Tell us about your business and how you started it.
In January 2006, I traveled to Israel with my nephew. On our last day, we had some time to kill before going to the airport for the long flight home. As we were walking along a street, I spotted some pieces of the Margarita activewear line through a store doorway. 

I instantly noticed the vibrant colours. I’d never seen another activewear clothing line with such an energetic design. I felt the material and could tell right away that it was very good quality. I spent the afternoon studying the company website and decided right then that I would try to bring this line to Canada. I had no experience in retail – I just enjoy exercise. So I went back to Israel that summer to visit the company and secure Canadian distribution rights. Using my own money, I made an initial purchase, came back to Canada and started to sell.

What was your early vision for your business, and has it changed over time?
Originally, the business was simply retailing the Margarita activewear line locally. We are now distributing the brand across North America. As well, we have added a few more product lines to our website, and that has been going well for us.

Your biggest learning curve?
Starting my own business, I had to learn how to do the bookkeeping/paperwork, manage the business financially, and deal with the daily business itself. At the time, I was not married yet, so I had the extra time!

Describe a day in the life…
A typical day goes like this: First I make my morning green smoothie and I share it with my 2.5-year-old son. While he is busy eating breakfast, I answer the urgent emails.

I spend mornings with my son and I work in the afternoons, while he naps. After his nap, I prepare dinner for the family (sometimes my son helps:). After he’s in bed, I continue working into the night. On a good day, I will stop working and have an evening with my husband; watch a movie or read a book until I fall asleep.

What makes your business stand out?
Our main product line, Margarita activewear, itself is a unique brand. There are other websites selling it, but we are the only one (as far as I’ve seen) that allows customers to customize their order: customers can choose the colours they want, however they want them, with any Margarita item.

How do you find balance between your business and home life?
It can be tough to find balance at times. The problem with having your own business is that it never stops. You set the schedule and that schedule can run around the clock if you let it. I spend weekday mornings with my son, and I work in the afternoon while he naps, as well as after he goes to sleep at night. I schedule days so that meetings and other business activities are on certain days and during particular hours, so I can get what I need done and have time for my family. Spending time with them and taking a break makes me more productive and inspired. We all have a healthy dinner together each night, and spend time together on weekends. When it’s time to focus on the family, it’s time to turn the phone off and shut down the computer.

What’s the best part of running your own business? The most challenging?
I like keeping my own hours and being my own boss. I love the clothing and still get excited when the new styles come out. I also enjoy the letters I get from customers saying how much they love our products and our exceptional customer service; it is very rewarding. I still can’t believe they are talking about the company I started.

The challenging part is that because I do my own bookkeeping, I spend so much time on that it can be hard to focus on the business; I often find myself spending more time on bookkeeping than actually thinking of new ways to increase revenues.

What business tool or resource could you not live without?
I really benefit from having contacts and a mentor that I am able to call on when I need guidance or assistance.

What is the key to your success?
Positive thinking and a passion for what I am doing!

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about starting a business?
Be positive, dream big, work hard and enjoy it! You can accomplish a lot with a “can-do” attitude. Know and love your business, know your market. Research, research, research! Have a clear vision about where you want your business to go, and find a mentor who can help guide you, especially when you hit a brick wall. Be prepared for changes; things usually don’t go exactly as planned.

ERIN BUDD owns energyxpressions.com, a website that carries yoga and fitness clothing. She is also mom to an adorable 28-month-old boy, and wife to a wonderful husband. When she’s not having fun with the family, or working on the business, she’s busy creating in the kitchen: since she became a new mother, she’s been engrossed in how she can help her family be as healthy as possible. And she’s doing something right because they never get sick. She also enjoys drinking a green smoothie every day. Look the part, live the part! For more information, visit www.energyxpressions.com or send an email to: info@energyxpressions.com

Tell us about your business and how you started it.
I own a bricks and mortar specialty toy store in Mississauga, Ontario, called Fun To Grow On, and I am co-owner of LearningToys.ca. I opened my bricks and mortar store 25 years ago when it seemed difficult to find good quality educational toys for my children, then five and two years of age.

What was your early vision for your business, and has it changed over time?
I wanted to provide a destination store for specialty toys to service the community I lived in.

With the addition of the online component, I can now reach out to customers all across the country looking for the unique products we carry.

Your biggest learning curve?
For the bricks and mortar store, it was inventory control and purchasing cycles. For the online business there is a new learning curve every three months!

