Many small business owners go to great lengths, to pretend that their business is actually a lot bigger than it really is. When I ask people why they do this, they usually tell me it’s because they think prospective clients won’t use them, if they know how small they are.

In my experience, it’s never a great idea to start any relationship, including a commercial one, on a foundation of lies.  If Bob’s marketing contains addresses for offices that exist only in his mind and fake telephone numbers that are all diverted to his one real line, he’s clearly being less than honest.  When his clients find out he’s lying about the size of his business, he will have lost their trust.  This is perhaps one of the worst possible business scenarios.

Ironically, the whole idea of lying about the size or capacity of a business is completely erroneous, from a marketing perspective!

There’s zero point in pretending you are big enough to handle a project or client, that is clearly way beyond your means.  Even if you do manage to fool them into thinking you have the resources to handle their needs, they will quickly realise you don’t, once they start working with you.

Successful marketing (and business development), is about working with clients that suit your business model, not fooling those who are unsuitable into joining, and then leaving you.

Some of the smallest brands are the most respected

The small business mindset, which says; “if they know how small my business is, I will win fewer clients”, is based on an incorrect assumption.  It assumes that quality is linked to how large a business is, when the opposite is more often true.  In reality, some of the most respected brands are smaller scale and some of the least respected brands are high street chains.

For example, until last year, Twitter employed fewer than 30 full-time people, yet it was massively successful.  Twitter attracted tens of millions of dollars and has been valued at a BILLION dollars. You can join me on Twitter here.

The most famous shop in the UK and maybe one of the most famous in the world, has just one UK outlet.  I’m talking about Harrods.

Conversely, some of the lowest class and most unhealthy food in your local town, is almost certainly dished up by a national or international burger chain – but the best food is almost certainly from a great little independent restaurant you know.

Small businesses should play to their strengths

The most successful small businesses play to their strengths; rather than lie about being something they are not.  They focus on quality, not quantity.  They develop great, long-term relationships with their clients and customers, because in most cases they know their clients and customers extremely well.

Small businesses also benefit from being able to make a decision and take action immediately, whereas large companies typically move much slower. So long as they play to their strengths, small businesses can achieve amazing results and be extremely profitable too.

It’s impossible to avoid making decisions!

I regularly speak with small business owners, who have left important areas of their business suffering, rather than make a decision and take action. Their concern, is that they will make the wrong decision.  So, they do nothing at all, which often has serious implications for their business and their future.

What people who avoid making deliberate decisions fail to understand, is that by electing to do nothing, they have actually made a decision.  They have decided to sit on their hands again and hope things turn out OK.  That’s not much of a strategy.  Thing’s don’t just get better by themselves.

In my work, I hear from people all the time, who make the decision to call or email me, rather than continue to struggle with sales.  Conversely, I see people complaining about how slow business is, but electing to keep repeating the same marketing errors, rather than make the decision to do something about it.

One of the common traits behind every successful businessperson I know, is that they make good decisions in a timely manner.  They understand that if they avoid making decisions, they surrender control of their business and their future, to others. After all, the actions we take are what determine our success and these actions are governed by our decisions.

What works for you?

Do you have any tips or ideas, to help people make better decisions?  If you do, please share them!

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

What do you think, when you visit a commercial website and find the information there is out of date?

I have just booked accommodation online for a last minute trip, and found that details on each of the 5 hotel websites I found, were out of date.  One had a “latest news” section, which had not been updated since 2007.  Really, nothing of interest has happened there in THREE YEARS?  Another site listed their special Valentine’s Day package on their home page, for Valentine’s Day 2010; almost 5 months out of date.  Other sites had similar issues, listing tarrifs that were out of date etc.

First impressions count

A company’s website is often the first chance they get, to create a great first impression with a prospective customer.  Some of the sites I saw earlier were very polished and professional looking, yet the initial impression they gave me, was of companies that skimp on detail.  For example, I’m not sure how much faith I would have had, if I’d booked my accommodation via one of their websites, knowing how little attention they pay to their site.

If your website or blog contains sections, which have time-sensitive information, regularly check that everything is up to date and relevant.  If you have a news section, either make sure the news is updated, or remove it.  In my experience, it’s best not to have a news section on your site, unless you know there will be regular events to add.

