Podcasts

SBM #14 – Everyone Is In Sales!

Tagged as: everyone, interaction, opportunities, professional speaker, sales

As business owners, we sometimes forget that every employee can have an impact on sales in our organizations. (TWEET THIS)

For example is the shipper receiver courteous to all who present themselves at the loading dock? Do those customers have a pleasant experience that reflects favorably on your organization? There’s nothing worse than going through the sales process only to drop the ball at the last step.

Are All Your Employees Motivated To Sell?

Are all your employees trained and rewarded for generating leads? Do they let you know about that new business that just opened across the street from their favorite restaurant? Is your delivery driver conscientious enough to be on the lookout for competitive products showing up at your customer’s place of business and advise your sales team?

Is your customer service team asking any type of probing questions before terminating the call other than the standard “ Is there anything else I can do for you today?” Why not change it up to “Before I let you go, did you know we have a complete line of …? And fill in the blank with your product or service. How about letting them know that you’re having a sale next month.

Once we step back and look at the interaction that each of our employees have with our customers, it behooves us to figure out how to harness that opportunity, because at the end of the day, everyone is in sales!.

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Get More LIFE Out of Your Business

You shouldn’t be the hardest working person in your company.

Many small business owners find that even after the struggling start-up years, they’re working too many hours and still managing every aspect of their businesses.

Greg Weatherdon has been there, done that. As an entrepreneur, he learned not only how to get a business to the point of running smoothly, but also how to reduce the number of hours he worked, delegate more responsibility to his employees, and take longer vacations while his business chugged along like a well-oiled machine. And now he is providing the secret to success.

Do you suffer from any of the following?

1. Business ownership isn’t living up to the dream.
2. Endless workdays.
3. You can’t find good people.
4. Profits are less than expected.
5. You can never take a vacation.

You’re not alone. But there is a solution. As Greg demonstrates, with some time and effort, you really can Get More Life Out Of Your Business.

ORDER HERE

SBM #13 – Performance Reviews

Tagged as: annual reviews, entrepreneur, HR, managing, professional speaker

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

One dreaded and often neglected aspects of being a business owner and managing employees, is the annual performance reviews. Although you’re well intentioned and sincere in your desire to perform this exercise in a timely manner, most of us just end up forgetting about them or, because we never get around to preparing the formal review, we just keep putting it off, much to the frustration of the employee.

Is this the right attitude? Absolutely not! But it happens all the time. So why is that? Well, as with many HR related issues, few of us are skilled in the area and not really sure how you’re supposed to conduct a formal annual review. There seems to be as many theories as there are days in a month.

The Solution

After many years of struggling with this issue, I came up with a simple solution. I told the individuals that reported directly to me, that when I’m pleased about their performance or how they handled an issue, I’ll tell them at the time and likewise if I’m displeased. I was no longer going to collect all the information over the course of the year and then dump it all on them at once at the annual performance review.

Once that system was in place, everyone knew where they stood and the annual discussion revolved around the coming year’s expectation and any increase. All very positive stuff for both parties.

If you found this helpful, Tweet, Like or tell a friend.

Get More LIFE Out of Your Business

You shouldn’t be the hardest working person in your company.

Many small business owners find that even after the struggling start-up years, they’re working too many hours and still managing every aspect of their businesses.

Do you suffer from any of the following?

1. Business ownership isn’t living up to the dream.
2. Endless workdays.
3. You can’t find good people.
4. Profits are less than expected.
5. You can never take a vacation.

You’re not alone. But there is a solution. As Greg demonstrates, with some time and effort, you really can Get More Life Out Of Your Business.

ORDER HERE

SBM #12- Leadership

Tagged as: empower, leaders, leadership, managers, professional speaker, small business expert, Small Business Minute

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Being a great leader is about helping others achieve, it’s not a position, it’s an attitude and anyone can be a leader, no matter where you are in an organization.

Great leaders work hard and are humble.

Great leaders are empathetic and they have an uncanny ability to see around corners.

Great leaders engage and empower their people. Tweet this!

