Badass Business Owners: Tips for Small Businesses Serving their Communities

Episode 26 – The Local Small Business Coach Podcast

Today's Topic: Time to Start Planning Next Years Business Goals for Your Small Business

In today's episode: We discuss why it is critical for you to set your business goals for next year. You don't want to risk not growing your business by doing what you have been doing. You want to push yourself to improve and grow.

Shownotes:

Welcome back to the Local Small Business Coach Podcast, I am your coach Tammy Adams.

Today we are going to discuss why it is important that you start to plan your 2017 goals now if you haven't already.

I'm sure you have thought on and off about what you hope to do next year. They typically come in flashes. For example, maybe you are paying bills and tell yourself that you need to increase you profits the next year. Maybe even going as far as thinking of a specific number.

Maybe you mumble to yourself during the summer months how next year you really do need to hire some help much earlier next time. Or maybe you thought about some new products or services you would introduce in the coming year?

Best case scenario you have been capturing these thoughts along the way. Maybe in a notebook or an ap in your phone. This way you can easily reference them for the exercise I will challenge you with today.

So before we dive into what you should capture, let's take a few minutes and discuss why you want to start in November and why it is critical to your local small business's success next year.

Businesses that do not carve out a plan for the new year, tend to get the same year repeated over and over.

While the calendar flips over to a new year, it might as well just be flipping to a new month only. When you do what you did last month, you will get what you got last month. And the month before that and the month before that. Anyone that doesn't plan out 2017 will get 2016 repeated.

Now, that might be good for you and perfectly ok. Maybe you had a banner year and you think you will get the same thing. Then again, maybe you won't. Without a plan, you are taking a big risk.

The world is full of people that keep reliving the same year over and over. Both personally and professionally. I have a sense you are the type that wants more than that. You are the type that wants to take your business next year to the next level. You want better sales, more profit and a smoother running business.

You do this by having a plan. A plan that you want to put together now.

Why a month early? This allows you the time to put into place anything you need to hit the ground running on January 1st.

** For the full show notes click the link below!

HELPFUL LINKS

CLICK TO GET THE NEW YEAR GOAL WORKSHEET

Podcast Website: LocalSmallBusinessCoach.com

Leave your Message on the website with the Speak Pipe Button or just email me at [email protected]

Episode Show Notes: Episode 26 - Local Small Business Coach Podcast

Our Training Materials for Local Small Business Owners: TrainingforLocalSmallBusinessOwners.com

Starting a Local Small Business Website: StartALocalSmallBusiness.com

Bonus Episode / Success Saturday – The Local Small Business Coach Podcast

Today's Topic: Don't Compare Yourself to Others

Shownotes:

Hey Local Small Business Owners, welcome to our Success Saturday Bonus Quickie Episode.

Today we will discuss why you need to use other's Success for Motivation, not to Diminish Your Own Success

HELPFUL LINKS

Podcast Website: LocalSmallBusinessCoach.com

Leave your Message on the website with the Speak Pipe Button or just email me at [email protected]

Our Training Materials for Local Small Business Owners: TrainingforLocalSmallBusinessOwners.com

Starting a Local Small Business Website: StartALocalSmallBusiness.com

Episode 25 – The Local Small Business Coach Podcast

Today's Topic: Q & A: Frustrated By Lack of Sales in Pool Cleaning Business

In today's episode: Matt's Asks: I started a pool cleaning business back in June. I have been doing this full time and have been struggling to cross $1500/month. This month it looks like I will cross $2000 (if I'm lucky). I am getting frustrated and wondering if I made the right decision. Do you have any thoughts on what I can do? Matt

Shownotes:

Let's dive right in. Today, we have a question from a relatively new local small business owner, Matt. Let me read his question so we can discuss his situation

Matt's Asks:

I started a pool cleaning business back in June. I have been doing this full time and have been struggling to cross $1500/month. This month it looks like I will cross $2000 (if I'm lucky). I am getting frustrated and wondering if I made the right decision. Do you have any thoughts on what I can do? Matt

Hey Matt, you don't mention if these number are profit or sales. The way you have written the question, I'm going to assume that you are giving us sales numbers.

