by Angela Taffs | Apr 14, 2015 | Business Success, Sales and Marketing
Do you struggle with pricing your product or service?
There is a saying that ‘People look for the cheapest price when there is nothing else on offer’. And that is why I try to get people to not compete on price when starting up their business.
When I talk to people looking to start up their business, or who are in their first couple years of trading, and I ask them why customers will choose them over the competition, so many tell me because they are the cheapest.
And this is when alarms bells start ringing for me. If price is the only thing you can compete on, you will find yourself a busy fool with customers that nobody else wants.
Make sure you charge the right price
If people only bought on price why would we have such a range of cars on the roads at vastly differing prices? A Robin Reliant gets from A to B in exactly the same way as a top of the range BMW. But the BMW has reputation, trust, additional comfort and reliability that people will pay for. Why do some people buy a tee shirt for £9.99 in M&S when they could get an almost identical one in Primark for £1.99? Is it the customer service and better layout of items?
Find something of value to offer in your business and charge the correct rate for your products or services. If you don’t, the competition can quite easily wipe your business out by simply offering a price match or doing a heavy discount for a period of time that you simply can’t match.
Having something of value to make you stand out doesn’t have to be a material item. It can be a small, simple step you have in your business that can make a big difference to the customer that makes them remember you.
Uniqueness and value are perceptions so it could be something as simple as a follow-up phone call to ask if the customer is happy with their purchase. It could be a daily or weekly email (dependent upon what you are selling) as to how their order is progressing. It could be a tiny thing such as including a small length of ribbon and a gift tag if you know your product is being purchased as a present.
Remember, it is the unexpected things that influence us and that we remember. These things will have far more impact on our future buying decisions than having the cheapest price.
So make sure you charge the right price for your products and services and don’t sell yourself short.
by Angela Taffs | Apr 7, 2015 | Business Success, Running a Business
Do you have the mindset of a successful business owner or are you just playing around hoping that things will miraculously just drop into place for you?
Too many times I come across those who tell me they are running a small business whilst complaining that they are not getting the results they want. They blame everything from the economy to marketing just not working for them down to customers just not understanding them. But really?
What is the real reason that your business is not gaining clients and generating income?
So many times during discussions, I find these people are not treating their business as a business but are just doing ad hoc work here and there when it suits them. They play with their business when they feel in the mood and if they don’t get instant results, go off and do something more interesting instead.
I work with these people and help them set out plans and goals for the month ahead to start moving things forward. Heads always nod enthusiastically and then when we next catch up these plans haven’t even been started upon, let alone achieved. It is incredible that the same excuses come up time after time.
- I wasn’t well
- I had to take my dog/cat to the vet
- I had a lot going on in my personal life last month
I am sorry, and I know there are some genuine cases out there, but these really are pitiful excuses. If this resonates with you, do you really mean to say that you were ill all month? Did you have to take your dog to the vet every day? Did you really let your personal life take over your business efforts? Emergencies do happen, but these should be factored into your business and a back-up plan put in place to deal with these.
Have you ever been in employment? If so, do you think the CEO or MD managed to run the business and pay their staff with the excuses and lack of performance you are allowing yourself to get away with? Do you think if they took time off every day to deal with personal situations they would have held on to their job? No. I didn’t think so.
Change your mindset and start to think like a successful business owner.
Stop playing around and decide if it is a truly successful business you want or just a hobby that will fit in when you feel like it. Change your mindset and start to think like a business owner.
As fired up and enthused as you may be about creating your own business, it will take hard work, commitment and personal investment on your own part along with self-responsibility for making things happen.
As John Barney stated in a past article on why many quit their business, being your own boss is tough and comes with its own pitfalls such as not having anyone to be accountable to and telling you what to do. This is one of the reasons that many start their own business but soon discover they need to be given constant direction as they lack the necessary work motivation to get the job done.
To build a successful business you will need to be able to motivate yourself to do work that you do not always enjoy and that does not bring instant results. To be able to succeed, you will need a strong inner drive, work ethic and a laser focus. Sadly too many people I meet lack these characteristics which are needed to accomplish the success they are looking for.
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If you truly want to succeed and have a business to be proud of, start to act like a business owner now.
- Set out your goals and specific plans to achieve them and put them into action.
- Prepare for the unexpected and emergencies and have a plan in place of how you are going to be able to cover these where possible.
- Set yourself out strict working hours and sit down and work!!
- Sort out your priorities and get them done.
Because if you don’t, you won’t have a business. And there will be no-one to blame but yourself.
Need more help?
If you really do want to put those plans into action but need some help, join the member’s club today. As part of your membership, you will be able to take advantage of the Time Management business builder video tutorial along with all the accompanying planners, templates and action plans to turn you into a successful business owner.
by Angela Taffs | Apr 2, 2015 | Starting a Business
Here we are with the school holidays nearly upon us once again and the children at home.
For working women, this can be a time of both joy and stress. I remember only too well the joy of having my children around and going on days out combined with not having to do the packed lunches, school run etc. But I also remember the incredible stress of having to organise childcare for the days I could not take off, the feeling of guilt of still having to work and the feeling of disapproval for requesting time off with my children or to finish work early.