Describe a day in the life…
From January until September, I keep the stores well stocked for the changing seasons. It is relaxed and manageable with customers shopping for birthdays and special occasions. But come October, POW! Almost 50% of our sales hit in the last three months of the year. It is exciting, exhausting and rewarding, but it is also fortunate that December 25th gives us the well-earned break we need.

What makes your business stand out?
Definitely the products and the suppliers we purchase from. The products are superior quality and come from manufacturers who care about producing toys that children will learn from and love. Our suppliers also care about their impact on the environment and make every effort to produce toys that in no way harm our environment.

Do you have any entertaining anecdotes or interesting facts to share about your line of work?
Many of the toys that I am selling today are the same ones that I was selling 25 years ago, when I first opened. Even though the world has changed dramatically, children still enjoy simple, unstructured, creative play.

How do you find balance between your business and home life?
It is not easy to do when you run your own business.  I have always loved being busy, but I found that hiring employees that I can rely upon when I’m busy with things outside the business makes life much easier for me.

What’s the best part of running your own business? The most challenging?
The best part is the freedom to come up with new ideas and then be able to implement them immediately. No red tape, no Board of Directors’ approval. Most challenging for me is finding new ways to keep myself focused and interested after 25 years.

What business tool or resource could you not live without?
My dedicated employees who allow me to expand my business opportunities and spend valuable time with family and friends.

What is the key to your success?
My never-flagging willingness to work hard and to see new opportunities around every corner.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about starting a business?
Have enough capital to fund the business for at least three years. Start with a strong support base, accountant, banking advisor, IT support and reliable employees.

ABOUT DONNA KLACZA Twenty Five years ago when my children were five and two years of age, I opened a specialty toy store in my Mississauga neighbourhood, hoping to provide the community with a place to buy quality toys for their children. Fun To Grow On, my bricks and mortar store, has grown and expanded over the years and still fills the niche of providing unique and engaging toys for children of all ages. Just ask my two-year-old granddaughter where the best toys come from! Five years ago, my partner and I launched LearningToys.ca. The ever-changing online retail environment provides me with challenges that keep my entrepreneurial spirit alive and strong. If you have any questions or comments, please email me at donna@learningtoys.ca Visit: http://www.funtogrowon.ca/

By Mark Wardell

The number one complaint I heard from business owners in 2011 went something like this: “I never have enough time.” No surprise there. It’s a taxing job running a company and, at the end of the day, many entrepreneurs are left feeling that the time needed to accomplish everything we need to for optimal business growth just isn’t there.

We’ve all heard the comparison of the business owner to a hamster on a treadmill. It’s a strong picture because many of us have indeed put in those 50 or 60-hour work weeks, yet somehow end up feeling we haven’t been able to “really do anything.”

The question really is: who does have enough time? The answer, I believe, is those of us who learn the secret to managing not only our time but our resources, people, schedules and demands. To get more time, we need a paradigm shift on how we view and value time.

What follows is a step-by-step guide to help you shift the way you see time, and thereby get more of it for yourself and your business in 2012.

1. Track your time. For two weeks, take notes on every hour you spend from the moment you wake up to the time you go to bed. Keep a journal and record everything you do.

At the end of the two weeks, sit down and identify the categories of work you engaged in – client time, employee time, administrative time, planning time and even personal time if you’d like to better manage that as well (why not?).

This is a great exercise because you’ll end up with real data you can analyze vs. relying on your self-perceptions, which, lets face it, tend be less accurate. Many of us tend to think we are more efficient than we actually are.

2. Analyze your time. As you look at where you’re spending your time, identify your “high-value” work vs. “low-value work.” The high-value work is the work you should you be doing more of. It’s the work that you do to invest in the growth of your business and is, therefore, the highest value to you and your company.

Conversely, lower-value work is all of the work that you could technically be outsourcing or delegating to other team members or an outside agency.

3. Learn to outsource and delegate. If you’re one of those people who think that nobody else can do what you do, well, you’re most likely wrong. In many cases, if you take some time to carefully document the procedure, you can train someone else to take over. Sometimes it helps to break it down to understand the full value—to you—of doing this. Consider that saving ten minutes per day adds up to a full workweek per year.

4. Train your employees to think for themselves. As you analyze your time, you’ll likely notice that a large percentage of your time could be delegated. One of the most effective ways to free yourself from unnecessary time restraints is to train your employees to think for themselves. Don’t answer every question that comes across your desk, but rather, put it back to your employees to figure out the answers for themselves. Ask them, “What would you do if I wasn’t here?” You might be surprised at how well they can rise to the challenge.