You are still doing pretty good for how long you have been doing this. So don't get discouraged. I know when you started the business you had a target goal in mind and if you are an over achiever like I am, then you thought you would have achieved those targets already. And you will, but you probably need to tweak a few things to get there.

Let's take a look at some things that might help.

My first thought is, Where is your business coming from now?

Are these customers that are one and done? Are they family and friends? Are you using any types of advertising? How are you marketing you and your business?

When it comes to your current customers. How many are reoccurring accounts? One of the nice things about having a pool cleaning business is, it is one of those local businesses that are built on the recurring business model. Similar to landscapers, cleaning services, pet grooming and nails, the money is made in the repeat business as you know.

Let's say you charge $100 a month during the summer months since you might have to swing by weekly and the other months you drop to $50 since you do less frequently. Assuming 5 months at the $100 and 7 months at the $50 a potential client is worth $850 a year. If you can get 30 recurring clients, that has the potential of $25,500 or a $2,100 monthly average. But that is only 7 clients a week so there is a great opportunity for doubling this even if you do all the work yourself. If you could do 3 folks a day, 5 days a week you are now looking at that doubling of sales we discussed.

The real challenge becomes, how do you get these folks and how do cut down the turnover. If you are losing clients, you need to ask yourself why. My experience has been, if your clients love you and the quality of the work you do and every time they go to use their pool is is ready to go, then they tend to keep their person as long as financially they can.

Granted, you will lose folks due to them selling their home. But

** For the full show notes click the link below!

HELPFUL LINKS

Podcast Website: LocalSmallBusinessCoach.com

Leave your Message on the website with the Speak Pipe Button or just email me at [email protected]

Episode Show Notes: Episode 25 - Local Small Business Coach Podcast

Our Training Materials for Local Small Business Owners: TrainingforLocalSmallBusinessOwners.com

Starting a Local Small Business Website: StartALocalSmallBusiness.com

Episode 24 – The Local Small Business Coach Podcast

Today's Topic: How I Survived a Failed Business

In today's episode: I will share my small business failure. While I ran a successful business on one hand, it just wasn't enough. We will talk about the lessons I learned and how I've turned my 2nd business into a success and soon my 3rd.

Shownotes:

Today I want to discuss something that impacts many of us. Maybe in your past, maybe in your future or maybe you are going through it right now. Let's talk about Recovering from a Business Failure.

Now, I'm going to be honest with you. This not going to be an easy podcast episode for me. While I have become passionate about the topic, it was not a fun experience when I went through it and it still stings. But I know that it is critical that we discuss this topic since I know that I am not alone and some of you are going through this right now.

Please know that failure comes in many forms. For some of us, we had well ran businesses but they were the wrong business at the wrong time and then the financial crash took us out. Were any of you a victim of the recession we had? I know I fall into this group.

For others, maybe they made all the wrong decisions and they just bled losses and the business went under. Truth is, there are many reasons a business can fail. We actually covered many of these in Episode 21 where we discussed 25 Ways Local Small Businesses Fail.

Today, I want to focus on how you recover once you do go through a business failure. Specifically, I will share my journey.

If you are like me, you are someone that loves to succeed. You might even be a person that doesn't do failure well. I know I don't. It crushes my heart, my spirit, my soul. I work so hard at succeeding that failure isn't an option. So when I do fail at something, it crushes me.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not perfect. Far from it. I make a lot of mistakes. But for some reason, I never equated mistakes as failures. Which is funny since a mistake is a mini failure. You just recover faster.

When I left my corporate job after 22 years to take over a local small business, there was no doubt in my mind that I would succeed. I looked at this business's books, I saw a $48,000 loss but instead of running, is saw it as an easy fix for me to turn around. I was right. I did get it to a breakeven in one year.

Now, I know what I would be thinking if I was you listening to this part of the story… what the heck were you thinking Tammy!? I laugh now, but usually I just look in the mirror and shake my head. I was so caught up in how I could turn around the business, I failed to factor in what the heck was I going to do to then turn it into a livable income?

Here is the worse part. I left my successful job in November 2008 and took over the next week. I remember sitting in a hotel at my training orientation for the franchise and watching the stock market tank. My heart sinking as my entire savings to live off of while I get this business turned around was disappearing overnight. Later that year, my rental homes tanked right along with the stock market.

