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Small Business Growth Community
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ARTICLES
5 Tips to Step Boldly into the World & Set Yourself Apart from Others
12 Tips to Network Your Way to Success
10 Tips to Grow Your Business Plain & Simple
5 Tips to Step Boldly into the World & Set Yourself Apart from Others
"Real champions believe in themselves even when no one else will!" Author Unknown
To take your life and business to a level you can get excited about there is a good chance you will need to step boldly into the world and stand distinctively apart from others. Below are 5 tips to support you to embrace the unknown in a big way and maximize your results.
Fully Express Your Self~ Concern for what others will think often results in presenting “a diluted version of ourselves to the world” says the leader of the Think Big Revolution, Michael Port. When you fully express your authentic self without fear of the result you take more risks and show up as unique, confident, and intriguing.
Fully Express Your Passion~ We tend to bury our passions under responsibilities with the underlying notion that our day will come. The clock is ticking! What are you willing to stand up for? What difference do you want to make thru the work you do on a daily basis? What gets you juiced? Fully express your passions and you will enthusiastically show up in a big way.
Boldly Take Action Daily on What Matters~ I wonder how much time is spent daily on stuff that doesn’t make a difference. What if you made a commitment to yourself right now to spend time daily taking action and becoming 100% absorbed in activities that make a positive impact on others, your business, and your life. How would that make your life different from today?
Leverage Your Connections~ No one has made it to the top alone (that I know of). Your connections are unique to you. No one has the same network as you. We all learn and grow from these connections. When we create
win/win relationships and connect by sharing information, resources, and connections we grow together. When you develop and leverage these assets within your network you create a tool to set yourself apart from others.
Step out in Faith~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” We restrain ourselves by not trusting in ourselves, our cause, or our capabilities. We want to be “right” so badly that we postpone action. We learn and get better by playing the game, and making errors. Have faith that you have all you need in this abundant world to make a big difference. The world is your playground. Explore… discover… have fun… and trust your intuition.
Take Action Challenge:
What change will you make in order to fully express your authentic self in a big way?
What passion are you burying that you will unleash daily?
What change will you make to your schedule so you become 100% absorbed in actions that make a positive difference every day?
What relationship will you develop into a winning partnership?
Where will you step out in faith trusting that you are equipped to handle whatever shows up?
What I want for you is to confidently stand in all that you are on a daily basis knowing you have treasures to share, and the world will not suffer for the lack of it. Step up to a higher level of integrity and bold, conscious living. Starting Now!
Copyright 2005 © Beth A. Tabak, All rights reserved.
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12 Tips to Network Your Way to Success
Lots of people network but few reap the rewards of zeroing in on their potential when it comes to networking. Here are some tips to help fill the gap between where you are now and where you can be.
1- Be Generous- Give without expectations and you will be surprised at how it returns to you. It may not come from the same source but a new client, referral, or opportunity will show up because of your efforts.
2- Be Consistent- As in marketing, the more consistent your networking efforts the more productive they become. Jay Conrad Levinson of Guerilla Marketing stated, “I hate to admit this, but mediocre marketing with commitment works better than brilliant marketing without commitment.”
3- Know & Clarify WIIFT- When creating your introduction clarify who your target market is and “what’s in it for them”. Sell benefits. Verizon sells wireless phone service but sells it when you believe they never stop working to fill your phone service needs. "Can you hear me now?"
4- Get Involved- Getting involved puts you in a consistent position of visibility.
5- Be a Powerful Resource & Advocate for Others- Expand your network and be an advocate for others. Use your networking resources to hook up people you know with others. What goes around comes around.
6- Learn the Needs of Others then Help Fill Those Needs- Can your business fill their needs? Who do you know who can? Either way you have a win/win situation.
7- Build the Know- Like- Trust Factor- Building relationships is more important than collecting lots of leads. Think quality vs. quantity. Connect deeper vs. on the surface.
8- It’s More Important to Receive Business Cards than Hand Them Out- This puts you in a position to be able to follow up.
9- Consistently Follow- Up- It's not enough to have a network. Follow up and continue developing your relationships and network. Have a good reason to follow up or ask "how can I help you?"
10- Develop Advocates- Build relationships with Centers of Influence who connect with your ideal client or customer. Offer incentives for referrals or provide great benefits.
11- Be Curious- The 6 Degrees of Separation Theory states that we are only 6 people away from finding out anything we need to know. Be curious and you will be surprised at what people, resources, and information are at your finger tips.
12- Develop You- You can grow your business as big as you can grow yourself. Start there!
