The "Top-10-Secrets" of small business....instalment 3

The - absolute - undeniable - must have - rockbottom - can’t do without - believe it or not - Top 10 (and beyond) - Secrets of Sustainable Small Business Growth, in good times or bad


Thank you for tuning into this third installment of "The Secrets" and you will be very pleased to know that the list of secrets has now grown to 27, so there will be at least one more instalment after this one.

You might remember that Installment 1 was largely about the deeper purpose of your business and how that connects with your passion. Installment 2 was about marketing, customer relations and your staff. And todays instalment is mostly about money, and keeping your finger on the pulse....the responsibilities of the “Business Owner”.

Installment 1 and 2 can be re-read on my website article archive: click here or on the blog archive here or I can email it to you again. Just click here: roland@newperspectives.com.au

Let me remind you of my pleases......
1)... PLEASE!: Take a few minutes and let "The Secrets" sink in. If you are not sure about any of them, drop me a line or call me or argue with me or shout me a coffee or abuse me or pick my brain, but whatever you do, don't just glance over them and put them aside!
2)... PLEASE!: Do something with each and every one of "The Secrets". This is important stuff... believe me, I know what I am talking about here.

As I foreshadowed in the first instalment, I have "Twittered" about "The Secrets" already... so they must be true and real.

Here they are: (numbers should start at 15, but I can't get that work properly):

1. Put your finger on the pulse of the money in your business... and keep it there daily, weekly monthly … know where you make money and where you don’t
2. Of course you need to look at last week’s/ month’s/ years numbers in your regular reports, but what do you know about next week/month/year...?
3. Decide what the “Key Indicators of the Health of your business” are, the really critical ones, the ones that you, as the business owner, can’t live without... at all levels, and make sure you get them every week, focus on them and action them... rigorously
4. Collect, collect, collect... Being a bank for your customers is best left to the banks, they do it so much better than you.
5. Know what your financial needs are, implement a meaningful form of cashflow forecasting
6. Stop doing what makes you no money… do more of what is profitable
7. Deal with what matters now, today… If you can sell it today and deliver it today… do so… If you have it in stock today… you can sell it today…and sell something else tomorrow

Those were "The Secrets" 15 to 21.... in another couple of weeks I will reveal some more.... from Secret 22 we get back into the stuff of “working ON the business” not that I want to belabor a point of course

In the mean time: PLEASE... do something with "The Secrets"... and I say again, if you want to talk to me about them, I'd love to hear.... I am sure we can have some great discussions about this stuff and I am happy to explain to you in more depth what the meaning of "The Secrets" is... but whatever you do: Don't just put it aside for another time... Do Something Different... Do Something NOW...

Hope to hear from you soon.

My contacts:
Roland Hanekroot
New Perspectives Business Coaching
"Become a Better Business Owner"
www.newperspectives.com.au
roland@newperspectives.com.au
twitter: http://www.twitter.com/coachbusiness
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/newperspectives
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/businesscoachsydney

Win one of three double movie passes

Win a free double movie pass for helping me "nail" my Brand

Today I am launching a competition... I want to find the best... most incisive, most powerful, most inspiring, most exciting one-sentence statement about me... about what I do... about what my clients get when engaging me... what are the benefits of taking me on...

In other words: a short (very short) statement that really nails what I am about, my Brand, what is special about me and New Perspectives and how I am different from anyone else who uses labels such as "Business Coach"

In case you are unsure of what I do... These are the statements I make from time to time:

• I say that I coach small business owners, people who are in control of all the facets of their business every day.
  
• You might have heard me explain that I coach my clients to become better business owners
• Some of you will have heard me mention that the difference between most business coaches and myself is that business coaches coach businesses and I coach business owners
• Some of you have heard me say that I help my clients to take control of their business and their life
• I sometimes say that I work with my clients to create sustainable business growth
• And that you will create the business you deserve when you engage me, that you will go through "massive change" and finally
• That when you come on board with me... Nothing will ever be the same again...

All of that is absolutely true... very much so...

And how do I do all those things?... Well I work with my clients in six month blocks and with set of clear project goals defined and I become their small business mentor, their management consultant, their personal coach, their project manager, their closest confidant, their silent partner, supporter, brainstormer and general ass-kicker...

