Blog
Grow Interview
Grow, LLC is hitting your local television screens this month! Our staff sat down with a crew from CNTV in denver to discuss what we do and how we help small businesses. CNTV hosts local programming focusing on small businesses in the Denver-Metro area. We will be a featured part of this new program in early January and we hope it allows you an opportunity to see exactly how we work with other small business owners to help them achieve success.
Here is a snapshot from the interview:
We’ll let you know where and when you can view the interview. But never fear! Even if you miss the program, we’ll have a copy of the interview on our website immediately after it’s aired.
Once again, Grow, LLC is in the business of helping small business owners. We remove most of the day to day operations that get in the way of what small business owners do best. We allow them to focus on their passion. That passion shows through to customers and potential customers. When small business owners aren’t bogged down with the tasks of payroll, finances, taxes, human resources and other administrative issues, it allows them to spend their time, energy and money on what really matters such as their products and services.
Holiday Giving:
Also, remember that we’re hosting a “Grow Community Day” on Tuesday, December 20th from 9am to Noon. We’ll be working with Habitat for Humanity in Metro Denver and it will be a great day to give back to the community that helps support small businesses. Please join us if you can. You can get more information about the program at Metro Denver Habitat for Humanity.
Let others know and join us for this wonderful day of giving.
Work Less, Make More!
Yes, we know the title to this post sounds a lot like those scams you read in emails or in those tiny little ads in the back of local newspapers. But never fear, the staff at Grow, LLC isn’t out making outrageous promises of massive riches that will miraculously fall into your lap. In fact, we understand better than most exactly how much hard work goes into running a small business. That’s why we recently held our first seminar to help small business owners learn how to work smarter, not harder.
I just realized...I don't HAVE to do everything by myself!
It’s all part of our “Grow Smart” campaign we’re launching in December. The idea is that while hard work comes with the territory of running a small business, there ARE ways to ease your workload and still achieve your goals of success.
Our recent seminar was designed to do just that and was titled the “Pareto Principle” or the 80/20 rule. It’s actually a pretty simple concept, but one that requires some planning, systems placement and vision. There is an actual mathematical equation related to the principle, but here’s what you need to know:
The “Pareto Principle” is also known as the “Law of the vital few or the priniciple of factor sparsity” (there’s significant literature based on this rule). It was established by Business-management consultant Joseph M. Juran who named it after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto who observed in 1906 that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. He developed the principle after noticing that 20% of the pea pods in his garden contained 80% of the peas.
In essence, the principle states that for many events, approximately 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. While the initial observations dealt mostly with the economy and even politics, the 80/20 rule applies directly to business management, particularly small business management.
Here’s How:
According to statistics compiled by Juran, the largest portion of a small businesses’ success actually comes from a relatively small, but vital portion of the business operations. For example:
80% of your profits come from 20% of your customers
80% of your complaints come from 20% of your customers
80% of your profits come from 20% of the time you spend
80% of your sales come from 20% of your products
80% of your sales are made by 20% of your sales staff
What this means is that most small businesses can easily improve their profitability by focusing on the most effective areas and either eliminating, automating or delegating the rest of the business operations.
Think about it for a second. You started your small business for a reason. Most likely it was to pursue a passion of yours and make money at the same time. If you’re a chef that opened a restaurant, you want to cook. If you are a lawyer, you want to try cases, if you’re a mechanic, you want to fix things, and so on. Now consider what you spend most of your time doing while actually running your business.
For some it might be marketing, for others it might be dealing with staff. You might spend a huge amount of your time handling paperwork, figuring out finances, taxes or other time consuming work that doesn’t really allow you to focus on that original passion that drove you to start your business in the first place.
And Now Something Else To Consider:
If your small business is selling finely crafted furniture or clothes you make yourself, you are at your best when creating the product that you will eventually sell. If you’re a lawyer or restaurant owner, you do your best work in the courtroom or the kitchen. The point is, every minute you spend behind a desk, away from creating your product or using your skills, is time lost that could help your business grow.
In other words, 80% of your hard work is done on stuff that isn’t actually helping your business grow. Of course all of this work is work that needs to be done. You can’t ignore your finances, staffing, insurance or other administrative needs. Those are the processes that help the business run smoothly and help sustain success. But those processes aren’t actually responsible for the success or growth of your business. Your product is responsible. Whether that product is furniture, toys, sandwiches, communicating or mowing lawns, the reason your business will grow can be boiled down directly to what you do and how well you do it.
Here’s another point to consider. You’re not re-inventing the wheel here. Your product is unique to you. There may be a million retail outlet that sell a product similar to yours. There are a million restaurants out there that serve steak. But what you do and how you do it is unique to you. You have your own style and it shines through and sets you apart from your competitors. However HOW you run your business is most likely very similar to how your competitors run their business. You may have different processes and systems, but in essence, you’re all doing pretty much the same things when it comes to keeping your books, dealing with staff and administrative tasks.
There’s very little you can do in terms of administrating your business that will give you a huge leg up on your competition. This is because that 80% of the work is pretty much the same for everyone. This means you’re spending your time on work that everyone else is doing. And the more you ignore that all-important 20%, the more it will begin to suffer and your business growth could slow down or even come to a halt.
Now imagine if you delegated that 80% to experienced and qualified individuals who allowed you to actually spend more time focusing on that 20% that sets you apart from everyone else. If you did this, you could devote more energy, thought and creativity to the work that will both improve your business and help you grow and succeed. If you can spend more time in the kitchen, or in the courtroom, in your shop or store, your product will continue to maintain a high quality, you’ll sell more units, your growth will be noticeable. You’ll also have an advantage over your competitors since you’ll be focusing on your passion, and NOT the 80% of the work that isn’t directly influencing your bottom line.
Grow Smart:
It’s a relatively simple concept, and one that has been proven over the years by countless entrepreneurs and small business owners. In order to make the “Pareto Principle” work, though, you have to be open to delegating or outsourcing much of the extraneous work that comprises that 80%. You also have to be able to institute processes and systems that will allow you to easily track and monitor the delegated work.
Grow, LLC was created on the simple concept that the huge failure rate of small businesses in the U.S. can be lowered significantly by simply allowing business owners to focus on their passion. The “Pareto Principle” is just one of the proven business management philosophies we incorporate into what we do. The bottom line is that we help free up the small business owner so they can do what they do best. It’s that simple.
Starting in December, we’ll be asking people to join our “Grow Smart” campaign by simply pledging to focus on their passion, whatever it may be. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter pages for the campaign. Tell others about it and let’s put an end to small business failures by helping others learn to “Grow Smart”. And while hard work is still part of the formula for success, focusing that work in areas that help you the most is the best way to help your business truly succeed.
