"href"=’https://plus.google.com/101651909899715878453?rel=author’>+Anthony Davis
This is a model to support you to achieve the results you desire in business. It is all about creating a Business "by Design" as opposed to "by default" which is the way most small businesses are created.
In an "Ideal World" each of these Phases would happen sequentially. Unfortunately, you live in a "Business as Usual" world and so you will most likely experience these Phases concurrently.
Phase 1: Develop your Mission Statement from your Vision, Unique Selling Proposition, and Purpose for being in business.
Phase 2: Define the context in which you conduct business, together with the qualities of your
customers, suppliers and team.
Phase 3: Define the Structural and Functional components of your organisation, together with
the Objectives and Goals to realise the Vision of your business.
Phase 4: Identify the activities necessary to do business - systems and task descriptions.
Phase 5: Match your people to the tasks that need to be done - recruitment.
Phase 6: Have fun in your business, at the level you want to play, as it grows "by design" ...
and remember to regularly review your business.
How much time do you take off from your business each year? It is always surprising to find clients who say, “I haven’t had a holiday in 12 years (or some other number).”
Worse even for the Business Owner with a young family. The kids grow up all too quickly and are soon gone from your life. What about your loyal employees? Do they take their holidays on a regular basis?
Recreation Time is vital for recharging your batteries and clearing your head. It amazes me that business owners almost consider it a ‘badge of honour’ to not take holidays. Start planning your next holiday NOW!
Look at the word 'Recreation' in a different way ...
With a hyphen added to the word Recreation you get Re-creation. This is totally different and yet just as important for success in your business. Re-creation is the process of taking apart that which exists, reviewing how well it operates, refining the process and putting it back together so that the process has been re-created.
If all of the Systems of your business are ‘re-created’ once a year, this becomes the system of regularly working ON your business.
Trainer and author Jeffrey Gitomer tells this story about his first trip to Hawaii:
“Seven hours in a plane makes for a weary traveller. I was met at the airport with the traditional lei of flowers. Fantasy fulfilled. Gritty from the plane ride, I entered the lobby of the Hawaii Prince Hotel. At the desk, someone smiled at me, said “aloha!” and gave me a hot steamed washcloth. Aah! Just the refreshment and revitalization I needed.
WOW, what a great way to greet a customer. What a welcome!
Other than the price of the room, the lobby, and a few knick-knacks, very little separates hotel rooms. A hot washcloth stopped me in my tracks. It was a surprise, an unexpected moment of pleasure, something small that separated the Hawaii Prince from all other hundreds of hotels I have stayed in.”
What separates you from your competition?
What standards are you setting?
What makes people talk about you?
What makes people look forward to doing business with you?
What makes people tell others about your business?
What is your hot steamed washcloth?
If you have a ‘hot steamed washcloth’ in your business, post on our page and tell us what it is !
Thanks to the team at Powerful Practices for this timely reminder.
In his book ‘The Craftsman’, Richard Sennett traces the history of the craftsman in society, from the earliest days of weaving to the present.
One of his arguments is that in the current business world, our pre-occupation with production, process and performance targets diminishes not only our working lives but also our individual growth and our happiness. He argues it would benefit us all if we looked on our work more from the perspective of the craftsman, and sought to do a job well, for its own sake, not just the commercial value.
Put simply, we would all benefit from the pursuit of excellence by making things well and continuing to develop our skills through repetition of quality. Craftsmanship should be a template for living. Those who take this approach to their life and their work are better placed to produce work of quality and significance.
It reminds me of what Edwards Deming said in his book ‘Out of Crisis’. In his ‘14 Points for Management’ he said “remove barriers that rob people of pride of workmanship”. How well do you reward craftsmanship in your business?
Thanks to Richard Allen for this Weekly Minute.
For more information on Deming’s 14 Points for Management, send an email to bizplan@brightwater.com.au with DEMING in the subject line.
FACT: People are more likely to use you if they remember you. People are more likely to remember you if you remember them and you make them feel important.
FACT: E-mails get deleted. Cards with photos in them get saved and displayed.
On Monday, you need a car mechanic … if someone from a local mechanic had been sending you 2 personal cards per year, you would call them. Do you get the picture?
No one does this. Probably fewer than 1 out of 250 business people send cards expressing appreciation for their customer’s business.
Joe Girard was honored with a Guinness World Record for selling more cars than any single person in history, 12 times achieving the top vehicle sales in the world. In his best year he sold 1425 units, all retail (no fleet sales).
His secret weapon? Greeting cards.
Employing two assistants, Joe sent out nearly 13,000 greeting cards a month to his customers, celebrating everything from Halloween to Groundhog Day.
Joe Girard proved that greeting cards inspire customer loyalty. Joe proved that greeting cards motivate customers to refer their friends.
For more information ‘Google’ Joe Girard.
If you would like the complete article, email bizplan@brightwater.com.au with CARDS in the subject line.
Are you an ‘on time’ person or always late? The way we relate to the dimension of time is neurologically wired.
‘In’ time people get wrapped up in the moment. They may not notice the passing of time. They often underestimate the time it takes to get from A to B and never prepare for unexpected delays. They are frequently late and don’t understand why others get annoyed.
‘Through’ time people tend to be very organised and love planning. They are usually early and get agitated when others are late. They tend to live in the future and don’t always pay attention to what is happening in front of their eyes.
Sometimes they need to learn from ‘In’ time people regarding relaxing and ‘smelling the roses’. They are more likely to suffer from stress related illness – perhaps caused by ‘In’ time people!
‘In’ time people can teach ‘Through’ time people to relax and enjoy each moment. ‘Through’ time people can help ‘In’ time people to organise and plan.
In business hours – act from ‘Through’ time. Outside of business hours be more ‘In’ time.
Source: Bill Lee Emery. If you would like Bill's full article, email bizplan@brightwater.com.au with IN TIME in the subject line.
Chronic lateness is like an illness, beginning with a few symptoms that grow into a full-blown sickness. It starts with meeting friends 20 minutes late and before you know it, you're sneaking in the back door of the conference room and apologising to your staff.
A 2006 survey identified that American CEO’s are late to eight out of every ten meetings, resulting in $90 billion in lost productivity.
Lateness is a difficult habit to break. It takes more than setting the clocks 10 minutes fast … it doesn’t work. Stop making excuses and start managing what you do with your time.
1. Plan to arrive 15 minutes early;
2. Be realistic when estimating the time a task will take;
3. Stay organized. Not having to look for your keys gets you out the door on time;
4. Block off a period of the day for time-consuming tasks;
5. Work ahead of deadlines. When you get an assignment, start immediately.
How often do you keep your clients waiting? Remember, your client’s time is as valuable as yours. Honour your clients and they will Honour you.
Thanks to the team at Powerful Practices for this Minute