5. Make the structural or procedural changes needed to support your people. If your employees have a difficult time finding the answers without you, this is a strong indication that perhaps a procedural manual is needed or that you need to make information easier to locate on shared files. Whatever the case, the quicker you can get your business running well without it all hinging on your input at every turn, the more valuable it will be.

6. Adopt a new paradigm on scheduling. Ok, so you’ve tracked your time and you can see where the big changes need to be made. Now it’s time to move forward. You need a new paradigm on scheduling your time.

The trick is not to be reactive with your time, but rather, to proactively schedule the important, “high-value” business time each week.

For example, if you don’t schedule your strategic planning time, it’s likely you’ll never get around to it. Other seemingly more urgent tasks will always take precedence.

I also recommend that instead of an open door policy, you take non-emergency meeting requests from staff. This will help you avoid answering quick questions that could be solved without you (and interrupt your own productivity). Scheduled 1-1 meetings also ensure your people get your full attention when they need it.

7. Schedule weekly staff meetings. This is a great way to not only decrease the need for interruptive spontaneous meetings, but also to more thoroughly and productively motivate your team leaders and gauge their progress.

8. Find an amazing gatekeeper. A competent yet slightly ruthless (think friendly pit-bull) assistant is the secret to many a business owner’s success. Finding the right person isn’t easy though, so once you do, make sure you do everything you can to keep them!

Achieving a paradigm shift around the way you value your time is, in my experience, life changing AND business changing. Invest in the required structural and procedural changes now and you’ll set your business up for optimal long-term growth. Soon, you’ll find yourself achieving more in a forty-hour workweek than you once did in a 60-hour week. You may even find the word “vacation” entering into your vocabulary.

Mark is President & Founder of Wardell Professional Development (www.wardell.biz), an advisory group that helps business owners plan and execute the growth of their companies. The author of seven business books, Mark also writes regularly for several national business publications, including Profit Magazine, the Globe and Mail, and CGA Magazine. Email him at mark@wardell.biz

You started 1-800-GOT-JUNK? in 1989 and grew it into a hugely successful global business (see http://blog.staples.ca/2010/09/08/an-interview-with-brian-scudamore-founder-and-ceo-of-1-800-got-junk/). Now you and a partner, Jim Bodden, have teamed up to launch an entirely new venture. Please tell us about it.
In the summer of 2010, I needed to get my house painted. After receiving several quotes, I came across a company called One Day Painting, owned by Jim Bodden. He said he could paint my house in a single day. I was skeptical but intrigued so I decided to use his services. When I came home at the end of the appointed day, the house was completely transformed. The job had been completed, the results were high quality, and there was no mess whatsoever. I knew then that I had found my next home-service business. By the end of 2010, Jim and I had become partners and created 1-888-WOW-1DAY! Painting with the first franchise, owned by Jim, operating in Vancouver.

What made you decide to expand into a new area?
With the painting industry, like with junk, we see a fragmented, mom-and-pop-type market that lacks professionalism and a national brand. Both industries are very similar and by leveraging all of the knowledge, systems and infrastructure of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? we’re basically able to replicate what we’ve been doing all these years, except this time it’s in the painting industry. It’s our next $100-million business!

Any reservations about launching a new venture during an uncertain economy?
Not at all. I feel that the systems and processes we developed at 1-800-GOT-JUNK? have really helped propel 1-888-WOW-1DAY! Painting to early success. We started franchising this business in 2010 and in just a few short months, we’ve gone from one to six franchises. By the end of 2012, we’ll be at 50 locations. We feel this aggressive goal is realistic, even in a down economy because of the knowledge, infrastructure and resources we can leverage from 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

How do you determine whether or not an idea is worth pursuing?
I always go back to question of why and this is something I learned after reading Start with Why, by Simon Sinek. Most businesses know what it is they do and how they do it, but very few are able to articulate why they do what they do. So before I decided to pursue this venture in the painting business, I asked myself, why do this? The answer is to help make people’s lives easier by taking the hassle out of painting and providing the quality they expect in an unexpected timeline.

Do you have any fun or interesting anecdotes to share about your line of work?
One thing I really believe in is that it’s all about the people! We’ve identified some of the great people we have at 1-800-GOT-JUNK? and have moved them over to 1-888-WOW-1DAY! Painting in order to give us the best chance to experience success as quickly as possible.

