May 18, 2012

Are Entrepreneurs Crazy? Not Really.

I watched this great video today on the Globe & Mail site: they asked a bunch of entrepreneurs about some of the misconceptions people have about them.

My favourite was the opening speaker, Dan Debow, CEO of Rypple, who says that entrepreneurs aren’t in love with risk, or enjoy risks more than most people; on the contrary, they’re just better at mitigating them.

Translation?

You know that old saying about ‘when the chips are down’? It’s an entrepreneur’s job to ensure that the chips stay UP.

He also says that entrepreneurs are better than most at seeing solutions where most of us can’t.

If this describes you—someone who loves hard work, and seeing solutions and ideas where other people only see problems and obstacle— thenI encourage you to give entrepreneurship a try. There’s no bigger satisfaction to be had.

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May 16, 2012

What’s Stopping You?

Over the course of my years as an ActionCOACH, I’ve held many seminars on business coaching and being an entrepreneur.

One of the most common questions I get is this one: “Why would I give up my steady paycheck to be self-employed? From what I read, 80% of all new businesses fail within the first few years.”

It’s a good question. But look at it this way, soon most of us will probably be self-employed. Did you see this?

The point being, that the economy is undergoing some fundamental changes; for every job technology gives (i.e. (Netflix) it takes one away (your local video store).

My point? By all means hold on to that steady job. I am not here to tell my readers what to do with their lives; everyone is different.

BUT: if you are sitting on the fence, I’d say go for it. Chances are your job might not exist in 10-20 years so why not create your own—one you actually like?

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May 15, 2012

How you can Double the number of clients you have in 4 weeks

Is it possible to Double the number of clients you have in 4 weeks?

YES!!

Tip#1: The best place to look for new customers is from your past customers that are no longer buying from you. So if you database all your current and past customers you can call them or email them with an enticing offer to come back. So what would be your offer that would grab their attention?

To Learn some of the proven strategies to get more customers check out our  video 11 Way to Double your clients video

As a Bonus Offer download our   FREE REPORT

11 Ways to Double Your  Customer Base in 4 Weeks!

If you would like to attend our seminar on Thursday, June 14th at 6:30 pm

showing you over 300 more strategies to get more customers click here

Enter promo code 20120501 and this workshop will be yours for $49.95+GST instead of $149 saving you money to put towards your new client retention program instead!

If you are not completely satisfied that you will be able to double your client base in 4 weeks using our strategies we will REFUND you your money, no questions asked!

 

 

 

 

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May 11, 2012

Are you thinking like an owner?

I once saw this sign at a small grocery store in Edmonton. “Think Like An Owner!!” it declared, to employees on their way to or from the washroom.

The vast majority of these employees were a) terrible and b) probably making the minimum wage, or something barely above it.

This is an example of an owner who wants something for nothing. He would pay everyone about $6/hr and in return he would expect the best employees ever.

Does that sound right to you?
Of course not. So what’s the answer–big raises for everyone and then hope for the best?

No.

The solution is making people feel like they are part of YOUR team. As an expert in the Financial Post writes -

“What does [work] is empowering employees to think, feel and act like business owners by giving them important responsibilities, tying a portion of their compensation to the company’s performance and educating them on how to interpret key financial indicators.”

http://business.financialpost.com/2012/05/02/sense-of-entitlement-is-sapping-canadas-productivity/
This is not easy, but can be done. Find the right people and find ways to make them think for themselves. They will resist at first, because no other employer has ever asked them to think. (Ever.)

My point? If you want your staff providing the same wretched service, keep doing what you’re doing now.

If on the other hand you want a high powered team that cares as much as you do–then tell them what you want and help them get there.

At ActionCOACH Canada we look at your business closely to help you find the right people and keep them. Visit us today at www.actioncoachcanada.ca

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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May 9, 2012

How can Government help Small Business Owners?

 

In my riding, we recently had a by-election. I laughed and laughed and laughed, because, as usual, all 3 major candidates said helping small business “was their # 1 priority.”

