5 Steps to Serving More (and better quality) Customers

It’s the end of 2015 Q2 today. That means half the year is gone – aarrrhh! Are you on track in your business? Is revenue meeting projections? Are you achieving your profitability targets? If you are a small business owner or solopreneur, are you paying yourself what you are worth?

If you can’t answer a big fat YES to those questions, then you have work to do. Right?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. There are loads of businesses like yours, not quite hitting their business goals at the end of Q2. I have to confess, in one of my businesses, I haven’t hit my Q2 targets either, so I’m practising what I’m about to preach. I also know that with lots of focus, the next 6 months can end on a high. Let’s end 2015 with a HUGE flourish within our businesses.

People do business with people – That’s a fact! And we prefer to do business with people we like. After all, we spend a lot of time in our businesses. So, here’s my 5 step guide to ensure you attract the right people (customers) to your business; people whom you like and trust, and who are right for your business to serve.

Step 1 – Identify Your Most Profitable and Enjoyable Customers
How? It’s easy. I’ve created a simple tool called the L? Customer Profitability Quadrant which does the work for you. It puts your existing customers into 4 quadrants according to how profitable and enjoyable they are.

The 4 quadrants, are:

“Lots More” – highly profitable and enjoyable customers.
“Lift Up” – highly enjoyable but lower profitability customers.
“Look Out” – low enjoyment and highly profitable customers.
“Lose Them” – low enjoyment and low profitability customers.

Here’s what each quadrant looks like after you’ve done the exercise.

From the descriptions, it’s plain which quadrant you want more of in your business – the “Lots More” customers, of course.

Yet, there are issues to be considered with the other quadrants.

The “Look Out” customers pose a threat to your business because if they leave you, your profitability may be affected (if you have plenty of customers in this group, your profitability will be seriously affected).

The “Lift Up” customers need addressing too as you and your team may be over delivering to them as they are enjoyable people to serve, but that is not time well spent at present as they aren’t profitable enough for you.

The “Lose Them” customers are generally a drain on your business and are often price shoppers, so do you really want them?

Click here to download my free E-book that shows you how to create your own L? Customer Profitability Quadrant. I promise it’s really easy to work out.

Step 2 – Define the Common Features of the Customers in Your “Lots More” Quadrant
In all situations I find that when an analysis is done on the types of customers that make up the “Lots More” quadrant, there are common features. There will often be a grouping of industries that they are in, or geographic locations, or you may be selling similar products or services to them.

Do the work to define what the common characteristics are, as you will be able to use this information to target more potential customers like these ones. Don’t try and be everything to everybody. Identify your niche and focus on it.

Step 3 – Evaluate the Key Needs, Wants and Desires of Your “Lots More” Customers
Become really clear on what it is your “Lots More” customers need, want and desire. This is important, as you will only be successful in selling more to them or other customers like them if you truly understand those drivers.

Step 4 – Articulate Your Value Proposition
Do you really know what your value proposition is for your “Lots More” customers? Please spend the time working it out. How are you different? What enables you to serve those customers perfectly so that they return time and again to buy from your business, and hopefully be cheerleaders for your business.

Step 5 – Laser Planning the Next 6 Months
Armed with all the information in steps 1-4, it’s time to create a business/marketing plan for the rest of the year.

In summary, your plan will include the following:

Strategies to reconnect with your existing “Lots More” Customers, checking in on them and their businesses or lives, and reminding them of your value proposition, products and services.
Strategies to identify and market your business to potential customers who are have the same profile as those in your “Lots More“ quadrant. If you are good at serving a particular type of customer, go and find more people just like them.
A ‘sort out’ plan to address the issues with your “Look Out” customers. They are highly profitable to your business, so you don’t really want to lose them. Work out why you aren’t enjoying working with them. Resolve the issues and build bridges. Turn them into “Lots More” Customers too.
A ‘sort out’ plan to address the issues with your “Lift Up” customers. You enjoy working with them, but they are not profitable enough for your business. Do you really know what their needs, wants and desires are? How can you better serve them so they buy more profitably from you and also become “Lots More” customers?
A ‘good-bye’ plan to exit the “Lose Them” customers from your business. They are not suited to the products/service you offer, so you are better to facilitate them being served by another business, and then you can focus on your “Lots More” customers.

That’s it. It’s time to do the work. Follow steps 1-5 and watch your revenue and profitability soar by the end of Q4 2015. I’m excited. I hope you are too.

ACTION: I’d love to hear how business is going for you as at the end of Q2. How about sharing your situation below? If your business is going well, tell us what you’re doing. If you need a renewed focus, then email me. Perhaps a 30 mins free Business Growth Strategy Skype call might be just what you need to get ‘back on the straight and narrow’.