What business tool or resource could you not live without?
My amazing Executive Assistant who manages my schedule and organizes the many, many emails I get each day!

What do you think is key to your many years of success?
I see three main factors that have led to our success. The first is people. I believe that a fantastic team of passionate, knowledgeable, customer-focused professionals can take even a lukewarm idea and make it work in any market. At 1-888-WOW-1DAY! Painting and 1-800-GOT-JUNK? our focus is always to find the right people and treat them well. The second factor that I attribute to our success is systems. Every part of our business is systemized and all of our people are trained to follow those systems whether they’re in the corporate office, the call center or on the front lines driving the trucks. PR is also a huge reason for our success. Being able to get our brand and story in front of national TV and print audiences has been great for our business and is a big part of how we got to where we are today.

What advice would you give to small business owners who are thinking about branching out?
Systemize EVERYTHING. When I moved to Victoria to start the second office and operation of The Rubbish Boys (predecessor to 1-800-GOT-JUNK?) in 1995, I picked up The E-Myth Revisited, by Michael Gerber and read it cover to cover—twice! Gerber’s assertion that “people don’t fail, but systems do” inspired me to write an operations manual filled with one-page best practice summaries for each activity required to grow and operate a 1-800-GOT-JUNK? franchise. But I challenged each “best” practice as I documented it. By the end of 1997, my operating systems were so tight that the business looked and felt so much like a well-oiled franchise business that franchising became my model for growth. We are following this same formula for 1-888-WOW-1DAY! Painting and it’s a huge factor in our initial success.

Do I have to be a painting pro to operate a franchise, or is training involved?
No painting experience needed! What we’re looking for are motivated ambitious individuals with strong management and leadership skills and the drive to grow their business aggressively. They must also possess sales and marketing experience. When someone becomes a 1-888-WOW-1DAY! Painting franchise partner, we provide all the training they will need from how to estimate and paint a house to marketing, best practices for hiring and everything else they need to be successful.

Where can I learn more about how to buy and operate a franchise?
Check out http://wow1daypainters.com/franchise/franchise.php and fill out a request info form. Jason Isley, our all-star Director of Franchise Development will then contact you to go over this awesome opportunity.

What’s up next on your busy agenda?
To push 1-888-WOW-1DAY! Painting to become the largest painting franchise in the world!

P.S. Which interior paint colour is most requested? And which is your favourite?
It seems like most people prefer earth tone type colors like beiges or browns. As for me, I love them all as I’m colour blind!

BRIAN SCUDAMORE is best known for being the founder of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, a company he started in 1989 and grew from $1-million in revenue then to the $100-million company it is today. 1-800-GOT-JUNK? is recognized as one of the world’s most successful franchises and Brian has been awarded several accolades, including the International Franchise Association’s Entrepreneur of the Year award. Brian’s story has been told in Fortune Magazine, Business Week, the New York Times, Huffington Post as well as the Wall Street Journal, and Brian has appeared on Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, CNN and was even a guest on the Oprah show in 2003. 1-888-WOW-1DAY! Painting is Brian’s new venture and promises to be as successful as 1-800-GOT-JUNK? The concept: your home or business painted in ONE day.

When it comes down to it, the success of a merger or acquisition is all in the planning. Bringing two distinct companies together means you end up with two of everything: two sets of corporate structures, two sets of company policies and two different and unique ways of doing business. Making the transition seamless requires some detailed planning. In other words, you need to get your aim right before you pull the trigger.

Here’s how.

1. Reevaluate your organizational structure.

Start by taking a careful look at the organizational chart of each company. Does it make sense for the two organizations to be combined as one or will they go on as two separate companies? Whatever you do, it’s best to do it early in the merger with careful consideration of the resources that can now be shared, such as reception, administration and accounting.

2. Develop and articulate new corporate branding.

You’ll want to consider how the existing brands will fit with the long-term marketing goals of the companies. Will both businesses fold into one brand? Which brand? Or will it be a new brand? Is the current brand worth retaining or is it time to develop something new? How you proceed will of course depend upon your unique situation.

For example, a distribution company I’ve been working with recently purchased a similar business in another city. The acquired business, while in a similar industry, has a totally different target market and significant brand value. In this case, it made the most sense for the acquired company to maintain its distinct brand, but to be folded into the organizational chart of the parent company. The parent company took over the finance and administrative responsibilities for both companies, while the acquired company continues to manage its own operations and marketing, with some new supports in place.

