In today's digital age, the allure of Internet marketing and e-business opportunities has attracted countless individuals seeking financial freedom and success. However, amid the promise of quick riches and success stories, a prevalent problem must be addressed. This article aims to shed light on the truth behind the Internet marketing world and confront some of its misconceptions. Here are four areas where you must be careful: The Salesperson Trap: Most internet marketers, often self-proclaimed "gurus," have a vested interest in selling their products and services. While this is understandable from a business perspective, it can lead to a problematic scenario for aspiring entrepreneurs. As they promote these products, the focus shifts away from building a legitimate business and turns individuals into mere salespeople. Selling becomes the sole priority, while actual entrepreneurial skills take a backseat. Not all “gurus” fall into this category, but many do. So be warned. The Lack of Proper Guidance: Mentors and coaches who guide newcomers often don’t address the intricacies of an e-business process. Many "gurus" claim to offer insights, but only a few genuinely show aspiring entrepreneurs how to grow their ventures into fully-fledged e-businesses. The Mystery of Product Development: One crucial aspect of running a successful e-business is developing products or services that cater to a target audience's needs. Unfortunately, few marketing experts delve into this aspect, leaving entrepreneurs at a loss when creating something of value. Trevor Carr is an exception here, as you cannot go wrong if you take his Breakthrough Program. You can count on him to guide you in developing your products or services. The Elusive Money-Making Tools: While wealth and financial independence are enticing, finding genuine tools and strategies to achieve these goals is often elusive. Only a few internet marketers provide legitimate resources to help budding entrepreneurs progress to profitability. The Business Approach to E-business In contrast to the prevailing hype, this article emphasizes that venturing into e-business should be approached as a serious business endeavor. It is not a realm for dabblers or those seeking quick fixes. Building a successful e-business requires dedication, discipline, and hard work. So let’s sort out what is needed for you to succeed as a businessperson in online entrepreneurship. Solutions: Three Essential Elements of Developing Your E-business There are three things you need to know about developing a business. 1) you must work on your business, 2) you must organize your business, and 3) you must work in your business. 1. Work On Your Business: To establish a solid foundation for your e-business, working on the business itself, not just in it, is crucial. This means stepping back from day-to-day operations and focusing on the broader vision and strategy. Here are some key aspects to consider when working on your business: a) Define Clear Goals: Set specific, measurable goals aligning with your long-term vision. Outline the milestones you aim to achieve and the strategies to attain them. b) Market Research: Conduct thorough market research to understand your target audience, identify their pain points, and discover opportunities for your products or services. c) Competitive Analysis: Analyze your competitors to gain insights into their strengths and weaknesses. Differentiate your business by offering unique value propositions. d) Build a Strong Brand: Develop a compelling brand identity that resonates with your target customers. A strong brand presence can help build trust and credibility in the digital marketplace. e) Create Scalable Systems: Establish efficient processes and systems that can scale as your business grows. Automation and delegation can play a vital role in streamlining operations. 2. Organize Your Business: A well-organized e-business is better equipped to handle challenges and opportunities. Organizing your business involves structuring it to foster efficiency, productivity, and adaptability. Consider the following steps to manage your e-business effectively: a) Develop a Business Plan: Craft a comprehensive e-business plan outlining your vision, mission, goals, target market, and revenue generation strategies. This document will serve as a roadmap for your business's growth. b) Team Building: As your business expands, you may need to build a team of skilled individuals who can contribute to different aspects of your venture. Surround yourself with talented people who share your vision. c) Streamline Processes: Identify areas of inefficiency and streamline processes to optimize productivity. This may involve adopting new tools or technology to enhance workflow. d) Financial Management: Keep a close eye on your finances and maintain proper accounting practices. This will help you make informed decisions and ensure the financial health of your business. e) Legal Considerations: Understand the legal and regulatory requirements relevant to your e-business. Protect your intellectual property and ensure compliance with local laws. 3. Work In Your Business: While working on your business focuses on strategy and growth, working in your business involves executing day-to-day operations. As an entrepreneur, you need to strike a balance between both aspects. Here's how you can effectively work in your e-business: a) Product Development: Actively