They didn’t mean it. No government ever does.

Was reading the NY Times today–they featured a small ice cream shop in San Francisco that was put through 2 (!!!) years of red tape waiting just to OPEN, let alone stay open. “There were permit fees of $20,000; a demand that she create a detailed map of all existing area businesses (the city didn’t have one); and an $11,000 charge just to turn on the water.”

The mayor has “promised to look into this,” since he recently declared that small business is the “Backbone of SF Economy.” (As the reporter wryly notes, “If true, then the saga of a new ice cream shop seems to indicate that the city needs a good chiropractor.”)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/03/business/smallbusiness/before-ice-cream-shop-can-open-citys-slow-churn.html?_r=1

His officials will tell him they were just following the rules, and no doubt they were. If we are serious about helping small business, those rules must be written by small business, not civil servants in City Hall.
I am not saying business should operate in a vacuum, with no regulation. I am saying that the rules, at present, are written to make life easy for city hall. They should be written to make life easy for the people who make jobs, that is, business owners.

Every great business idea has succeeded despite regulations, never because of them. We should demand our governments recognize that.

Want to know more about how we help small businesses? Visit http://www.actioncoachcanada.ca/ and sign up for our newsletter as well!

 

 

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May 7, 2012

When was your last day off?

Chances are if you read me regularly, you probably own your business.

In an average month, I have about 25-30 meetings with business owners. I usually ask the same questions. Most of the time, people are glad to answer me–square footage, annual sales, HR, vendor relations, expansion plans, etc.

And then I ask this:

“When was your last day off?”

I love to ask this…..because answers REALLY vary here. Business owners who have no trouble telling me about their new location suddenly can’t remember the last time they had a day off.

If this problem describes you–lots of success, no time off–I urge you to look into this:

Join other business owners and discover how to earn more and free up your time. Remember you have to Learn before you can earn more. And Learn is Earn with a L.

This is fantastic for networking, learning new ideas and spending some time working on your business vs. in it.

The event is on Wednesday, May 9th beginning at 6:30pm for networking and the presentation starts at 7:00 PM at the ActionCOACH Edmonton office at 202-12906-54 Street.
Don’t Miss Out, Click Here to Register for this FREE event.

Click here to see what our clients say about Us!

 

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April 30, 2012

Batman at the Office

I read a good piece in the Globe and Mail the other day about the common traits of superheroes and entrepreneurs.

The piece is light-hearted, but the points it makes are serious:

“Superheroes always get the job done. There are no excuses if you don’t save the girl from the burning house. There are results, not reasons – you either come to the rescue or you don’t.”

Keep this in mind when you hear yourself or some other business blaming the recession, or a gloomy economic forecast, or the neighbourhood, or Wal-Mart, for your business’ poor results.

It’s human nature, alas, to react this way; it’s NEVER our fault, someone or something else is always to blame.

Why am I telling you this? Because a large percentage of my readers are thinking very seriously of becoming business owners. Before you take the plunge, ask yourself this: “Does the buck stop with me? Or am I good at assigning blame to random, outside events?”

I can’t count the number of people who come to my office complaining about this, that, and the other—all these external factors supposedly affecting their business—when their sales team is a mess and their products are light-years behind the competition.

Fix your product, and get a better sales team, or retrain the one you have. There is a name for a business owner who can’t/won’t take the blame for mistakes: a FORMER business owner.

Take responsibility for your business’ success. Contact ActionCOACH today!

 

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April 27, 2012

Are You Selling What Your Customers Want?

Ever walked down a busy street and seen a “Going out of Business” sign for, say, a clothing store?

And then you walk down that same street a few months later, and boom: there’s another clothing shop in the same spot filled with customers and obviously thriving.

Same location, same neighbourhood. But clearly the market embraced the one and rejected the other.

So what was wrong with that first store? Did they stock ugly clothes? Did they have poor marketing? Did they have bad customer service? Possibly. But it’s more likely they were selling the wrong clothes at the wrong price and in the wrong neighbourhood.

