Podcasts - Page 9 of 12 - Greg Weatherdon

SBM #34- Processes- Shampoo, Rinse and Repeat

Tagged as: control, interruptions, mantra, process, repeat, rinse, shampo, small business, small business expert, Small Business Minute, success, tasks

Many business owners complain that they never seem to get anything accomplished during normal business hours because they are constantly being interrupted to deal with relatively unimportant issues. As the business grows the interruptions just keep on multiplying.

This happens because when they first started out they were accustomed to doing everything, because they were it and only had to take care of themselves. They handled every issue. But as the company grew, they didn’t realize that they need to find an alternative, so they continue running the business like they’ve always done, only to see the number of decisions they need to make expand exponentially. And why not? Every other successful owner is doing the same. Right?

It’s easy to say that they should just delegate more. But before doing so you need to establish processes to ensure that regular, everyday activities get executed in a consistent and predictable manner.

“It’s akin to washing your hair – Shampoo, Rinse and Repeat!”

The purpose of processes is that once established, allow the organization to operate without the need for constant input or direction from the owner. It’s akin to washing your hair – Shampoo, Rinse and Repeat! Simple straight forward steps to accomplish a task in a manner that everyone can understand.

The first step is to clearly identify ongoing tasks. Then, writing a step by step process that can be executed by anyone in the organization and I emphasize anyone, so they need to be clear. Doing so establishes clear direction on how things are to be done in your organization.

The upside of establishing processes is that gradually you’ll regain control of your day and allow you to begin focusing on the long term priorities, instead of the day to day activities and you won’t be doing important after hours.

Shampoo, Rinse and Repeat are clear simple instructions that should be your mantra when creating effective processes.

You may also enjoy Want To Make It Better?

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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 #33- Responsibility & Authority

Tagged as: contradictory, customer service, entrepreneur, problem solving, profitability, selling your business, small business, small business expert, Small Business Minute

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

A common mistake entrepreneurs make is that they expect their employees to take responsibility for the job they are tasked to do but fail to give them the authority they need.

“It’s a little contradictory and more than frustrating for your team.”

This is particularly evident in customer service or customer facing positions. We tell our team that we want to provide the best customer service or experience, yet what typically happens is the individual is powerless to deliver on that promise without first checking with the owner or manager. It’s a little contradictory and more than frustrating for your team.

Additionally, by giving them the authority to solve the problem immediately for the customer, you’ve just increased the overall efficiency of that area and thereby reduced your costs. How so? It’s simple math. Think about it this way; a customer calls with an issue. The team member listens to the problem but even though they most likely know what should be done they don’t have the authority to remedy the situation because they need to check with the owner.

So they take down the information and tell the customer they’ll get back to them. Now they need to track you down and most likely to be told the exact same thing they were thinking of in the first place. How much time got wasted? How often during the day, week or month does this happen? I repeat, how much time was wasted?

“Giving them the authority to go along with the responsibility, everybody wins!”

Most employees with any tenure know their limitations and will usually stay on side with your wishes and for those rare occasions when they get a little too generous, let them know and provide them with alternatives. This would be another teaching moment.

By giving them the authority to go along with the responsibility, everybody wins!

Find out more about Teaching Moments here

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 #32- Empathy-The Double Edged Sword!

Tagged as: Balance, decision making, Empathy, employees, entrepreneur, Goldilocks, leadership, Small Business Minute, success, The Three Bears

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Most successful entrepreneurs that I’ve met have a balanced approach to empathy, deep when required and non-existent when really necessary. On the other hand, I witness owners that aren’t so balanced.

Those that have too much empathy, frequently worry way too much how a given decision or request will be accepted by their employees and regularly succumb to the slightest resistance. This failure to follow through on their decision, even though deep down inside they know it’s the right to do, often limits their success or ability to move the company forward.

“In many cases these companies find it difficult to keep good people”

Conversely, having no empathy can be equally limiting. Individuals with no empathy are regularly referred to as tyrannical or worse by their employees. Right, wrong or indifferent these owners don’t care how their decisions will impact the individuals that work for the organization. It’s their way or the highway.

In many cases these companies find it difficult to keep good people because their lack of respect or don’t seek their input. More often than not, those companies are left with mediocre employees that are unwillingly or unable to leave even though they would like to.

Having a balanced approach to empathy is one of the best attributes a leader can have. Taking into account the impact and feelings a decision can have on employees and then adjusting if they receive valid feedback. It’s a sign that you respect and appreciate input and that you are open to feedback.

“Taking the time to explain, goes a long way”

There are occasions when a decision is not open to debate. It could be a change in direction, a new policy or any number of unpleasant decisions we as owners are forced to make once in a while. In these situations, simply taking the time to explain the rationale for the decision, goes a long way to minimizing any hard feelings.