Never Stop Learning
What is more valuable than gold? It’s an ancient question once asked by Aristotle, of the Greek Aristotles…so, you know, it goes back quite a ways. The answer of course, is knowledge. Wise men throughout the millenia have espoused the virtues of learning. Even today, there are all kinds of classes available for anyone willing to pay a few bucks and spend a weekend or two learning how to do basic bookkeeping, marketing, knitting and even stained glass. Whatever it is you want to learn how to do, you can bet there’s a class for it.
A B C...easy as 1 2 3!
But here you are, a small business owner, already stretched to the limit with your time and sanity. You just don’t have time to spend taking classes, even if it’s just a few Saturday afternoons. One of the biggest complaints we hear from clients is that, after running their business for a while, they begin to feel stagnant, unfulfilled. Most often it’s because business owners start to feel overwhelmed, the work they once loved that prompted them to start their own business in the first place isn’t so much a passion anymore as it is a burden.
It shouldn’t be this way. We as humans are constantly looking to improve ourselves, to learn and grow every day. But when you’re dealing with the same issues day after day with your business, you can start to feel like you’ve stopped learning altogether. Sure, you’re learning some things simply by going into work and dealing with the day to day operations, putting out fires, running your operations.
Something happens when a hobby suddenly becomes a career. What once held your fascination and brought joy to your life, can become drudgery. However it only gets this way if you let it. If you’re spending much of your time working on the minutae of running your business instead of focusing on the work itself that once made you so happy, you will always find yourself behind and feeling pulled in a thousand different directions.
Sure, you could pack up the family and take off for a two week vacation in Bermuda. But most small business owners don’t have the luxury of taking two weeks off from work, and even if they could afford it, they’d be constantly worrying about their business back home. No, what is needed is an infusion of enthusiasm, of wonder and of joy.
One of the simplest ways to do this is to get back to learning.
No Class Required:
You can do this in a number of different ways. You can take a seminar, which traditionally only lasts a few hours and can provide valuable insight into how to run your business better, give you new ideas to try out and can re-energize you. This is a great idea and one you should consider every opportunity you get. But for some small business owners, taking a ton of seminars just isn’t in the budget. A few here and there, yes, but the enthusiasm gleaned from these seminars only lasts so long.
There is another option that you might not have thought about, though. Outsourcing. Beyond the obvious benefit of having talented, experienced people on board to help you with the day to day operations of your business, outsourcing can be a great source of knowledge. And that, my friends, could be exactly what the doctor ordered.
Learn By Doing:
We each learn in different ways. Some of us are more visual, while others are more hands on. So many small business owners are DIY folks, they take a trial and error approach. Try it out, make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. But when you own a small business, those mistakes can start to pile up and become costly. Remember, your time is very valuable and every moment you spend trying to work your way through a problem is time you could have spent on what you do best.
Many small business owners, however, are starting to realize that they can learn certain concepts, skills and techniques by hiring someone to do the work for them and learning as they go along. For instance, if you hire a designer to come in and help design your business collateral, marketing materials or in-house displays, you can work with the designer to get the job done. As you watch the designer do the work (if possible) ask questions, take notes, try to really understand what they’re doing. While you do this, understand that you’re not going to learn the high-level skills needed to do the job professionaly, but you can certainly learn the basics.
This doesn’t mean that the next time you need this kind of work done quickly, you’ll be able to sit down and whip out a tri-fold pamphlet or window display in a couple of hours. It DOES mean that you’ll be more equipped to deal with designers in the future. You’ll understand the language and terminology better, you’ll have a good sense of the time and effort involved in your project and you’ll be able to ask more informed questions of whoever you bring on the next time. You’ll also be able to more precisely explain what it is you want, saving both you and the freelancer time and limiting confusion.
This holds true whether you’re hiring an accountant, a marketer, a human resources specialist or anyone you bring in to assist you with the day to day operations of your business. The more you know, the less likely you are to be taken advantage of by an unscrupulous or incompetent vendor. You’ll be prepared to ask certain questions when looking for any future freelancers so you’ll know right away if they can do the job or not.
Knowledge really is a powerful tool. Not only does it enhance your joy in your work, but it also arms you with information you need to help your business run better and grow smarter. Listen, for most of us, what we do isn’t rocket science. It’s HOW we do our work and the passion that we infuse into that work that separates us from everyone else. When you lose that passion or when you work harder, not smarter, you begin to fall back into the pack and lose your focus. Bringing in experts in their field to help you not only assists your daily operations, it helps you learn and it allows you to focus on that passion that jump started you to open your business in the first place.
So get out there and keep on learning. You business will thank you for it!
A River in Egypt
Not to make generalizations here, but we’re going to make an assumption that if you’re a small business owner, you’re probably an overachiever. You also work hard, too hard sometimes. Working hard is great, working too hard, however, can be a problem, because working too hard might mean you’re not working smart.
"No, I got it, really, I'm all good!"
To paraphrase Donald Trump, who knows a thing or two about running a business, success takes guts, vision, determination, risk, some luck and hard work. He also mentions that success sometimes requires the ability to know when to NOT work. In other words, not only should you delegate certain responsibilities, you have an OBLIGATION TO DELEGATE whenever possible. It’s a repsonsibility to yourself and to those you work with.
Here’s Why:
Let’s backtrack for just one second. To help you understand WHY delegation is so important, let’s look at a simple case study. Her name is Sandy. She owns and runs her own small business. She works hard, well over 10 hours a day. She is constantly on her phone, working with clients, putting out fires, dealing with issues she never imagined she’d have to deal with before she started working for herself. Sound familiar? Months ago when I had lunch with her, she spent more time texting and on her phone handling her business issues than actually eating. afterwards, she packed up her lunch to go, said a quick, frazzled goodbye and rushed out to make an impromptu appointment with her accountant, her phone to her ear. I recently had a chance to sit down with Sandy again over a glass of wine to see how her business was doing. She looked more relaxed than she had in quite some time, so I had to ask, “what had changed?”
Her answer was simple and to the point, “I’ve learned the secret of delegating.” She went on to say that she was reaching a breaking point when we had met for lunch previously. She wasn’t sleeping, she wasn’t eating right, everything in her life, she said, seemed out of control. The problem, Sandy said was that she was doing too much. “I was trying to do everything from scheduling, to finances and taxes, to marketing, to client services, I just had too much on my plate and it was killing me.”