To shift into action choose one tip to focus on for a week and see what new results come your way. Then try on another and so on. Before you know it your networking efforts will be paving your way to success. Starting Now!
Copyright 2004 © Beth A. Tabak, All rights reserved.
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"I have learned... that when
dealing with professionals,
if I'm not clear about what I want,
I'll wind up with what they want."
from the book Simply Brilliant
"Smart companies recognize that
great products and services can
deliver more than profits; they
deliver experiences that make
life better in some small way."
Scott Bedbury, author of
"A New Brand World"
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10 Tips to Grow Your Business Plain and Simple
“Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value.” Albert Einstein
Recently I heard a statistic that the majority of businesses operate at 60% of their potential. While I was unable to obtain the source of that statistic it seemed rather accurate or maybe even high. The Small Business Association reports that “2/3 of new employer firms survive at least 2 years, and about 1/2 survive at least 4 years.” The language they use is almost as scary as the statistics themselves. This article provides tips to help you develop and grow a strong, solid business foundation.
1- Solid Plan with a Clear Simple Vision- Think of the impact you would like your business to have in the world. Think big! You may never reach your vision but the vision itself is so grand that your team gets excited about it. Then back up and look at what would have to happen to get there. Create a solid plan with realistic short and long term goals.
2- Focus on Profitability vs. Revenue- While revenue is important, high revenue doesn’t add value if your expenses are just as high. What can you do to create more profit? Possibly develop various streams of income. What expenses could be reduced or eliminated? How can you operate more efficiently? Think profit.
3- Work “in” and “on” your business- Sometimes we get so caught up in daily tasks “in” our business we forget to step back to take a wider look from the outside. Seeing it through a customer’s eyes. Noticing how it fits into the community. Preparing the future of the company. On the other hand, we can get so comfortable working “on” our business we forget to step in to talk with customers and experience what the employees face on a daily basis.
4- Automate and Create Systems- What do you need to automate? What system can you put in place that would free up your time or make you more money? What tasks need to be eliminated, systematized, or delegated. What system would help your employees be more effective and provide the best service? Finally, is there a system that needs to be upgraded? Automation and systems help your business be consistent and efficient.
5- Consistent Marketing Plan- Marketing expert Jay Conrad Levinson of Guerilla Marketing has said that “I hate to admit this, but mediocre marketing with commitment works better than brilliant marketing without commitment.” It is important to have a marketing plan in place that is consistently and persistently being carried out on a daily basis....not just when you need more customers.
6- Increase Value to Your Customers- Give more than your customers ask for...more than they expect. There are 3 convenience stores by my neighborhood. The first one built I visited regularly and was satisfied. Nothing unique. The second I visited less than a handful of times and had to wait every time to get checked out so haven’t been back in years. Every time I get gas at the third store I am greeted over the intercom with a friendly “Hi, how are you today?”. When we go inside they are friendly and always provide my kids with a free lollipop. They even added a Post Office inside. Who do you think gets my money on a regular basis and with very little effort or money on their part? The one that gives more than I expect. What added value can you provide that will increase your “Wow” factor?
7- Innovate- React to the customer’s needs before they know they need it. Instead of selling what you want, sell what the customer needs. How do you know what they need? Take time to talk to them. At a minimum talk to your best customers and learn from each one you’ve lost. Find out what they would like and what their challenges are. Stay current on market trends in your industry.
8- Leadership vs. Management- Empower your staff to manage themselves. Do you really want to spend your time problem solving? Train them well. Make sure they know the vision of the company and they are on board because there is a personal win in place for them. The personal win gives the employee motivation to cooperate as part of the team.
9- Well Oiled Machine vs. Chaos- Is each section of your business operating efficiently while working together towards the common goal? Or are the members of your team expending time and energy daily putting out fires. What change can you make to shift your business out of crisis/ problem-solving to operating with ease?
10- Develop YOU!- Take a minute to hold your breathe. As you hold your breathe think about what you really want. See what happens. Unless you are uniquely talented you probably had trouble thinking about what you want....because your needs were not being met. When you take care of yourself... feel strong, healthy, happy, and have time and space in your life...you can focus on what you want and attract more to your business.
Take one step at a time and build a strong, solid business. Along the way build lots of reserves...time, money, space, revenue sources, future products, etc. and begin filling the gap to your potential.
Today’s Dare to Take Action Challenge:
Focus on one tip above for one week. What changes can you make? Take action on one, build momentum, and move on. Starting Now!
Copyright 2003 © Beth A. Tabak, All rights reserved.
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Copyright 2003 © Beth Tabak
All Rights Reserved
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