Ready, set..... stuck?

There I stood - not budging.  I pushed harder and harder.   Leaning forward on a 20 degree slope downhill, two boards strapped to my boots and the most awesome powdery conditions - and I was stuck.  

Other skiers breezed by me, screaming "yahooooo" - and rejoicing in the abundance of powder below and the huge flakes falling from above.  But I just stood still.

I lifted my one foot then the other and began walking down the hill.  Every once in a while I stopped, banged the skis on the ground and attempted to push one foot forward in a sliding motion. No go.

A a ski instructor I was baffled.  OK - I am on a hill, leaning forward what was going on?  My understanding of physics told me I should be moving forward and down the hill.

It took me 10 minutes to walk down to the bottom of the hill from the chalet - and when I was on more solid snow, I took off my skis. (actually, it was my ski partner who thought he knew what the problem might be)

I had already decided of course that my skis needed a tune up - or waxing.  He knew differently.  Turning the skis over he showed me the problem. There was a four inch section on each ski bottom covered in bumpy, snowy ice, right under where I would have centered my balance.  I scraped the ice off - and was away sliding easily to the chair lift and then riding up up to the top of the mountain to begin my skiing day.

On the chair lift I began to think about how skiing could be much like business.  Once you push off, downhill momentum could make the skiing very enjoyable.  But when you all of a sudden become 'stuck' or stopped for no apparent reason - things can become very frustrating.

In fact when I looked at the surface of the problem with my skis - nothing appeared to be wrong.  I was on a slope, I had skis on and the snow conditions were perfect.  Had I taken off my skis earlier - I could have identified the problem, scraped off the ice and skied down to the chairlift.  But instead I pushed on in the most inefficient way possible - determined to get to the bottom of the hill - even if I had to walk!  (I wonder what would have happened had I asked for help?)

How many of us do the same in business?  We may be experts. (after all I was a ski instructor)  We may have a lot of knowledge about business, but when we become stuck instead of stopping for a moment to investigate the reason for the slowdown or 'stuckedness', we push harder and harder, determined to not let ANYTHING stand in our way.  

Interestingly enough I wonder how often a quick 'check in and check up' on our business would afford us the information we need to get over the 'hump' and regain momentum.  Further to that - I wonder how much more easily we might grow our businesses if we stopped every once in a while to ask for help in assessing what is really going on.

This is one of the reasons we have a business assessment available on the Roaring Women web site.  (yes it is available and free to everyone.)

So the next time all things seem to be in order - and you appear to be doing everything right but you just can't budge - take a minute to examine what is really going on.  And if it isn't readily apparent - ask for help.  Sometimes just a small tweak can get you moving forward again with little effort at all.

We have many great resources available for members of Roaring Women.  We are North America's largest business resource!  Why not try us out for free here - and get some valuable gifts!

Easy... easy like Sunday morning...

I may be giving away my age - but the song "Easy like Sunday morning" by Lionel has been playing over and over in my head when I think of the last phone call I had with a supplier.  But first let me begin with....

I am not always easy!  Although I try to be fairly mellow about most things - I know that I am a tough customer. I do my very best to be polite but I expect to be treated with respect as I am purchasing a product – or may be purchasing one – and I would hope that the company I am dealing with would like continue to do business with me.

But lets turn the table. From a business perspective – I wonder – am I easy to do business with? Are you?

Recently, I have had several experiences that taught me a lot about how we can make it easy to do business with us. Let me explain.

This past week, I was doing some business house keeping. Over the holidays I had found several over charges on my credit card, noted some accounts that were being mailed to the wrong address and decided to switch all my business purchases to one credit card. Many of these jobs were quite simple in nature – but added together they took me the better part of a week to get done. Here are some of the issues I encountered:

• One supplier refused to speak on the phone with me. All correspondence had to be done via email. This resulted in 25 emails to get cleared up - because the business overcharged me and I wanted reimbursed. Total time spent for 25 emails – 1.5 hours
• One supplier did not have my account information viewable – so I had to call and leave a message to change my credit card number. Then after I received a call back I was sent a form to fill in and fax back. Total time spent – 35 minutes
• The phone company said they changed my billing address after the first 25 minute call – but one month later I called back – was transferred to 4 different operators who all had to verify who I was and my account number and two pieces of I.D. before they changed the billing address a second time. Total in tow calls 1.25 hours 
• A mail support supplier over billed me by $75 dollars and when I asked for a refund they would credit the card – but they had the incorrect address. To change the address I had to send and email on letterhead to the company. I used the email address they gave me and it bounced. I had to call back and start over. Then they told me it was MY responsibility to check and see if the refund went through. Total time spent – 1.5 hours

These are only a few of the activities that consumed my week. 