It was obvious to anyone that had known Sandy for any length of time that her situation had changed her. She had always been one of the most organized people I’d ever known and yet she had started to miss meetings, forget about appointments, make mistakes in her finances and taxes. Things were starting to fall through the cracks. More than that, she no longer seemed to be taking any joy from her work. From the outside looking in, it seemed as if her dream had turned into a nightmare.
“I wasn’t having fun anymore,” she said. “I’d dreamed about this my entire life and when I got up every morning, I dreaded getting out of bed, I started to hate the sound of my phone ringing, I stopped looking for clients because I could barely handle the work I had. I seriously considered just walking away at one point.” That admission was stunning. This was a woman who knew what she was doing. She knew finances, she understood marketing, she was among the best at what she did, and yet, she almost walked away from her lifelong dream because she was simply overwhelmed.
This happens to a lot of small business owners. In previous posts, we’ve discussed the dangers of handling certain business elements you may not be an expert at. But what if you ARE proficient at handling your own taxes and finances? What if you DO know how to effectively manage your PR and marketing efforts? What if you CAN conduct your own human resources? Even if you are trained and able to handle every aspect of your small business, the question remains, SHOULD you?
Time Keeps On Slippin’
Sandy is an example of a rare small business owner who IS able to manage all of the various aspects of running a small business. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should. It’s a simple matter of physics, or science, or physics-science. The point is, there are only 24 hours in a day. Even if you only sleep 3 to 4 hours a day, that leaves you about 20 waking hours to run your business. This is assuming you don’t take time out to eat, shower, read the news, spend time with friends or family. realistically, you only have 12 to 16 hours a day to focus on your business. We’ve all had times when those kinds of hours are the norm. But after a while, that kind of work and stress takes a toll on you both physically and emotionally. You can do it for a while, but eventually you WILL need a break.
This is where delegation comes into play. Here’s a little more insight from Sandy: “I never wanted to make others do my work,” she said. “In most cases, I just felt more comfortable doing it myself, I knew it would get done right. In other cases it was work I wanted to do. Basically, I never felt at ease letting others do work I was ultimately responsible for.”
Again, this sounds very much like many of the small business owners we deal with at Grow. They are hard working, capable individuals who would rather do it themselves rather than take the chance that someone else might screw it up. So again, I asked, “What changed?”
And again her answer was simple, “Denial” she said. “I realized that by refusing to delegate some of my responsibilities, I was denying others a chance to really be invested in my company. I was denying them a chance to gain experience, denying them a chance to prove themselves, denying them a chance to grow both personally and professionally.”
What she said made sense. But there was more. She also said that by not delegating, she was denying herself. “I figured out that I was denying myself a chance to have a life, to enjoy my work, I was literally denying myself a chance at success because I was doing so much, but I wasn’t doing it all well. I was making mistakes because I was trying to do too much.”
So Sandy started delegating. She gave her accountant more responsibility, promoted an employee to deal with scheduling and other human resources issues and began working with a marketing freelancer. This freed up time for her to focus most of her attention on what she loved and what she does best. But what she said near the end of our conversation is what really stuck with me and is really the purpose for writing this post:
“I used to think that asking for help was a sign of weakness, but sometimes in order to move forward and get better, you have to ask for help,” Sandy said. “Asking for help, letting others pitch in and be a part of the overall success of the business isn’t admitting anything other than you realize you can’t do everything all the time. I wish I had learned this lesson earlier.”
Lesson Learned:
That’s what it comes down to. Even if you CAN manage all aspects of your business, the point is that you really have an obligation to let others play a role in your growth and success. It’s not an obligation to help others, it’s really an obligation to yourself and to your business. You are good at what you do, that’s why you started your business in the first place. But every moment you take your focus away from what you do best, even if you are capable of handling all the other aspects, is time taken away that could be used to make your business a success. Part of being successful is being happy and when you’re overworked and overstressed, it’s hard to be happy. Plus, you will begin to make mistakes, and even small mistakes can cost you in a big way.
We at Grow, understand that it’s hard for most small business owners to ask for assistance. We also know that your primary objective is to make your business a success. Part of that success is knowing when to let others pitch in and help you reach your goals and realize your dreams.
There’s An App For That!
As a small business owner, you’re always looking for the next big thing in terms of marketing your product or service. Beyond advertising and direct mail marketing, there’s public relations, social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and so on. But now there’s an entirely NEW tool out there to add to your arsenal: APPS. Anyone with an iPhone or smartphone is familiar with these little wonders. They give you the opportunity to find bus routes anywhere in the world, play games of all kinds while on the go and can help you calculate your tip at dinner.
Go ahead, make an app...you know you want to!
However the APP is also a powerful business tool. Here’s a clip from a recent Denver Post article to illustrate the point. (click on the link to read the entire article)
The share of adult cellphone owners who have downloaded an app nearly doubled over the past two years, according to a survey released today by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.
In August, 38 percent downloaded a software program on their phone, up from 22 percent in September 2009.
The most commonly downloaded apps are those that provide regular updates about news, weather, sports, and stocks, with 74 percent of those surveyed saying they had such a program on their phone.
Sixty-seven percent said they downloaded communications apps, such as messaging, and 64 percent downloaded learning programs.
“While mobile apps are a fairly new approach to accessing online content, the main functions they fill for users are the same we’ve seen with previous technologies — namely information gathering and communication,” said Kristen Purcell, author of the report.
What this means for you is that millions of people out there with smartphones constantly accessing information. Companies across the country of all sizes have apps designed to assist current customers and attract new ones. Some of these apps are as simple as mobile websites, while others can be very complicated such as Banana Republic which allows users to try on clothes in virtual reality. And the great thing is, EVERY business can have an app!
For instance, if you own a restaurant, you can design an app that allows customers to design their own meals, or pre-order a dinner before they even arrive. Lawfirms can design an app that helps potential clients become more familiar with the laws in their city or state. There is no end to the kinds of apps that can be designed or the kinds of businesses that can use them. Here’s another great thing about apps, you can design one. It’s true. There are website that can walk you through the process of creating and presenting almost any kind of app you desire. Perhaps you want to create a game that will help users become more familiar with your organization. Maybe you simply want to make information easier to access, it’s all up to you.
What You Need To Know:
First, you have to understand that there IS a fee for presenting an app. Many of the websites currently available will allow you to create a very simple app for free, but these are generally cookie-cutter apps that won’t really set you apart from your competitors and most likely won’t do everything you want your app to do. This means you’ll have to pay a nominal fee to have access to greater options to truly customize your app. Then, of course, you will have to pay a fee to APPLE in order for them to review your app and then, hopefully post it to their app store for the masses to download. The entire process takes anywhere from three days or longer depending on how long it takes you to design the app itself.
