It's time to start getting strategic with your time. Your aim should be to free up at least one hour of your day every day. Create your future by scheduling this strategic time in your diary. When you have done that, you can begin to work on your growth plans and the systems that will streamline the work that needs to be done. Your goal is to use that time just to develop one system, so at the end of the week you would have five systems; at the end of the month, 20 and so on.

Remember these systems do not have to be perfect because you will be continually improving them over time, to guarantee your results are aligned with your vision. Incorporate into your planning the key areas your business will need to cover to ensure that the growth will be steady, managed and sustained.

The key areas of your business are the ones that make it work. For example, financial, administration, human resources, and marketing, etc. Once you have a plan and created your thinking and development time, look at what your business will need in order to grow.

If the answer is more sales, then maybe you should be looking and analysing your marketing strategies. If you have enough enquiries but are not converting them to customers, then examine what is happening in your conversion process. Are you confident that you and your team can deliver your products and services faultlessly and seamlessly? If not, then start looking at re-developing your distribution systems.

Remember there is absolutely no point in developing a marketing strategy to bring in more business unless you know your business systems can deliver on your promises.

Think of your business as having four key strategic areas: These could be Management, resources, marketing and production. Then break each of those areas down into key areas, such as leadership, finance, market research and delivery systems. Manage your time with these to begin with, as you are going to be responsible for developing the strategies in all these areas. To discover how to make this whole process easier we have put together an ebook which leads you through each step of the way.

"How to Systemise Your Business"

To get your copy click here

Your Business Systems Master Plan

There comes a point in most small businesses when the owner – you – acknowledges that it's time for the business to grow to the next stage. The challenge is, how do you do that? Doing more of the same?  Probably not!  You've done a great job to get to where you are now, but to get to the next stage you will need a plan.

Set aside some time to develop your vision. Concentrate on the word 'your' vision, as too many people build something for what they think someone else wants.  What do you want your business to become? How will it behave? What will set it apart from its competitors? What will your life be like when you are finished? Decide what your growth goals are and set yourself targets and some realistic milestones by which you can measure your progress. These will include your revenue targets, the time frame in which you will achieve these, the number of staff you will require and when they will join the business, the number of outlets, profitability and so on.

Plan for Systematic Growth

The key is to map out a growth destination that is real, but stretches you and can be broken down into smaller goals. Planning growth in your business also needs you to work on developing yourself as a manager and a leader. Be prepared to get out of your comfort zone and grow as a person – remember your business is and will be a reflection of you.

Your next task is to be really objective and honest about the business as it is now. If it has just come out of start up stage then it is almost certainly still very dependent on you. In other words, without you there it would not be able to operate effectively, let alone grow. This is your wake up moment, and a very valuable opportunity to transform the way your business is operating.  Because you are now able to ask yourself about what really needs to be in place for the business to be profitable without you being there and more importantly for growth to happen.

The first thing is going to be time, specifically yours. Without you dedicating your time to business development, nothing will change. You are going to have to create some time in your working week to work on your business in alignment with your vision.

Begin by identifying everything you do in a day, a week, a month. Work out which tasks you can delegate and to whom. (And if there is no one to delegate to, you may have to consider getting in some office support even if it's only a day or two a week.) Work out the instructions for each of the activities this person will be doing. Imagine you are there to tell them what comes next, and set it all out on paper.

These documented instructions must include clear steps, standards and timing. This is a system. Make sure each system is recognisable as such and follows the same format.

Look out for Your Business Systems Master Plan – Part Two coming in the next few days where we start to get strategic in planning the key areas your business will need to cover to ensure that the growth will be steady, managed and sustained

For most people discovering their Personal Aim involves new ways of looking at themselves and their lives. It requires that you question why you do what it is you do, your assumptions, beliefs and core values.

You begin by making a list of all the things you want in your life and don’t want out of your life. Then reviewing the lists and focusing on the most important wants and don’t-wants.

What you Don’t Want

Often it is easier to decide what you don’t want rather than what you do want. A good way to begin is to list all the things that you don’t want.

Currently you are focusing on those things that you don’t want and are constantly reminded of them day-in day-out. The result is that you are mentally rehearsing them, practicing them and reinforcing them. This is negative visualization.
In sports you are taught to visualize the techniques necessary to better play the sport and what outcome you want. This is positive visualization.

If your habit is fault finding and focusing on what can go wrong, then your mind stays on the negative, even though you wish a positive outcome, you are rehearsing the negative. This negative thinking is a difficult habit to overcome.