Six months later I no longer had a great salary, my stock was disappearing fast, my rentals were underwater and I had a business that was losing money and losing customers fast. My entire town was disappearing as folks walked away from their homes and left our small town.

If I was smart, I would have ran for the hills and protected what little I had left. But noooo, for some reason I thought I would survive. I would succeed just like I always do.

For the next 5 years I struggled through the crash and two competitors opening up. Every time I would get back to even and making a great increase on my customer count and sales, the next hit would come. Each year, just barely breaking even.

** For the full show notes click the link below!

HELPFUL LINKS

Podcast Website: LocalSmallBusinessCoach.com

Leave your Message on the website with the Speak Pipe Button or just email me at [email protected]

Episode Show Notes: Episode 24 - Local Small Business Coach Podcast

Our Training Materials for Local Small Business Owners: TrainingforLocalSmallBusinessOwners.com

Starting a Local Small Business Website: StartALocalSmallBusiness.com

Episode 23 – The Local Small Business Coach Podcast

Today's Topic: You Have to Do the Work!

In today's episode: We discuss a great conversation I had with a local small business owner and a frustration I have with folks who just will not do the work!.

Shownotes:

I'm excited for today's episode. I had the best conversation today with a woman who is killing it in her cleaning business!

During our conversation, I was reminded of a topic that I've been meaning to do an episode on. And after our talk, I knew today was the day.

Her and her team showed up to clean our office and another agent and I told her how much we appreciated the job she was doing. We then asked if she was taking on any new clients since we are always looking for folks to recommend to our clients. She started to tell us about how busy she was and then she made the most profound statement that hit my topic today dead on.

She said... "Anyone who says there are no jobs in this town doesn't know how to work for it. I built this from nothing and if I can do it, they can too."

Wow, how great was that? Without any prompting, she told all of us that we were the secret weapon to our own success.

When I started quizzing her on how she built her business, I was amazed. Other than some business cards, she has spent zero dollars on advertising. It has all been through word of mouth. She started with one client, then they recommended her to another and it snowballed. Now she has 17 monthly recurring customers, 4 commercial properties and many other winter visitors she watches their homes. She has 5 folks on her team and she works constantly.

When she gets a new client, she clearly lays out what they can expect and she prides herself on how thorough she is. Then she works hard to deliver everything she promises.

She now has a waiting list of folks that would love to use her services.

She is always hustling and building her reputation. She isn't afraid to tell a client that maybe they aren't a right fit. If they feel she is too intense for them, she let's them know this is who she is and maybe she isn't the right person for their home or office.

You might be wondering why she even started this cleaning businesses in the first place. She was at a crossroads and needed to either go back to work or find something else to do. The thought of earning $10 an hour and having a long drive didn't interest her, so she looked at what she loved to do and this business was born. She knew there was a lot more money to be made. She just needed to hustle and build it.

She told us that she only knows how to work hard. That her reputation was everything to her. She wanted folks to think of two words when they thought of her: Service and Pride. She wanted to make sure that she was known by the level of service she gave and the pride she took in her work. Let me tell you, I think that is exactly what her clients are getting.

** For the full show notes click the link below!

HELPFUL LINKS

Podcast Website: LocalSmallBusinessCoach.com

Leave your Message on the website with the Speak Pipe Button or just email me at [email protected]

Episode Show Notes: Episode 23 - Local Small Business Coach Podcast

Our Training Materials for Local Small Business Owners: TrainingforLocalSmallBusinessOwners.com

Starting a Local Small Business Website: StartALocalSmallBusiness.com

Bonus Episode – The Local Small Business Coach Podcast

Success Saturday: Believe You Can!

In today's episode: We start our new Success Saturday episodes where we will dive in for a quick nugget on things that help us be successful in our small businesses

Shownotes:

Hey everyone, it's me, Tammy, so were you surprised that there was a bonus episode this week? I know when the inspiration hit to do this episode, I was on the fence but decided why the heck not go for it. After all, life is about taking chances and tossing stuff at the wall to see what sticks.

I had this thought of doing a quick bonus episode each Saturday that was say anywhere between 2-5 minutes long and I would call Success Saturday. Currently, I have a few ideas I'm kicking around with what these episodes will contain but I don't want to commit quite yet so who knows what will strike me each week or if they will even last.