Generally, you can expect to pay upwards of $100 for an app that you will be happy with (this includes the fee to Apple).
Here are some tips to keep in mind when creating your business app.
1. Keep it Simple – The more complicated apps can be difficult to download or may need Wi-Fi to download. Then, once you download it, they can be hard to navigate. The more accessible your app, the more people will download it. Plus, if it’s easy to use, you’ll get more recommendations from users. The name of the game is word of mouth. Good apps get talked about and shared. Complicated apps get ignored.
2. Have a Vision – It’s important that you know EXACTLY what you want your app to do. In other words, do you want to provide information? Do you want to offer a service? What do you want people to use your app for? If you don’t know, you’ll have a hard time designing an app that people will understand and use.
3. Just The Basics – It’s tempting to try and put everything about your business into your app. This isn’t necessary. Think of the top two or three important bits of information your potential user or customer needs to know about your business. They don’t need your company story, your officer bio’s, your mission statement or charity works. Again, the more information your app has, the harder it will be to digest and use. If you want to provide a service with your app (such as a basic law library on demand), then JUST provide that information. You can brand your company in other ways.
4. Be Unique - Speaking of branding…Your app should reflect your company’s logo, colors and themes as much as possible. You can put your logo on every page of your app if you like, and even a link to your mobile website. That’s really all you need. Listen, we’re not reinventing the wheel here. Chances are, your app is already available in various other forms. What matters is that your app is also out there in the market fighting for space. People will see your logo, even if they don’t download your app, they’ll see you, and that’s half the battle.
5. Promote, Promote, Promote – Once you have your app up and running, you have to make people aware that it’s out there. Start by telling your current customers about your app. Include it in your newsletter, put up signs in your store and add a link to your website. That will start the ball rolling. You can then ask your users to tell others about the app if they like it and begin promoting it on your social media sites. This isn’t about getting rich, it’s about exposure and marketing. That means your app should be free if at all possible. That will ensure a high number of users and get your name, logo and service or product in front of a ton of potential new clients or customers.
Finding The Time:
Like all other aspects of running a small business, knowledge is power. Unfortunately, you probably have never created a phone app, or designed a website, mobile or otherwise. Plus, you are probably already overwhelmed with the day to day operations of your business, such as ordering product, handling employees, dealing with clients, not to mention accounting and bookkeeping. So, you might ask, where will you find the time to create this “app” that you can use as a powerful marketing tool.
The answer is, I don’t know. In order to create a high quality app, you need some basic knowledge of web design and RSS feeds and other technical details about smarthphones and URL’s, not to mention some actual design skill. This is where your delegating skills come into play. If you have the time and knowledge to put together your own app, then fantastic! Do it, and do it today. But, if you’re like so many other small business owners and don’t have the time to spend putting together an great app, then find someone who you trust that can.
Just like your taxes or web design, if you do it the first time and the job isn’t done right, it will end up costing you way more than just a few hours wasted. It will result in money down the drain, your valuable time out the window and perhaps worst of all, your image and brand will be damaged by a subpar app. You want your logo, image and brand associated with quality at all times. Work with someone who has designed apps before. Look at their work, download some of their previous apps to make sure they are simple and easy to use. Whatever money you spend on a designer to put your app together will be well worth it once it’s up and available to potentially millions of smartphone users. And don’t settle. If you have an idea for your app, don’t just put up any old app regardless of look or quality. The damage done to your image and brand isn’t worth the satisfaction of simply having an app for your business.
Like everything else you do, you want your app in a timely manner and you want it done right. This likely means you’ll have to get someone to do it for you, but compared to the kind of money you’d have to spend to get your logo in front of comparable sets of eyes thorugh advertising and direct mail marketing, it’s a small price to pay.
Be a Media Star!
As a small business owner, one of your primary goals is to attract customers and clients. You do this in any number of ways: advertising, marketing, social media and public relations. It’s absolutely essential for small businesses to get their name out in front of the public, build a brand, establish an identity and do some steady self-promotion. Of course, as the owner of your own business, you have to do this on top of running your day to day operations, dealing with finances, human resources, taxes and receipts, and don’t forget you actually have to find time to do what you do best and that is provide the product or service that is your passion.
And yet, public relations and marketing is so important it deserves as much of your attention as any other part of your business. But how do you find the time to fit it in? More importantly, how can you run an effective PR, marketing and social media campaign with limited time if you’re not really sure what you’re doing? There are professionals out there who have devoted entire careers to PR, marketing and social media and have forgotten more than you’ll ever know about those subjects. Despite this, they still manage to fall flat on their faces from time to time. Given this, what chance of success will you have trying to handle these issues in a short period of time with little to no experience? The answer is very little.
Dont’ give up hope, though. Your friends at Grow, LLC are here to help you out with some simple advice on how to garner some media coverage for your business without having to dedicate every free moment of your time to running a full campaign.
Of course this is only a brief overview. There are many moving parts to a fully-functioning public relations campaign. If you ever want to really make a splash in the media in an effort to catch the attention of potential customers, this is a good starting point, but you’ll likely want to seek the advice or help of a PR professional. Again, Grow, LLC can help you with this, just as they can help you handle all of the other aspects of running a small business.
The Basics:
Once you’ve decided you want some media coverage, you have to first understand what it is that new outlets and journalists are looking for. These are the elements that reporters, editors and producers want in any story they may consider covering:
1. Timeliness – is the story timely? Did it happen today, yesterday, is it happening tomorrow? Most stories lose momentum after only a few days.
2. Proximity – There’s a saying you’ll hear in most newsrooms, “All news is local”. This is true. People watching your local news want to see stories taking place near to them. Newsrooms know this and will cover stories that are local.
3. Impact – The story has to impact the viewers or reader in some way, either on a personal level, their work, finances, family, etc. In some way, your story has to be important because it impacts their life in some way on some level.
4. WOW Factor – This is the hardest thing to quantify. The WOW factor is why newsrooms cover actors, waterskiing squirrels and other cute pet stories. Most of the time these stories fall under the category of human interest.
Now that you know what newsrooms are looking for, you have to write your story. This isn’t as simple as you might think. Your story has to have the elements of any good story:
1. Character
2. Conflict
3. Movement (a conclusion or realization of some kind)
4. Be Relatable to the viewer or reader
After you’ve taken the time to figure out these elements, it’s time to write your press release. You want to put your best stuff up front at the top of your release. Make your first two sentences as compelling as possible. Remember that journalists will only spend about 30 to 60 seconds reading your release. If the first couple of sentences don’t catch their attention, they’ll pass on it right away.