Great leaders act as coaches and mentors,

There is this great saying I once heard and it goes something like this:

“When I talk to managers, I get the feeling that they are important but when I talk to leaders I get the feeling that I am important”

True leaders, have your back, they create an environment of trust and they won’t be throwing you under the bus.

And lastly, true leaders take all the blame and give away all the credit.

A study by Leadership IQ showed that individuals who are engaged with leaders for 6 or more hours a week are

29% more inspired
30% more engaged
15% more motivated
10% more innovative

I don’t know about you, but I’ll take an inspired, engaged, motivated and innovative staff over the alternative, any day.

So are you a leader?

If you found this helpful, Tweet, Like or tell a friend.

Get More LIFE Out of Your Business

You shouldn’t be the hardest working person in your company.

Many small business owners find that even after the struggling start-up years, they’re working too many hours and still managing every aspect of their businesses.

Do you suffer from any of the following?

1. Business ownership isn’t living up to the dream.
2. Endless workdays.
3. You can’t find good people.
4. Profits are less than expected.
5. You can never take a vacation.

You’re not alone. But there is a solution. As Greg demonstrates, with some time and effort, you really can Get More Life Out Of Your Business.

ORDER HERE

SBM # 11 – Passion

Tagged as: business, daydreaming, entrepreneur, passion, professional speaker, Self- employment, small business, small business expert

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Entrepreneurship is currently all the rage. It’s the Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow. It’s the magic elixir that will fix everyone’s problems and so many people are spending hours daydreaming about the life they will enjoy once they get into business.

Unfortunately for the uninitiated, going into business is very hard work and for the most part the reality of being in business doesn’t come anywhere near your dreams.

So if you’re bound and determined that being a business owner is on your horizon, you need to have one important ingredient- Passion.

Passion vs Excitement

Now don’t confusion true passion with excitement. Passion is your secret sauce, your silver bullet. Passion will keep you going when all hope has vanished. Passion is that internal flame that keeps burning long after you would have normally packed it in and quit, excitement won’t do any of that.

Believe me when I say, there is absolutely nothing wrong with dreaming about being in business. I’ve started thousands of businesses in my mind and the beauty is, it cost you nothing, so go ahead and dream. But if you’re going to turn your dream into reality, just make sure you choose the right dream and that you’re passionate about it.

If you found this helpful, Tweet, Like or tell a friend.

Get More LIFE Out of Your Business

You shouldn’t be the hardest working person in your company.

Many small business owners find that even after the struggling start-up years, they’re working too many hours and still managing every aspect of their businesses.

Do you suffer from any of the following?

1. Business ownership isn’t living up to the dream.
2. Endless workdays.
3. You can’t find good people.
4. Profits are less than expected.
5. You can never take a vacation.

You’re not alone. But there is a solution. As Greg demonstrates, with some time and effort, you really can Get More Life Out Of Your Business.

ORDER HERE

SBM #10 – Work Life Balance

Tagged as: Balance, being, Family, Life, present, small business expert, Small Business Minute, Teeter, Totter, Work

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

One of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face doesn’t have anything to do with revenues or expenses, but has everything to do with achieving that elusive goal of Work Life Balance.

Starting a business requires a total commitment and dedication over an extended period of time because overnight successes are very rare.

Fortunately for most of us, we are blessed with a significant other who is willing to support our ambitions for extended periods of time but we must also live up to our end the deal and this is the challenge.

If the world was right, we should be able to have equal parts work and family time. But the world is not right.

In business, having Work Life Balance is akin to being on a teeter totter. One minute you’re in the air with your feet dangling, that would be work, the next you’re on the ground in control, that would like life and rarely are you ever equally balanced.

So instead of stressing over achieving that perfect balance every day, look to be 100% present in your life when possible.

If you found this helpful, Tweet, Like or tell a friend.

Get More LIFE Out of Your Business

You shouldn’t be the hardest working person in your company.

Many small business owners find that even after the struggling start-up years, they’re working too many hours and still managing every aspect of their businesses.

Do you suffer from any of the following?

