How To Delegate Effectively

One of the hardest things for any entrepreneur to do is to trust someone else to do the right job. We’re always sure that in the time it takes to train someone, we could have just done the job ourselves.

And we’re right— that one time. But if you want to grow your business you’ve got to learn to delegate some work. Here are a few tips.

Be Specific.

Be clear as to the reason you’re delegating, and exactly what you want done. Answer any questions before leaving the person on his or her own.

Be Realistic.

Set a deadline that is achievable, and consider the person’s level of experience and/or expertise when setting the schedule.

Be Available.

If the task is a long-term one, be available to answer questions, and ask for periodic progress reports.

Be Positive.

Give credit where credit is due, and praise the successful completion of assigned tasks.

Be Understanding.

Occasionally the person may run into unforseen problems that cause delays. Work with them to overcome these issues, and reset the deadline if necessary.

Be Direct.

Make your expectations clear, and hold the person accountable to those expectations. You delegated the task because you needed it done; be sure they take that seriously.

Be Blessed
Brandon’s Gift Shoppe

Why Do So Many Businesses Fail?

Now, we like to think positive here in The Community, so this may seem like a rather negative approach.

However, knowing the fundamental pitfalls of business start-ups can help you avoid the kinds of mistakes that can bring your venture to an untimely end, and enable you to move forward in a positive, productive way.

So, let’s take a look at six reasons new businesses don’t make it.

Failure to plan.

First and foremost, you need a roadmap. How else will you know where you’re going, and how you’ll get there?

Starting a business you’re not passionate about.

Being your own boss and completely independent means you have to really like what you’re doing, because every decision is yours, and all the work is yours. Of course, all the rewards are yours, too!

Insufficient capital.

Most new businesses require a pretty good amount of start-up money, and all new businesses require at least some.

Sloppy business management.

If you’ve never kept records or created a budget before, it’s time to learn! Business is all about creating revenue that outstrips your costs. If you don’t have a clear idea of your costs and revenues, you’re asking for trouble.

No website.

Please, it’s the 21st century, and everyone expects a legitimate, serious business to have a website. These days it’s just as mandatory as a business card.

Having an unreliable supplier.

If your supplier goes under, will you follow? Be sure to do your due diligence before aligning yourself with another business.

Be Blessed

Brandon’s Gift Shoppe

Adversity And Advertising

Here’s a great little story which nicely illustrates a common trap business people often fall into.

Henry was a self-taught man who bought a hot-dog cart and spent each day yelling,  Hot dogs!

Soon he sold enough hot dogs to afford a sign and some advertising.

With time, Henry sold enough hot dogs to send his son to college.

His son returned home with an MBA and said,  Dad, there’s a recession.

You need to scale back the business before you lose it.

Henry got nervous and stopped advertising.

He took down his sign, and even stopped yelling,  Hot dogs!

One day he came home dejected, and his son asked, What’s wrong, Dad?

You’re right, son,  said Henry.  This recession is killing my business!

Be Blessed

Brandon’s Gift Shoppe

Are You Making These 3 Online Mistakes?

Too often, online marketers forget to put themselves in the place of the customer.  Instead, their “marketing” efforts can turn into a blizzard of information, resulting in an unfocused, ineffective strategy that actually loses sales.

Are you making these three mistakes?

Email or other advertising that directs customers to your home page, instead of directly to a specific product or offer.

Online customers don’t want to spend a lot of time wandering through page after page of stuff; at least, not the first time they find your store.  They want to immediately see what they were looking for when they responded to your ad, so be sure the link takes them there.

Hiding from human contact.

Is your phone number easily found throughout the site?  Is your contact information clear and up-to-date?  Sure, you’d like your online store to be a totally automated process, but if you’ve done much online shopping yourself you know how nice it is to be able to call someone with a question.  Make sure your site allows your customers that option.

Selling one item at a time.

Just as a fast-food restaurant always asks if you want to add fries or a dessert, you should create offers that present customers with additional choices.  Add-on sales are the “gravy,” and you want lots of gravy for juicy profits!

Be Blessed

Brandon’s Gift Shoppe

Promote Yourself

Now, when I say promote yourself, I don’t mean change your title from Boss to Senior Boss.  I mean, every minute of every day, you should be looking for the opportunity to talk about your business, show your catalog if you have them, drop off a business card, send a link to your website, and so on.

