A few weeks ago I ran across a post on Facebook entitled "Ruin Christmas Using Only 4 Words". Immediately, I shared the post to my daughter's page accompanied by the words,
"Let's Make Gingerbread Houses".
For all of you blessed with the gift of Pinterest, this phrase may not stir the unbridled trauma in your family like it does in ours. To clue you in, let me share how the “Year of the Gingerbread House” came to be.
You remember the comedic self-help book turned movie, The No-Excuse Truth to Understanding Guys that debuted about twelve years ago? Well if you missed it, it outlines many of the hilarious excuses people make as they obsess about the reasons a new love interest may not have responded to their advances. Perhaps he didn't call back because he is... stuck on a deserted island...he isn't getting my messages...he is afraid of getting hurt. When, the truth is, he's probably just "not that into you".
The biggest determinant of success in a lead generation program is the ability to quickly connect with a prospect and close the sale. While many business owners are quick to connect it’s challenging to quickly close. So, how hot just is your phone hand? Did you know calling a lead within five minutes increases your chances of contact by 500%!.
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I constantly hear small business owners’ talk about website rankings and page 1, page 2, page 3. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of website semantics when you’re spending money on optimization just trying to get new customers. But, the truth is, website rankings don’t mean jack.
Why do I say that? Well, do you know of any business owner who lists “Page Ranking” as a strategic objective? I’ve seen business goals such as increase customer retention, produce more leads, drive more profit, but never “improve page ranking”. Really, at the end of the day, my clients could care less whether they are on page 1 or page 1,000,000, as long as they are realizing their end goal of increased profit.
Okay, so it may be a little harsh for a first blog post, but let's be realistic... it's not easy being a business owner. Entrepreneurs get into business for themselves for a number of reasons. Sometimes, it's because they love the work. Sometimes, it's because they hate being an employee. Sometimes, it's for the money. But, it's ALWAYS for the freedom. Then, the business takes hold of you, reality sets in, and your freedom is a distant memory. You're working 80 hours per week to make ends meet because you have to do all these other things like accounting and administrative tasks and marketing.
So what happens? Well, unfortunately, most businesses fail. According to the Inc.com, 90 percent of start-up businesses will fail within 5-7 years. So, we thought it might help to put together some signs that you should look for ways to improve your business.... Read More