bizRichard

Apologies - this post was set for release back in December - but for some reason it got overlooked.  But even if the comments about Christmas are no longer timely, the rest certainly is - and we should be doing more to get our work-life balance back in harmony again.

It’s known that we are a nation of ‘workaholics’ – but I was surprised at the results of a couple of surveys I came across recently – and a somewhat timely reminder as we approach annual festivities.

According to research by Bibby Financial Services, nearly 67% of businessmen will cancel romantic plans with partners at the last minute in order to bring in new business, and 33% will miss important meetings about their children’s education.

This same survey also found that over 50%of business owners will relinquish holiday plans to win business and nearly 90% will work late regardless of pre-existing family plans.

Another study, by Clydesdale Bank, found that roughly 10%of businessmen and women are likely to miss Christmas day festivities with their families due to work commitments.

And the research also showed that Christmas is not the only holiday that overworked businesspeople are sacrificing - more than one in five respondents said they had missed their child’s birthday in the last year.

And all these surveys were done before the ‘difficult’ trading conditions in which so many now find themselves - so the situation, I perdict, is only going to get worse!

Well, I leave you to your own thoughts on this one – but isn’t it sad that business owners can’t get to learn how to ‘sharpen’ up their businesses, to work smarter, and to build into their schedules plenty of time for those wonderful moments - to share, enjoy and live - the the very reasons we are on this planet for.

Just take a moment to look at your diary for next year and ‘book’ in, right now, time for you and your family - holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, whatever - these are perhaps your most important dates of the year. 

Keep those promises, and I can guarantee that your year will become that much more rewarding and fulfilling.  So, go fill those dates in now.

Richard C

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Coming back in the car a few evenings ago, it happened to coincide with the evening broadcast of ‘the Archers’.  For those of you, especially my overseas readers, who don’t know what ‘the Archers’ is, it is a radio ’soap’, almost quintessential English culture, that has run uninterrupted since 1950 and enjoys a dedicated audience in excess of five million fans daily!

Now, I don’t know what had transpired in the storyline previously, but it just so happened that in this session Tom Archer had finally come to a conclusion - that his ineffective ‘pig-keeper’, Gary, should be released from employment.

However, during the ‘dismissal conversation’, the emotion and consequences of Tom’s actions diverted him from his his original decision and Gary, it seemed, was to be given a ’second chance’.

This got me thinking, because I keep seeing this problem in business - emotion, interfering with sound business decisions.

Too many business owners, I’ve discovered during some 26 years of advising struggling entrepreneurs, still get hung up about their ‘inseparable relationship’ from their business - that they are the business and vice versa.  This is absolutely not true - and holding onto this belief can seriously damage your chances of a longer-term success of the business.

This is, perhaps, one of the most important things to realise - when looking at your business - no matter what your business does, it is just a ‘vehicle’ through which you do business – in simple terms, a ‘machine’ that you happen to control – no more, no less.

Your business, any business in fact, is a series of processes that convert ‘inputs’ into the ‘outputs’ your customer needs or wants.  It doesn’t matter whether you are a farmer, a manufacturer, a shop, a restaurant, or a service provider - the input combines varying degrees of labour, materials and intellect - and the output is the provision of something that your customer takes away.

And, how well you manage those processes will determine the success or otherwise of your business.

Yes, your ‘personality’ may well reflect the ’style’ of your business - and that’s absolutely right, as it is a key differentiator between one business and another.

But only when you view your business from this, perhaps different, perspective (ie separating yourself from your business) that will you suddenly find yourself ‘freed’ from your ‘emotional ties’ with the business – and only then can you make better, more business orientated, and more effectual, operational decisions.

Now, don’t get me wrong - I’m not saying “don’t be passionate about your business” and “don’t show empathy in your management of staff, customers,” etc - absolutely you must - I’m just suggesting that you don’t let ‘personal emotions’ prevent you making, what you believe are, the correct business decisions.