So, how often do you update your website? What are your thoughts, regarding the impression YOU get, when you see a site carrying outdated information?  Let us know!

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

I’ve received quite a few emails recently, from people who want to market a new business venture, even though they have no budget.  Whilst it’s common for new projects to have limited budgets, having zero budget is still thankfully relatively rare.  Several of these emails closed with the statement that they had just 2 options; to do nothing or to launch their new project right now, with no budget.

Of course, in reality they had stacks of options.  They may, for instance, decide to get the funding in place, then go for the launch.  They may decide to find some partners, who will invest expertise and money in the project, then go for the launch.  They may decide to make the product or service better, whilst saving to get the funds in place, then go for the launch.  There are always options – providing you are prepared to look.

Examine all your options

I often hear people make similar polarised statements, where they say something is either this or it’s that.  They then make their decisions based on those 2 choices alone; without considering all the other viable options.  When you give yourself the option to either do nothing at all or do something wrong, you are asking yourself to answer the wrong question!

Good preparation and planning are cornerstones of a successful project.  Conversely, most of the failed projects I see, had failed long before they even started, through lack of preparation.  It’s great to see people putting their energy and effort into something positive, but without proper planning, all that energy and effort will only get them so far.

After all, if you are rowing your boat with all your strength in the WRONG direction, you will never get where you want to be!  In fact, the harder you row, the further in the wrong direction you will go.

It is possible these days, to successfully launch a small business or a new project with a shoestring budget.  You know what?  There are millions of people right now, trying to do just that!  They are seeking to grab the same people’s attention (and money) that you are too.

Yes, you can beat them, but it will require forward planning, solid preparation and the ability to consider all your options.

I’m about to write a blog post, which I really didn’t expect to be writing.  It’s about my experience ordering a Dell PC and the level of customer service I received.

Dell customer service experience

On Saturday 26th June, I ordered a new PC from Dell.  The ordering process was simple and within 10 minutes, I had picked all the components I wanted, so Dell could go and get the thing built.  After the order, I used their instant message facility to ask a Dell advisor a simple question, regarding my invoice.  The advisor asked for my phone number and by the time I had typed in my question, he had already called me to personally answer it!

Just 6 days later, my new PC arrived in perfect condition – 5 days ahead of their typical delivery schedule.

Throughout the process, I was kept up to date on the progress of my order, via a series of emails and access to a regularly updated tracking section on the Dell website.  Just a couple of days after my order was placed, I received another phone call from Dell, telling me that my machine would be ready for an earlier than expected delivery; unless I wanted to pick a later delivery date.  When the machine arrived, Dell had already updated all the drivers, meaning the set-up process took minutes.  I unpacked it, plugged it in and was ready to start working immediately.

I am left with a PC, which cost me significantly less than a similar ‘spec machine from a big box store.  Moreover, I am also left mulling over an outstanding level of customer service, from a company that I had previously heard mixed reviews about.

In the days before social media, it was said that when a customer had a good experience, they would typically tell 3 people, but when they had a bad experience, they would tell 10 people.  Today, people have a far bigger voice and hopefully, this will lead to better customer service for us all.  After all, no provider wants to see their name or brand slapped all over Facebook or Twitter, for bad customer service.

However, I believe that it’s right when we have had a very positive experience, to be just as proactive as when we have a bad one.  Surely, when a company clearly over-delivers on their promises and exceeds our expectations, they should be worthy of praise, just as they are worthy of lambasting, when they let us down?

One of the things that never ceases to amaze me, is the number of small business owners and entrepreneurs, who are always looking for the next new thing; without ever finishing whatever they had previously started.

I spoke with the owner of a start-up business earlier this year, who had very limited resources.  He was planning to develop his new business, in an extremely competitive market, YET he was just about to dilute his meagre resources, by “looking into a great opportunity”, which was clearly about to rob his new venture of what little resources he had.  He sent me several emails over the coming few months, telling me about more new opportunities.  When I last met him, he confirmed that he was now back in salaried employment.  For him, as he put it; “the ride is over!”