Could some guidance from me be helpful to you? If so, please arrange a free 30 mins Skype strategy meeting with me. Here’s my calendar to book a meeting. I’d love to support you in some way to gain ‘seductive clarity’ in any aspect of your business or life.

Business Success Tips : Meet Pete Evans

Pete Evans
‘Go-Giver’ and Sales Solutions Expert

So, are you a Go-Giver?

Go-Giving is a way of life, a way of doing business and a way of successfully networking to grow your business.

It was developed by John David Mann and Bob Burg via their novel, The Go-Giver – a story about an ambitious young man. Bob is also the author of many other books including: Endless Referrals, Network your Way to Endless Romance, Winning Without Intimidation… and many others.

Go-Giving and its 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success will support you to achieve success in business (and life) in ways you could never imagine.

There will certainly be no more networking events where you leave a bunch of business cards of the people you meet and wonder what to do with them. With Go-Giving, your networking will take on a new life and energy.

In our interview, Pete, who holds the master licence for Go-Giving in the UK, walks us through the philosophy and the 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success and how all that leads to endless referrals and much more.

By becoming a Go-Giver you will grow your business and seriously amplify the quality of your life.. Now, doesn’t that sound good? Enjoy!

You can listen to the original Interview with Pete Evans here:

To connect with Pete Evans:
W: www.momentumss.com

Adèle hosts an interview series entitled:

• Successful Entrepreneurs’ Stories : Adèle McLay Interviews…..
• Business Success Tips : Adèle McLay Interviews …..

…where she interviews successful entrepreneurs from around the world, asking them to share their entrepreneurial stories, and other business ‘subject matter experts’ who share business success tips. If you would like to be art of Adèle’s success community and receive the interviews and much more directly to your inbox, please click here.

Listen to more Subject Matter Experts and be inspired in the Business Success Tips: Adèle McLay Interviews….. YouTube and Podcast series:

Other articles on What Makes Successful Entrepreneurs:

Seven Secrets of Super Successful Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship vs The Meaning of Life
Mega Entrepreneur Defined!
Supercharge Your Profitable Business!
Leadership Qualities
What Makes Great Entrepreneurial Leaders?
All Work + Little Play = Boring!
Entrepreneurial Success without Fulfilment: Who Wants That?
Millionaire Mindset
NZ Entrepreneurship Success

5 Top Tips for Business Success in 2015

Where has the year gone? It’s the end of June… and time’s flying by. Given my experience, you’re likely to be in one of two camps in your business:

Right now, you’re either thinking:

Yeeehhhhaaa, what a great year I’m having… bring on the second half of the business year,

Aaaaahhhh, this year is NOT going to plan. It’s awful and business is bad or at best, very average.

Which one are you?

If you’re in the Yeeehhhhaaa camp, brilliant work. Keep it up… keep your foot on the pedal and make 2015 your best year yet! Go for it and don’t forget to enjoy the journey along the way – celebrate your business success throughout the remainder of the year.

If you’re in the Aaaaahhhh camp, don’t be disheartened. There’s still half a year to achieve the business success you’re seeking and hopefully have planned for.

Remember the parable of the hare and the tortoise? Who won the race? The tortoise, of course… with the slow and ‘steady as she goes’ approach. You can do this. You can achieve everything you want in your business this year.

Here are my 5 Top Tips to ensure you finish off the year in style and achieve the business success you want.

Tip 1 – Remember your ‘What’
Your what? That’s code for reconnecting with your big vision for your business. This year is likely to be a stepping stone towards a much bigger vision. Even if you are off track, it’s easy to get back on track if you have clarity around the big picture you are aiming for… What’s the daring dream you’ve created for your business and life? DREAM for me is Destiny Represented Evocatively, Actively and Magnetically. What’s your dream?

Tip 2 – Remember your ‘Why’
Your ‘why’ is another way of saying… Why do you want to achieve your big vision – your DREAM™ –for your business? Why is it important to you? What will life offer you when you achieve it? How will your family benefit? Is your family your ‘why’? Is giving them the life you want them to have the reason you get out of bed each day? Reconnecting with your ‘why’ and feeling the emotion of its importance will help you to be magnificently motivated to achieve your goals over the remainder of the year.

Tip 3 – Live in the Moment
Remember, regardless of how far behind the ‘8-ball’ you might be feeling, there’s a lot of your life that’s good now. Rejoice in that. Think about choosing happiness as a state of being now and not something you strive to achieve in the future. Practise being grateful for all that you have, and how about being generous with all that right now? How about sharing your gifts and resources with others? I promise you, regardless of how challenging business is, you’ll feel a lot better for living in the moment and appreciating all that is good around you.