3. Consider your people.

We all know a business is only as successful as the people who make up the company. In times of change, it’s more important than ever to consider all of the people affected and to proceed with clear communications. As soon as the news of the M&A is made public, get everyone from both companies together and provide your people with clarity on the news. There is often nervousness around mergers so good communication is crucial at this point.

As you move ahead with restructuring, take the time to investigate how employees at each company feel about the merger and to appropriately mitigate any negative feelings or expectations while doing everything you can to promote the positives  (excitement/opportunities) that exist.

Some companies bring in a specialist for this purpose. One of my clients recently hired a Transition Specialist to help with its corporate merger. The job of this particular specialist was to identify the skill sets of key people at the acquired company in order to offer new career paths in the parent company. It worked brilliantly.

4. Redevelop corporate policies.

Last but not least, policies — otherwise known as the lifeblood of business operations. Sounds dramatic but your corporate documents are what keep your business running as efficiently as possible. What systems or policies currently exist (or don’t exist) in the parent and acquired companies? What policies will you need to develop to account for your future direction? Developing an effective set of corporate policies isn’t necessarily fast or simple, but I guarantee it’ll be well worth your time in the long run.

In fact, each of these four steps requires consideration and time on the part of the business owner. However, if you’ve come this far in your M&A you’ll be wise to go the extra distance to ensure success in these critical areas, and in your future enterprise as a whole.

Mark is President & Founder of Wardell Professional Development (www.wardell.biz), an advisory group that helps business owners plan and execute the growth of their companies. The author of seven business books, Mark also writes regularly for several national business publications, including Profit Magazine, the Globe and Mail, and CGA Magazine. Email him at mark@wardell.biz

Often called a succession plan, this document will prepare you to transfer control of your business to your successor. You will want to maximize the value of your business before you sell, to ensure a smooth operational transition to the next owner.

CanadaBusiness.ca is packed with information for Canadian entrepreneurs, including ways to plan your exit (http://www.canadabusiness.ca/eng/93/876/). Here are actions to consider:

Start as early as you can

Research by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business found that:
• only 10% of Canadian small business owners have a formal, written succession plan;
• 38% have an informal, unwritten plan, and
• the remaining 52% have no plan at all.

Far too many entrepreneurs miss the opportunity to earn top dollar from the sale of their businesses and the ability to ensure a trouble-free transition.

Surround yourself with experts

Build a team of advisors to help you plan your business exit. These can include lawyers, accountants, tax specialists and management consultants.

A chartered business valuator can be an important resource. Valuators can place an objective price-tag on your business by conducting in-depth research and analysis. They may also help locate solid buyers.

By working with a team of outside experts, you will get valuable, independent advice to help guide your succession planning.

Prepare a plan

As you consider your exit, there are many decisions to make. Look at your company’s long-term potential, markets, positioning, strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. Then ask:
• What skills will your successor need?
• How involved do you want to remain in the business?
• What tax considerations will impact the transfer of ownership?
• How do you ensure your own financial security when you leave?

Research and document these questions. It will help you make these important decisions.

Craft a solid exit strategy

When exiting your business, you can wind down the business, transfer it to family, or sell it.

Winding down your business will not require a great deal of advance planning, but you should carefully consider how to sell your assets and meet your legal obligations.

If you are transferring the business to family members, consider these points:
•  Communicate your intentions clearly and involve them early.
•  Explain the transition process to them so they know what to expect.
•  Establish clear guidelines for who does what.
•  Explain how you will continue to be involved in the business, if at all.

If you decide to sell, then your primary goal is to maximize the price potential of your business. You will need to evaluate your business’ worth, which can be done with the help of a chartered business valuator. You can locate one on the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators’ website at www.cicbv.ca.

Remember that advance planning and a thoughtful, strategic approach can maximize the money in your pockets and ensure a successful transition.

More information is available at www.CanadaBusiness.ca or by calling 1-888-576-4444 (TTY 1-800-457-8466).

If you’re an entrepreneur, then you’re already familiar with the fact that a business needs to be structured around systems in order to operate as effectively and successfully as possible. If you’re like most entrepreneurs, chances are you arrived at this conclusion by ‘winging it’ to a certain extent at one time or another. That’s how many of us learn just how important systemization is. Systems introduce a necessary amount of consistency into an otherwise unpredictable environment.

