10 steps to profit in 2011 build a better business
TRANSCRIPT
Some Common Business Challenges:•Tired of unreliable employees?
•Not sure what tomorrow will bring financially?
•Not enough time in the day?
• Feel like you’re chasing your tail?
•Feel like screaming at the computer?
The 9 Most Important Things You Should Know About Service COACH… Jason Vance.• 1. Jason has been an entrepreneur and investor
all his life. It all started with lemonade stands, vegetable stands, and baseball cards.
• 2. He’s been in the service industry since he was 16. Prior to Service Coach Jason founded, and still operates, a commercial window cleaning company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• 3. Jason attended UW La Crosse where he received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a major in Marketing.
• 4. Jason played acoustic rhythm guitar in a college band while attending UW La Crosse.
• 5. After college he became involved in triathlons and today is still an active cross country skier, runner, and cyclist.
• 6. Jason’s favorite movie character of all time is Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi from Episode I, II, & III of the Star Wars series.
• 7. Jason grew up in Oconomowoc and is a native of Wisconsin. He currently lives with his wife, Kelly, in the Milwaukee, WI area.
• 8. Jason’s passion lies in helping small businesses succeed, grow, achieve their goals, and build the community and economy.
• 9. Jason strongly believes in the benefits of business coaching. He has a great time helping business owners learn to make a lot more money, get highly organized, and in the process, become successful entrepreneurs. Providing unbiased advice, Jason will be your Training Coordinator, Marketing Manager, Sales Director, Partner, and Confidant…helping you to build the business you deserve.
1. Set SMART GoalsDon’t just set goals, set smart goals.
What are some of your goals for 2011?
Example: Increase Gross Profit Margin by 3%. Increase Sales by 15%. Write it down and put it in a plan. A goal NOT written down… is just a wish.
2. Trim the fat. If you haven’t already done so, go through your variable and fixed expenses with a fine tooth comb. Ask yourself if each expense is necessary, and what would you do if you eliminated the expense or reduced it in some capacity. This can be a difficult part about being a business owner. You may need to make some difficult decisions. A word of caution here: Cutting some expenses may end up hurting your company in the long run. The last thing you want to do is eliminate an expense that would affect your ability to generate revenue. Review these with caution with a trusted advisor.
3. Test and MeasureWhat are some examples of areas of your business that you are measuring?
Test and Measure everything.
You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Business is a game; how do you know if you are winning or loosing if you aren’t keeping score?
4. Know thy CustomerThe first step to knowing your customer is to grade your customer.I encourage my clients to go into their database and put an A, B, C, or D in front of their customers’ names. Fire your C & D customers and raise the bar for your B customers. Then make sure you spend real time with your “A” customers.How are you staying in front of your customer? At a minimum make sure you send them a thank you or birthday card every now and then. Let them know you care.
5. Precious Time5. Guard your time like it’s the Holy Grail. We only have so much time available. Our time is a non-renewable resource. When it is gone, it is gone forever.
6. The Art of Delegation I am a firm believer in leverage and investing my time wisely. What are some examples of a good use of your time? Take out the garbage? No. Sales? Yes. By going through our “delegation quadrant” exercise you will find out what responsibilities are the most valuable. This exercise will help you decide which to delegate, and which you need to perform yourself.
7. Get organized. Being unorganized wastes your time. Use checklists, spreadsheets, and operation manuals for organizing your production. Use industry specific software and embrace technology. Technology is your friend. Examples: computers, software, GPS, the internet, and social media. How many people are using industry specific software to run their business?
8. Have the right attitude. Everything in life is a choice. If you don’t want to be in this business then don’t. If you choose to be in business, then commit to it 100%. Set goals, focus, and take action. Look at running a business as a way to give back to the community. Where the community pays you for it.
9. Be the leader that your company needs you to be. Your team looks up to you for guidance and reassurance that everything is going to be ok. Share with them your vision and your goals for the company. Do you have a documented vision to share with your team?
10. Have funBusiness is suppose to be fun. Celebrate when you achieve even the simplest goals.
10 Steps to Profit in 2011
Set SMART GoalsTrim the FatTest and MeasureKnow Thy CustomerTime is like the Holy GrailThe Art of DelegationGet organizedHave the right attitudeLeadershipHave Fun
Jason [email protected]: 414 659 7925
Build a better business