The final one was a call to American Express Merchant Services. It was after 5 pm – but I tried calling anyway. I got an operator after pressing zero only one time! (wow!) When I explained that I wanted to close the account - the operator asked me why. I explained – and she offered to reimburse me for 6 months of fees and created a better solution where I would not have monthly fees.  

I did not even ask for a refund -  they offered it!  Then they made it so easy to do business with them - I could not find a reason to leave!

Now that is one SMART company!

In 5 minutes I was refunded 30 dollars and had a pleasant conversation- and remained a customer! Now there was a company that was easy to do business with!  Easy like Sunday morning even!

I thanked the operator and told her how I she had been the easiest call I had all day. She laughed and told me the same was for her – that I had been her easiest call.

The lesson I learned was that even big companies can have customer friendly policies. Most do not – but creating easier ways for a customer to do business with you can make everyone’s day a lot less stressful and enable them to be more efficient!

This opened a whole new door for me to re-examine my policies and determine how I can be easier to do business with. If you are having a lot of push back or difficulties with clients – chances are – you are not that easy to do business with.

Is it time for a change? I mean really – isn’t life complicated enough?  If you are looking to create more customer loyalty, streamline your processes and make it easier for people to do business with you – why not consider a coach? More information on coaching here

A different kind of “Games”.

I recently watched a documentary on the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and the construction that has taken place in and around Vancouver. 

As opposed as I am to spending billions of dollars on pomp and ceremony at the cost of cutting funding to seniors residences and other social programs, (and yes, this has indeed happened) I was pleased to see some of the positive results that have taken place in Vancouver.

First and foremost is the sustainability of much of the construction that has taken place. Housing at Whistler Blackhome will be disassembled after the games and reassembled in other parts of the province, to provide affordable housing. All the buildings that were constructed in fact have long term plans for supporting the community in function.

In other construction and renovation projects, planners incorporated the best possible environmental practices, considering heating and landscape and in several cases creating roofs that have green growth such as grass and plants, providing both insulation and benefiting the atmosphere. 

There has been great thought put into the incorporation of indigenous history in the architecture and aboriginal people have been called upon for their contributions of talent for enhancing the environment. Sculptures, carvings and paintings decorate almost every structure in some way.

What is different about this Olympic Games?

Organizers and developers incorporated the “New Rules of Business”. Read more here

They have added to instead of taken away from the community at large. In the end, they have also added value to all the attendees, athletes and those who are left behind to use the facilities. Organizers wanted to make a difference.

I think that even before the games have begun – that they have succeeded in that goal.

They have set a fantastic example in terms of the new business model. The questions is – will we see and learn from the great example that has been set before us?

Are you looking to make changes in your business in the coming year.  Contact Mandie Crawford for ideas and coaching that will not only change your business and your live - but also make a great contribution to the world you live in.  More information here

I am so tired of make believe business owners

Maybe it's middle age - but I seem to be doing a lot of ranting lately.

But the amount of 'junk' I hear daily from business owners has me wanting to stir the pot a little - maybe just be honest about how I feel about it.

I mean really - can't anyone be honest any more?

"$200.00 to attend the weekend event? Oohhh I can't afford that". "$45.00 for a meal and a speaker - ohhhh - that's too much".

These are the words coming from the lips of micro business owners - who will always be micro business owners and never make more than just enough to pay the bills. And that is ok if that is where they want to stay.

But these same business owners are the first to whine about not having enough business. These are the business owners who continue to advertise using poor copy - and subsequently spend hundreds on an ad that no one reads or responds to. Or they have a website built from a template that they never update and complain that they are not getting any traffic on their websites.