1. Business ownership isn’t living up to the dream.
2. Endless workdays.
3. You can’t find good people.
4. Profits are less than expected.
5. You can never take a vacation.

You’re not alone. But there is a solution. As Greg demonstrates, with some time and effort, you really can Get More Life Out Of Your Business.

ORDER HERE

SBM #9 – The Blame Game

Tagged as: Blame, Canada, decision making, ego, entrepreneur, Keynote, self-esteem, small business expert, success

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Successful entrepreneurs rarely engage in the Blame Game. The Blame Game is when anything negative happens it’s always someone else’s fault and never theirs.

You see at the end of the day, we make the decision to proceed down a given path even when we’ve consulted or solicited input other professionals. And once we have gathered as much information as we think we’ll need, it is then we make the decision to proceed or not proceed. The operative word is “we”. Right, wrong or indifferent “we” make the decision and as a result we must wear the consequences of that decision.

Blame someone else

Of course it’s always easier to blame someone else as it protects our self-esteem or egos, but successful business owners rarely go there and when they do, they don’t stay long.

They understand they are going to get incomplete advice and that they’re going to make a wrong decision, but when that happens they chalk it up in the loss column and move on.

Wallowing in self-pity or playing the Blame Game is just counter-productive to the successful entrepreneur’s way of thinking.

If you found this helpful, Tweet, Like or tell a friend.

Get More LIFE Out of Your Business

You shouldn’t be the hardest working person in your company.

Many small business owners find that even after the struggling start-up years, they’re working too many hours and still managing every aspect of their businesses.

Do you suffer from any of the following?

1. Business ownership isn’t living up to the dream.
2. Endless workdays.
3. You can’t find good people.
4. Profits are less than expected.
5. You can never take a vacation.

You’re not alone. But there is a solution. As Greg demonstrates, with some time and effort, you really can Get More Life Out Of Your Business.

ORDER HERE

SBM #8- Checklists

Tagged as: Canada, checklist, Keynote, procedure, profit, small business expert, time, waste

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Successful entrepreneurs have long learned that identifying internal deficiencies can increase profitability far more quickly than the chasing new ideas.

These owners do not like waste. Wasted time, wasted effort equals wasted profits. Doing something over again because of carelessness, doesn’t sit well with them.

We’re all human

I’m not talking about the occasional mistake, heck, we’re all human. What I’m talking about is those recurring situations where individuals are just not paying attention, like sending a technician out after a job has be completed to adjust a setting or flip a switch that should have been done at the time of the initial install. Or what about the installer who continuously leaves items on the dock that then requires a separate trip to complete the job.

Creating checklists is a simple way of avoiding or least minimizing errors and errors cost money. When you consider a commercial airline pilot who performs hundreds of takeoffs and landings every year, you would think they could do so without a checklist, yet they go through the procedure every single time.

Adopting checklists may help you keep a little more profit in your pocket.

If you found this helpful, Tweet, Like or tell a friend.

Get More LIFE Out of Your Business

You shouldn’t be the hardest working person in your company.

Many small business owners find that even after the struggling start-up years, they’re working too many hours and still managing every aspect of their businesses.

Do you suffer from any of the following?

1. Business ownership isn’t living up to the dream.
2. Endless workdays.
3. You can’t find good people.
4. Profits are less than expected.
5. You can never take a vacation.

You’re not alone. But there is a solution. As Greg demonstrates, with some time and effort, you really can Get More Life Out Of Your Business.

ORDER HERE

SBM #7 – Growth For The Sake Of Growth

Tagged as: Canada, cash, credit, growth, Ottawa, revenue, small business, small business expert, staff

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Growth for the sake of growth is a dangerous strategy for most small businesses. By making revenue generation the prime mission of the company, it fails to take into account how the rest of the organization will execute the product or service delivery of the increased sales.

Risks

Assuming that everything else in the company will expand naturally as revenue grows, is wishful thinking. A small group of people can do amazing things when necessary, but as a company grows the need to add additional staff. This risks destabilizing a cohesive group as new personalities are added to the mix.