In fact, systems are what make it possible for you, or any of your employees, to improve your business in a more permanent fashion. Without systems, your business can rise only to the level of the individuals involved. If someone improves their own performance, then the business improves in direct proportion to their efforts, but if someone decreases their performance, then the business will deteriorate in direct proportion to their lack of efforts. Systems don’t leave success to chance—they make sure that standards are maintained across the board.

I find it surprising that while most people can see the benefits of a systemized approach to running their business, many feel that Sales is the one area that cannot, or should not, be system­ized. The prevailing thought is that salespeople must be free from the confines of structure in order to do their best work. In other words, “Hire the best people and let them do their jobs.”

Yet, isn’t this the definition of “winging it?” The Sales department, like your other departments, can and will benefit from being systemized. Here’s how.

First, take a close look at the people in your sales department. Of course, if you’re setting out to improve your sales, your first task is to reduce the number of individu­als in your sales force who have no aptitude for selling, and to increase the number who do.

Like your other departments, you will end up with some superstars. But no matter how good your recruiting system is, you may not end up with a whole team of superstars. That’s ok. Developing a system will ensure that each of your salespeople is doing their job as effectively as possible.

Next step: shadow and document. If you followed your best salesperson around for a few days, do you think you would begin to notice any patterns to her approach? Would there be some consistencies in the way she organizes her time, looks for new business, asks for referrals, or explains the features of your products or services? How about if you followed the best salesperson around from a competitor’s company, or even a company from another industry? Could you identify any common patterns within their various approaches? Sure you could. And you will. You’ll want to shadow and document these important details when developing a system for your Sales department.

It’s all about consistency. Now imagine your worst salesperson. If he made a genuine effort to emulate those patterns, would he improve? Of course he would. From this perspective, it is easy to see the potential benefits of designing a sales system that helps improve your weaker salespeople, but what about your best salespeople? How will a sales system benefit them? The answer is consistency. Even your best salespeople will probably admit that they occasion­ally get sidetracked and make a mistake. They might forget to mention a special introductory offer on a new product, for example. We all make mistakes of course, but a good sales system will keep them to a minimum.

And the right amount of flexibility. Another argument against introducing systems into the sales process is that no two sales are exactly alike; after all, no two customers are exactly alike. But while this may be true, it doesn’t mean that sales can’t be systemized. It simply means that your sales systems must be designed with an appropriate amount of flexibility; how much flexibility will depend on your particular business. You’ll have to use your best judgment.

A sales system for a fast food restaurant, for example, will require less flexibility than a sales system for an architectural firm.

For instance, one of our Wardell clients sells office supplies to two distinct target markets. One requires the sale to be made to a C-level executive, while the other requires the sale to be made to a purchasing agent. The executive sale is more complex, depending on highly trained sales reps and interactive presentations, while the purchasing sale is more structured, incorporating significant scripting.

In the end, the most comprehensive approach to sales takes into account both peo­ple and process. In other words, you need to keep your salespeople and sales systems front of mind as you set forth to systemize your department. Do this, and you’ll be celebrating higher numbers in no time!

MARK WARDELL is president and founder of Wardell Professional Development, a business consulting firm, focused on the unique needs of private growth companies. You can reach him at info@wardell.biz or http://www.wardell.biz

I was flipping through the television channels and came across an interview with comedian, Steve Martin. You know, that “wild and crazy guy” who went on to make The Jerk, Cheaper By The Dozen and several other popular movies. When the interviewer asked Steve to provide some advice to those viewers with dreams of breaking into show business, his reply surprised me.

He said, “My advice is to be so good at what you do that they can’t ignore you.”

At first I thought Steve was just being flippant. After all, he is a comedian. But then I started thinking more about his advice and came to realize how bang on it really was.

There’s a lot of emphasis on the Internet these days on promoting your services effectively and getting clients. And a lot of that information is great stuff. However, effective marketing alone isn’t enough to build and sustain a professional service business. You have to get good at what you do.

For example, I work with a freelance designer who helps me with my website, emails and other graphic design needs. He really knows his stuff and does great work. So, guess what? I use his services over and over again and refer him to just about anyone looking for a designer. People find out about him in other ways, too. They are attracted to his expertise and skills. He’s good at what he does—and that fact is like a magnet that draws opportunities and clients to his doorstep.