Tip 4 – Redouble your Focus
Now that you’ve reconnected with your ‘what’ and ‘why’, it’s time to redouble your focus on achieving the goals you’ve set this year. Firstly review them to ensure they are still relevant for the remainder of the year. Great if they are, biff them out if they are not, and create new and better goals that can be achieved this year.

Then the key is getting on and doing the work – accelerated action is required. As Shakespeare says: “Nothing comes from doing nothing”, so kick yourself into gear and get going. Prolific and profitable productivity is required by everyone.

Reassess all your strategies – your branding, marketing and sales strategies; your financial projections – can you remove cost from the business to achieve the desired profitability? Your customer delivery and happiness strategies – are they serving you? Evaluate every part of your business to ensure it’s operating at its optimal level.

Tip 5 – TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More!
Business success is a team effort. Remember, you’re the leader of the business. You should be working on the parts of your business that suit you, your skills and your personality, and using your leadership abilities to inspire your teams into accelerated action. Hopefully they benefit too when your business does well.

You should be looking at your business and streamlining it – delegating, automating and outsourcing as appropriate. These days business are increasingly ‘lean and mean’ with great teams (actual or virtual), business partnerships and collaborators all working together towards achieving success. How does your business fare in this area? How can you inspire your teams more?

5 Top Tips for Business Success
Well they’re my 5 Top Tips to achieve Business Success in 2015. Of course, there are many more tips I could give you.

If you allow me one more, it’s gotta be to believe in yourself and your ability to be, achieve, and have everything you desire in business and life. Never forget that. Don’t let that little voice within suck the sizzle out of your dreams.

Go for it. You’ve got this. 2015 is your year! Enjoy it.

ACTION: What are you going to do differently to achieve even more in 2015? I’d love to hear your thoughts. How about jotting them down below?

7 Secrets of Business Success

They say the teacher teaches that which they need to learn. Yep, I have to agree!

I’m establishing a new branded products business in the USA at present, and blimey, am I having some challenges! Some days it’s two steps forwards and one back, and then on other days it’s one step forward and two back…. just a regular day in the office for an entrepreneur, I guess!

So in thinking about the new journey I’m on, I was reflecting on the challenges that all business owners and entrepreneurs experience, and the questions I asked myself, were: “What stands successful entrepreneurs/business owners apart from others? What are the secrets of business success?”

Based on my +20 years of experience as a business growth coach, my own journeys in entrepreneurship, and as a learner – forever reading and learning about business and success – here are my brief thoughts: the 7 Secrets of Business Success.

Secret 1: Self Belief
Successful business people believe in themselves, and they think BIG! They have great vision. In my experience, they have an unrelenting belief that they’ll achieve everything they set out to do! And they are passionate about their business too.

Vision and belief is one thing, but massive action is key. Successful business people are not afraid of failure – well, they probably are, but they risk failure in pursuit of their dreams anyway, and they’ll tolerate ambiguity and risk too. You see, for every mistake they make, they learn the lessons and move on.

Secret 2: Set a Goal and GO!
Successful business owners set goals and then act to achieve them. They go for it – there’s no mucking around! They’ll also quickly evaluate the outcomes, so if the goal and actions were wrong, they’ll change direction and move on.

Secret 3: Stand Out
Success in business means not looking at what others are doing and copying the idea. Business success means stepping outside of the box, and heading the other way. Successful business owners often break the rules! They forge new and exciting frontiers, or they find new and interesting ways of doing things.

Successful entrepreneurs also network widely as they know by networking they’ll be increasing their netWORTH – not just in monetary terms, but as an expert in the market. They build rock solid reputations in their industry/market or in business generally.

Secret 4: Seize Your Market
Having a laser focus on the market that you want to conquer is another secret to business success. Consider the differences between a machine gun that scatters bullets versus a sniper gun that aims and hits the target. Successful entrepreneurs are snipers! They hit their target, often with a bull’s eye.

Follow-up and feedback is important to success. Successful business owners are fuelled by customer feedback as it helps them improve their products and services.

Secret 5: Strong Leadership
Strong leadership is another secret to business success. As leaders, successful entrepreneurs impart their vision to staff, customers and other stakeholders. They also ‘walk the talk’ around their vision.

Strong leaders are positive and tolerate ambiguity while heading towards the achievement of their vision.

As leaders, successful entrepreneurs surround themselves with excellent people who manage their businesses. Delegation is another key to success in business.

Secret 6: Sacrosanct: Time!
Time is money, and successful entrepreneurs understand the value of time (and money). They know how to focus on what is important for them, while delegating the rest.

Secret 7: Self Improvement
Self improvement is one of my favourite topics. Successful entrepreneurs spend time (and often lots of money) improving themselves. They are attracted to ongoing learning and knowledge in order to constantly improve their skills.