Additionally, the added requirements for cash or lines of credit may not be readily available when you actually need it most.

Sacrifices

Lastly, how much of a sacrifice are you prepared to make? To be sure, success demands sacrifices, but the trick is to acknowledge what these sacrifices might be and who they impact. Then have a conversation with all those affected to ensure you have their support and understanding.

Taking your business to the next level requires a full 360 degree assessment of your current business resources, identify any shortcomings and then put a plan in place to correct them. But above all else make sure this is what you truly want.

If you found this helpful, Tweet, Like or tell a friend.

Get More LIFE Out of Your Business

You shouldn’t be the hardest working person in your company.

Many small business owners find that even after the struggling start-up years, they’re working too many hours and still managing every aspect of their businesses.

Do you suffer from any of the following?

1. Business ownership isn’t living up to the dream.
2. Endless workdays.
3. You can’t find good people.
4. Profits are less than expected.
5. You can never take a vacation.

You’re not alone. But there is a solution. As Greg demonstrates, with some time and effort, you really can Get More Life Out Of Your Business.

ORDER HERE

SBM #6 – What Made Us Successful?

Tagged as: associations, business, Canada, Networking, Ontario, Ottawa, people, rhythm, small business expert, stalled, success, successful

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

At one time or another, many owners are faced with a business that has stalled out, and often it’s a simple matter of a sluggish economy and with a little patience things recover and growth resumes.

Look under the hood

For others though, their business has just plateaued and are at a loss as to how to regain their rhythm and push through to next level. When this happens, the first place I look is under the hood of the business. Is it structurally sound with the right people in place to go to the next level? In other words is the company ready, willing and able?

In many situations all the elements are in place. I then turn to the owner and ask “What made you successful?” “What did you do when you first started out to generate business?” Was it networking, participating in associations, cold calling and how much of that do you do now?

What typically happens is that we get so busy servicing customers and making money that we stop doing those things that made us successful in the first place.

So when you find yourself with a stalled business, ask yourself “What made us successful?”

If you found this helpful, Tweet, Like or tell a friend.

Get More LIFE Out of Your Business

You shouldn’t be the hardest working person in your company.

Many small business owners find that even after the struggling start-up years, they’re working too many hours and still managing every aspect of their businesses.

Do you suffer from any of the following?

1. Business ownership isn’t living up to the dream.
2. Endless workdays.
3. You can’t find good people.
4. Profits are less than expected.
5. You can never take a vacation.

You’re not alone. But there is a solution. As Greg demonstrates, with some time and effort, you really can Get More Life Out Of Your Business.

ORDER HERE

SBM #5 – Domain Based Email

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Nothing undermines your professionalism more than using one of the many free email services available today.

Being in business is hard enough. On a daily basis we are faced with numerous challenges that keep us awake at nigh. We struggle to take our business to the next level and yet we penalize ourselves by not taking care of some of the simple no brainer activities.

Domain based email

Domain named email is nothing more than having a company based email address instead of joesmith@gmail or @yahoo you have joesmith@yourcompany.com

Registering a domain is a simple process handled online. Many of these same organizations also offer email for a few dollars a month. If you already have a website, you most likely have domain named email included in your hosting fees. You only need to activate it.

It may not seem important but it is one of the first things your prospective customer sees. Having a free email account telegraphs amateur hour and that you’re not serious about your business.

Having a named based domain removes one more obstacle for people to do business with you.

If you found this helpful, Tweet, Like or tell a friend.

Get More LIFE Out of Your Business

You shouldn’t be the hardest working person in your company.

Many small business owners find that even after the struggling start-up years, they’re working too many hours and still managing every aspect of their businesses.

Do you suffer from any of the following?

1. Business ownership isn’t living up to the dream.
2. Endless workdays.
3. You can’t find good people.
4. Profits are less than expected.
5. You can never take a vacation.

You’re not alone. But there is a solution. As Greg demonstrates, with some time and effort, you really can Get More Life Out Of Your Business.

ORDER HERE

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