Heck, I don't even know if I will even do show notes. So we will see.

So what created this inspiration for a bonus episode? As I've mentioned, I'm a podcast junkie and I really like when folks pop in with a quickie if you will. Drop a little nugget for me to contemplate. So I started to wonder if I could do the same for you guys. I'm sure some episodes will be hits, some might be misses but I'll never know if I don't at least try.

Think about it, isn't part of our job as small business owners to try new things and see if they resonate with our customers or clients? Think of this experiment as my way to find something you might like.

Today, I came across a quote that I thought I'd share and why it resonated with me. The quote was by Robert Anthony and it was this…

You can have anything you want if you are willing to give up the belief that you can't have it. --Robert Anthony

After I read this, I' thought about some of the stuff we have discussed in the past. How each of us can have anything we set our mind too. Far to often we dream big yet with the same breath we tell ourselves there is no way we can pull it off.

The sad part is, we absolutely can if we set out minds to it. Think about how often you do this to yourself.

For example, do you have a business that is currently doing say $40,000 yet you dream of having it do that $100,000 we are always talking about? When you allow yourself to dream of that $100,000 do you think of all the ways you can get there or do you give up after a few minutes thinking there is no way you will ever get there?

Do you believe in your heart it isn't a matter of maybe but when?

Or do you get frustrated each month and give up on the possibility?

I know it is easy to think it will never happen. It is easy to give up when you see no progress.

It is hard to keep pushing. It is hard to carve out the time needed to make a difference.

It is easy to give up. I don't want you to give up.

I want you to believe in every fiber of your being that you are building something big. That you are building a seriously successful business.

That you are the CEO of a successful company that is growing each year.

I promise, if you see it clearly in your minds eye you will achieve it!

So as we wrap up our first Success Saturday, I want to leave you with only one thought

Just like a professional athlete, a successful business person is working each day to improve their craft to achieve that success. A professional athlete only sees winning as an option and so must you!

I hope you liked this quickie and I hope to see you on Monday for our normal episode.

HELPFUL LINKS

Podcast Website: LocalSmallBusinessCoach.com

Leave your Message on the website with the Speak Pipe Button or just email me at [email protected]

Episode Show Notes: Bonuse Episode 1 - Local Small Business Coach Podcast

Our Training Materials for Local Small Business Owners: TrainingforLocalSmallBusinessOwners.com

Starting a Local Small Business Website: StartALocalSmallBusiness.com

Episode 22 – The Local Small Business Coach Podcast

Today's Topic: Ep 22 – Q & A: Do Car Wraps Really Work?

In today's episode: We take a question from Sully who wonders if it is worth the cost of a car wrap. Do you get a return on your investment?

Shownotes:

Today is Friday, so you know that means we will be taking one of your questions. Don't forget, that if you would like to ask a question and possibly have me answer it on the podcast, then head on over to the localsmallbuinsesscoach.com website to leave your question with the speakpipe button. Or just shoot it to me at [email protected]. Even if I don't cover it on the podcast, I will always try and get back with you. So shoot those suckers to me.

With that said, let's dive right in.

Today's question comes from Sully,

I have a carpet cleaning business and I have been on the fence about getting my van covered with one of those car wraps. They aren't cheap and I'm having a hard time justifying the cost. I know you mentioned that you had one and I'm curious if you think it is worth this high cost?

Hey Sully, have a case of sticker shock, do you? I don't blame you. Those suckers aren't cheap. Had I been asked this question prior to 2010 I would have had the complete opposite answer than what I have for you today. Back then, I would have seen the price and ran for the hills. Who in their right mind pays that much money when they can slap some magnets on for under $100? But now after having seen the benefits first hand, I'm a huge fan.

For those of you that don't know what a car/truck wrap is, you have probably seen one a thousand times. It is when you take your vehicle and completely cover it with your advertising. Normally you will have your logo on all 4 sides and maybe even the hood. You might include some pictures of what your business is about. Stuff like that. For example, when I had mine, not only did it say Baskin Robbins and my address and phone number, but I also had giant pictures of ice cream, shakes, cakes, etc.

Like I mentioned, I'm sure all of you have seen these on the highway or in your neighborhood. You can't miss them as they really stand out and catch your eye. Which is exactly why you want one!