develop products or services that align with your market research and customer needs. Ensure consistent quality and innovation. b) Customer Engagement: Build strong customer relationships by providing excellent customer service and addressing their feedback. Engage with your audience through social media, emails, and other communication channels. c) Marketing and Sales: Implement marketing strategies to promote your products or services. Embrace digital marketing techniques like SEO, content marketing, and social media advertising to reach your target audience. d) Monitor Performance: Regularly track and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) to gauge the success of your business initiatives. Use data-driven insights to make informed decisions. e) Continuous Improvement: Embrace a culture of continuous improvement, seeking ways to enhance your offerings and processes. Stay updated with industry trends and adapt to changes in the market. By understanding and implementing these three essential elements – working on your business, organizing your business, and working in your company – you can lay a strong foundation for sustainable growth and success in the dynamic e-business world. Note: Many people who get into this business are affiliates, sometimes known as associates. If this is you, that is ok, just know that you are not running an e-business. You are a commissioned salesperson. You don’t develop products but sell other people's products, and you receive a commission in return. You need to understand those products, review them, offer bonuses, and often sell them using the creator’s marketing strategies, e.g., emails, sales pages, images, etc. Some internet marketers are good at selling but not creating products or running an e-business. And that is ok too. E-businesses need strong and effective salespeople. One more point for you to consider is that there is a difference between marketing and selling. Marketing is all about educating your potential customers about your products. Selling is about closing the deal and adding value for your customers. When you run an e-business, you need to consider both functions. Conclusion That’s all for now. Running an e-business isn’t as easy as people will tell you when you first get into it. Many moving parts require agility, persistence, and focus. As you develop your e-business, you will gradually move to fill the boxes with people, whether they are on contract or directly reporting to you. If you want help planning and organizing your e-business successfully, consider our Bizwoli System. The Bizwoli System will take you to the next level of your e-business. You may wish to talk to me first before closing off the Bizwoli System, I offer a free consultation about the program. You can find it in the link provided. You can also follow our Scaling Up Your e-business podcasts. Thank you for reading, folks. Keep well, stay safe, and continue becoming the best version of yourself. Richard, Richard Fontanie
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This article explores four themes and a total of 18 tips: A) Tips For Some of The Best Tools For Solopreneurs, B) Tips For Using Social Media, C) Tips To Grow Your Solopreneur Business Quickly, D) Tips to Turn Your Side Hustle Into A Solopreneur Business. A. Tips For Some of The Best Tools For Solopreneurs When you begin your new adventure as a solopreneur, you may notice there are a ton of different tools out there that promise to be the very best. It is important to sift through all the noise and find which ones will actually help you become successful, no matter what industry you are in. some of the best tools for a solopreneur to use include: PDF Expert If you need to send and receive a lot of documents for your new business adventure, then PDF Expert is a good tool. This will allow you to receive and send out PDFs while making it easy to quickly edit inside of that document. This saves a lot of hassle and will ensure that the other party receiving the PDF can still get it without formatting issues. Password Manager Keeping track of all the passwords that you need to manage through the day can be a challenge. You should not use the same one for each account that you get into. But if they are all different, how are you supposed to remember them? Use password manager, you can keep all of the passwords in one place. It will safeguard all of your information and can even generate secure passwords. You can even use it over more than one device so you won’t have to worry about it later on. Both Google Chrome and Microsoft Outlook have automatic password protection tools. There are also Apps you can use such as Password Padlock. A Task Manager This is one of the best tools that you can use to stay organized while getting work done. There is a ton of work that needs to be accomplished when you are a solopreneur. And staying organized and on top of it may seem almost impossible. Instead of trying to keep it all memorized in your head, you can use this task manager to help out. A particular option that many use is Microsoft Outlook which is a great organizational tool that can make you more productive. You can attach documents to a task, create recurring tasks, and so much more while keeping it all in one place. You can also link One Note, Teams, Zoom, Skype and emails. If you are worried about how to stay organized as a solopreneur, then this is a cool tool to choose. The