The Pitch
ONce your release is written, now you have to get it in front of journalists to see if they want to cover your story. Generally, this means emailing individual reporters as well as assignment editors and producers. You can generally find emails on the websites of most media outlets. Consider sending your release to at least three journalists per outlet. It may not be of any interest to one reporter, but a producer may like the story. All you need is one person fighting for your story during the daily newsmeetings.
After you’ve sent your email, wait a day and then follow up with a phone call to the individuals you sent the releases to. If they don’t answer, leave a message. Be short, to the point, don’t ramble and simply remind them that you sent them an email about a story you’d like to talk to them about. Ask them if they have any questions about the story and make sure to let them know you are available to talk with them at any time. YOu also want to leave your contact information again. It’s on the release, but tell it to them again.
A few things to Remember:
• Newsrooms are not in the business of advertising for businesses (generally). They want stories that are newsworthy with impact, not a story that is a veiled attempt to promote a single business.
• Audience matters – Consider who you are aiming your story at. If you want to bring in more female customers, your story should appeal to the needs and desires of the majority of women.
• Don’t be discouraged – It’s unlikely your first few pitches will be picked up. Think of it like baseball. a success rate of 3 out of ten is great. Pitching newsrooms isn’t much different. If you pitch a newsroom 10 times, and they pick up three of your stories, you should consider becoming a PR pro!
• Build Relationships – Over time, you’ll want to build relationsips with journalists. This wont’ guarantee you coverage, but it WILL help you stay on top of what newsrooms are looking for. This isn’t easy, but if you keep pitching, host a few media nights and are persistent, you’ll eventually be able to build a working relationship with one or more journalist.
Obviously, this isn’t a comprehensive how-to of public relations. It’s more of an insight into how to pitch a single story in an effort to garner earned media coverage for your business. You’ll also want to pick and choose the outlets you pitch. For instance, if you own a restaurant, you probably don’t want to pitch a magazine or tv show that focuses on wedding planning. Likewise, if you run a small lawfirm, you probably don’t want to pitch outlets that focus on food and entertainment.
Ultimately, if you want to become a media darling, you most likely will need to contract with an individual or firm to handle your PR. Grow, LLC is in the business of helping you focus on doing what you love. The more time you spend working on elements of your business that you’re not an expert at, the more time you waste and as we all know, time IS money.
PR, social media, marketing is no different than your accounting, taxes and human resources management. It needs to be done, certainly, but it also needs to be done correctly the first time or else it doesn’t really help your business in the long run.
Building The Brand
As a small business owner, you know a few things that are basically written in stone.
1. Great customer service is essential to success.
2. Your product or service must be top-notch to draw and retain customers.
3. Nothing is more important than your brand identity
What do all these logos have in common? Great branding!
Chances are, you have years of experience in developing your customer service skills. And your ability to produce your product or deliver your service is the reason why you’re in business in the first place. These are two things that you probably already feel confident with. But when it comes to establishing and building your brand, well, now things begin to get a bit trickier.
Think about the best-known brands in the world. There’s Coke, Amazon, Disney, Apple, just to name a few. Ask yourself, what do these brands have in common? The obvious answer is that they are all mega-companies with money to burn in an effort to grow their brand. But they weren’t always multi-national companies. Each one of those businesses started off as an idea. They started off small based off the dream of their respective founders. Just like you, these businesses were once very small, employing ony a handful of workers. Over time, they estabished their brand and that brand identity helped them become the giants they are today.
So you might ask, “How can I grow my brand and at the same time grow my company?” Let’s start first by defining what exactly a “Brand” is. The best place to do that is to start with something said by the late Steve Jobs, the genius behind Apple Computers.
“A brand, a great brand, means one thing only, it means trust.”
This is an extremely important thing to remember. Because your brand is more than just a name, a face or a logo. Your brand encompasses everything about you and your business. It is your calling card, your public identity, how the masses define you. You may have the best product in the world, but if your branding is weak, you won’t grow nearly as fast as you want to. Think about NIKE. Sure, the shoes are great, but they don’t sell themselves. Over the years, NIKE has built a brand that embodies quality, performance and accessibility.
It didn’t happen overnight, though. A great brand has to be earned. It has to be tested and proven that over time, your brand is reliable and, well, trustworthy. For another example, we need look no further than Apple to see how a brand can truly come to define not just a company, but an entire industry. When Jobs began building his computers, IBM was the elephant in the room. They were the giant waiting to be slain. Jobs’ vision was to create computers for the everyman. But more than that, these computers had to be accessible, not just financially, but from a user standpoint as well. He knew that people would pay for a computer that not only made their lives easier, but actually enhanced their lives aesthetically as well as practically. Furthermore, his computers had to be functional and reliable. That’s a lot to do for a guy working from his parents’ garage. It was a challenge, but today, that little apple logo has created such a following, it has reached near cult status.
Can you reach the heights of the Apples and the Nike’s of the world? Perhaps. A great brand doesn’t guarantee that you’ll become a national company, but without a great brand, it’s almost certain that you won’t.
What It Isn’t:
First let’s look at what a brand isn’t.
1. It’s more than just a logo – A great logo helps, as we’ll see later on. But just having a cool logo only goes so far. You have to put some substance behind that logo. If your logo is awesome, but your product or service is lacking, your business will suffer. You have to have something to offer that is just as good or better than the logo on your business card.
2. It’s Not Just a Tagline – A good catchphrase or tagline may help people remember you, but again, if your product or service is bad, they’ll remember you for all the wrong reasons.
3. It’s More Than Your Product or Service – Apple Computers, Nike Shoes, Amazon Online Services, these are all quality products. But there are other good computer companies, there are other shoe manufacturers and there are other online book services. Some people prefer Dell, others like REEBOCK, some folks like Bing. The point is, people use these particular brands not because these brands are necessarily superior, but because they relate to the brand. People are creatures of habit. Once we find something we like, that we trust, that we relate to, we likely will continue to use that product.
4. It’s Not Your Storefront, Your Webpage or Your Employees – All of these things add up to help establish and grow your brand, but individually, none of these things are your brand.
Are you beginning to see a pattern here? Your logo, your tagline, your website and storefront, employees, etc. all help to make your brand special and unique. In other words, there is no single element that you can point to and say, “THAT is what makes my brand!”
What It Is:
First, your brand has to be a reflection of your personal vision. Like Jobs, you have to understand not what the customer wants, that comes later, but what YOU want. You have to know implicitly what you want your business to represent. You know what your business does, but do you know what your business stands for? It’s too easy to say your business stands for quality. Everyone would like to think their business represents that. You have to delve deeper. When a person walks into your business, how do you want them to feel? Do you want them to be confident, safe, excited, nervous?