Sully, obviously, I am a fan, but let's take a look at the pros and cons of having your vehicle wrapped.

Pros and Cons

First up, let's talk about the Cons…

Here are the Cons:

The Cost – As we mentioned earlier, these puppies aren't cheap and honestly, this is the #1 con to them. Now the cost does vary depending on what type of vehicle you wrap. The larger vehicles obviously have more surface area and take more vinyl wrapping material. But believe it or not, even smaller ones can cost more if they have a lot of cutting in and detail to work around.

So what exactly is this cost? You can be looking at anywhere between $1500 on up towards $5,000 for a large van or box truck. Obviously a van will be more than a smart car.

It will also depend if you have your own graphics or they have to create from scratch

Another con, You should hand wash or beware of certain car washes that might scratch or tear the wrap. They can take a good beating but one scratch might lead to it starting to peel off

Let's take a look at the Pros

Which by the way, far outweigh in my eyes, the cons

When done right, these puppies can last for years. The latest technology is saying 5-7 years. With some places saying almost 10 years. Since most of you will have work trucks, you might find that you are more in that 5 – 7 year range depending on how much abuse your vehicle takes.

The wrap actually will protect the original paint from UV, road debris, road salt and offer the paint protection from chips, nicks and scratches. So yes while a tear in the vinyl will be a con but the protection part is a pro

You can always peel it off later. Let's say you decide to sell the vehicle or close the business for some reason or maybe change your graphics. You can always peel it off without damaging the paint usually. Since it is put on with heat, a little hit loosens the vinyl and it comes off. When I closed my store, I obviously couldn't keep driving around with ice cream all over my truck. I could have gone back to the place that put it on but I used a weekend to take it off myself. Not going to lie, it was a pain in the kester in some spots. Specifically on my roof and hood as the heat of Arizona and the heat of the engine baked it on a little more than on the sides that just peeled right off.

You are a driving billboard for your business. You will never have to worry that people will not see you or learn about your business. I would be sitting at stop lights and have that feeling that someone was staring at me. Sure enough, someone was looking at the ice cream on the sides. I can't tell you how many people actually thought I had ice cream in my truck, that is how good the wrap was. Heck, I had kids offering me free food at every fast food in exchange for ice cream. You should have seen their faces when I told them it wasn't their food to offer me for free. One of the fun perks were the little kids that loved to point and smile. Even better, they would beg their parents to take them for some ice cream. Yahoo

Now, there is a con buried in this one. If you are one of those drivers that like to ride people's butt, flip off people or yell at them, then I do not recommend you get a car wrap. You will kill your reputation in the community as people will know you are a butthead. Better that they don't know that. LOL. I'm pretty sure that isn't what you would want to advertise. I was always thankful that I wasn't one of these types of drivers.

Oh, another hidden con? There was no hiding. I went to our casino for a buffet once and the next day I had folks asking me if I had fun gambling. LOL But, unless you part of the witness protection program, I'm sure you will be ok with this one.

Ok, So, what is The #1 Pro of doing a car wrap? Dollar for dollar it is the best money you can spend on advertising. Think about it. Let's say you get a truck wrap for $3000 and it lasts on the low side of just 5 years. That means you are getting all of this great advertising for an average cost of only $50! I challenge you to find any advertising for $50 that will help you get your brand out there like a wrap will! If you get more than 5 years, that number just keeps going down!

** For the full show notes click the link below!

HELPFUL LINKS

Podcast Website: LocalSmallBusinessCoach.com

Leave your Message on the website with the Speak Pipe Button or just email me at [email protected]

Episode Show Notes: Episode 22 - Local Small Business Coach Podcast

Our Training Materials for Local Small Business Owners: TrainingforLocalSmallBusinessOwners.com

Starting a Local Small Business Website: StartALocalSmallBusiness.com

Episode 21 – The Local Small Business Coach Podcast

Today's Topic: The 25 Reasons Local Small Businesses Fail

In today's episode: We discuss the top reasons that local small business often fail. By knowing what causes small business failure, you can react quickly to get back on track

Shownotes:

Today we are going to take a look at 25 reasons that local small businesses fail.