Step back, a moment, from your business and think about some recent decisions you’ve made where you might not have been as ‘resolute’ as perhaps your business demanded.

So, with that critical paradigm shift on board, go make money the smart way.

Richard C

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It’s Sunday - and I’m back from a two-day business seminar hosted by Paul Gorman, one of the UK’s leading business and marketing gurus.

Paul, for those who don’t know him, is very deep, genuine and sincere person, and absolutely passionate about everything he does. And not only that, he’s a genius too. He has for many years, and still does, help businesses to achieve mega-results.

And, not surprisingly, the seats sold like hotcakes.

But, importantly, the best thing about these seminars is that the attendees are there because they are positive and keen - hungry for help and advice - and what a BUZZ.  Paul was on good form, the attendees were on good form, and it was a great meeting.

I attend most of his events because every time I meet Paul I learn something new and interesting – something of benefit that I can use or pass on to you and my clients.

But this time there was an additional reason. Paul had asked me, unfortunately at rather short notice, to do a presentation – to explain and demonstrate how a properly equipped accountant, provided they understand the ‘mechanics’ of business, can help his clients, possibly you included, build their businesses into a position of strength to, not only survive, but thrive and grow in the teeth of the looming economic downturn.

There was a cross-section of trades and sizes of attendees present - big businesses (five or six with turnovers exceeding 10 million), mainly mid-sized businesses, and a number of smaller businesses (under 250,000 turnover).

And what I talked about was how very important it was for your accountant to look at, not only at the financial figures, but more importantly at the (physical) activity figures. 

Because financial figures are simply the consequence – the ‘netting-off’ - of a series of physical events, and the true results are being disguised or hidden from analysis. 

Measuring and monitoring each of those physical events and their component parts separately, however, will give a far more accurate picture of which way the company is heading than any financial figures.

I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised, but when I had finished, virtually without exception, attendees across the room echoed the comments of one very experienced businessman who stood up and said “I’ve been in business over 30 years now and my accountant has never done this for me, ever - and come Monday morning I’m going to find one who does”.

And I sincerely hope he does.

But he might find it difficult, as not all accountants really do understand the ‘mechanics’ of business, nor do many have the level of business skills and experience necessary to provide ‘business advice’ and support at the level so desperately needed.

Business owners deserve much more than they are getting – especially as we head into difficult economic times.  And, yes, if you need more advice and support, changing your accountant to someone who ‘understands’ could be the ‘defining moment’ – between winning and losing - for you, and other business owners like you, in your struggle, to not only survive but, to ride above the chaos and come out the other side a stronger and more profitable business.

If you want to check out how your accountant stacks up, visit www.HowToChooseYourAccountant.com for a free personal report.

So, take a break, review your situation, and find the right way to make more money in the months ahead.

Richard C

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As some of you will know, one of my pet subjects is ‘communication’ – and by that I don’t just mean talking, letters, telephone calls etc.

Communication is about absolutely everything you do.  Everyday basics, such as how you dress, how you move, what you look at, what you read, who you ‘hang out’ with, etc, all tell your ‘observers’ a story; how you react to and respond to given situations tells even more about your character and your abilities. And when it comes to talking, the sincerity of what you say, how you say it, and the words you use are either supported or contradicted by the non-verbal communications – the body language - you deliver at the same time.

And for those charlatans (a minority I’m sure), who pretend to be someone they are not, dropping your guard can catch you out – especially on the impersonal environment of the internet. 

Have a quick read of this extract from ‘careerbuilder.com’ - I found it interesting in that it enabled 3rd parties to identify the positive or the negative characteristics of the individuals they were interested in. 

Having read it, what are your thoughts on this new personality ‘spy’.  I think the employers have been extremely resourceful and innovative, and thereby saved themselves and their prospects a whole load of time and grief.

So, where is this leading me?

It’s the very essence of why you are here on the internet - it’s the way you communicate through your blogs, your comments, and your web-sites. 

