Small Biz Life

When you can't focus, everything takes more time. Since we can't create more time, we need to create more focus. In this episode, we discuss how to improve your focus so you can get more done in less time.

How often do you check out what your competition is doing? How often do you look at leaders in your industry to see how they are innovating? In this episode, we discuss how to do market research to strengthen your competitive advantage.

As small business owners, we think we need to GO, GO, GO!!! In this episode, we discuss why downtime is important for you physically, mentally, and emotionally.

We all wish every call and meeting led to a new sale, but hearing "No" is common in business. In this episode, we discuss how to use rejection to push your business forward so you may hear more "Yes" in the future.

Most small business owners are terrible at saying "No". That is part of the reason that our schedules are overloaded. As you become better at saying "No", it becomes easier for you to hear it. It helps give you clarity, knowing that not every proposed business relationship is a good fit. It will also help you better assess if a customer is a good fit for your business.

Good sales people do not just look at how many deals they close. They also look at number of connections made, meetings set, and follow-up calls. This allows them to see how many proposals must be made to book a sale. When you move away from sales metrics and start focusing on other key goals, it is easier to hear rejection because you know that one additional rejection gets you closer to the "Yes" you are looking for.

When you get a rejection, examine if that opportunity was a good one for your business. Was the client the right fit? Were you too focused on the additional revenue? Ask for honest feedback. Ask questions. Do not get defensive and do not try to sell again. Having a post proposal survey might be an excellent way for you to get the feedback you need at a distance.

After following up, are you seeing a pattern in those potential customers who are not working with you? This is a great opportunity for you to assess if you are going after the correct market and to see if your message may not be resonating well with those potential customers. You should also assess if you are targeting the correct potential customer. Assessment is an important part of the process.

One of the best parts of being a small business owner is that we can pivot quickly. After you have assessed the feedback and the quality of the potential customer, you can quickly make changes. Before making changes, make sure the potential customers giving you feedback are aligned with your ideal customer. Don't make changes until you see patterns. If you change your business based off the feedback of one business (unless you know it is an issue), you might be moving farther away from your ideal customer.

Have you wanted to automate a task for your business, but had no idea how to start? We believe there is a simple place to start. IFTTT is an online service that allows you to connect other online applications with two simple formulas. IFTTTT has over 350 channels, which is what it calls the other online applications.

First, you can use the channels with the first simple formula. If This Then That, of IF something happens THEN do something. So when something happens in a channel, do something in the channel of your choice.

Also, You can create a more simple task with the Do formula, or just do a task in a channel.

If you are looking for more solutions that preforms similar tasks, we are also a fan a zapier.com.

There are so many apps out there to help you run your business. Which ones are worth downloading? In this episode, we share our favorite small business apps.

In this episode, we discuss how to create systems and use automation to cut your task list, save time, and reduce your stress. What could be better than that?

Everyone tells you that stories sell but few people really explain how to do that. In this episode, we discuss how to tell stories in your business and the six elements needed to develop a compelling story.

Everyone says you need an email list but few people really tell you how to start one or what to do with it once you have it. In this episode, we will discuss email list basics to help you get started or to more effectively use your list. We will also discuss the basics of the Can Spam Act, which is the law that regulates commercial email.

Having a disaster recover plan is important for your business. In this episode, we discuss practical tips for preparing your business for natural disasters, loss of key employees and subcontractors, and keeping your electronics safe.