First, I'd like to share a couple of statistics. Did you know that it is widely held and understood that 50% of small businesses will fail within 5 years and that 90% of small businesses will no longer exist in 10 years. That means that if true, 9 out of 10 of you will no longer be in business in the next 10 years. That is crazy.

Did you start your local small business thinking would be a statistic? Heck no. You went into it with high hopes and swearing that you would defy the odds. My goal is to help you do that!

The best way to avoid failing is to know what the most common pitfalls, local small business owners make.

Now, before we dive in, we must acknowledge that many of you are probably falling victim to any number of these items right now. Our mission today is to recognize it and put a plan in place to right the ship.

Since we have a lot to cover, let's dive right in. Oh, before we do, please know there is no rhyme or reason to the order

1. Trying to Do It All

If your goal is to remain small and only do a few small jobs here or there, then this might not be an issue for you, however, for most of us, we want our business to grow large enough to not only pay our bills, but we also want it to produce enough profit to fund our future retirement.

In order to do that, odds are you will need help at some point to keep up with the additional business. Maybe it is to do the actual work, to help the customer or maybe it is to run your office management or bookkeeping or maybe someone to do your marketing.

When you are doing it all, then you are 100% guaranteed to start dropping some balls. Something will have to give. Sure you might be able to hang on 7 – 8 years, but you are the highest risk at that 10-year mark. You hold on as long as possible until it becomes too much.

1. Not Adjusting to the Changes in the Market

Over the course of any 10 years, the odds are strong that there will be lots of changes in the market place. Technology will change, attitudes will change, what people find to be important will change. Their wants and desires will change.

I'm reminded of this whenever I show homes. What was popular in the 70s is different than what was popular in the 90s. Heck, in my small town, most of the homes are 10 years old and folks already feel they hate what was so popular in 2006.

Think about when the market shifted from a cash basis to credit and then debit. A business that didn't take cards due to the hassle or cost, slowly saw business slide to those that did.

Maybe your business has a new technology that you have been fighting. I'm not saying there is an issue with old school, but when the market is screaming for something else, you have to make sure you aren't making an emotional decision but rather a calculated one.

1. Insufficient Capital / Financial Resources

Many small business owners are surviving job to job. Very similar to their counterparts with jobs living paycheck to paycheck. When you are taking every dime out of your company and not creating some cash reserves for emergencies or growth, you risk losing everything in a blink of an eye.

You also stunt your businesses growth as you don't have the capital to grow. You can't invest in marketing, in people or in equipment.

Another risk you have is, when the weather doesn't cooperate. If your business is landscaping and you have not saved up for those leans months, then you will not have the financial resources to survive.

1. Not Paying Taxes

When you transition from an employee to a business owner, one of the most shocking things is to discover that you are not required to put money away for your taxes and you now get the privilege of paying your full 15% social security tax.

The problem is, when you have $1000 in your hand, the last thing you want to do is put half of it away for your taxes. So many don't.

** For the full show notes click the link below!

HELPFUL LINKS

Podcast Website: LocalSmallBusinessCoach.com

Leave your Message on the website with the Speak Pipe Button or just email me at [email protected]

Episode Show Notes: Episode 21 - Local Small Business Coach Podcast

Our Training Materials for Local Small Business Owners: TrainingforLocalSmallBusinessOwners.com

Starting a Local Small Business Website: StartALocalSmallBusiness.com

Episode 20 – The Local Small Business Coach Podcast

Today We Discuss: The 3 Ways to Increase Your Local Small Business's Sales

In today's episode: We discuss the 3 core ways that you can increase your small businesses sales. While there are a lot of action items, they all focus on one of these core areas. We will dive into what might be the best one for you and your business.

Shownotes:

There is a saying that Sales cures all. Basically it means that the more you do in sales, the more it hides the weaknesses in your business. I would agree that additional sales help to cover your weaknesses, but I would disagree that it "cures all". I'd argue that it actually makes your situation even worse.

When you are swimming in sales, it gives you a false sense of security, that you will have enough sales to cover your costs and expenses. However, the wrong types of sales can actually have the reverse effect.

There are plenty of businesses that did millions in sales and still ended up closing their doors due to bleeding losses. Remember, it isn't just about the money coming in the door, but more about the money staying in the business after everything is paid.

You want sales that come with profits!