Don’t pretend to be someone you are not.  Be the ‘genuine you’ and let your true character, your skills and abilities, shine through – whatever they be. 

That way you will find and build a relationship with people who like you, trust you, and like the way you do things – they will become your ‘genuine’ customers, the only sort of customers on which any sustainable business can be built.

So, be highly visible, but always be the true you, and make some money the smart way.

Richard C

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The answer - when everyone else is hiding!

Like now!

When everyone else is pulling their heads back down, stick your head up and out. Get yourself noticed - big time.  Rise above that cringing pack of frightened business owners and tell the world, and especially your customers, that YOU, at least, are still there for them!

It’s obvious really – as businesses start to hide, so the marketing clatter fades, leaving more space for your messages to be heard more easily. And, in all probability, regardless of trading conditions, your clients, customers and patients will still continue wanting, and needing, the goods and services you have on offer. 

Okay, so doing business is always a risk - even in good times. But, unless you are in ‘Securities’ or ‘Financial Services’ of some description, this is no time to suddenly become irrationally conservative.  Simply apply standard business criteria as always.

On the ‘plus’ side, see this current ‘crisis’ as a huge opportunity for you to reach out to your ‘audience’ and offer even greater value than ever before, thereby immediately exceeding their expectations and cementing loyal relationships.

But it’s not just about offering greater rewards, better guarantees, discounted prices (heaven forbid), freebies, or whatever – it’s much deeper than that. Your clientele don’t want to talk to your products and services.  They’re not only buying your products and services - they are buying YOU.

So, in times good or bad, show your human side. And, especially in difficult economic times like this, make sure you really do understand their economic and personal concerns - relate to them at a personal level. Demonstrate that not only can you provide the solutions they need, but that you can also provide better value because you are still there and able to empathise with their respective predicament.

Remember, it is always, always about THEM, not you. And there are many ways to show them you care – more of which in a future blog.

When everyone else is being ultra-cautious and doing nothing, isn’t this the time to move your business from good to great?

So, get out there, on the ‘front line’, and give it a positive and jolly good go – that way not only will you succeed in the short term, but also you will be well placed to literally ‘take off’ when the economy revives.

Richard C

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 A recent survey of more than 1,000 senior executives, done by Bank of Scotland Business Banking, has found that the amount of time UK business owners spend at work has increased further during the past 12 months,

On average, those who responded were spending 50 hours a week at work - up by almost three hours (6.3%) a week compared to a year earlier. And, for some, the situation is expected to get worse as 26% of those asked said they expected to be working even longer hours as a result of the current economic downturn.

Small businesses in Scotland put in the most time at work - almost 52 hours a week - while those in the south-east clocked up 47 hours a week.

Critically too, the rise in working hours has had a knock-on effect on personal health.  71% of respondents claimed that they now felt stressed running their businesses, compared with only 54% a year earlier.

My point in highlighting this survey is – do you recognise this behaviour in yourself?

Hands up - are you working longer hours?  And if so, why?

Is it part of our ethos that when faced with uncertainty we double our efforts and work longer? What leads us to this philosophy? Does it suggest a lack of confidence, or is it the need to ‘prove’ commitment to our team, our suppliers and our customers?  Is it a ‘natural’ behaviour or do we ‘learn or copy’ this behaviour from our peers or forebears?

Or is it simply that we don’t understand our options when under perceived pressure - it is easier to work harder than it is to think things through.

If so, let me suggest to you another, methodical, approach.

It involves, firstly, taking the time out - to understand the issues and then to set priorities.

By asking ourselves (or our teams) the right questions about “what happens if . . . ?” we can identify the truly critical issues in our business, spend proper time on these, and thus ignore those annoyingly ‘loud’ but irrelevant matters.

Once you’ve assessed the critical issues, take time to generate the right solutions – and never just one solution but many different solutions.  Write these down, and don’t stop until you have 5, 10, or more possible tactics. Consider the ‘outcomes’ that you want and the result that each of your possible approaches might bring. Then rank them in order of effectiveness and feasibility.

