I read an interesting blog post last week by Chris Brogan. Now, honestly, I’m not one of Brogan’s biggest fans, and I’m sure his ego will be okay with me saying this as I know he has plenty of them – fans, not egos, but I do read his blogs now and then, and this one caught my eye – it was called “We’re No Experts.”
It so reminded me of what I see happen so much in this world of entrepreneurship – especially starting out. Too many times, we get in front of a prospect and listen to what they are wanting, and we say “we can do that.” Chris put it perfectly…
“We are quite often given the opportunity to do something we’re not qualified to do. We often take on projects we’re not qualified to take on. I do it all the time. I will sign up for something, learn that I have no idea how to do it the way I imagine it, and then I rush to learn how to accomplish something that will make my client feel I’ve delivered value.”
Now during this time, you might actually find you love what you learned and want to incorporate it into your business, but in many cases, this probably is not true. What Chris continues to say in his blog, and what I have preached for the past three years of owning my business – do what you are passionate about!
Make a vow that 2012 will be the year you focus on what you love, what you are passionate about, and I bet you will be happier, healthier and much more successful!
Serina Kelly
Relevate
www.getrelevate.com
serina@getrelevate.com
317-203-7740
New Economy, New Model, think in the box
Thursday, June 30th, 2011Businesses today are learning to cope, survive and then hopefully thrive in this “new” economy. Change for most people is painful, but for entrepeneurs it can be the best of times. Most of the long-term business owners I have worked with are linear thinkers. They aren’t afraid of processes. They actually lean on processes to function at the highest of levels. The volatility in the market today is calling for entrepreneurial thinking. An economy with $4.00 a gallon gas, housing starts in half and manufacturing as well as low-level labor being outsourced across borders.
The key to evolving your business model in this new economy is to define the “box” in which you reside, specifically define the sides of the box that make up your business.
1. Exceeding client expectations
a. How do we blow our prospects or customers minds with results and or “the” experience? Many times we will face some initial push back on changing the way we deliver our service in the new model so the results really do need to speak for themselves.
2. Budget, Profit and Stakeholders
Are we holding to a budget? Is the company making money and are employees happy and evolving? If these things cannot be met then our model is not sustainable, which means capital and people will eventually wear out.
3. DNA
Do we have the people to really get it done or how can we even leverage our people on a greater level to create more abundance? What are we doing that is against the organization’s DNA? I find in working with companies that when you simply ask the question, “What could you be doing if you didn’t do that anymore?” Or, if you fired that one high-maintenance client, how many more could you serve? The overwhelming theme is relief, power and the ability to once again accept challenges. Let’s face it businesses are just groups of people working towards common goals. If they feel good about their life, about their job – they will make the impossible, possible.
4. Time
Do we have the time to accomplish this change to survive the valley during the implementation of our new plan read full article »
Tags: Client expectations, Economy issues, Entrepreneurship, indianapolis small business, Profitability
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