Jim Connolly Marketing

  • Home
  • About
    • About Jim Connolly
    • Jim’s small business marketing newsletter
    • Top Marketing Tips for 2026
    • Privacy Policy
    • How I use cookies
    • Contact
    • Disclosure
  • Let’s Grow Your Business

How serious are you about the success of your business?

Updated November 2012

By Jim Connolly | September 5, 2010

Many years ago, I attended a seminar, where one of the speakers asked the audience a great question.  She wanted to know:
“How serious are you about the success of your business?”

As you would expect, everyone in the room said that they were extremely dedicated to their business and it’s success.  She then asked one of the audience what his business targets were for the next 6 months.  He spoke in general terms about improving sales and moving things forward.

She then asked him another question:
“How different would your next 6 months look, if you knew with absolute certainty that you would win a million dollars, if you could increase your sales by 20%?”

The guy in the audience started listing; people he would call, people he would meet and people he would write to.  He then reeled off a whole series of marketing activities that he would get working on immediately.  The seminar speaker thanked him for his answer and then suggested he did all those activities regardless; because if he did, he would almost certainly become a millionaire anyway.

The point she made was that most of us hold back in key areas, when it comes to the development of our business.  There are things we know we should do, which we neglect, because they are tough or because they require us to step outside one of our comfort zones.  It’s easier for us to work hard doing the comfortable stuff.  You will seldom meet the owner of a small business, who does not work hard.

The thing is, hard work is not the secret of success.  If it was, our grandparents would have been millionaires!

A key difference between the most and least successful businesspeople, is that the most successful ones do what needs to be done.  They do what’s right, rather than doing what’s easiest or most comfortable.  They get the expert advice they need, so they make better decisions and can then work hard, knowing that they are moving forward by doing the right things, correctly.

The majority of small business owners try and forge ahead without the expert help they need and often waste years making little if any progress.  They relive the same year over and over, wondering why their hard work is getting such little reward.

Get serious. Get the right plan. Get working.  Get the rewards your hard work deserves!

Let’s work together and grow your business. To find out more click here!

IMPORTANT: If you want to make more sales, boost your profits and grow an amazing business, this will help you!

Creative Marketing Tips

Get my best ideas delivered direct to your inbox. Just add your email below.

You can unsubscribe at any time. I respect your privacy.

Jim Connolly

Hi! I'm Jim Connolly and I use creative marketing to help small business owners increase sales, boost profits and build amazing businesses. Read more here.

Featured by

marketing advice, marketing help

Categories

  • AI (7)
  • Blogging (407)
  • Business development (493)
  • Copywriting (307)
  • Creative Marketing (1,668)
  • Email marketing & mail shots (187)
  • Professional development (545)
  • Social media marketing (358)

Hosting provider

20i hosting

Search

Recent posts

  • Sign your work. Grow your business August 17, 2026
  • Get creative: Let others market your business for free! August 7, 2026
  • Traditional marketing is dead July 27, 2026
  • The stupid game July 13, 2026
  • Hey! Not so fast! July 6, 2026
  • How to get your fees right June 23, 2026
  • A 3 shot espresso for your business June 17, 2026
  • Unproductive? You’re probably just bored June 12, 2026
  • Make AI grow your business June 8, 2026
  • It motivates people to take action, now June 4, 2026
  • Is your business one of the 50% that prospects now avoid? Probably! May 30, 2026
  • Give your best ideas away for free. Here’s why May 12, 2026
  • AI is wiping out your competitors. Now take their market share May 5, 2026
  • Powerful words for your marketing toolbox. Part 2 April 29, 2026
  • Your social media is sending an important message April 27, 2026
  • When was the last time? April 23, 2026
  • Jim, why are my sales numbers down? April 20, 2026
  • The secret sauce you were looking for, is here April 15, 2026
  • A few things worth learning, from the top small businesses April 9, 2026
  • Be optimistic. Because all this is true April 2, 2026

Creative Thinking?

My Creative Thinking Website
  • Home
  • About
  • Let’s Grow Your Business

Copyright © 2026 Jim Connolly