Like Steve Martin says, people who are good are difficult to ignore. They get noticed. They get the best clients. They earn the highest fees. I realized this years ago when I interviewed sales coach, Tom Stoyan for The Sales & Marketing Report newsletter (now defunct). He told me, “Early in my career I knew I had to get better—fast. So I committed myself to spending one hour a day during the week, and two hours a day on weekends, getting better.”

I’m not sure exactly what Tom did during those hours to get better, but whatever it was, it worked. Today he’s one of the top names in the business.

How do YOU get better? Study books, take a course, get some coaching and mentoring, and practice, practice, practice. Make the commitment to being a more skilled and effective copywriter. There are a lot of marketing tactics that can help you get clients. But “getting good” is by far the most effective.

STEVE SLAUNWHITE is a popular marketing coach, speaker and bestselling author. His many books include The Everything Guide to Writing Copy and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Starting a Web-Based Business. His latest, The Wealthy Freelancer, recently won a “2010 Best Small Business Book Award”. Steve is well-known for his Marketing That Means Business® approach to helping business owners attract more clients, increase sales, and make more money. To learn more about his coaching and consulting programs, books, and workshops, visit www.SteveSlaunwhite.com

We’ve all heard the expression, “when you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” I hate to say it, but your mother was right. Indeed this is a truth that holds equally for life in general and for your business. Enter the strategic objective. If you haven’t yet created a master plan for your business, now’s the time. After all, why leave your success to chance? Here’s how to develop a strategy that will ensure you achieve your business goals, whether that means tripling your revenues, going global, or spending more time on the golf course. 

Before you start, get in the zone.

This exercise requires that you cast a vision for your business future. Ask yourself, where do you want to be three years from now? What do you envision for the future of your business? For example, what size of business do you want to have? Where do you want to be located geographically? Who are your ideal customers? What do you want your own role in the business to be? Who do you need on board to support you? Get ready to dream big and put your vision down on paper.

Getting started: Putting your dreams on paper

Step 1:

In order to create a roadmap to your future business utopia, you need to start by knowing where you are now. So your first step is to define your “current reality.”

Use a SWOT Analysis to analyze your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Describe each in detail. By doing so, you’ll bring a greater sense of reality to the challenges you face moving forward.

Step 2:

Next, analyze your environment. Understanding your environment, including your competition, is paramount to understanding your place in the market. Ask yourself the following questions: What is your competition doing/likely to do? How sophisticated are your competitors? What technology is being used in your industry and what future trends should you consider? What are the international pressures, market conditions and economic climate you’re dealing with?

Step 3:

Now it’s time to take a critical look at the core of your business. You’ll want to be as detailed as possible when describing each of the following areas of your business. Vague ideas are much less actionable than concrete targets.

• Leadership goals: For example, is your objective to move away from owner dependency? To foster a culture focused on continuous improvement? To develop a more time-conscious workplace? To more effectively engage leadership so everyone has fully “bought in” to the company mission, vision and values?
• Management goals. For example, do you want to standardize your operation through detailed job descriptions and operational procedures? Will you schedule annual employee reviews? Or will you restructure staff meetings to make them more purposeful and effective?
• Marketing goals. How are you positioned in the marketplace? What do you need to be more effective? For example, do you need new catalogues? Do you need an expanded customer base? Do you need more professional branding? Or how about a dedicated direct marketing team?
• Financial goals. Will you restructure your finances to achieve better margins? Will you implement a series of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to help keep you on track? Will you improve your cash flow? Will you work more closely with your budget?
• Operations goals. How do you see your operations developing? Do you see a broader product range? Will you implement guaranteed delivery times? Will you set the industry standard for customer service?
• Sales goals. What will your sales targets be? Will you increase your number of dedicated sales people? Will you develop telemarketing scripts for outbound sales? Will you provide your salespeople with more training?

And finally, after you’ve addressed each of these areas and flushed out your vision, you’ll want to turn these notes into a presentation you can share with your whole team. This is a great way to get everyone involved and on board with the future of your company.

Yes, this process will take time, but in my opinion, a strategic objective really isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessary step in reaching your business goals. By developing this document, you’ll be able to identify the steps you need to take to build the high-performing business you’ve always dreamed of!
 

Mark Wardell is President & Founder of Wardell Professional Development (www.wardell.biz), an advisory group that helps business owners plan and execute the growth of their companies. The author of seven business books, Mark also writes regularly for several national business publications, including Profit Magazine, the Globe and Mail, and CGA Magazine. Email him at mark@wardell.biz