What would you think if you saw a sign that read, "Entrepreneurs Wanted"? Many people would see such a sign as a rare opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream. They've long envisioned a life where they could make their own hours, follow their passions, and not have to feel as though the people above them are trying to keep them down. Others would view such a sign with suspicion. They might ask, "What's the catch?" They might even come up with a...more
When it comes to business most of us take one side or the other: Business owners are either viewed as helpful visionaries or evil devils. The evil view feels that the heads of major corporations exist to fleece our pockets and take our money. They'd roll us in the alley given the chance. If you're looking for a bad guy, few compare to the faceless evil of corporate America so often portrayed in today's media. The evil corporation is out to get...more
Looking back I can't believe how long it took me to truly understand what a business was for. I'd heard it repeated countless times, albeit for the most part by parrots and non-believers. I'd seen it portrayed in posters and articles all around me, but somehow I remained blind to the message. Like many of us, I was brought up believing that to make it in business you had to be ruthless and unfeeling at times. Clouded by this false perception I refused to believe the mantra all around me: "The Customer is Number One."The Purpose of BusinessWhat follows is, admittedly, a bit of a rant. It's important that you read it. Here's why. To understand what businesses do, you need to understand why they do it. To understand how to improve the business you are in, you need to understand its true purpose. That's what this is all about. When it comes to business, you can look at things in one of two lights: Good or Evil. The evil view is that the heads of major corporations exist for the purpose of taking our money from us. If you're looking for a bad guy, few compare to the faceless evil of corporate America so often portrayed in today's media.If you bother to take a second look with the good...more
To run a successful business, you have to understand the reasons that people have for going to a business to satisfy their needs instead of taking care of their problems on their own. When trying to carry out a particular task or satisfy a particular need, a business can have a significant advantage over the individual. Let's look at some simple...more
In today's high-paced, competitive workforce an effective office manager is key to successful business operation. As an effective office manager you need to understand your role, and your key objectives.The key responsibility of any office manager is to ensure the smooth operation of day-to-day business. There are three levels required to...more
Fundamentally there are only two ways to grow your business: increase the amount of money coming in and cut costs. If you are just starting out your cost cutting opportunities are small so you need to turn your focus to taking in more money.Here are three management tips on how to increase the amount of money coming into your company. The first is focus on increasing the number of customers you have. The second is focus on increasing the average amount of value of each sale from your business. The third is look for ways to make sales more frequently. Each one of these topics is worth expanding on.Increasing the number of customers for your business is all about advertising. Step one is to figure out what group of people you can help. Step two is finding all the ways you can reach those people with a message of the value of your help. All too often people start with step 2 and try to reach everyone, figuring the right people will figure out who they are and contact you. If you've got a lot of money to waste, this is a quick and easy way to waste it. If you want to see some bang for your advertising buck, then you must determine your target market first, and build your advertising...more
Since the primary purpose of a successful business is to help customers with their problems it stands to reason that a business would be organized around the way customers look at problems.The Customers PerspectiveThe typical problem solving cycle of...more
We know why people want things:1. to meet basic needs,2. to save time or effort,3. to get peace of mind,4. it appeals to their image or ego,5. fun or enjoyment,We also know why people go looking for help with these things:1. ...more
Could evil corporate America actually be helping us?When it comes to business most of us take one side of the other: Business owners are either viewed as helpful visionaries or evil devils. The evil view feels that the heads of major corporations...more
If you want to design your business so that it provides the best possible experience for your customers, you have to think about the customer process. People go through the same steps every time that they look for a product to help them satisfy one...more
For any business to be successful, the people inside the business must understand why people would want their products or services. Understanding the 5 reasons people ask for help, and the 5 corresponding benefits they receive is critical to...more
For any business to be successful, the people inside the business must understand why people would want their products or services. I travelled to Brisbane Australia several years ago, arriving at midnight on a bus from Sydney. I was alone, had no...more