoming communications from these sources and more.  It seems as though during every moment someone is trying to inform, teach, solicit to, solicit from, question, update, delegate to, warn, disagree with and sometimes even entertain us.

This tidal wave of incoming communication can be overwhelming, leaving us feeling fatigued, irritable and/or distracted.  It can negatively impact everything from our work performance to how we interact with our families and friends.  It can result in something as minor as forgetting to buy milk on the way home to as major as being involved in an accident. In other words, communication overload can be harmful to our health.

While for the most part we are unable to control or lessen the amount of incoming messages we receive each day, we can develop strategies for dealing with them more effectively rather than letting them engulf us.

Incorporating the following tips can enable you to nip communications overload in the bud:

• Schedule your time better in advance.

Are you checking your email between every other task you perform? Break that habit by trying to limit your trips to the inbox to specific time periods during the day, such as an hour at the beginning and end of the day, or 10 minutes at the top or bottom of each hour. You’ll be amazed by how much more time you’ll have to accomplish things that matter more to you.

• Cloak your instant messaging / Skype screen name.

If that’s not possible, put up the “Do Not Disturb” sign on your instant messenger once in a while to carve out some uninterrupted time. During this span, also let your phone calls go to voice mail and text messages go temporarily unanswered.  These actions are particularly important during times when you’re interacting with people face to face; except in rare circumstances, live interaction should always take precedence over technological devices.  Watch how your interpersonal relationships both at work and home soar when you begin to give people more undivided attention.

As per last note – so many parallels can be drawn between sport and business.

This morning I managed a personal best on a route I do most mornings and this has a few parallels I’d like to share.

1. I only know it’s a PB because I have been measuring and recording each ride.  Business parallel – we only know if we are doing better than before by recording what we do and then comparing.
2. Along the route I know where there are areas (or sections of the route) I might improve on because I am able to see where I am not giving my best effort (via a heart rate monitor).  Business parallel – with KPI’s you can check the areas for improvement by reviewing these regularly (monthly) against what you know your business is capable of.
3. On some sections, although I was going really quickly my HRM showed that I was only at 70% of max.  Business parallel – sometimes we know we are cruising and accept it.
4. On some sections I had gone over 100% of max heart rate, these sections are also where I got the best performance, however it’s not sustainable for the whole ride.  Business parallel – pace yourself, sometimes you may have to really stretch resources for short periods but long term it’s more efficient and sustainable to work between an acceptable bands.  Know what these are.
5. Finally all this training is for a clear goal, which is to attain a certain time for an event in the near future.  Business parallel – clear goals are required so that you know what you are doing it all for and what you hope to achieve which is critical before you can work out the how.

It’s no secret we tend to perform much better when in the company of people that challenge us be that business or sport – for the golfers out there, think how much better you play when playing with someone on a much lower handicap (better still if they can give constructive feedback on your game).  For me I had a cycle with a client and this turned into a great lesson.

I have been slowly improving my ride times and average speeds as I train for events I do on an annual basis and by my standards I was very happy with progress – I had a plan and it was all coming together nicely.  Then a client invited me on a training ride with him and I believed I would more than hold my own, after all I was so happy with my progress??

About 10 min into the ride I was thinking wow we’re really piling on some pace, until I heard “ok we’re warm now let’s go”.   The ride was harder and faster than I thought I had in me, every time I started to slack or lag I got a bark of “encouragement” and I lifted and this carried on for over an hour but I came through.  The result a massive improvement on my average speeds I had been so happy with.  Even more than this my solo rides now are significantly higher average speeds as well because once you achieve what you didn’t know you could, it’s much easier the next time.

As I said, it’s no secret that we perform much better when in the company of people that challenge us, my question is who is challenging you?  Are you cruising along happy with progress but have more potential like I was?  Get someone in your camp that can challenge you and help you find what you really have to work with.  If you’re stuck for who – I can recommend a few good people that will help you find your best and grow.