It’s like they say in this Financial Post article. http://www.nationalpost.com/Sell+what+clients+want/6463811/story.html

“Most businesses simply do not align their operations with their customers’ priorities,” Smith writes. “This is not just my opinion or conjecture, but our key findings from more than 100 customer surveys conducted for our client companies.”

Jaynie L. Smith, a leading business expert, goes on to say: “If you don’t value what you do for your customers, meaning, if you don’t put a value in it, they won’t value it either.”

So what does this mean for your business?

Well, make sure you are 100% focused on what your customer actually wants and needs. Do not tell them what they need. Don’t fall into the same trap that the North American car industry fell into during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s; GM learnt that lesson far too late!

It’s easy to say, I know. It’s easy to diagnose these problems in, difficult to figure out those problems in our own business. And therein lies the basis ‘Argument # 154’ for getting a good business coach: a business coach is NOT you and does not share your company history or philosophy—they can give you that outsiders view your business badly needs.

Contact Greg Kopchuk today for how you can get a coach to be the eyes and ears of your customers.

 

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April 26, 2012

Go Big or Go Home

Within a few years every new business has a decision to make. Part of that decision is answering these big questions: “What the hell am I doing here?” And “What’s next?”

Obviously, each business owner will have a different answer to those questions—the answers will all depend on your particular cash flow, customer base, sales record, and pricing model.

Most start-ups are very small with just one or two people, sometimes three. As the years go by, more people are needed to make things run smoothly. And of course those new people, unless chosen with great care, will not have the same passion as the founder(s). And that’s where one of the major problems lies: how do you share your vision for the business with new employees?

So once you’ve reached this point, what’s next for you? Are you going to grow bigger? Or are you going to scale back to a size you’re more comfortable with?

This is what I tell my coaches and clients: just go for it, go big! Hire people with the same passion that brought you your success in the first place. It won’t be easy, but the right people are out there. And if that person is treated with respect and dignity, chances are very good that he or she will add value right away, AND in the long-term—new people bring with them new ideas.

It does involve risk, yes. But without risk, there is never success!

Need help navigating those risks? Contact Greg Kopchuk today!

 

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April 18, 2012

Marathon Runner Newest Entry in ActionCOACH Canada

Burlington, ON- Just like an athlete needs a coach to push them to their limits, so to do business owners. And to Dan Holstein – who happens to be both – joining the ActionCOACH Canada team was the best decision he ever made.

A former IT consultant, Dan hired an ActionCOACH to assist him with restructuring his business. He was so impressed with their skills that he realized he wanted to coach alongside them and help other business owners strike the life and work balance.

“I sold my company to another IT firm and after the transition period, I knew I wanted to become an ActionCOACH. My goal is to be a source of positive change for local business owners and help them improve their businesses to increase their profits, while at the same time working fewer hours. It’s about lifestyle – the business really should serve the owner and not the other way around,” says Holstein.

Dan lives in Beamsville, Ontario with his wife Jennifer and two young children. When he’s not helping his clients grow their businesses, he enjoys many outdoor activities with his family such as hiking, biking, canoeing and all-season camping. Dan is also an avid runner competing in several marathons, half-marathons, and other long distance races each year.

A member of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce and President of the BNI Corporate Executive Network, Dan can often be found attending or running local networking events in the Burlington community. Coming up this June, Dan and two of his clients will be cycling over 200kms from Toronto to Niagara Falls, in support of the Ride To Conquer Cancer. Dan and his team have a goal of raising $10,000 for cancer research.

“As a coach, I make sure I have the time to give back to the community, and this is an initiative that, along with my teammates and riding partners, I am proud to support,” says Holstein.

To learn more about Dan and his work at ActionCOACH Canada visit:

http://actioncoach.com/danholstein

Or call Dan at 905-876-2234

-30-

To book an interview contact
Rachel Sentes
604-366-7846
rachel@gal-fridaypublicity.com

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