What you Do Want

Think about what you do want when you dream, when you feel free. What gives you the most satisfaction or fulfilment? What is important to you? If you had all the money and time you needed what would you do?
A good technique to visualise your dream life is to collect a number of glossy magazines that you read, covering houses, cars, holidays, family, adventure, sport etc etc. From these cut out those pictures that excite you or form part of your dream life. Paste these cut out pictures on a large sheet of cardboard. Hand the picture in a prominent position so that you are reminded of what want each day. It will focus your attention and energise you

Some Questions to Stimulate your Thinking

The following list of questions will help you stimulate your thoughts and putting you in the right frame of mind. Take time to think about your answer to each question.
• What do you want your life to look and feel like?
• What do you value most? What is important to you?
• What matters most at this point in your life
• What would you say about your life after it’s too late to do anything about it?
• How do you want your life to feel on a day-to-day basis?
• What would you like people’s perception of you be?
• What do you daydreams about?
• Do you ever find yourself wishing you were different? For what do you wish? Why aren’t you that way? What gets in the way?
• Of all the things you have done in your life what has given you the most pleasure or satisfaction? What has given you the least pleasure or satisfaction’?
• If you no longer had to work, how would you spend your time? And with whom?
• I there anything missing from your life? When you find yourself wishing for something, what is it?
• What motivates you to perform above and beyond the call of duty?
• What are your greatest strengths? What are your greatest weaknesses?
• What do you want to achieve but find it impossible? What obstacles exist?

To enjoy more income, more time and more life to do the things they are passionate about

We are living in a time where there are opportunities everywhere we choose to look. The ‘stuff’ that sells newspapers is doom and gloom, and with the current financial down turn the journalists are having a field day.

As Business Owners we have to recognize that in times like these the prepared ones will see the opportunities that are everywhere and flourish.

What do I mean? Well, we need to take a look at what I call the ‘Old’ model of business and start to consider a ‘New’ model of doing business. First let’s take a look at the reasons why businesses may struggle and fail in the current climate and compare it to the New Model:

1. Most business owners don’t have a business! They are self-employed which often is another term for a Job – The new model is about building a system to run the business without you being there.

2. Most Business Owners don’t understand what their business does! They are in to make money (or simply to survive) focusing on profit. The New Model focuses on the dignity of a customer service centered business and giving value. Believe me do this and the profit will take care of itself.

3. Old Model businesses have no Vision & Mission statement that is instilled n everything they do. No vision or mission and your business will have no purpose – simply making money is not a vision! The New Model business takes time to clarify it’s Vision and Mission, everybody connected with the business takes ownership of this.

4.The New business model statement becomes the culture of the business. Clarify your mission or purpose in your business
Articulate your mission statement – who are you going to serve (your ideal client) & who you are not (the 80%). What problems and frustrations are you solving for your (ideal) customer?
What frustrations does your customer have?
What can your customers expect EVERY time they deal with you.

5. Old model businesses are constantly looking for the next customer after the sale is completed. New model businesses have defined their Ideal Customer, the 20% that will give them 80% of their revenue. They build relationships and their customers become advocates for their business.

6. Old model businesses are the same as their competitors. They often compete on price or offer the service that their customers expect from everyone. New model businesses Identify their competitive advantage, their USP, Unique Selling Proposition – Not price or service, something that the customer wants but doesn’t expect.
Does your marketing tell them & does it align with your Mission. Can you deliver it in the world of the customer.

7. Old model businesses treat customers like a commodity – New model nurture & love them .. they go “Beyond the Cash register”
Systemize your customer experience. Turn them from a suspect to an evangelist for your business.
Ask them and listen to them “What are your frustrations about {Your} Industry” Most dissatisfied people just walk out without saying why they are not happy with your service – New
Tell them about your guarantee, New model businesses will call their customers and let them know that they have two weeks of the guarantee left to return their goods if they are not completely satisfied!

8. Old model businesses are all about themselves, self promotion and looking good. New Model businesses concentrate on treating others how they would like to be treated. They get interested in others, they love their people and customers. They are interested in no.1 their Staff & no.2 their customers.
They have a system to build relationships with people not things (products and services, etc) They know people want to be understood, heard, recognized, acknowledged & loved. Yes, you read it correctly, we want to be loved! So do you people and customers.
Ever had a letter from your bank signed Customer Relationship Manager – Try talking or calling the relationship manager and see if you can get through to them?

New model businesses will make sure someone answers the phone and their communication is in the callers world and aligned with the USP, Vision and Mission statements and always reminds the caller about the guarantee. Communicate rather than speak to them, for example:
How are you? – Listen to the answer
Any frustrations? – Listen to the answer
Don’t forget your guarantee
Is there anything else we can do for you- Listen to the answer and make notes
Did you know…. (New products that are aligned to this customers profile)

9. The old business model is in its death throws. The new model is to manage themselves better, they know daily how the business is performing/serving/delivering/what the customers feedback is. They Know & manage their KPI’s and Metrics – love their customers but do not extend credit to them, beyond the agreed terms.
They always have a minimum of 3 months worth of creditor funds in hand

Conclusion: This blog is all about the New Model of doing business now, today.

In years to come these will be the good old days. Prepare now, start to let go of the old model and implement the ideas we will be sharing with you & your opportunities will appear.

We Guarantee It!