Do you dream of starting a home business?
So many other women feel the same and this can lead them to start to think about starting their own home-based business. They long for starting a home business which can be flexible enough to be run and organised around their family commitments and still provide them with a regular monthly income.
In a recent report to coincide with International Women’s Day, James Pattison, CEO of Startup Direct, said:
“A growing number of women are disillusioned by the difficulties of combining family life with a traditional 9 to 5 job, not least the inflexible hours, lack of well-paid part-time work and the cost of childcare, which continues to spiral.
The internet has made it easier than ever to start up a business from home and women are drawn to the prospect of being their own boss, choosing their hours and cutting childcare bills by working flexibly around family life.”
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Unfortunately, too many women thinking of starting a home business start to worry about what they will do, if they are good enough, what they have to do to start up and how they will manage initially until the business is fully up and running and providing a secure income.
But there are many options out there now and it is far easier to start up a home based business today than ever before. There are many simple ways to make money working from home that can be started at little expense. You also don’t need to immediately hand in your notice in order to start up as many businesses can initially be run alongside a full-time job. Yes, it will take time and organisation but then, as a working mother, you will already be an expert in this field.
There is more and more support out there today for women wanting to start in business and your local business support organisation should be able to point you in the right direction. There are also many online options available such as The Small Business Kit which can provide you with everything you need to start, run and grow your business.
As your business starts to build, you can then think about reducing hours and working part-time until you are in a position for the business to fully support you financially.
The hardest part is usually the first step. It can be as simple as having the confidence to test out your ideas or to actually ask for money in return for something you already do as a hobby. It can be writing that first blog and the fear of putting yourself out there into the public domain.
But be brave. Get someone to confide in with your ideas and who will give you realistic advice (not friends and family who will sugar coat everything for you, or adversely, tell you it will never work). Look for someone who has been there and done it before and got the tee shirt (and bruises) to show for it!
So don’t sit wishing and wondering what if. Take those initial thoughts and start to put them into action. In ten years’ time, you will wish you had started today.
If you are thinking of starting a home business and would like unbiased advice, support and a helping hand, join The Small Business Kit now and start your journey to success.
by Angela Taffs | Mar 31, 2015 | Personal and Lifestyle
A serious review of life’s priorities and how not to sweat the small stuff!
After being away for a few days, I managed to take some time out and have a reflection of where I was with my life.
By having time completely alone with my husband for the first time in as long as I could remember, I suddenly realised how much time I was spending sweating the small stuff and thereby neglecting what should be the priorities in my life, such as him.
It was then that I remembered the story of rocks, pebbles and sand. If you have never heard it before, please take time to read on and pay attention to the message therein.
Rocks, pebbles and sand
A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items in front of him. When class began, he wordlessly picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks about two inches in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles, poured them into the jar and lightly shook it. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The students laughed. He asked his students again if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things—your family, your partner, your health, your children—anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed. The pebbles are the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale. The pebbles represent things like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else—the small stuff.
“If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room for the things that are truly most important. Pay attention to the things that are critical in your life. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.”
Wise words. In your own life, be sure to take care of the rocks first—the things that really matter. Remember, the rest is only pebbles and sand. Don’t sweat the small stuff!
by Angela Taffs | Mar 24, 2015 | Personal and Lifestyle
Sometimes you just need to take a day out. Are you feeling drained, stressed out or exhausted? Do you feel like you need a day out to hide in the shadows, curl up in a ball and have a good cry or maybe just a long overdue sleep? Do you feel like you are having a mini meltdown?
Every day, as women running our own small businesses, we are bombarded with the messages of being positive, not giving up, keep soldiering forward etc. We feel we have to put our superwoman cloak on every day and never stop juggling the many hats we wear. But sometimes I don’t think it hurts to just hide away and admit it is tough and you just don’t have the energy anymore.
This may be due to business being sluggish or slow and you not achieving the results you want as fast as you want, or it could be down to trying hold together a family at the same time as your business and things seem to be falling apart at the seams.
By having some time out you are not giving in or admitting defeat. You are just have a well-earned break and giving yourself some head space and self-sympathy for all that you have been having to cope with.
Sometimes having a mini meltdown can be incredibly therapeutic. After having that time to let all your feelings out, you can feel a sense of relief that actually gives you the energy to get and go at it all again. It is said that it is only when you hit rock bottom that you can truly pick yourself and move forward.
When you hit those times of feeling overwhelmed and like you are drowning under the weight of your responsibilities, find somewhere to shut off. If you are at home with family around you, tell them you are poorly and go lock yourself in the bedroom and hide under the duvet. Don’t feel guilty. Don’t try to figure it all out. Just close your eyes and let the feelings flow.
When you have had a rest and feel ready, you can then start to get your thoughts out on paper, refocus on what you are trying to achieve and prioritise what you need to do to get back on track. And then you can start to plan those priorities in baby steps.
But that is for later. Have this down time. It will come at some point so expect it and be prepared for it. Don’t let it scare you and don’t try to fight it. Accept it, take that break and realise you are only human after all. You can go back to being Superwoman again tomorrow.
