Feel the Force - Become a Business Jedi

I am not going to apologise for sending this and I know you may be someone that thinks this is all nonsense. However, I know from personal experience, and from working within our fantastic community, that our brain can be our worst enemy....     Maybe yours is to? I see the impact of “negativity bias” play out every day with people looking for reasons why things are going well or to plan. They search out reasons to validate their negative thoughts… many of which are just things that fit the narrative rather than the truth. This is a natural fight or flight reaction of the brain, so this idea of “positive bias” could be hugely powerful to you and help push you and your business forward?   Check it out – it is only a couple of minutes.   https://www.facebook.com/share/v/173bNvPZdh/?mibextid=wwXIfr   Since I took on running my own business, I have opened my mind to listening and learning (almost on a daily basis).  Much of what I have learned ...

I was clearing through some files today (yes, I still print some things off 🙂) and I came across some notes that really resonated with me. Maybe it will resonate too......?? When it comes to business growth there are JUST 3 obvious and basic principles that you must focus on; Increase the number of customers Increase the average spend from each customer Increase the frequency of a customer purchasing again All of these things are in your control and you could increase your sales starting tomorrow if you implement simple changes in the way you operate. ##1 Increasing the number of customers  is largely down to the activity you put into your marketing - time and money in the usual currency. No or low investment = low sales..!!! ##2 Increasing the average spend from each customer  is probably the easiest one to crack; Put your prices up - it is rare that anyone has increased their price and then lowered it again. Provide more service to each customer - can a customer "go large"...

On the Lockforce monthly call on Tuesday there was mention that customers are using the Whats App facility to contact you via a text message as opposed to calling. This was reiterated again in another couple of conversations thereafter. So this has got me thinking? Is this a trend or just a bit of a blip...? From the stats I see there is clear use of the What App function on the webpages, but still relatively small compared to calls. So how do we deal with the dreaded Whats App / Facebook message, text or email..... "I need some new locks, how much will it be?" or something similar. Here is something that I use in the event that I see something similar on Facebook... Customer... "Hello, I would like a quote for xxx." Response... "I am sorry to hear that you have a problem.  So that I can understand the situation and give you the best advice , what is the best number to contact you on…?" This will get me one of 2 responses..... 1)  They text me the number t...

 This is a visual that I captured at the Entrepreneurs Circle. "Know the difference between your task and your purpose." Just think about that for a moment........ Your task is doing the things you need to do to get the job done... that is your TASK, whereas your purpose is to create a successful business with "loyal" customers that use you time and time again, refer you to friends and talk to others about you. However, creating "Loyal" customers is not that easy and in the majority of cases requires way more than just getting the job done.  Customers expect you to do the job they have employed you to do, so that alone is unlikely to create Loyal customers. Let's be clear, doing the job alone with not hurt your business but is less likely to drive it forward. It normally requires you to create a memorable moment (or TNT is you ever listened to Adrian Webster at our previous conferences).... a "wow" moment. From experience it is the little ...

 Running your own business is about making the money you need to have the life you want...    But running your own business and making money IS NOT easy….   No one should tell you otherwise.    And then when you make money you have to learn what to do next….   I have included the picture as I thought it was quite thought provoking….. 🤷 ‍ ♂ ️ 🤔   Personally, I don’t like the reference to “Rich” and “Poor” but I like the concept they are trying to show. I have been involved in the Forces Group for 9 years. (I know, for me it feels like only yesterday when we first got involved.)   And over the years I have always aimed to pay myself a salary so I can pay the bills and live my life without too many frills and spills, but after that I am constantly looking at investing back into the business, which makes the business stronger which in turn protects the life I have.   So are you thinking the right way…. what could you be d...

 Have you ever heard the expression  “working ON your business or IN your business”.     In simple terms….   Working IN your business is about doing the physical day to day operation of your business. (money today)   Working ON your business is doing the thinking, analysis and actions that will move you (and / or your business) forward beyond what it is doing today (money future)   As a solopreneur this can be hard to find the time to work ON your business, particularly when it is the actual doing when you see the £’s coming into your bank account.   However, it is the working ON your business where the biggest change can happen!!! Amongst many, many other things it is about understanding the numbers in your business, reviewing the numbers in your business making changes (take action) to impact the numbers in your business etc…. having a marketing strategy, working on your marketing strategy etc… ...

  When it comes to understanding why certain businesses are thriving and their counterparts are not, there is a very common theme. There’s ONE thing that’s common to them all... This one thing makes selling their product or service easier, makes charging a higher price easier, makes getting their brand out there more accessible, makes finding better staff easier, and keeps customers buying easier. That one thing is... To differentiate what they do from their competition. Sounds obvious, right? But can you honestly answer this: “Why should someone buy my product or service from me, rather than from my competitor?" If you look at any business and compare them to their competitors, 95% of them are the same — just a different logo. They’re selling the same stuff at the same price to the same audience while claiming they care more and that their service is better, or that they are more trustworthy. This mindset means these businesses will struggle. So how do you d...

 I was listening to a podcast while relaxing in the bath (probably a sight you don’t want to imagine) the other day. Phil M Jones was the speaker - he has a great book called Exactly What To Say. I recommend it for your reading list.  The podcast covered lots of thing but 1 thing resonated with me HUGELY.  I n our training we talk about the only way to succeed is to fail. (Fall down might be a better thing to say). Failing is a key attribute to success. The problem is that many people don’t want to go through the pain of failure to discover success. Or they try something once and give up too early. This was emphasised on the podcast but he added another element… mistakes!!   Phil Jones made the point that there is a difference between failure and mistakes.   His interpretation was that..   a mistake is knowing how to do something and simply not doing it properly or consistently. while,   a failure is trying something new and not getti...

 Has the penny dropped…?  “Send me your invoice and I’ll transfer the money!”…. Says the lovely customer. You wait and wait and no payment arrives. Just one non-payment is the thin edge of the wedge but Non or late payment for work can spread like virus and have a huge impact on you and your business.  If you are walking away from new customers without collecting payment then guess what…? …. you are no longer in control of your business!!  You have just handed your customer complete control and while you may think that may sound a bit extreme, I am seeing it play havoc on many business owners.  I can see it causing anxiety, frustration and anger to the extent that it is impacting you personally and as a result it impacts other parts of your business.   Eg. You have to start spending your precious time and your money to collect that money that should already be in your bank. This leads to resentment that starts to impact on how you feel and how ...

If you are feeling a bit dejected or lack motivation then ask yourself if you are actually looking after yourself properly or are you losing the fight with your health and fitness. I have spoken to many franchisees in recent weeks who have chosen to take action and get more physically active to improve their health, weight and general fitness. They have all said how taking walks, running, going to the gym, watching what they eat etc.... is contributing to their mental wellbeing which is having a positive impact on their business. Wow.... common sense but few talk about how being in good health can really help you when in comes to business. When the shit happens or things are going wrong some people queue up to be a volunteer (they claim they are a victim which is rarely the case) and some people take positive steps. Today I am raising my hat to those that are taking the necessary action to ensure that they are looking after themselves - by getting fitter and healthier - and seeing impr...

 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 a...