best resource for Microsoft Outlook is Priority Management’s Working Sm@rt Suite. You can find a Priority Management Office near you here. Autoresponder An autoresponder is a service which allows you to automatically send out emails to several if not hundreds of people, or to several groups of people at the same time or in a sequence. Autoresponders are like having your own personal assistant. It gives you a way to automatically keep in touch with your customers at one time, keep your email list current, gives people a way to unsubscribe to your list; adds people to your email list; ensures you follow CAN-SPAM Act guidelines with double opt-ins. Essentially an autoresponder will help you be more productive, run your business more smoothly and give you extra time to work on more important activities such as developing a product or program. You will be able to automatically send out emails in a sequence, for example an 8 part training course you want to send out one module at a time. You can set it up so that modules go at the appropriate time and date. You can set up ways to capture potential customer names and email addresses for instance by offering a free eBook, Mindmap or Resource file. However, you must have permission from subscribers before you sign them in, or they give their emails through a promotion that is linked to your subscription list; once you prepare an email the sending process is automatic. And when you get the hang of using an autoresponder you will find it is an easy way to communicate to people on your list To get started you will first have to sign up to an autoresponder service. I use www.Getresponse.com and www.Mailchimp.com (free but limited for the up to 1000 on your list). Another Autoresponder my colleagues use is www.Aweber.com As a solopreneur, it is important to have the right tools available and ready to go from the beginning. With the tools above, you will be well on your way to running your business and seeing the success that you desire as a solopreneur! eBook Creator An excellent tool for creating eBooks is Scribble. I have used Scribble to develop eBooks for sale and promotion. Not only does Scribble create eBooks, you also have the opportunity to integrate a book store, audio books, flip books, blogs and much more. Scribble is one of my go to programs. You can find it here. Product Creation The best program that I used to help me understand and create products is Trevor Carr's Breakthrough program. It is packed with training, a helpful support group and solid helpful hints. If you have never prepared or packaged products before Breakthrough is a must. You can find it here. B. Tips For Using Social Media Social media will become one of your biggest assets when growing a business. But you need to know how to use it properly. Many solopreneurs have big ideas of growing on social media, but they find that things do not go as planned and then they are stuck with a lot of work and no response. The three best tips that you can use to help grow your solopreneur business through social media includes: Do Not Post Too Often Finding the balance in terms of how often to post is important. You do not want to ignore your page for days at a time and then post a bunch and then abandon it. But you also do not want to post fifty times in a day because this will annoy potential customers and they will stop even looking. With some good analytics, you will find the perfect mixture of when to post and how often during the day. It is fine to experiment a bit to find the right amount for your business. Pick Relevant Material When you make a post on social media, it is important to pick material that is relevant or that your followers will find useful. The right content will make all the difference, though it does depend on the type of industry you are in and the products you sell for what will be considered relevant content. Think about what you would enjoy seeing on a social media page for a company and work from there. Interact with the Customers It is important to spend some time interacting with others on your social media page. You do not want to just put something up and then ignore the page until the next day. Your customers may ask you questions or comment under a post and a little interaction can help make it feel more personal. To make this work, you do not need to be online all day waiting for a comment to respond back to. Pick an hour or so a day that you can do this and give your best answer. It does not need to be perfect. But your customers will appreciate that you are giving some effort. Social media can be a great tool for a solopreneur to help them reach their potential customers and start to grow. And when you use the three tips above, you will find that it is easier than ever to make social media work for you. C. Tips To Grow Your Solopreneur Business Quickly As a solopreneur, you are likely looking for a lot of different ways to grow your business quickly. You want to get your name out there and turn this from a side business into a full time one. Or maybe you quit your regular job to do this and now you want to get the ball rolling. The good news is that, even as a solopreneur, it is possible to quickly grow your business by using the following tips: Build Your Network Anyone who is looking to grow their business and see results will know the importance of building up a network. You need a good network, including potential