Focus Tips 8. Leave a trail.
Nick’s Ten Top Tips for a Healthy Business.
Starting and developing a focussed holistic business can bring you great rewards in many areas. This can mean money and profit, peace of mind, a secure income stream, the opportunity for self-improvement, perhaps the creation of a legacy to hand on. To get things moving in your favour consider the following pointers and judge for yourself the progress you are making or the progress you might begin to achieve through putting some or all of these into place.
1. Set Your Purpose
From today take some time and put effort into writing down the reasons that you want to have a healthy business. What will your good venture create for you in terms of the ways you see the benefits. Will it bring in more money, greater joy, a sense of fulfilment? Why would you want to do this?
2. Create a Compelling Vision
Imagine the scene – you have a successful business right now. Describe it to yourself. Can you see how it all works so smoothly? Look at the way people are coming to your for treatment, for support, for access to your skills and wisdom. See where you work from and the environment you have built for yourself to offer your best to your clients. Visualise the results of your successful, healthy practice and hold this picture strong in your mind each day as you work to turn it into a reality.
3. Have Great Product or Service
Now that you know what you want to create around you be clear that what you will offer is good. If it is a service around wellness or health then ensure that you have developed the greatest treatment. If you are putting together a product or an item that people buy from you, take a close look at its packaging, brand image, and overall feel. Can you provide the service in a better way than you are now? If you don’t feel you can improve it then ask the opinion of others you trust. Always work to enhance the quality of your offering and your clients will always be pleased to give you feedback.
4. Create a Supportive Network
You may be in business on your own, but you do not have to be alone in business. Identify a group of individuals with whom you have some common interest, respect and the potential for self-teaching. Get together for an hour and brainstorm ways you can each receive support from one another. Hold the group to a workable size, perhaps as many as twelve or as few as six. Meet regularly and make sure that you contribute. Givers always gain.
5. Make Money work for You
You can provide great service and support, but ensure that you are being paid for this. Look at the rates for your own work. Are they above the market level? Are you undercharging? Position your pricing to be on the positive side of desirable and understand that in the eyes of your clients cheap pricing often implies to them ‘cheap product’. Take care to increase your pricing regularly. When I started my own business a wise friend said “Always charge at least 20% more than you feel comfortable with and you will be about right.” Great advice indeed.
6. Market Yourself Always
You may think that your service is the same as provided by another small business. You may have the identical training and qualifications, but you can never be the same people. Take time to craft information that links your ‘story’ with the product or service you are offering. Given the chance people will frequently buy the offering that comes with a more unique wrapping or storyline. What is your story? Identify it because it makes you so special in the eyes of your clients.
8. Leave a Trail
If I meet you today will I ever hear from you again?
Remember that it takes me a few reminders to actually buy from you.
When you put effort into your business cards or your compliment slip, do you encourage me to stay in touch in return for some goodies and some benefits I want to have?
Do you let me have a Fact Sheet, an email Newsletter, an Invite to your next Public Event?
Make me feel special and provide me with good quality reasons to think of you often.
Take active steps to ensure I can find you and spend more money with you.
Join us again soon for more thinking-time tips.
Nick Sturgeon is a small business owner who has benefitted from the experiences of success, failure and financial recovery. The author of the book “Small Business BIG Profit” published by FT Prentice Hall, Nick writes and speaks from the heart to audiences about Risk, Reward and the Power of Personal Enterprise. nick@smallbusinessbigprofit.co.uk