Yet if you ask them what they want to achieve you will hear them say - next year I want a six figure income.

Not using outdated strategies and penny pinching they won't. In fact they will stay exactly where they are. And that's ok if that's what they want.

But pleeeaaase don't tell me how hard it is to get business when you are not willing to spend money on your business.

And come on! How do you expect to keep up with everyone else when you refuse to invest in yourself and learn new business strategies?

And get real! Do you really want to keep going to the same place month after month, meeting the same people over an over again - talking about the same issues - and making the same money (and mistakes) as you did 15 years ago?

If you really, really want to grow your business invest in yourself. Stop whining. Think from the end.

Yes $200 can be a lot of money. But what if you learned one thing, just one thing that would raise your yearly income by 10 to 20 %? Wouldn't that more than cover the $200?

You know it would be much easier if you were just honest with yourself and the rest of us. Why not just say - "you know I really don't want any more business - I just like to come out to dinner and socialize once a month". Or maybe admit, "I really just enjoy getting paid once in a while for my work - but I really don't want this to be a big business - it's too much trouble and just interferes with other things I would rather do."

Great. I can respect that. But please stop pretending to yourself and the rest of us that you are trying to build your business. If you are unwilling - yes UNWILLING to invest $200 in learning something new then you are not serious about your business.

There I said it. Now let's get some serious work done. Those of you playing at business can go back to your game of make believe.

By the way - we have a great business event in Hamilton October 16th and 17th. Why not join us. But be advised - this is serious stuff. You might even learn something new.

A lesson from nature..

I have always thought the desert to be a beautiful place. Recently my husband returned from a trip to Tucson Arizona, bringing some beautiful pictures with him. Several of his pictures featured Saguaro Cactus, the cactus that bears the state flower of Arizona. This cactus grows about an inch a year from what seems to be infertile soil. That means it takes 50 years to grow is just over 4 feet! They take up to 75 years to develop a side arm. This is so much slower growing than bamboo in the rain forest where in one year, bamboo can grow up to 70 feet!

This made me begin to think about business growth. What does something need in order to grow?

Certainly in the plant world there needs to be energy - the warmth of the sun. There also needs to be nutrients in the soil as well as moisture – rain or humidity. Take these things away or limit them and growth may still happen, but much more slowly. What about our businesses? What does a business need to grow? It’s not a plant, animal or human. However, a business, in its own way is a living thing. It too needs certain things to survive. Cash flow is essential in a business. It’s like oxygen. But just because a business has cash flow that does not necessarily mean it will grow. It may exist but will not necessarily grow. A business needs to have a knowledgeable and skilled leader with relevant and timely strategies and information to make it grow. Unfortunately many business owners operate solely on their gut feeling. They hope they are making the right decisions and when the business runs into trouble – or hard times hit, they become confused and begin having knee-jerk reactions – making decisions too quickly and without enough knowledge. No one is born with a ‘how to build a business’ manual. Many successful business owners have spent years educating themselves before they even open a business. Essentially what they are doing when educating themselves is ensuring that there are enough nutrients (information) to feed the business. Many of us want our businesses to grow – and grow quickly. When it does not – we lose interest (energy) – often the energy that is required to keep the business growing. Many of us lose interest because we do the same things day in and day out without taking the time to feed our minds with the information we need to help our businesses grow. So in addition to losing interest we also do not have the knowledge it takes to get over the bumps. It is kind of like Saguaro Cactus growing in the desert. Our businesses may have lots of sunshine but not near enough nutrients or moisture to help it to grow. Are you growing your business in a desert? Have you taken some time to feed it with good information? Are you willing to grow only an inch a year or would you like it to grow a little more quickly? (I know I would!) It is imperative that we take time to learn about new trends, strategies and meet with other business owners to see how they are handing their businesses successfully. Yes, education does not come for free. We have to pay for it – one way or another. We can speed up the growth process by learning from others or we can learn slowly by making mistakes and finding things out for ourselves! Which will you choose? If you are looking ti increase your business knowledge and improve upon your skills - I have a great event coming up this fall to feed your thirsty mind - check out the preliminary information here!