Success is NOTHING More.....

 If you are looking to develop and grow (as a person in business) then this could be a good read……

 Most of you will know that I have a select number of people that provide me with guidance and inspiration. These are people that would easily be in the “Top 20” and some edging towards the “Top 1%”. 

They are not my friends or my family… they are specific to helping me manage and grow the business and with life in general.

 I don’t listen to a lot of the rubbish that I hear from many people in business or people who sit on side lines (they don’t even run a business) and tell you what you should and shouldn’t do.

 I certainly don’t absorb myself in the sh** and negative stuff that gets put on Social media.

Who do you take inspiration from and who do you listen to…? Apart from your partner. 😉

Running your own business is tough, and more than anything it can be mentally challenging. And it is made harder as a lot of people dwell on the negative things and rarely see the light. They moan and groan and dampen the mood of everyone.😢

If you are finding the going tough then my recommendation is to start looking at how you can develop yourself. 

How can you change to create an even better version of yourself…?

Some people like positive affirmations and some people just raise an eyebrow and scoff when they see them.

I read (well mainly listen on Audible) and look to find inspiration for new ideas and new thinking. And what I have learned is that business success is a mindset…. 

It is what you “think” that has a bearing on your success. Henry Ford famously said… “If you think you can or you think you can’t then you are probably right.”…. it took we a good few reads to finally understand what it was saying.

I was reading an article the other day from someone who had taken inspiration from Jim Rohn and his mentor Earl Shoaff. These guys are from the past, back in 1960/70’s, but a lot of their mentoring holds its own today.

Here are some of the take aways from the article……

After a conversation Earl summarised Jim’s business position…. “You have pennies in your pocket, nothing in the bank. Your creditors are calling, and you are behind on your promises.”

Earl went on to tell Jim …. “What you have right now is because you have attracted it because of the person you have become.”  He was effectively saying that he wasn’t taking responsibility for his business and there as no one to blame other than himself. He had allowed it to happen.

Earl went on to say…. “It is not what happens in your life that determines the major part of your future. What happens, happens to pretty much all of us. The key is what you do about it.” He continued… “Take responsibility for your future.”

 That advice is as profound today as it was in 1956.

 And there was more advice from Earl…

 “You can’t change what happens on the outside – but you can change what happens on the inside.” [you can't control things that are out of your control, so focus on what you can control and influence ie. YOU.]

 And it doesn’t stop there. Earls other salient comments include….

 “Don’t wish it was easier – wish you were better.”

 “Don’t wish for less problems – wish for more skills.”

 “Start working on yourself”

Jim Rohn had a very successful career as a speaker and personal development coach. Tony Robbins, a very successful life coach guy today, names Jim as one of his mentors. And it is a statement from Jim that was my inspiration for this article….

 “Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practised every day.”

I love that statement because it sums up the formula to success. 

It is same as getting fit or losing weight. Everyone knows the formula but few will have the discipline to do it every day and see the results

It is being disciplined to do the things you KNOW that need to happen. And being disciplined to do them every day, week, month even when you don’t want to. [If cannot do them then get someone else to, but don’t abdicate responsibility for the result.]

We don’t all wake up feeling positive about the day ahead but we must be disciplined to look for the positives, not the negatives.

 When you CAN'T BE ARSED, get rid of the “CAN'T” and BE ARSED!!!

 Need some inspiration on simple disciplines… 

1. When you have secured a new customer (and completed what you agreed to do) do you ASK if or advise that they need or want any extra services? When you have completed the original job, any additional sales item carries significant profit as you are already at the customers site. Eg. Extra keys, clean up service, padlocks, key safes, air brick covers, letter box guard, insect monitors etc….. Small numbers ADD UP.
2. Get more reviews – how? Are you asking… and are you asking the right way?
3. On Checkatrade…? get more Checkatrade reviews (check out my video from the other week)
4. Capture more photos – and post them on GMB (if not suspended ☹), Facebook, Checkatrade
5. Capture some video giving customers some useful tips to help them. And post on Facebook, GMB, Checkatrade
6. Ask customers for referrals and recommendations
7. Post leaflets after each job (around the property you did the job) – we have introduced Good Neighbour Cards (ask Jackie if you want to see what they look like)
8. Recent Jobs on your website – have you sent some in or are you on the digital support plan and scheduled time to speak to the team?
9. Have you approached or re-approached local Letting Agents or Property managers..?
10. Have you followed up on Quotes that you have delivered. Silence does not mean that they are not interested, just other priorities.
11. Have you sat down and reviewed your numbers – what is your “stress free” sales figure (the point when you know all your bills (personal and business) for the month are covered? How many calls do you not answer first time?, how much are you spending on marketing (compared to sales = your COA)?, what is the average sales value? When did you last put your prices up?

 Good luck with your disciplines.