Next, the critical stage, do something - take real and positive action.

Choose your best (highest ranked) option and implement immediately.

But, please, not by doing it all yourself – we’ve been through this one before. Take into account the resources available, and try to delegate elements of the action plan to others where possible.  Trust your team and your professionals to work in your best interests. Brief them, with absolute clarity, and monitor progress, without interfering, to ensure things advance the way you want them to.

And if your initial ideas aren’t working, don’t be ‘pig-headed and stick to them - be prepared to change tack.

Never panic - decisions made in haste are often regretted later and usually have limited effectiveness. But, as described above, by taking time to assess properly all the options available to you, delegating some of the tasks, and monitoring the results, you stand to multiply, many fold, your chances of success.

So, get out there and make effective changes to your business for optimal profits.

Richard C

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Apologies to you and all my readers for my apparent long absence – but sometimes you’ve just got to get away to recharge your batteries. 

My usual summer break a few weeks earlier was dismal when measured in hours of sunshine – in fact the figure ‘zero’ comes to mind.  (Has Apollo crossed the UK off his list perchance?)

So, in search of some ‘deep heat’ and proper sunshine, I decided to shoot off to Turkey, hired a 43ft yacht and sailed around the islands, inlets and restaurants of their south western region.  And marvellous it was too – highly recommended (if you like the water).

And now I’m back – re-vitalised. 

And with a huge agenda of things to do and provide for you on my web-site – new business tools and information, ideas and tips, to make your businesses more effective, recession proofed, and successful long term.

Don’t miss what’s coming – and if you’re not signed up to my blog, do so now because that’s where I will announce each new item as it becomes available. Lots of it will be free, but some will have a price tag (but which will be discounted for loyal subscribers).

The first of the new season of blogs will come out tomorrow, entitled “Hands up - your money or your life!”

Richard C

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There are several schools of thought about personal strengths and weaknesses.

One reckons on “working to eliminate your weaknesses so that you’ll become better in those areas” - to become so accomplished that you’ll be virtually ‘unstoppable’.

The other reckons on the opposite view, “work on your strengths and have someone else do all the other things” – things that you either don’t enjoy doing or the things you’re simply not very good at.

Which camp are you in – making yourself more accomplished, or getting someone else to do it for you?

Stop reading for a moment – just pause a while and think about what you do.

Then let me tell you where I’m going with this one.

I used to be in the first camp - I loved the challenge of learning and improving on those things I wasn’t too good at – and I still do. But, increasingly I’ve switched camps now - because I realise that working on your weaknesses is probably one of the most imprudent things you can waste time on. It is not only unproductive, but it costs you time and money – and time is one of those most precious and irreplaceable resources that once spent, can never be replaced.

Here, let’s take a closer look.

When you focus on your weaknesses, unless it is something you really want to do, not only is it taking your time, you’re probably always going to be in a state of conflict and dissatisfaction with yourself until you reach ‘perfection’. And nothing is more damaging or crushing to your own self-esteem and feelings of accomplishment than continually feeling dissatisfied with yourself and your performance.

I’m not saying to ‘stick your head in the sand’ and ignore your weaknesses – no – clearly you, must continually strive to learn and improve yourself – to stay in command of your life. But what I am saying is that to set your whole focus on improving your weaknesses, to the detriment of getting on, is seldom going to get you anywhere effectively or fast.

The amount of time you spend trying to get better at something you’re simply not good at is, in all probability, time wasted – it uses up valuable time that could have been used more effectively working on something you’re extremely good at.

Would you rather spend 10 hours laying bricks, for example, something you’re not particularly good at and may regret doing, or would you rather spend those 10 hours writing a piece of software you can sell, or 10 hours doing something else you thrive on?

Which of these activities makes you feel better and allows you to achieve more in your life and your business?