Your ability— and willingness— to promote will be a major factor in determining your success.  It’s said that the three most important elements in any business are Location, location, and location, but with the advent of the web that’s not entirely true.

I’ve yet to meet a successful business owner that didn’t have a few spare catalogs in the trunk of their car, and within easy reach at work.

They had business cards made and handed them to anyone they spoke with during the day.  Many had magnetic signs on their cars, little signs on their lawn, email signatures with their business logo… you name it.

Maybe you’ve heard the old salesperson expression,  ABC- Always Be Closing.

If you are an independent businessperson,  it’s ABP- Always Be Promoting.

Be Blessed

Brandon’s Gift Shoppe

Fundraisng Do’s and Don’ts

Any time of year is the right time for fund raising, as more and more entities (schools, charities, churches, youth teams, community organizations, etc.) search for ways to supplement their budgets.

In these challenging times it’s become increasingly hard to raise money, which translates to an open door for you — assuming you’ve got a simple, effective fund raising program that works.

Here are four things to do, and four things to make sure you DON’T do, to help ensure a successful fund raising campaign.

DO… Create a presentation, that details the role of your company before, during, and after the fund raising campaign or event.

DO… Keep complete, accurate records which report all sales, total the proceeds, and calculate the amount due to the fund raising client.

DO… Provide assistance to the client, including pre-written press releases if needed, promotional email copy they can use, flier design, etc.

DO… Maintain regular contact with the client, return all messages and answer all questions promptly, and follow up after the campaign to make sure everything is wrapped up.

DON’T… Assume the client will be organized enough to successfully promote the campaign.

DON’T… Leave all the paperwork undone until the campaign is complete.

DON’T… Rely on a verbal agreement.  Too many misunderstandings can result.  Get your agreement in writing right up front.

DON’T… Entrust the client with the task of un-packaging and organizing the final order upon delivery.  You should be there.

Be Blessed

Brandon’s Gift Shoppe

How To Keep A Customer When Something Goes Wrong

It’s bound to happen sooner or later.  Something goes wrong, things don’t happen the way they’re supposed to, and suddenly you’ve got an unhappy customer.

You can rely on 5 R’s to deliver apologies that count, and help you hold on to a dissatisfied customer.

Here’s a quick summary:

RECOGNITION – Acknowledge that a mistake has been made.  And NOT by the customer!  The surest way to lose a customer is to tell them the mix-up was their fault.

RESPONSIBILITY - Take ownership of the error.  After all, you’re happy to take credit when things go right, aren’t you?  Don’t think of it as blame; think of it as accountability.

REMORSE – Go ahead and say it: “I’m sorry.”  It can go a long way.  Most of all, when you say it, you have to mean it.  Without an apology, there will be no ongoing relationship with the customer.

RESTITUTION - Make a good-faith effort to set things straight.  Without that, your apology is just a bunch of words.  A good tactic is to come up with two or three options for your customer, and let him or her indicate a preference.

REPETITION – The most important thing a customer wants to know is that this won’t happen again.  Assure the customer that it won’t, and then take the steps necessary to make sure it doesn’t.  Best of all, tell the customer exactly what you’ll be doing to prevent a reoccurrence.

Be Blessed

Brandon’s Gift Shoppe

Solutions Come One At A Time

When you’re in business for yourself, you make all the decisions.  That’s part of the appeal, but for anyone that’s ever done it, it’s also a potential cause of stress.

After all, when you work for someone else the major decisions are usually made by the boss. You just have to go along with them (good or bad).

You’re in the always-popular armchair quarterback  position, where you can simply deride the boss as a big dummy when things go wrong.

When YOU’RE the boss, though, the major decisions and all the minor ones, too are all yours.  Sometimes that can feel more than a little overwhelming.

When this happens, the best advice I can give is to approach each problem and decision individually, one at a time.  Focus on it like it’s the only decision you have to make, and weigh all the factors pertaining t to that decision.

Block all the other stuff out as much as you can, until Problem #1 is resolved. Once that’s done, move on to the next issue.  Don’t dwell on the decision you just made, and fret about whether it was right or wrong.

You weighed the pros and cons, you used your best judgement to make a choice, and now you need to apply that same method to the next challenge.

Be Blessed

Brandon’s Gift Shoppe