To start building your brand, you first have to define your personal vision for your business. To do this you have to ask yourself, what do you want people to think about when they hear your business name? Perhaps you feel like you are a renegade, taking on the big boys in your industry. You are the outsider, the pirate, the David to their Goliath, the upstart. You might want folks to connect your business with daring, excitement, romantically rogue. On the other hand, you might want to go the opposite approach if you’re looking for a more professional image. You might want your brand to reflect establishment, tradition, foundationally solid. Your audience will help you determine your vision and your brand.
The How-To’s:
Defining your brand is a bit like a journey of business self-discovery. It can be difficult, time consuming and at times uncomfortable. But it’s worth it in the end. Start by answering these questions:
1. What is your company’s mission?
2. What are the benefits and features of your products or services?
3. What do your customers or potential customers already think of your company?
4. What qualities do you want people to associate with your company?
Write the answers down if you have to so you can refer to them later. We’ve already asked a few of these questions in this post already, so you have a head start.
Next, identify your audience. Do your research. Figure out the habits, desires and needs of your audience. If you have a small ski and boarding company, your audience is already pretty well defined. But if you own a restaurant or have a small law practice, you’ll have some work to do. Don’t assume you know what your audience thinks, you should KNOW what they think.
Answering these questions and doing this research will help you define your brand. You’ll be able to create a brand that will attract your audience, whether it’s the fun, daring kind of brand, or the more conservative approach, your brand should immediately give the consumer an idea of what kind of company you are. This should, and will, filter down to every level of your company. Your brand not only establishes who you are to the world, it helps define your company culture as well.
Once you’ve defined the brand, now you have to let the world know about it.
Getting the Word Out:
- Get a great logo. Place it everywhere.
- Write down your brand messaging. What are the key messages you want to communicate about your brand? Every employee should be aware of your brand attributes.
- Integrate your brand. Branding extends to every aspect of your business–how you answer your phones, what you or your salespeople wear on sales calls, your e-mail signature, everything.
- Create a “voice” for your company that reflects your brand. This voice should be applied to all written communication and incorporated in the visual imagery of all materials, online and off. Is your brand friendly? Be conversational. Is it ritzy? Be more formal. You get the gist.
- Develop a tagline. Write a memorable, meaningful and concise statement that captures the essence of your brand.
- Design templates and create brand standards for your marketing materials. Use the same color scheme, logo placement, look and feel throughout. You don’t need to be fancy, just consistent.
- Be true to your brand. Customers won’t return to you–or refer you to someone else–if you don’t deliver on your brand promise.
- Be consistent. This tip involves all the above and is the most important tip on this list. If you can’t do this, your attempts at establishing a brand will fail.
So there you have it. Certianly this isn’t a comprehensive list, but it’s a great start. Here’s one final word of advice; hire someone who has a successful track record of establishing and building brands. Because you are already focused on the business of your business, taking time to grow your brand is just one more thing on your plate that you don’t have time to do. It’s important to get it right. You don’t want to build your brand halfway.
Establishing and growing your brand is really a full time job. It takes time and effort that you probably don’t have. It’s not that you don’t want to. It’s just that you’re already busy running the day to day operations of your company. Plus there are things about getting the word out that you probably don’t know. By working with someone who is solely focused on building your brand, you can oversee that growth without having to dedicate hours upon hours doing it. And you’ll know it’s being done correctly, which matters.
In the end, your brand is your calling card, and it deserves the kind of attention and detail that you gave your business from the start. Because, as Steve Jobs said, “People will forget what you said and people may forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
And that’s what your brand is all about.
Get Out of the Box!
I have a secret to tell. I’m a small business owner and I never once took a basic accounting course.
Simply put, I never saw the need. I had a (mostly empty) bank account and competent people who would answer my tax or accounting questions when I had them. Plus, I had a calculator on my phone, so, you know, I was good. But all of that changed a few years ago when I left my position with a local PR firm to set out on my own. I had a dream. A dream that included working from home, setting my own hours, doing the kind of work I truly enjoyed.
carry the 1, subtract the deductible, factor in dependents...AARRRGH!
Here’s the thing: about two months into my new venture, I regretted never taking even the most basic of accounting courses. Suddenly I found myself dealing with city taxes, state taxes, “prvilige” taxes, accounts payable, accounts due, accruing interest reports, separate band accounts, cash flow analysis. My head was about to explode. I was a PR guy, NOT an accountant.
So I muddled through, hoping that my rudimentary knowledge of Quickbooks would help me avoid any major tax payoffs at the end of the year. Sadly, I was wrong. Let’s just say that my check to the IRS that year was extremely painful to write. The following year, I hired an accountant to review my books qaurterly. Yes, I paid out a bit, but it was nothing compared to what I had paid the government a year earlier. In the end, I saved a ton of money and time….and money.
I had fallen into the trap that so many other small business owners make, running a small business with what is called “a shoebox accounting system.” Chances are, you’re familiar with this system. If you’re not using it now, you’ve probably used it in the past. Basically, the system consists of trying to keep all of your receipts stored away in a file or a shoebox, along with your bank statements and invoices. Then, at some point, you sit down and sift through all of your records in a desperate attempt to make heads and tails of your finances.
Needless to say, this isn’t a very effective “system,” particularly as you start to bring in more business, or hope to grow your company. Staying on top of your books is vitally important to any small business. That means upgrading your accounting system. And what good is a system if you don’t have someone to run it effectively?
First, you should understand what qualifies as an effective accounting system. Your shoebox or file folder may be fine for helping your collect, and maybe even organize your information, but it doesn’t really do much in terms of analyzing your collected data. A good system goes byond record keeping and can provide important financial indicators, trends, etc. Your system should have the following:
1. Data Collection – All of your business transactions and operations data.
2. Data Organization – A method to sort data by date and transaction type
3. Accounting Database – a spreadsheet or accounting software program that forms the basis of accounting information
4. Financial Statements and Reports – Balance sheets, income statements, budgets, timetables and annual comparisons
5. Analysis – A way to crunch the numbers to see where your business is performing above expectations, meeting projections or underperforming. The analysis will help you see where your money is coming from and where it’s going to, allowing you to adjust accordingly.
Why A System?
I’ve already mentioned my little issue with the IRS after my first year in business. Many of you have probably had a similar experience. If that’s not enough to convince you to move your accounting out of your shoebox, then nothing will. But in an effort to prove the point even further, here are five reasons why you should improve your accounting procedures.