The derivative of what we are discussing basically comes down to the relative opportunity costs. How much will it cost you to hire someone to do your bricklaying, or whatever - versus how much you could earn applying your energies and time to the things you are good at? Or even spending precious time with family and friends?

At the end of the day, it boils down to common sense and a willingness and open-mindedness to do things differently. And doing things differently is the ONLY way to shift your earnings, and your mindset, upwards

And, life’s too short to do the things you don’t like. And since, in theory, you’re in control of your own life, why would you want to do things any other way?

Get out there and run your life the SMART way

Richard C

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Many of my clients, and you, the readers of my blog and web-site, will know that the one ‘big essential’ to business success that I have always kept harping on about is having the right ‘mindset’.

I’ve worked with many dozens of ‘would be’ entrepreneurs over the years, but few ever achieve their ideals. Most are full of superficial dreams but have little genuine belief or passion, and often even less application – the result, a demoralising self fulfilling prophecy.

But for those that have the right mindset – WOW! For them even the sky is no limit and I just love working with these guys.

And I will let you into a little secret here, something that few people know – I got so frustrated at one point about 10 years ago that I even got myself qualified as a ‘DISC’ behavioural analyst and started putting some of my clients through the psychometric testing process to try to find out what was ‘blocking’ their paths to success. But even that didn’t change the final outcome.

But why am I telling you all this?

Because your success is important to me, so important that I want to share with you something different. It’s some recent work done by Paul Gorman.

Paul is a UK based ‘business guru extraordinaire’ with many years of front line experience. I’m fortunate to know him personally – and he’s a true inspiration to all who come into contact with him. He’s someone, I believe, who has so much to offer in the world of, not only achievement in business  but, achievement in life generally.

But guess what?

He too discovered, and was deeply saddened, that the vast majority of his seminar attendees never achieved what they declared they wanted.

So he began digging deeper – into the mind.

And what he discovered so amazed him that he decided to wind down his ‘business marketing’ services as a ‘waste of his precious time’.

He will be a great loss to the business community. But on the plus side he will be concentrating on something much more fundamental to business success. He’s become fanatical about solving this ‘problem of mindset’ and is now truly resolved to encouraging us to learn how we can develop both ‘the mind and the person’ so that we can identify and achieve what we truly want in life.

How else do you define ‘success’ other that it being the achievement of what you set out to do.

Below is an extract from one of the pages on his web-site.

This Is Why Only 1-2% Of Seminar Attendees,
Including Business Owners, Ever Apply And Benefit
From What They Learn

I do not believe that I can teach you one thing. You shouldn’t believe that you can teach me one thing.

However, if I look to draw forth from you your individual interests, fascinations, passions, joys and desires to be, to create, to achieve, then and only then am I a value to you as an educator.

This reveals why—no matter how much business or marketing strategy and technique you ‘learn’—no matter how much effort, time and money you invest in trying to make your business a success—and no matter how deeply even I were to counsel, advise and help you—you will not benefit unless what we are doing is drawing forth your true passions and desires.

This is why entrepreneurs attend business and personal development training programmes until the mass of information they have had pumped in is so great they almost burst, yet only 1 or 2 percent actually apply and benefit from it all.

This is why you have, by degree, not been able to realise your dreams of success and wealth despite putting in extraordinary effort for years, even decades.

It is about to change for you, rapidly and for good.

Do visit his site, The Science on Natural Achievement Ability. Click here - http://scienceofnaa.com

And this, Paul says, is only scratching the surface. There is deeper stuff still that he’s not even begun to release – but will in time.

If nothing else, his words will get your mind working.

After which, resolve to achieve, and get out there and let the money come to you - that’s the smarter way.

Richard C

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It often happens happens, but never was it more poignant than a few years back when I was caught in yet another traffic jam – with an important meeting to attend.

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “You’re going so fast you’re standing still” - a phrase amusingly thrown at someone rushing around in a frenzy, but hardly achieving anything. And I’ll wager a bet that it often applies to you also – during your busy busy days at work.

But back to my traffic jam!