So why am I starting with this sales disclaimer? I want you to be methodical about what types of sales you go after. Selling $10,000 of goods or services that have no profit to them, will do you no good. You want a good mix of sales. You want to get customers through the door that will also provide both sales and profits.

So with that, let's jump into the 3 ways to increase your sales.

I know your first thought is that there are more than 3 ways to drive more sales. You would be correct. However, if you were to look at all the various sales generating ideas, they typically fall into one of three buckets.

The reality is, there are only 3 ways to increase your sales. You can..

1. A) Increase your customer count
2. B) Increase your average ticket
3. C) Increase your customer frequency

Let's take a closure look at all three.

** For the full show notes click the link below!

HELPFUL LINKS

Podcast Website: LocalSmallBusinessCoach.com

Leave your Message on the website with the Speak Pipe Button or just email me at [email protected]

Episode Show Notes: Episode 20 - Local Small Business Coach Podcast

Our Training Materials for Local Small Business Owners: TrainingforLocalSmallBusinessOwners.com

Starting a Local Small Business Website: StartALocalSmallBusiness.com

Episode 19 – The Local Small Business Coach Podcast

Today We Discuss: Q & A Friday: Dealing with Problem Employees in Your Local Small Business

In today's episode: We answer a question from one of you! Tom is having issues with his team and needs to replace them but has no one to hire. What should he do?

Shownotes:

Tom has been having issues with several members of his team. Their performances have been subpar. And since their hiring market is tough, he has put up with it longer than he probably should have. He would prefer to fire them but is afraid he would be force to hire more poor people just to have enough people. He is wanting some advice on how to handle this situation.

Tom, I can guarantee you that you are not alone in this challenge. You actually have two different challenges – The first is your poor performers and the second is not having a great hiring pool. The important thing to remember is, NEVER, EVER hold on to poor performers just because you don't have folks to replace them with.

The longer you hold on to poor performers, the more potential cancer you allow to grow within your organization. So it is critical that you address these performance issues quickly. Now, please know, this doesn't necessarily mean to fire them. It means, address the performance issues.

If you have been documenting their performance and you have been coaching and retraining and there is absolutely no confusion on where they stand on their performance then sure, terminating their employment is probably the right course of action.

However, if you haven't documented anything and you haven't been coaching and retraining them, then don't you think you owe it to them?

Now, it will also boil down to what the issue is. If it is not performing tasks right, that is fixable. A really crappy attitude, not so much. However, either way you need to sit down and go over what your concerns are and then document that conversation. Make sure there is no doubt in the employee's mind what needs to change and what both of your commitments are to make that happen.

Arrange a training plan, assign them a mentor, outline clear next steps and expectations. Part of your challenge is going to be, they will not believe you. Especially when you get a final warning. Why would they? If you have a pattern of holding on to poor performers or those with poor attitudes, why would they think it would change now?

You must draw that line in the sand and share with your entire team on the expectations and consequences going forward. You good employees need to know just as much that you doing something about it. They too will not believe you. You need to make them believers again. Their attitudes have been suffering as well from having to deal with these bad apples.

When the time comes to make that final decision, do it! You must show that your words are more than words. That you will do all you can to help them succeed but you will also cut bait when they don't perform their end of the bargain.

I'm a big fan of looking in the mirror first as a leader. Look to see if the poor employees are due to something you can help control. For example, maybe that employee with a poor attitude is someone who use to do a great job for you but they lost their fire when they worked side by side with folks who dragged them down. This is the cancer we don't want to spread.

Ok, so that is the crash course on dealing with your poor performers, now let's discuss the 2nd part of your problem. A poor hiring pool.

The first question is, is this poor hiring pool a community wide problem or just for your business? The reason I ask is, you have to ask yourself if you a known on the community as a great place to work? Maybe your lack of qualified people is due to not being a desired place to be hired?

Now, let's assume that it is a community wide problem. They key thing to remember In tough hiring areas is to ALWAYS BE RECRUITING. If a great candidate shows up, hire them! You may never get the shot again. Then performance manage those that need to go. Even if those folks get better you now have a win/win.

You can't afford to let good folks slip through.

** For the full show notes click the link below!

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Episode Show Notes: Episode 19 - Local Small Business Coach Podcast

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