In similar fashion, I had a chance meeting with an entrepreneur earlier this month.  This guy was just about to start up a new business, in an industry he knows absolutely nothing about.  A mutual acquaintance later told me that this guy starts new ventures all the time, and runs out of interest when they don’t make him rich after a few months.  He believes everything he hears from the guys who pitch these ideas to him, never once thinking he’s heard it all before.  It seems he finds it hard to see past the fake testimonials and promises of easy riches on these people’s websites.

Now, as I write this, I am thinking of another entrepreneur, who emailed me yesterday with a question about her latest business idea.  She has (literally) dozens of disused websites littered all over the Internet, for various online business ideas she has started and abandoned.  She always starts them off with a great deal of optimism and energy, before quitting them for the next new, shiny thing.  I have known her for 2 years and never known her stick with anything for more than a few months.  One of her ideas looked like a sure-fire winner, and I believe could have made her a wealthy lady, had she actually worked at it for more than a month or two.

The worst part?  I can think of dozens of people who have spoken to or emailed me, who will be certain I just referenced them in this post.  That’s how common it is!

Focus and persistence

Focus and persistence are 2 keys to business success.  Once we have done the research and chosen the kind of business to get into, we need to maintain our focus on what’s important, and then persist until we have at least given our business the oxygen it needs to survive, then thrive.

By constantly moving onto something new, each time we reach a sticking point, we rob ourselves of the lessons we need to master, if we want to succeed.  That’s why these people keep failing at the same point in their business ventures each time!

It’s great to diversify, but first we need to get to the stage, where our core business is financially robust enough, to afford us the time and money required to branch out and explore new, exciting opportunities.

By constantly quitting, before we even get started, it’s hard to achieve anything of lasting commercial value.

Yesterday, I received some fantastic news! You know, the kind of news where you immediately burst into tears of joy – that kind of fantastic news.

One of my closest friends, got the results from a scan and found out that he is going to be fine.  This came after 3 weeks of tests for what initially looked like an extremely serious health condition. We put an impromptu party together, got a load of people around and had a great time.

This made me think…

My friend’s actual situation was no different yesterday, than it had been a week, month, year or decade earlier – yet there we all were, overjoyed that he was going to be his normal self.

It seems that we only REALLY value things, like; our health, our relationships, our friends etc, when we think we might lose them.

Here’s a thought

Wouldn’t it be fantastic, if we could all tap into that same level of sheer joy right now, today and every day, for all the things we have, but maybe take for granted?

I know that some countries and cultures have a few days each year, where we give thanks or show particular appreciation for our mothers or fathers.  But there are 365 days every year, which are worth celebrating.

Like today!

If you have some BIG challenges facing you right now, this post is written JUST for you!

In my experience, most business owners greatly underestimate their ability to make things happen; to turn things around and create a big, positive impact.  They see some of the challenges facing their business or their life in general, and use their imagination to visualise all the worst case scenarios, instead of using it to find effective answers.

You are capable of amazing things!

Here’s what I believe: A business problem can only beat you, if you allow it to.

That’s because you have within you, the basic tools required to either solve a problem yourself, or to find someone who already has the answers you need.  When you look at the various challenges facing you right now, using that answer-focused mindset, it’s interesting how much more resourceful you feel and become.

The late Anita Roddick once said;

“If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room.”

Whatever you have facing you right now, start focusing your resources on the answer.  If you invest enough time researching the answer or finding the people with the answers you need, you will have those challenges whipped in no time.

Yesterday, after one too many unanswered tech support emails, I invested in a new web hosting provider.  The new provider is around 400% more expensive than the previous one, but their customer service is extremely good.  I had already researched them months ago and was really impressed.

My old provider offered an very reliable service; as you will know if you come here regularly.  However, although their service was extremely good, their customer service was extremely poor.  So, when things went wrong, it was painfully frustrating.  That’s why they lost my business.

Here’s why this matters: I didn’t want to leave my previous provider!  I wanted to PAY THEM MORE to offer me a better service, but they don’t offer that option.  They do offer a more expensive hosting plan, BUT it’s serviced in exactly the same way as my previous one.  I would get more server space, but have to suffer with the same unmanned support phone line, and the same frustrating email tech support system.

