In 2017, Frankie introduced me to someone amazing. “Jim, this is Cid, that wonderful photographer I told you about”.

Cid quickly corrected him. “Jim, my name is Lisa, not Cid”.

Frankie then explained why he calls her, Cid:

“Oh, Cid is a nickname. When Lisa says she will do something, she does it. Always to a high standard. And always on time. You can Consider It Done. It’s why we only use Lisa now. So I sometimes call her Cid when introducing her to people”.

There is always a shortage of people like Lisa. People who we can totally rely on. People who we can bring a problem to, and know in advance that they will deliver. People who provide that all-important peace of mind, which we value so highly.

Charging 10 times more and winning projects

Every service provider would benefit massively, from investing the time and effort needed, to earn that kind of reputation.

Why?

Because it’s not difficult to take a service provider with Lisa’s attitude, develop a brand around them, and create their very own, highly profitable slice of the market. Other’s with similar levels of ability, charge 10 times less and still struggle to get hired.

Note, I shared a story earlier this year about that specific point; how someone charged over 10 times more and easily won the client’s project. You can read it here.

Whatever industry you are in, there is always an opportunity to deliver the way Lisa does. And do it consistently enough, that your reputation goes before you. Market a service like that correctly and the sky’s the limit.

How are your business goals coming along?

As you consider your answer to that question, I’d like you to think about the following. It’s from the genius of Michelangelo.

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.’

Michelangelo.

Puny goals fail to inspire us. And as Michelangelo suggested, even if we achieve them, we’re in danger of achieving nothing of any importance.

When a genius gives that kind of advice, we do well to take heed. Thankfully, Michelangelo provided us with the best way forward. We’re advised that it’s a lot less dangerous to aim high.

This includes.

• Setting goals that excite you.
• Setting goals that cause you to grow.
• Setting goals that are worthy of you.
• Setting goals that will lead to a meaningful improvement in your quality of life.
• Setting goals that motivate the people around you.

That’s the kind of goal setting, which fuels you with the passion, energy, direction and inspiration you need. That’s the kind of goal setting, which can lead to outstanding results.

That’s also the kind of goal setting, which is used by the most effective people in business. Because it works.

Image: Esteban Lopez

Every business owner has weaknesses.

Including you and me.

But that’s okay.

After all, even Superman has kryptonite to contend with. He knows that this mysterious substance weakens or eliminates his super powers. So, he does everything he can to avoid the problems kryptonite causes, and comes out winning.

Business owners differ in 1 important way

Business owners are also aware of their weaker areas. But unlike Superman, they’re often unaware of the serious damage caused.

For example.

• The business owner who starts too many sales presentations with an apology for being just a little late, may think it doesn’t matter. They’re unaware that every prospective client who values punctuality will feel very differently about it. The business owner will wonder why their presentation failed, and write the prospect off as a time waster. So the problem persists.
• The business owner who avoids making big decisions until the last moment, may think it doesn’t matter. They’re unaware that leaving things until the last minute means they have fewer options open to them. They lose valuable time, end up making worse decisions, and blame the outcome on bad luck. So the problem persists.
• The business owner who thinks it’s okay to develop their business as if it was a Do It Yourself hobby, may think it doesn’t matter. They’re unaware that their DIY approach to planning, systems, marketing, legals and financials etc., is making it impossible for them to succeed. The business owner thinks they’re being smart and saving money, when they’re doing the opposite and missing out on a fortune. So the problem persists.
• The business owner who does pretty-much what they’re paid for and very little extra, may think it doesn’t matter. They’re unaware that the extra is what makes all the difference. It keeps customers returning and motivates them to recommend you. The business owner who ignores the extra, assumes that their customers just aren’t the kind of people who give referrals. So the problem persists.

And these persistent problems lose them money… persistently.

I recall Jim Rohn telling us that the reason business failure is so common, is that it’s incredibly subtle. The vast majority of businesses tend not to fail overnight, the result of a single, cataclysmic event. It’s the repeated, smaller errors in judgment, which rob them of the success they want.

That’s why it’s critically important to pay attention to what you do and how you do it. Especially in the weaker areas of your business.

In no particular order.

1. Be stingy with your time, but not with your ideas.
2. Your past does not equal your future. Next level results are yours, when you take next level actions.
3. All business is personal.
4. Either do what you love or learn to love what you do. Both approaches work extremely well.
5. To develop a new service, you do not need to reinvent the wheel. A relatively small improvement to an existing way of doing business, can open up a whole new marketplace for you.
6. Outsmarting your competitors works best, when you’re outcaring them, too.
7. Optimism is highly contagious. And never more so than in times of uncertainty.
8. To be in greater demand, provide greater value. Whether a business serves the top end of the market or the bottom end, its customers always want value.
9. A business can only be as successful as the weakest link in its leadership.
10. Opportunities come with a use-by date. If something looks like it has potential, do the research and if it stacks up, get moving.
11. Be eager to take responsibility. Step forward. Especially when others step back.
12. Whenever possible, be kind. And it’s always possible.
13. Strive to give others more than they expect from you. That little extra has a big impact.