But whenever I am asked:... "So Roland, what do you do?" I end up having to roll out the "I am a business coach"-line with further boring add-ons.

People seem to want a label and until they have one they are confused... but guess what.... the moment I mention the word "business coach"... eyes glaze over, fingers fidget and the nearest "exit" sign suddenly becomes much more interesting.

So......
I am asking for your help....

My hope is that most of you who read this would be interested in 2 things:

1. The opportunity to win one of 3 double movie passes and/ or
2. To help me improve the clarity and attractiveness of my marketing message and my "Brand"

I hope I am right and I am really looking forward to reading your suggestions and creative and "out of the box" ideas...

All your weirdest, most creative, sexy, funny, inspiring, sweet, caring, supportive, challenging, thought provoking ideas and suggestions are eagerly awaited.

The most exciting suggestions... the ones that make me sit up and smile... well I will select the top three of those and send you a double movie pass to Hoyts as a small token of my appreciation...

Be assured I really truly appreciate and value your input and thoughts... and if you'd like to talk to me about it... I will obviously shout you a coffee...

So that also for Me Myself and I... from the second half of 2009... Nothing will ever be the same again

Send me an email, twitter me, ring me, facebook me... Entries close Friday 24 July and decisions by the Judging panel are final, discussions won't be entered into... unless I am bribed with the appropriate brown paper bag.

Bring on the creativity...

Warmest,

Roland Hanekroot

also on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/businesscoachsydney

The - absolute - undeniable - must have - rockbottom - can’t do without - believe it or not - top 10 - Secrets of Sustainable Small Business Growth, in good times or bad

When your favorite small business coach started devising this article and blog i had 10 secrets in mind, but as I was writing it grew to 21 secrets and maybe it will even grow some more, so now I will be delivering them to you in installment over the next few weeks... here are the first 7.

PLEASE!: Take a few minutes and let them sink in. If you are not sure about any of them, drop me a line or call me or argue with me or shout me a coffee and pick my brain, but whatever you do, don't just glance over them and put them aside!

PLEASE!: Do something with each and every one of these secrets. This is important stuff... believe me, I know what I am talking about here.

Follow these secrets and the ones I will reveal over the coming weeks and true sustainable small business growth beckons sure as night follows day.... I personally guarantee it (and to prove it I will even Twitter about it so…it must be true!)

Here they are:

1. Know what you are in this business for… and check in with yourself at least monthly that you are actually heading there.
2. Decide what you are really good at, focus on it, get better at it, strive to be the best at it and do it again and again and again. (And please stop doing what you are not so good at!)
3. State with absolute clarity to all and sundry what the truly inspiring thing is that your business is about (e.g. "We make the worlds most beautiful tables" or "Our plumbing installations are just plain sexy" or "We provide the best accountancy advice money can buy" or "Every customer smiles when they leave our shop" or "Our dresses will put you in the centre of the room")
4. Ask yourself: Are we a "dream come true" for your clients?
5. Who exactly, precisely are those clients... ? and then become known to those specific clients as a true specialist and expert
6. What precisely is the benefit those clients get from doing business with me?
7. State with absolute clarity and conviction precisely what your business stands for (e.g. "Our customers are in safe hands", "Never do anything to decrease our sense of pride", "we are never more than 5 minutes late", "Our installations are thoroughly tested for 24 hours, before handover") publicise it widely and allow everyone to keep you and your staff acountable to that.

Those were the first 7 secrets.... in about a week the next bunch will be revealed.... in the mean time PLEASE...do something with these... and if you want to talk to me or email about them I'd love to hear.... I am sure that we can have some great discussions about this stuff and I am happy to explain to you in more depth what the meaning of the secrets is.....but whatever you do: Don't just put it aside to do something with at some other time... Do Something Different...

Hope to hear from you soon.

My contacts:
Roland Hanekroot
New Perspectives Business Coaching
"Take Control of your Business and Your Life"
www.newperspectives.com.au
roland@newperspectives.com.au
twitter: http://www.twitter.com/coachbusiness
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/newperspectives
facebook: http://tinyurl.com/c6mph5