clients, industry leaders, and more to help you. Do not avoid adding someone to your network just because they are not a potential customer or because their industry does not seem to relate to yours. They can still provide you with a wealth of knowledge about getting started. And many times they will send over potential clients if they think you will be a good fit. It is beneficial to you and others in your network to form these connections. Share Your Knowledge As a solopreneur, you already have a wealth of knowledge available. The thing that will really position you for growth though is what you do with all of that knowledge. You can share a lot of your knowledge with your clients or find another unique way that you will stand out from the crowd in order to position yourself as the expert in the field and get ahead. Learn Something New Sometimes learning a new trick or a new program will make all the difference. As a solopreneur, you do not want to stretch yourself too thin by offering too many things to your clients. But by learning a new program or another important aspect of your industry, you may position yourself better to really help your clients out in a way that the competition can’t. Think about what will be the most beneficial in your industry and focus on learning that. A solopreneur is in a unique position to offer niche services and really reach their clients in a different way than a business or an entrepreneur can. When they take the time to grow their networks, share what they know, and even learn something new, they can quickly grow this small business into something that makes a good income for them. Join A Business Group Most communities have associations and organizations that cater just to businesses. These could be like the Chamber of Commerce, a faith based group, or a private group. Find a business group that fits with your business direction, where members are non-competitors, and is local. A local business group gives you the advantage of developing social relationships with like minded businesspeople and resources for immediate help. Also don't forget to join like-minded solopreneurs on social media. For instance join a Facebook business group, or find a mentor that will help you grow in your niche. D. Tips to Turn Your Side Hustle Into Your Business If you have worked on a side hustle that is doing well, you may decide that it is time to start your own solopreneur business. this is a fun step to take, but to make the transition, you need to be prepared and organized. Some of the tips that you can use to turn a side hustle into your own solopreneur business includes: Find a Business Name Set up the business entity the way that works best for you. Many solopreneurs work as a lone proprietor, though an LLC can help to protect you in case of a lawsuit. You need to figure this out to help when tax time comes. Open up a business bank account so you can keep your business finances separate from your personal ones. Domain Register If you are going to establish a website or any other web service, you will need to have Domain name. A domain register services is a company that handles the reservation of a domain name as well as an assignment of an IP address for that name. Domain names are alphanumeric aliases to access websites – for example the Fontanie Magazine domain name is Fontaniemanagazine.com and it’s IP address is 71.17.38.236. It is easy to register a Domain name. However you don’t own the Domain name. You are just leasing it to use. As long as you continue to pay the registration fee you can keep using it. The Domain Name Registration Firm I use is www.Godaddy.ca Freelance Platform Freelancers work for themselves and who contract their services out. They could be a writer, photographer, or an expert in any field. A variety of companies, organizations and government agencies hire freelancers. The jobs vary from short term to long term or part-time and full-time projects. It is projected that there will be in the neighborhood of 86 million freelancers by 2028. As a self-employed individual the freelancer is responsible for all administration such as billing clients, setting work hours, time tracking, paying their own taxes. Since don’t use Freelance Platforms but Freelancers often use www.Fiverr.com , www.Upwork.com www.Elance.com Payment Processor Simply put a payment processor relays information from your customer’s credit or debt card to your bank or vise versa. One of the roles of the payment processor is to make sure there is enough money in the customer’s account to cover the cost of the purchase. If there is, the transaction goes through. Every time you use your credit card and pay a bill the payment processor goes to work. In the internet marketing world payment processors often include such firms as www.PayPal.com www.Square.com www.Stripe.com and www.ClickBank.com . Btw I use all four. Web hosting Service In a nutshell a web hosting service is an on-line service that enables you to publish your website or web application on the internet. Web hosting now meets the different needs of websites and customers. They could include ‘Shared web hosting’ Dedicated hosting, VPS Hosting, Cloud Hosting, Reseller Hosting. The different types of webhosting relate to the kind of technology used for the server, the level of management provided and the services offered. Many Web Hosting Services will also register your Domain for your Website. I host