I’d left with plenty of time in hand and had been making good progress towards my destination – my driving mind on auto-pilot as I considered the issues and the outcomes of the meeting ahead.

Suddenly the brake lights on the vehicles ahead started flashing blindingly as the traffic slowed – and slowed - until it finally stopped. A little judder forward as the cars bunched up – and then nothing.

Five minutes went by – I switched off my engine. Then it was ten – then twenty. Extreme agitation set in as I reached for my mobile phone to contact the venue – I was now very tight for time. But suddenly the traffic started moving. With an audible sigh of relief I started my engine, raced forward 30 yards - and stopped again – nothing was moving.

I picked up my phone, dialled the number – but the absence of a dialling tone soon made me realise I had no network coverage! I was never going to make the meeting now – and I couldn’t even tell them why. I felt sick – literally.

So I pulled the car over to the side of the road, got out, and strolled across to the roadside hedge. There was a farm gate, which I opened, and closed slowly behind me as I looked for somewhere to sit down.

Deep with worry – I’d spent weeks setting up this very important deal – I found myself settling down beside a thicket of trees. I shut my eyes, depressed, and resigned to failure. If only I’d left a little earlier – gone a different way – organised a different venue – later in the day - if only – if only . . . .

A flurry of wings just above me made me look up. It was a pair of blackbirds, and their loud, persistent, and variable conversation took me away from my problems as I watched them flit playfully from branch to branch.

I hadn’t noticed until then, but the day was a glorious spring morning – full of sunshine and warmth.

The field in front of me was littered with contented grazing ewes, their spring lambs bouncing around as they tested their new-found legs. The bigger lambs were playing games together, interspersed with panic-felt bleating when they realised they had ‘lost’ their mothers – all of them oblivious to my problems. My attention was drawn to the graceful and majestic flight of a heron as it glided down to the river below – the river it shared with a couple of busy mallard and their young fledglings that scurried in and out of the reeds.

The uneven rustle of leaves above in the gentle breeze completed the peaceful chorus of the countryside, as did the delightful spring flowers beside me complete a tranquil picture.

Here was pure nature, a part of me, a part of each and every one of us, that I had forgotten about and ignored as my business increasingly consumed my life. I thought about my wife, and my young children, growing up with a father too busy to give them the love and time they deserved – lost years I would never recover - unless I changed the way I did things.

It was late afternoon by the time I had picked myself up to walk back to the car.

And I drove straight home – I’d not been home this early in years.

And, instead of my usual “goodnight” to slumbering bodies, I found alive, joyful, loving children, their hugs just so wonderful and free. We all ate supper together, played games, and enjoyed ‘the moment’ late into the night. And the next day I took off too - to spend exclusively with the family.

Thanks to that traffic jam, on that fateful day some years ago now, I’d been forced to ’slow down’ - just long enough to realise I had all my priorities upside down. Life, with the family, should come first - work is just a means, not a purpose.

I did win that contract (and still have it), even though I didn’t make the meeting – they were chasing me - and I was then the one ‘in control’. And when you are ‘in control’ the decisions you make are more rational, strategic and effective than those ‘reactive’ short term survival tactics applied when working under pressure.

Make no mistake, I still continued to work hard - but never again did ‘work’ consume or intrude into MY time. My ‘appointments’ with myself and the family were as important as my appointments with my clients.

So, my ‘advice’ to you, if you are finding life hectic, is to ’slow down’ and check up on your priorities - before it’s too late. Take some time out, on a regular basis - I still do - to think about and re-assess your position and your longer term dreams - and what you need to do or change to get there.

Do that, and you will discover something very remarkable - that the more time you give yourself, the more strategic and efficient you become, and the more profitable your business becomes.

So, on that note, go work smarter

Richard C

PS - Whenever I hit a traffic jam now, I simply smile, say ‘thank you’, and relax - just try it a couple of times! (Remember, it’s not the event that causes stress - it’s your reaction to that event that is the stress.)

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