Having the right balance of empathy is akin to the beds in Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Not too soft, not too hard, but just right.

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 #31- A Message To Employees.

Tagged as: boring, choices, entrepreneur, fulfilling, Future, Google, improvement, investment, videos, you

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Its not always your bosses fault that you don’t like your job. Sure it’s easy to blame someone else that you’re not reaching your full potential, that your job is boring and repetitive to say nothing of the fact that you feel stuck without choices. To that I say, get over it.

Working for an entrepreneur can be both challenging and fulfilling

Where is it written that they are responsible for your future? Working for an entrepreneur can be both challenging and fulfilling all at the same time. Challenging because they don’t always have the time to communicate their wants clearly, leaving you to figure out what they meant. Fulfilling because in many cases you have the opportunity to take on as much responsibility as you can handle. But first you must take charge of your personal growth.

If this is a new concept to you, getting started is easier than you might think. A question I regularly ask owners is, “ What are the three things that keep you up at night?” For employees, I ask ‘What are the three things you would change in your job?” Not the company, not someone else’s job, but your job!

Based on my experience, every job can be made better. So pick one of the three and start investing your time and thought energy on trying to make this one area better.

“just showing up isn’t good enough”

With the world of information available at your fingertips, start searching Google for topics related to the what your trying to improve. Read the articles, watch the videos, do a deep dive on the subject and become the company expert on the subject. Chances are no one will stop you from making real improvements. Most gains can be made without spending a penny.

The more value you provide, the more valuable you become and chances are you’ll make more money and be given more responsibility but never forget it all starts with you. Not willing to make the investment? That’s your choice because just showing up isn’t good enough.

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 #30- Want To Get Better? Work At It!

Tagged as: entrepreneur, motorcycle training, owner, podcast, skill set, tactic

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

I regularly tell business owners that you don’t have to be an expert in every area of your business, but you have to good enough at everything until you can afford to hire someone who is better than you in a specific discipline.

This is pretty simple advice but it can be challenging for the entrepreneur because they don’t know where to begin. As humans, we tend to gravitate towards the things we like or good at and avoid those things we don’t understand.

“learning anything new can be tedious”

Chances are you got good at something because you spent time doing it and eventually became proficient at it. Same applies to learning anything new, you must work at it. Of course, learning anything new can be tedious, but the more information we consume on the subject, the easier it becomes. Before you know it you start to become confident in your newly acquired skill set.

“look in the direction that you want to go”

If you have ever taken motorcycle training, one of the very first things they teach you is to look in the direction that you want to go. This is especially useful when you encounter a rock or pothole. If you focus your gaze on the obstacle you’re trying to avoid, that’s exactly where you’ll go.

So to avoid the potentially damaging encounter you must train yourself to look away from it in order to avoid it. This is very counter intuitive. The same applies to improving a skill. If you want to improve something you must force yourself to work at it.

The simplest place to start is to pick up a book or listen to any number of podcasts that are available on the topic you want to improve.

So if you want to get better at something- Work at it!

You may also enjoy Cash Flow-The Breath of Life

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 #29- We All Need Two Mentors

Tagged as: advice, application, errors, generational, learning curve, logistic, mentor, older, pitfalls, risk, technological, trends, two, younger

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

A wonderful piece of advice we can all use is that we should all have two mentors. One that is older that can share the wisdom that comes with age and can helps us avoid the many pitfalls that they’ve experienced.

The second and younger mentor, and by younger I mean at least one generation behind us and not just a few years our senior. This mentor or group of mentors will be the ones that keep you in tune with the new trends and applications that are changing as quick as the seasons.

“have a mentor for sales and another for logistics”

In either case you may want to have more than one mentor in both these categories. For instance, you may have a mentor for sales and another for logistics, depending on your industry. As for the younger mentors you may have one for the technological changes and another for the social trends including social media.

I encourage you to give this concept some thought, because no matter how good we think we are, there’s no way we can know everything and having generational mentors reduce our learning curve and reduce our risk of errors.

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#28- Worry Without Action=Stress

Tagged as: control, entrepreneur, priorities, progress, revenue, small business, stress

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Being the creator of our future is part of the allure to being an entrepreneur, however one of the costs of doing so is the increased stress we experience while chasing our dreams.

The thing with stress is that although we all experience it, how we deal with it can be far different. Some even look upon it as a badge of honor and fool themselves into thinking that stress is a great motivator and therefore they’re making progress, when in fact they could be more effective if they could just reduce their stress.

Get Things Done

Funny enough, one of the easiest ways to do that is to get things done. You see, stress is not a result of having too much to do, but of never finishing anything. As entrepreneurs we always seem to have far more priorities or ideas that we want to implement than we have time.