Fontanie Magazine on www.Weebly.com for an annual fee. I have also used a free Google web hosting service at www.Sites.Google.com. Other paid hosting services I recommend are www.HostGator.com and www.Bluehost.com. Research the Market You may need to research the market a bit more to find your niche. Doing something as a side hustle is a little different than making enough to earn a full income. Since you have had a chance to dive into the market already, this can put you in a unique position to know what niche would be the most profitable and you can jump right in there. Do some research and decide where your market is. Create Your Network In the beginning, you may need to rely on word of mouth quite a bit to get things going. Having a strong network in the community can help with this. Rely on your friends, those you meet at church, and others you encounter at the park, at networking events and more, to help turn the business into a success. Your network will be important as time goes on so consider who would be an asset and think of ways you can help them out too. Think About Marketing As a solopreneur, you will not have a large budget to use as a marketing tool to help. This does not mean you are completely out of hope when it comes to showing off what you have. You may need to be more creative though. A good social media presence is important so think that through ahead of time. Consider word of mouth and other options as well. You may have started out as a side hustle to make a little bit of money. But these side hustles can quickly turn into a successful solopreneur business when done well. Follow the easy steps above and you will soon have your own solopreneur business up and running. In Conclusion I have tried to provide you with a number of tools you can use to make your life easier as a solopreneur. This top eighteen list is a beginning for you. Master them and you will become a master solopreneur. In the event that you want more information and education on becoming and strengthening your skills as a solopreneur just press the button below and receive a free e-Book Home Office Stress (as found in the Storefront) Thanks for reading, and as always keep safe, stay healthy and become the best version of yourself. Richard Fontanie One of the constant refrains I hear from those starting out in business, whether that is an internet marketing business or a ‘bricks and mortar’ business is, “I lack confidence”. Let’s explore that because your personal growth and development matter. Confidence, according the Merriam-Webster dictionary is ‘the feeling or belief that one can have faith in or rely on someone or something” and is connected to trust, belief, conviction and reliance. Confidence is not a natural trait. We have to work at it and strengthen it over time. Our confidence, for example in dealing with others is developed through the practice of conversation, such as listening to the flow of a conversation before speaking and preparing questions before entering into a conversation. Fear is another factor when it comes to strengthening confidence. Fear holds people back from a situation and often leads to anxiety, and the anxiety leads to self-doubt and then moves to a lack of confidence. Understanding the causes of the fear and dealing with it provides the assurance that people have nothing to fear “but fear itself” a phrase popularized by Franklin D. Roosevelt. We can also gain a sense of confidence by achieving certain accomplishments, such as meeting goals we have set, and thereby building our belief in our capabilities and competence. Let’s take a look at three broad areas that will help improve confidence: what you can do daily, how you can strengthen your mental muscle and the importance of your spiritual muscle in building confidence. 1. Improve Confidence Daily We can strengthen our confidence by handling the ‘emotional outcome’ we face on a daily basis. How do we do that? By acknowledging our emotions including those we have difficulty with, learning how to speak up for ourselves, limiting self-criticism, and accepting the genuine complements we receive from others. We need to be aware as well, that confidence is not all encompassing. Sometimes it is like being on a roller coaster. We can have confidence in some aspects of our lives yet experience low confidence in others, for instance one can be confident in driving a vehicle but have little confidence in developing a website. When we deal with these ups and downs, we needn’t spend time honing those areas where we are confident but strengthening our weak ones through practice and application. 2. Improve Mental Toughness Another way to improve confidence is by strengthening our mental toughness. We can do this by:
3. Strengthen Spiritual Toughness There is one more way to improve confidence and that is going beyond business, work and life. It is having a sense of confidence in someone beyond ourselves within the elixir of faith and hope. In order to find this type of confidence we go deep within ourselves and discover that we are part of something or someone bigger than ourselves. It is a place where we suspend our ego and touch a bit of the Divine within us. It is through faith and hope that our rush to accomplish is put into perspective; that things outside of our control are actually in control if we listen deeply; that the world is a good place and that we have a place within it to make it better for others and for ourselves as we conduct our business, work and life. In conclusion you can strengthen your confidence by dealing with emotional fallout; discovering what is holding you back from going ahead and overcoming it; strengthening your mental and spiritual muscles by regularly taking stock of where you are at and actualizing the suggestions noted above one at a time on a daily basis. Thank you for reading and please stay safe, keep well, and continue becoming the best version of yourself, Richard Fontanie Last Month Phil Symchych outlined his Financial Manifesto, this month he outlines his Manifesto For Business Growth. Copied with Permission with some minor format changes.. Achieving profitable business growth to build your wealth is neither simple nor easy. However, by keeping focused on critical factors that ensure profits and growth, you can be successful in growing your business and building your wealth. Here is my Growth Manifesto Part I: Performance and Growth
Part III: Living and Leaving a Legacy
My colleague Phil Symchych in his newsletter #27 "Cash Isn't King, It's the Ace - The Financial Manifesto" writes "after 25 years as a management consultant and CPA advising private companies on growth and building business wealth, I have developed these 12 financial philosophies and strategies that help clients to accelerate profitable growth, maximize the valuation of their companies, and dramatically increase their personal wealth.
During my career as a social worker I had the privilege of working with many individuals who found ways to overcome adversity. However, it is with my work as a business coach and consultant where I gained the greatest insight about people overcoming tremendous odds. This work spans over 30 years and included working with over 180 Start-Up businesses. I have worked with business men and women who turned their backs on addiction, poverty, depression, and unemployment. Some were mothers and fathers who deeply desired to give their children a loving and secure home even though they became mothers and fathers too soon; and others had dropped out of school at an early age only to return at a latter age. These were people who, in most instances, did not come from privileged backgrounds. They were unable to obtain bank loans, lacked financial resources and had no angels to back them. They were people who are often viewed as individuals who don't succeed in our society. Yet they did, and continue to do so. As I reflect on my work with these business men and women I have tried to garner lessons about what sets them apart. Their life stories point to several common themes which I believe are the stepping stones to their success, and which are signposts for all of us who strive to better ourselves in business, at work and in life. Here are six of those signposts. 1. They made a clear choice. They made a choice to rise above their perceived limitations, and the limitations others placed on them. This was fundamental to their new-found freedom. As one couple told me, “we decided that we were not going to live like my parents and siblings. We were not going to live in poverty, and the only way we could see ourselves out of that 'jungle' was by choosing to move out of it and making a commitment to stay out of it. It wasn’t easy. It still isn’t, but we did it and we continue to do so.” 2. They took control of their lives with a sense of hope and optimism. They didn’t like talking about their past. Some were willing to share their story to those who lived in situations similar to the the one they had left so that they could be a role model for them. They were future focused, optimistic and full of hope. At times, some were slow to trust, but when they did they trusted whole heartily. They were not concerned about the downturns in the economy, because they knew they had reached their own bottom and had dug themselves out of it. When others talked about economic troubles they reflected on what they had overcome and understood what it meant to struggle through adversity. However, like most successful business people their optimism was also tempered with caution. They watched their pennies. They didn’t want to lose what they had gained. 3. They had a deep belief or faith in a power beyond themselves. Many of them were not religious or church-going people but they often pointed to a conversion or a healing process that was beyond their own making. Their stories were told both with a sense of humility and a sense of awe that can be described as “I have been blessed and I am thankful to be in a space where I am today, especially when I think about the bleak future I once faced.” 