Ever thought of offering a new, premium version of your service?

Have you thought of adding a new, elite level of service to your business, for those like myself; who are service focussed and happy to pay a premium for a premium service?  I know you already offer a great service, and so do many of your competitors – Remember, some of them will be reading this post too and nodding in all the same places as you!

That’s not what I am talking about here.

My suggestion, is to think about offering something that’s on a totally different level.  There are a couple of really good reasons to consider this:

1. The percentage of the marketplace that’s prepared to pay 2, 3 or 5 times as much for an elite service may be small, but it’s also far less competitive.  In some industries, this massively valuable segment is hardly targeted by any providers at all!
2. If you have existing clients or customers, who would like an even better service from you, you have something perfect to offer them.  So, instead of losing what could be your best clients or customers, you actually end up making them massively more profitable instead.

Is this the right thing for EVERY provider to do? No, of course not!  It will suit some business owners and not suit others.  That said, if the idea of offering a new, elite service interests you and you believe you have the resources to develop a whole new level of service, why not give it some thought?

What kind of elite service would YOU be prepared to pay more for – And why?

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

Do you find it odd, when business owners complain about the growing pains caused by the success of their business?

After all, it wasn’t growing that caused them the pain.  It was their decision not to plan ahead!

As business owners, we need to always have an eye on the future.  It’s not enough to be blinkered by what’s happening today, this week or this month.  We need to make plans today, which focus on our business as it will be next month, next quarter and into the longer term.

For example, we should be speaking with service providers today, so that they are ready for any expected increase in our requirements. After all, you don’t want to wait until your website falls over under the pressure of your success, to start finding a better hosting package or provider – right?

Now is the time to put processes in place, so that as we grow, our operation naturally adapts.

Are there people you should be speaking with today, about your future success requirements?  If there are, go and have those conversations, so that you can enjoy the rewards of success and the personal and professional development that comes from growing!

What do you want to achieve by the time you reach your next landmark birthday; (ya know, those birthdays that end in a zero?)

What do WE want?

We live in an age, where we are being professionally influenced for the vast majority of our waking hours.  Every time we listen to a radio, watch a TV or sit in front of a computer, there are highly skilled people trying to convince us to change how we think and take some kind of action.

• Advertisers want us to buy their products.
• Celebrities want us to buy their sponsor’s products.
• Politicians want us to see things their way and give them our vote.
• Charities want us to help them make a difference.
• There are even voices that want to tell us what shape our bodies need to be and how we should dress.

With all these inputs trying to shape what we think and believe, it’s good from time to time to get back in touch with what WE WANT, based on OUR VALUES and what matters TO US.

The next time you are putting some goals down for your business or yourself, make sure they are what YOU want.  Not what you are supposed to want.  It’s a lot easier to get motivated, when it’s our own goals and targets we are aiming for!

How often do you leave your comfort zones and try something totally new?

It has often been said that in order to grow, we need to stretch and that our potential is governed by how for we are prepared to stretch ourselves.

This makes sense to me.  I know people who are still pretty-much living the same year over and over again.  They have all the same old complaints and frustrations, because they don’t proactively DO ANYTHING to improve their position.  That’s because improvement means change.  So, they complain, but stay the same.  They work with the same company, listen to the same music, watch the same TV shows and have the same circle of friends etc.

Here’s the challenge:  With very little change, there is also very little improvement.

A child’s approach to growth

My son is almost 5 years old and has a chart, where he gets a star every time he tries something new.  This can be a new food, a new game, a new song – anything – so long as it’s new.  As you can imagine, he loves trying new things and takes great pride in adding his stars to his discovery chart.  Kids are like that.  They love to explore.

It seems that once we reach adulthood, most people begin a process where they exchange the excitement of discovery, for the comfort of predictability.  This desire for comfort, ironically, usually leads to a great deal of discomfort.  It stunts our potential and robs us of our chance to enjoy the rewards of a better lifestyle.  The less we stretch, the less we grow.

When was the last time YOU tried something new?

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

Isn’t “just” an interesting word?