Just like the proverbial plate spinner who can never rest, for fear the plates will come crashing down, we always seem to have far too many priorities that never get completed. Over time these unfinished priorities accumulate to the point that we feel we are overwhelmed and now stressed.

Decide What’s Important

The best solution I’ve found is to make a list of all outstanding projects. This alone will reduce your stress. Next decide which are the most important to move your company ahead. Typically, revenue generating activities should take priority and not pet projects and then get them done.

This simple approach will go a long way to reducing stress and give you a feeling of control

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 #27- Fear of Decisions

Tagged as: bike, decisions, Dr. Phil, entrepreneur, entrepreneurial, failure, Mistakes, optimist, paralyze, success

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

As entrepreneurs, we are faced with a daily buffet of decisions we must make. Some days the sheer quantity can overwhelm and dishearten an individual. Granted many decisions are simple and require little or no effort, however they all aren’t and this can really cripple an individual if they’re afraid to make a mistake.

The saying “I’ve learned more from my failures than my successes” is one often expressed by many successful entrepreneurs. They learned early on that failure is a big part of being successful. What you learn and how you apply that lesson, is the true test of your ability to survive the entrepreneurial journey.

Dr. Phil

Most of us didn’t learn to ride a bike on the first try. We fell, got up and tried again and again until we got it, then pedaled off to freedom. Somewhere along the line we lost that innocence and started worrying about all sorts of unimportant things, like what people are going to say or think about us if we fail? I believe it was Dr. Phil who said that “If you’re worried about what people are going to think, you’d be surprised how little they care!” In other words, we’re never as important as we like to think we are.

What If?

Being the eternal optimist, I prefer to look at decisions from the perspective of “What if I’m right?” I find that we’re right more often than we’re wrong and the more decisions we make the better we get at the process. That of course assumes we take the time to review both our successes and failure so that we may learn from each.

So don’t let the fear of making a mistake paralyze 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

SBM # 26 – The 80/20 Rules For Sales

Tagged as: 80/20, calls, clients, follow up, lists, meeting, Pareto, proposals, prospects, quotes, sales, Small Business Minute

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Wilfredo Pareto discovered the 80/20 rule when he wanted to determine who owned all the lands in Italy in the 18th century. He found out that 80% of the lands holdings were owned by just 20% of the families. As he continued his research he soon discovered that many things fit that profile.

Applying The 80/20 Rules For Sales

So how do we apply the 80/20 rules for sales? Well as entrepreneurs we seem to manage to bog ourselves down doing all sorts of non-productive activities. Sure we justify them as necessary activities but in many cases we’re just doing busy work that could easily be delegated or maybe not even done at all.

Because sales are such a critical element of our businesses, it is the #1 item that owners ask for help or guidance when I advise them.

The Formula

So here is my simple formula; until you have enough sales to provide you with sufficient revenue to cover your monthly fixed cost, including your salary, you should be spending 80% of your time on sales related activities, period! Make sure these activities are actual productive and really sales related. Too often, we classify all sorts of activities as sales related when in fact, they’re really not.

So what are sales related activities? Here’s a list of seven:

Preparing prospect lists
Making calls to the list
Sending emails to the list
Going to meetings with existing or prospective clients
Preparing quotes or proposals
Following up on quotes or proposals
Cold calls if necessary

In other words, activities directly related to generating an order.

For some people these are unpleasant activities but as business owners you need to get over it and make this activity a priority otherwise you’ll struggle along for years.

The 80/20 rules for sales will help to keep you focused on what’s important. Thank you Mr. Pareto.

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 # 25 Teaching Moments

Tagged as: Mistakes, performance, reputation, screaming, small business, stressed, teaching, team, yelling

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Let’s face it, employees will screw up. But how we manage the situation can have greater importance and do more damage to your business than the actual mistake.

It has been my experience that most mistakes occur because the information or directions issued were not clear or detailed enough yet as managers we assumed they understood.

Too Little Information

In many situations, we’re so busy or stressed that we’ve issued just enough instructions to get the item delegated without considering whether they have ever done the task before or are clear about the end result. The employee on the other hand may not want to look foolish, or frustrate you any more by asking questions all in an effort help you out.

Of course, these mistakes only happen at the most inconvenient time that just adds to your stress or busyness. Although mistake will always happen, how can you reduce their frequency?

Create A Teaching Moment

Since screaming and yelling rarely works. The most effective way that I’ve found is that once the crisis has been averted, is to take a few minutes and create a teaching moment with the individual or team members. In a calm manner, explain what you had wanted, ask what information was lacking and then let them know what impact the error may have had on the company’s finances, reputation or product quality all without laying blame.

It has been my experience that once people understand the expected result and have been given clear instructions, the same mistakes rarely reoccur. The added bonus is that they begin to ask for clarification when necessary, but just remember, it all starts with you, not them.

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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