4. They had a sense of determination and tenacity born from overcoming a difficult time in their lives. They were concerned about slipping back, but that concern seemed to push them ahead. They were single minded and unwilling to let the challenges that confronted them, win. Their sense of determination and tenacity was often expressed in ways that affirmed their optimism such as: “been there, got the T-shirt, so this is just one more challenge to overcome;" or, “We face the world with optimism, we will overcome this too;" and, in a more vernacular language, ”sh*t happens. Let’s get on with it. I’m a determined bu**er, you know.” 5. They were eager to learn. They didn't pretend to know everything about their business. Sure, they made mistakes, mostly from a place of "unknowing" rather than from a position of “knowing it all.” They were grateful when a coach or a mentor came along to assist them with difficult decisions. They also surrounded themselves with people who compensated for their weaknesses. A common comment from them was, "I employ people smarter than me." Something that I often hear from most successful business people. Openness to learning was one of the criteria our firm used when we screened those who wanted to start a business. Our experience and assessments determined that this was one of the essential ingredients for their success. It was also one of the most telling markers when we reviewed why they failed. Those that didn't make it unfortunately didn’t learn from their mistakes, read, or seek out a coach or mentor, and in general they thought they knew all. 6. They rejected toxic influences and celebrated their journey. Many faced one of their most difficult decisions - to escape from the milieu that pulled them down. For some this meant leaving a dysfunctional family, siblings, and/or relatives; for others, it meant turning away from so-called friends they knew for most of their lives. They had to make that hard decision and not to look back. They knew that if they didn’t reject these people they couldn’t improve their lot in life. More than one individual said (and I'm paraphrasing), “it wasn’t easy leaving family and friends behind, but if I didn’t I would be in the ‘hell’ they are in now.” The most successful of these business men and women learned to become comfortable within themselves. They continue to project a humble self-confidence, give back to their community, have become role models for others, and often celebrate their difficult journey on the road less traveled. None of them are saints, and all of them have weaknesses just like the rest of us. I have been enriched by knowing them, and I have the utmost respect and admiration for what they have accomplished in their lives and in their businesses. “I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere in ages and ages hence; Two roads diverged in the wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by. And that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost, from The Road Not Taken. Thanks for Reading Richard P. Fontanie MSW. FCMC Much has been written about Toyota’s approach to Lean Production, Manufacturing companies throughout the world have spent millions of dollars on learning the system. More recently the service industry in health and education are imitating or modifying the practice, with varying degrees of success. Again with a great investment in consulting, training and process improvement measures. But what about small businesses who can't afford such a huge investment? Well, there is a way to become "Lean" without breaking your bank account and without going through all the seemingly complicated consulting and training. The easiest way for a small business to initiate a cost effective "Lean" process is to understand the principles behind Toyota's Lean approach and apply them to the business. Let's break those down into four easy principles that you can begin using today. 1. Create value for customers. The most effective strategy that a small company can have is to focus on the customer. Customers are the lifeblood of any business, without them there is no business. Cost effective and value added services develop customer loyalty and referrals. Review the way you service your customers. Here are several questions to get you started: Are we customer-centric? Do we have a customer service purpose and values statement? Do we provide customer service training that will add value to the way we relate to customers? Do we have reward programs for our customers? Do we invite customers back when we have something new to offer them? Do we periodically follow-up a purchase with a thank you note? Do we make it easy for customers to buy our products? Do we know our customers' wants and needs? When was the last time we sat down and talked to customers? Do we know our regular customers by name? What processes do we have in place to serve customers? Are they cumbersome or are they customer friendly? What do employees say about improving the way we go about serving customers? Are goods placed in easy reach? Are our offices and retail outlets attractive and inviting? How can we reduce and remove "red tape" and replace it with "green tape"? The key to adding value for customers is to keep asking questions that will prompt you and your employees to find answers on how you can consistently deliver customer-centric service. 2. Improve efficiency and eliminate waste that doesn't create value for customers Review the way you do business by pulling apart the processes you have in place. A process is nothing other than a series of steps you take (or procedures you have to achieve something. Clarify what you have in place. Eliminate those that are unnecessary and make those you keep more efficient. Here are some examples: Stop printing out copies of material that you can keep in your virtual filing system (but make sure you have backup copies); send letters and invoices by email; use a simple document scanner to keep virtual copies of material thereby cutting down on hard copy file folders and filing cabinets; reduce the number of meetings or make them more productive; coordinate sales calls to an area rather than driving all over the city; recycle all recyclable waste material; centralize office equipment; reduce the number of interruptions you have in a day; review where you store inventory to make it easier to fulfill orders; keep your inventory current; call customers in advance to confirm appointments and their expectations; develop standard procedure manuals; keep your shop floor and desk free from clutter; make it easy to identify tools by having a visual tool wall and color coded containers for larger tools or small parts. 