1. Expense Creep – It happens to the best of us. Over time, you begin to add more and more regular expenses to your daily operations. In time, these seemingly small expenses add up and start to eat up your cash flow. A good system will help you see this happenign long before it becomes a serious problem.
2. Overdue Accounts – You’re busy. You have a million things on your plate. It’s easy to overlook an overdue account. A good system helps you track all of your account receivables. Let’s face it, a misplaced or forgotten overdue account costs you money. It’s like working for free.
3. Cash Shortage – All businesses go through periods of highs and lows when it comes to finances. If you have a quality system in place, it will allow you to immediately see who owes you money, or where you can quickly cut expenses without hurting your business.
4. Audits – If the IRS comes knocking on your door for an audit, the last thing you want to do is haul out your shoebox and dump a pile of papers in front of them. A good system will have all of your paperwork, invoices, receipts and bank statements in one, organized location, making your chances of surviving the audit that much better.
5. Future Financing – If you’ve ever asked a bank for money, you know they’re a bit of a stickler when it comes to your books. They like to see your records and they like it when those records are organized and easy to read and understand. Again, pulling out your shoebox doesn’t instill a ton of confidence in a banker. The better your system, the better your chances of receiving funding when the time comes.
Numbers Don’t lie:
Ultimately, the proof lies in the numbers. The fact is that the majority of small businesses fail within the first five years. According to the National Small Business Administration, research shows that the primary reason for that failure is poor financial management. Even with a quality system in place, you still need to take the time to keep your records, update your Quickbooks accurately and then understand what the numbers are telling you.
If you’re anything like me, you love what you do and you do it well. There’s also a good chance that you don’t have a ton of experience when it comes to creating and implementing an accounting system. The best system in the world is only as good as the person using it. This is where an expert comes into play.
Find an expert, hire a person or a firm (like, say Grow, LLC) to help you set up your system and then use it effectively. Because in the end, you want to spend your time devoted to what you love, not to hours crunching numbers. The money you spend to have someone do your books correctly the first time will be well spent. It’ll save you money at the end of the year, and the time you save is worth its weight in dollar bills.
High-Tech Troubles…
Back in the day, small business technology used to revolve around the fax machine, the Xerox machine and the desktop computer. The most valuable piece of office equipment was usually the business owner or, in some cases, the office manager who kept everything running smoothly. And while today, the owner and manager are still the most important office commodities the technology at their fingertips has reached near-ridiculous proportions. There are pads, tablets, video-conferencing, emails, heck, event the phones are more advanced the the computers that sent man to the moon.
It's cool, but do you really know how to use it?
Let’s face it, most of us didn’t go to school to learn how to program in C+, design stunning brochures or create intricate social newtorking platforms to integrate business development systems with sales synergy and success paradigms. Frankly, a lot of us have a hard time even understanding what that last part means. And that’s okay. As small business owners, you know your business, your product or service. However you also probably understand intrinsically that all of this new technology can help you grow your business in ways your parents couldn’t even envision.
Today you have the ability to reach thousands, millions even, of potential customers and clients simply through a few keystrokes. You now have the ability to impress people in both the real world AND in a virtual world. It can be frustrating working hard every day to build quality business while you watch others get rich by selling off virtual land in a make-believe world (SecondLife reference). The immediate reaction is to jump online, sign up for various social media platforms and begin pumping out information and marketing materials to anyone and everyone. It’s easy to get caught up in the latest shiny tech-toy such as Google Buzz, or Second Life or the iPad. But before you dive headfirst into the technology craze, ask yourself one question:
“What do I really know about this technology and can I use it successfully?”
Okay, that was really TWO questions but you get the point. I might like a lear jet, but if I can’t fly it, what good is it? It would just sit in a hangar, eating up space and money. Sure, I might try to take a few flying lessons, but unless I’m committed to putting in the hours to get my pilot’s license, I’ll never really be able to use it the way it was meant to be used personally. On the other hand, I COULD buy the jet, learn a bit about flying and then hire a pilot to fly me around wherever I want to go. Yeah, I’m not flying it myself, but I AM getting good use out of it, which, in the end, is the point of buying a lear jet, right?
Business technology isn’t much different. Recently Apple unveiled it’s new iPhone, the 4S. Many were disappointed with the new phone while others are sitting back and waiting to see what the new iPad will have in store. Meanwhile, The Kindle is joining the tablet mosh pit as developers continue to pump out applications designed for fun, self-help and business development. In the end, though, it doesn’t matter if you have the latest iPhone, tablet, Droid, app or laptop computer. What matters is using what you to the fullest extent of its capabilities.
Chances are, the phone and computer you have RIGHT NOW is more than capable of delivering all the technology you need. In essence, you already have the tools, what you need is the know-how. Unfortunately, unless you’re planning on taking time away from your business to go to school to learn IT and other technical skills, you may never have the knowledge needed to design an app, a mobile website or successfully navigate the social media networks.
Now let’s think about the lear jet again. Like that jet, you have the toy, you have the tools, but you need a pilot. The best thing you can do to help make sense of all of this high-tech power at your fingertips is to find someone to help you utilize it correctly. start working with someone who DOES know how to build a phone app, or understands the ins and outs of social networking, can design a brochure, edit video or anything else you use this technology for.
In the meantime, here are some tips we at Grow, LLC would like you to have to help you sail the sea of tech as you grow your business:
• Work with an expert – Ask friends, check references and look at their work. Make sure the they have the skills you require to do what you want and are able to deliver the product using all of this new tech. Also remember that one person probably doesn’t know everything about all of the tech. A designer may not know much about social networking, and a developer probably doesn’t know much about PR or marketing. Find the right people for the right job.
• Know what you want – This can be ricky, because with everything out there, you may not know exactly what kind of tech you want to use or how to use it. In this case, build a list of goals for your business and start there. You may know you want to grow an online presence, or include video in your marketing or simply build a better communications network. When you sit down with a contractor, tell them these goals and give them an idea of what you’re already doing. The contractor can then figure out which tools you need to help you reach those goals.
• Keep it simple – It’s easy to become overwhelmed thinking about website, phone apps, Twitter accounts, blogs, LinkedIn profiles, vlogs, podcasts, Groups, Buzzes, Circles, pinging and so on. Start with three or four basic elements that use the technology you already feel comfortable with. Start using these platforms thoroughly and successfully and then start to branch out.
• Don’t get distracted – In an addendum to the above point, stay the course. If you’re using Facebook, Twitter and Google Adwords right now and you’re comfortable using it, AND you’re seeing some growth and success, don’t immediately start adding in new technologies until you have the understanding and time to integrate the new tool with your existing platforms. Besides, the new tool may end up being a huge flop. Let others try it out and wait to see if it will survive and is useful and worth your time and effort.
