StrategicPlanet.com

The Right Time is the First Time

Many of us can relate an experience when things didn’t go right the first time and we had to waste time and money to fix the problem.  Recently I’ve had the task of setting up pricing information for a web site.  Everything was going great until I was two items away from finishing the task when I was informed the price information was incorrect.  I then spent the rest of the day correcting the pricing problem.  There is no doubt that if I had done it right the first time it would have saved me and the company time.  My time could have been spent doing other valuable acts instead of correcting mistakes.  In my situation the misinformation is what caused my problem.  For other situations the result may come because we rush into a project without taking an accurate look at the situation.  I know life is busy but taking your time and making sure everything is good to go will benefit you in the long run.

Providing Quality Products

I've decided that if somebody wants to run a great business, one of the best things they can do to stand out from their competitors is to make sure the products that they sell are of the quality people expect them to be. Recently I've been moving into a new apartment, and every piece of furniture we've tried to put together has been missing pieces. And not even just one or two little nails. One of the items was actually missing 16 screws and a shelf. Fortunately most of the companies have been nice enough to give us a discount on the items we bought, but after countless trips to the hardware store, I think I would have rather gone out of my way to buy the furniture from a store where I could trust that the product I was buying would be complete and of good quality. I realize that good news doesn't spread as fast as bad news, but when your customers are stressed out and just want something to go right the first time, they will remember the companies they trust the most.

I Want to Hear the Bad News

Too often companies censor their employees because they speak about a weakness that exists in the company. No doubt companies will have some hard times. No one individual or no one company goes through existence without some type of opposition. For a company to reach their full potential it must be aware of its shortcomings. I’ve always assumed this was common for companies to look for their own flaws. It baffles me that a company wouldn’t take this step forward.  Instead they’re allowing a competitor to be the one in discovering your weakness. If you don’t know what your weaknesses are then you will not have the opportunity to fix them. The truly great leaders are those that don’t let all the bad news bring them down. Some individuals hear about a trial and curl up in a ball and surrender. Other individuals hear about a trial and step up to face it head on. There is no doubt that the individual who steps up to face it head on has the character to take a company to the next level.

On the other hand some individuals hear about a problem and just brush it off, as if it’s just going to go away on its own. This type of mindset is cowardly and ridiculous. In life we need to step up to our problems and look for the answers to solve them. A company leader should do the same. No matter how difficult the situation may seem there is always a way to become victorious. Just the fact you faced the trial head on and not backing away makes you a winner.

Allocation of Funds

Many times a small business owner will fail because he has a difficult time separating business expenses with personal expenses.  It’s easy to do especially if things are looking bright on the business side.  We know this is bad accounting practice so why is this practice more common than it ever should be.  The problem I see is we give in to our “want it now desires” instead of saving and being patient for whatever our mind requests.  Running a successful business requires strict discipline in many aspects, including allocating your funds.

WOW!

I recently came across a story on the NPR that High Point University in North Carolina is changing the way they recruit and retain students.  They now feature hot tubs, ice cream trucks, valet parking, and many other perks that make them stand out from all the rest.  In fact, freshmen enrollment tripled with the new attitude.  This is just another example of becoming remarkable.  Hopefully this story can spark your innovative side and help you yourself stand out in the crowd and make people say wow.

Lemonade Anyone?

With the economy looking so bleak, it has created a pessimistic outlook for many companies.  The truth is with these hard times upon us it’s important for us to look for non-traditional ways to expand our business.  One company that I interact with has been looking for ways to create work with the poor housing slump in California.  This company works with pools and is feeling the pinch with so many people cutting back with either not paying for the maintenance that their pool needs or they’re just not installing the swimming pool that they have always wanted.  To help create more work they’ve gone to the bank to offer their services on the pools on foreclosed houses.  No doubt with a properly maintained swimming pool the resale factor on the house will be much more profitable.  No doubt life handed this company lemons and they’re looking to make lemonade.

Where Did That Light Bulb Go?

Just a few years ago it seemed I could remember everything I thought of that had any type of significance during my day.  Nowadays it seems it’s beginning to become difficult to remember all my thoughts and ideas and I’m only 27.  I’ve always heard it’s important to write things down and now I’m becoming a believer in this doctrine.  There are many benefits that can come about by writing things down.  One benefit is it allows you to get all your ideas down in front of you where you can see them.  Seeing your thoughts will not only allow you to remember them but also to be able to expand on the idea.  As a result from this practice you may begin to think clearly on that subject.  Try writing things down and you may be surprised with what ideas you may come up with.

Connecting the Dots

In business it’s always great to receive referrals.  Unfortunately many of us are uncomfortable in taking the steps necessary to receive referrals.  It may be uncomfortable because we just don’t know how to do it or we are afraid to open our mouths when we are around others. We should not be afraid to share what we know with whom we know.  Now we don’t want to come across as a loud-mouthed sales person and we shouldn’t but by opening our mouths and sharing we begin to make connections.  These connections will create a network for us that can produce referrals.  So go ahead and make a goal of letting people be on familiar terms with what you know on a daily basis.

Amazing Apple

Apple has continued to grow steadily for the last five years.  When many companies in their industry seem to be standing still Apple has continually grown.  Many individuals would give all the praise to Steve Jobs and rightfully so since Apple has risen in popularity since his return.  Since we can’t all have Steve Jobs on our staff we can look to see what it is that Apple has done to become so successful.  One of the reasons for their success is how they have made themselves stand out in the crowd.  In other words they have become remarkable in design, advertising, and overall appeal.  Microsoft even recognizes this and has hired Alex Bogusky, who is considered the Steve Jobs of the ad world.  This is remarkable in itself because Microsoft has never tried to make them seem too flashy but now realize if they want to continue to compete they need to make themselves remarkable.  Are you looking for innovative ways to make your company remarkable or are you just content at standing still.

Now Hiring

With the economy down it’s expected that the job market would not be a pleasant situation. In fact that is the trend of last month as 63,000 jobs were eliminated. Now this could look like doom for those who are looking for a job or those who feel they have little job security. The good news is that the job market is expected to be hiring in the next couple of months. One report predicts a 26 percent increase in employee hiring within the next three months. This to me seems typical as the next three months is when universities all over the country will be releasing graduates out into the world. Now this percent increase is lower than it was last year at this time but is this due to the state of condition the economy is positioned?