• If you want to achieve financial independence, you “just” need to copy what wealthy people do.
• If you want to lose weight, you “just” need to eat less and exercise more.
• If you want to develop the life of your dreams, you “just” need to start setting goals.

Here’s the problem:  It is “just” not that easy!

In order to achieve any kind of breakthrough with your business or your life in general, you need 2 things:

1. You need the information required in order to achieve the breakthrough.
2. You need the self-motivation to USE that information.  This second step is what defines your ultimate success.

It is one thing to be given information, and something COMPLETELY different to use that information.  This is why people still smoke cigarettes, despite the health information on every packet.  Information without action is worse than useless.

When I recorded The Motivation Master Class audio program, I knew it was going to be a success, because it gives you the skills you need, to use all the information you’ve gathered from all those books, lessons and programs you have studied.  It was designed to be a key, which you can use to unlock your potential and put all your ideas into play.  You can download a copy here and be listening in minutes!

Develop the action habit

Take some time out to start using the information you already have, rather than simply adding more and more unused ideas to your knowledge base.  Don’t be like the masses, who scour the Internet all day for ideas, then file them away and never use them.

Learn how to develop the action habit and watch what happens to your results in every area of your life!

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

There are thousands of marketing ideas and answers here on the blog, spread over hundreds of pages and that number is growing daily.  Of course, as new material is being added, it can get harder and harder to find what you are looking for.

So, to make it easier for you to find the marketing ideas and answers that you need, I have added a new search box – That’s it on the right.

Give it a go

If you haven’t already used it, give it a go – Just type in some words that are related to your marketing query and watch the results!

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

Steve Jobs and Apple in general, never cease to amaze me.  This week, Apple announced their latest product, the iPhone 4 and received, as always, millions of dollars worth of free publicity.  I watched a live video of the iPhone launch event at the World Wide Developer’s Conference, and saw journalists (literally) cheering and shouting as Steve Jobs listed features of the phone.

Within minutes of Steve Jobs’ presentation, there were thousands of iPhone 4 news reports and blog posts.  People were guessing how many millions would sell in the first year and how the new features would change the way people use phones.  The coverage Apple received was something that other businesses and brands can only dream of.

Steve Jobs and Apple – It’s more than a brand

People who buy and use Apple products tend to be more than users – They tend to be advocates or ambassadors.  If you DARE to mention something negative about Apple or any Apple product, in a blog post, article or on Twitter, for example, you will quickly get chastised by Apple users, who will quickly tell you that whatever you said was wrong.  This kind of brand loyalty is gold dust.  It’s not born from smoke and mirrors either, Apple make some amazing products, but they fuse their great products with equally good marketing and PR.

What Apple can teach small & medium sized businesses

Apple offer great quality: Your services or products need to be excellent quality, if you want people to rave about them.  It’s hard work and really low leverage, to market average quality products or services.  In fact, if all you have to offer the marketplace is a similar sounding service to your competitors, stop reading this and start looking for ways to massively improve the unique value of your offering.

Apple have a network of advocates: The Apple team has crafted a network of people, who proactively cover and recommend their products.  I suggest you do the same!  Start getting to know the bloggers, newsletter providers and networkers, who have access to your prospective clients and customers.  When you have something interesting or newsworthy, share it with them.  (This is a subject I will cover in future posts.)  This is a great way to generate word of mouth publicity.

Apple remain relevant: Just as Apple have continued to evolve their design and product lines over the years, you should too.  If your service has remained largely unchanged for a year or more, it’s time to check that it’s still relevant to the marketplace.  We live in a time of great change.  The most successful businesses know this and adapt their offering accordingly.  If your competitors are still offering a stale set of services and you adapt your services to be more relevant, you give yourself a powerful advantage!

Steve Jobs speaks with passion: When I saw Steve Jobs take the stage, a year or so after a liver transplant, and then speak with such passion about the new iPhone, I was left with a feeling of awe.  I hear from businesspeople all day, who are in great health and have 1% of Jobs’ drive and passion.  Have something worth saying and say it like you mean it.

If you are not clearly passionate about your business, products and services, no one else will be!