• Be patient – There is a thought that once a small business put up a Facebook page, business will suddenly explode. It just doesn’t work that way. Continue to plug away, even if you don’t see immediate responses. It takes, on average, three months for a social media effort to show dividends. The same holds true for PR, phone apps, or any other kind of new technology you may use. Don’t give up in a month just because it isn’t bringing hordes of customers to your door. Give it three months at a minimum and then evaluate.
Remember that even the best technology in the world is only as useful as the person using it. The important thing to keep in mind is that you have to find the RIGHT technology for you. FourSquare is really good for retail outlets but not so good for biz to biz or some service outlets. Why waste your time using a tech that won’t significantly help you grow your business? The other thing to remember is that it’s okay to ask for help. In fact, in many cases, it’s essential! The money you spend for an expert to help you will come back to you in the form of time saved and new customers.
And isn’t that what all this new technology is supposed to be about?
Listen Up!
When I was working as a reporter, I was like a lot of other eager young journalists looking to make their bones on a big story. I had a slash and burn type of mentality. Get out, pound the pavement, look for bad guys to expose and damn the torpedoes. It took a seasoned vet to give me advice that has helped me ever since. This grizzled newspaperman took me aside one day and told me, “The most important skill you can have in your life is the ability to listen…really listen, to what people say.”
I can’t say that the clouds opened up to commemorate my epiphany. It took a little while for me to truly understand what that old reporter was telling me. But in time I learned. And I can honestly say that the ability to really listen to what people say has helped me more as a small business owner than it did as a reporter, and trust me, it helped me a ton as a reporter.
We all communicate every day. We communicate verbally, non-verbally, with employees, with clients, with contrators. We have meetings, we discuss, we deliberate, we argue. But do we really LISTEN? So often as small business owners, we are inundated with an avalanche of requests and problems, complaints, praise and ideas. We take in so much information in the course of a day it’s surprising that more of us aren’t ADD. We spend so much of our time telling others what we do, putting out fires and working for our customers or clients, we often don’t take the time to really listen to what those around us are saying. Sure we hear the words, but do they really resonate with us?
Listening to others can help your business grow
Words Matter:
The most successful businesses make an art out of listening. Yes, they spend time promoting themselves, getting the word out about their product or service. But the truly successful ones also take time to listen to what their customers and clients are saying. When someone comes to them with a complaint, they don’t just hear white noise, they are listening intently to discern subtext, motive and desire.
For example, here is a common complaint heard at restaurants:
“This was my first time here, I’d heard some very good things, but honestly, my food was cold, the service wasn’t great and they actually got my friend’s order wrong, this is unacceptable.”
Of course, I’m paraphrasing here. Generally the complaint isn’t so…nice. But the idea is the same. The food quality wasn’t as good as they expected, they service was poor, they simply felt unappreciated and that they didn’t get what they were paying for. But listen again. Too often the small business owner simply focuses on the complaint portion of what the customer says. They miss the context. This customer wanted to enjoy a great experience at this restaurant. They had heard good things. They don’t hate you, they’re simply disappointed.
If you’re listening, this customer is telling you a lot of things. First, it tells you that you are growing a reputation. It says your marketing efforts are paying off. It says that people are curious about your restaurant. It also says that anyone who walks through your doors has a certain expectation that you now have to live up to. When you first started, you might have gotten away with a few mistakes here and there. People might have given you a second chance assuming you’re just starting off. But now, you have to live up to expectations and people won’t be as kind if their food is cold or the service is poor. Also, simply by taking the time to actually complain says something. If they truly hated the experience, they’d have paid their bill, left and then told everyone they knew how awful your restaurant is. By talking to the owner or manager, it says they see potential, but that they were disappointed in this experience.
As a small business owner, you know how to handle this situation, certainly. But after hours, when you reflect on the night, think about what you learned by listening to that customer who complained.
One-On-One:
The same principle works when dealing with contractors. As a small business owner, you spend so much of your time dealing with issues that you have probably never had to deal with before. All those administrative issues that can drive you crazy are perfect for contracting out. But so many small business owners are reluctant to contract out services because they felt they have been burned by contractors. In some cases it’s just a matter of the contractor not performing. But in many cases, it’s a matter of communications, and listening is such a big part of successful communications.
Often, when a small business comes to us at Grow, they are frustrated, they are looking for a way to build their business in a way that allows them to remove some of the headaches they deal with every day. In many cases, they aren’t exactly sure what they need, they just know they need help. Even those that have a good understanding of their issues, aren’t seeing the whole picture.
For instance, a small business owner comes to us looking for accounting help. It would be easy for us to simply take their money and get our team to work on their books. Instead we sit them down and actually have a conversation with them. We listen to them talk about their business, their daily routine, what they are succeeding at and what they struggle with. And we listen. We really listen to what they are saying so we can get a better idea of their business culture, how they operate and what they need.
There’s a HUGE difference between an owner that says, “I need accounting help specifically with my taxes and I need it done on a specific schedule.” and one that says, “I have some bookkeeping issues.” One is an owner that is likely more organized, who’s business culture is probably a bit more buttoned-down and goal focused. The other is an owner who likely works in a more free-form environment. By listening to what the client says, we can better provide them with the kind of services they need.
Here are a few tips to improve your listening skills:
1. Make eye contact
2. Take your time. Resist the urge to interrupt. Let them finish their thoughts before you respond. It will put them at ease and allow you to hear their entire comment
3. Observe body language. Their words might say everything is okay, but their body language might say something completely different. Non-verbal communications is almost as important as verbal.
4. Listen for subtext and context. Words don’t exist in a vacuum. There are reasons for why people say and do the things they do. If you listen, you can pick up on these motives.
5. Believe in the importance of what’s being said. So often we are so busy formulating what we want to say, we don’t really take the time to listen to what is being said around us. If you believe that other comments are important, you will listen more intently.
At Grow, LLC we pride ourselves on our ability to listen to our clients. As a small business owner, take the time to listen to what your contractors are saying. If they say, “I’ll get it done,” don’t simply assume that they are working on your schedule. If you’re listening, you’ll know that they didn’t specify WHEN they’d get it done. Make sure they understand your time frame and your expectations. If you’re listening you’ll know if you are both on the same page. If you’re just hearing words, you could be in for an unwelcome surprise down the road.
Listening, not just hearing, can be the difference between a growing and a struggling company. We want to see you grow and succeed. And it all starts with the basic skill of simply listening.