3. Continuously improve people and products Improve People I often hear employers say "people are our greatest asset," but when I question that statement I find they invest little in providing training for their employees. If people are your greatest asset, then you need to develop a culture where continuous learning is normal and accepted. Consider learning opportunities that will enhance personal and organizational productivity, influencing and building relationships, problem solving, decision making, planning projects, selling goods and services, servicing customers, strengthening teamwork or any other area that is specific to your business. People are genuinely open to learning when given the opportunity, and they think highly of an organization that invests in their on-going development. Individuals who are kept current with new or renewed skills contribute more effectively and work towards improving results. Improve Products Continuously improving and renewing your products or services is critical in today's changing marketplace. I see and hear the catch phrase "new and improved", but sometimes I wonder whether it's just a marketing gimmick so that customers will buy a product that is often on the decline. The phrase is overused as often little is new and even less is improved. It's time we became serious about improving and renewing products. Continuously improving products is all about understanding your customers demand for your goods and services and developing a process to respond to them in a timely fashion. Small businesses can: Keep an eye out for new products that complement and add value to their existing line; remove products that don't sell and add real value to a "renewed" product; market test a new product before launching it to understand how it adds value for customers; visit customers to assess how the goods or services they purchased met their needs and satisfaction; ask customers for suggestions on how you can improve your product or service; send out satisfaction rating forms with space to answer the question 'How can we improve our service or product?"; provide current information to customers that help them with the product or service they purchased from you. Customers need to see and feel that your company is acting on their behalf by providing them with quality products and services they perceive as having real value. They become sceptical when they perceive the only thing that has been renewed is the packaging or the marketing slogan. 4. Live respectful values. Spend considerable time in developing a positive values-based culture. One of the first things I do when I walk into an organization is to take a quick temperature of the culture. I watch how people interact with each other. I look at the "organizational graffiti" on the wall, for instance: are their motivational posters or are negative images lurking in individual offices, at the cooler, or in the photocopy room. I listen to the language and messages that employees, supervisors and customer service representatives use; I observe if people are being told what to do rather than being involved in finding solutions. One can tell a lot about how people live company values in a relatively short time. Whether we agree or not, customers feel this as well, and their first impressions stick. They will walk out of a place of business with that impression and will tell their friends about what they saw, heard and felt. The key in developing a positive values-based culture is to encourage everyone in an organization to act with respect, honesty, integrity, trust and collaboration. Small business owners can clarify their own values with employees, be positive examples, and engage employees in developing a set of values for the business. Once the values are clarified then everyone has a responsibility to hold each other accountable to ensure they are carried out. This is viewed not as a negative or punitive act but one where people are genuinely committed to upholding them. Living respectful values increases employee satisfaction, improves customer service, and strengthens a business's reputation. As an owner of a small business you don't need to get hung up with using the words that explain Toyota's concepts such as Kaizen, Kanban, Mudo-Murii, Gumba. You may want to learn what they mean but use language that your employees and customers understand. Use simple language similar to the four points above and seek solutions to the questions:
Throughout the clarification process be genuine and supportive of employees and always keep your focus on what is in the best interest of your customers. In the end (which is a bit of an oxymoron as there is no end) you will create an on-going process that has invaluable rewards, such as:
A culture focused on continuous learning designed to improve people, processes and products Here are a few more resources for you to check out:
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