They also allow time to re-energise; they take time out with family and friends for recreation, and for health and fitness.

And finally, will you allow me another secret or two?
I want to sneak another couple of secrets in as these ones feel very real for me this week.

Secret 8: Steadfast Focus and Persistence
Successful business owners hang in there. They ride out the twists and turns, ups and downs of business. They don’t give up on their quest to be successful, although they may close a business if they realise it’s not viable. Successful people focus on the end goal, and their ability to persist even in the most difficult of times is awe-inspiring.

Secret 9: Sensational Mindset
Business is not always easy and it seldom happens the way in which you expect it to or when you want it to. The little voice in the back of our minds can start undermining us with all that negative talk – remember that voice?

In my experience, the most successful business owners and entrepreneurs have ways of controlling their mindset. They are human too, and they will have the voice annoying them too. They find constructive ways to deal with the doubt, fear and beliefs that creep in from time to time.

Well, that’s it – the 7 Secrets of Business Success (well 9 actually)
I feel better for writing this. Along with my business growth coaching, book writing work and other businesses (that others manage for me), I’m forever the entrepreneur looking for new business opportunities. Personally I believe that the best business coaches have ‘been there and done it’ themselves, and therefore, can impart greater wisdom and firsthand experience about business success.

I also believe that there is a reason for every experience we have in life, and I’ve decided to find some meaning in my current topsy turvy new business journey.

So while the path is rocky as I establish my new USA based branded products business (while living in London), I continue to learn each day, and that knowledge and my journey will no doubt shortly support another business person, perhaps a client on their journey towards business success. I’m good with that!! 🙂

I also believe that this new business will be VERY successful in the USA, so the trials and tribulations are worth it. That thought alone keeps me focused and motivated.

ACTION: I’d love to know what challenges you’ve faced in business that you’ve pushed through – however big or small. Let’s get a conversation going below to inspire others to keep on with their business success journey.

Other articles on What Makes Successful Entrepreneurs:

Seven Secrets of Super Successful Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship vs The Meaning of Life
Entrepreneurial Success Without Fulfilment: Who Wants That?
All Work + Little Play = Boring!
Mega Entrepreneur Defined!
Supercharge Your Profitable Business!
Leadership Qualities
NZ Entrepreneurship Success
Millionaire Mindset
Sir Richard Branson Asks…
Ordinary vs Game Changing
Thriving within the Juggling Act
Business Success and Cookie Dough
What Ice Cream Flavour is Your Business?
What Makes Great Entrepreneurial Leaders?

Business Success Tips : Meet Tresté Loving

Tresté Loving
Celebrating Diversity in Business and Life

What does diversity mean for you?

Most of us think it’s about having respect and understanding for other people, including their culture, religion, ethnicity, age and sexual orientation. And yes, diversity is all that… and it’s a lot more.

I’m delighted to introduce you to a new friend of mine, Tresté Loving (don’t you just LOVE her name – I do!). Tresté has worked in the area of diversity for over 25 years, initially while in the US Navy and now as a consultant working with a large variety of businesses, large corporations and communities in America.

In our interview, Tresté talks candidly about the missed opportunities that businesses (big and small) experience by not embracing diversity in its widest definition.

And why are businesses missing out on growth and profitability opportunities? Very sadly it’s due to FEAR!

This interview is honest and enlightening. I truly hope you will listen to Tresté’s gentle wisdom and wealth of experience.

She talks about being a ‘glocal’ business, losing the fear of diversity, using diversity to grow your business…. and much more.

By embracing diversity in its widest definition, everyone wins: people, communities, businesses and hopefully, our planet. Now that sounds hopeful and encouraging to me. Enjoy!

You can listen to the original Interview with Tresté Loving here:

To connect with Tresté Loving:
W: www.simpleinnovationsbusinesscoaching.com

Adèle hosts an interview series entitled:

• Successful Entrepreneurs’ Stories : Adèle McLay Interviews…..
• Business Success Tips : Adèle McLay Interviews …..

Listen to more Subject Matter Experts and be inspired in the Business Success Tips: Adèle McLay Interviews….. YouTube and Podcast series:

Other articles on What Makes Successful Entrepreneurs:

Business Success and Cookie Dough

You’ve hit a wall. Old and often bad habits have kicked in. Negative thinking is in overdrive. Confidence and motivation are low. Sleeping patterns are erratic. Nothing is going right in business or at home or in relationships (or each of those areas). And to top it all off, you’re not quite sure why any of this is happening, although you’re likely to be thinking that it’s the stress of work ‘getting to you’.

Ever had that experience?

Many of my clients come to be coached by me when they are in those circumstances.
I’ll ask pertinent questions… and out tumbles lots of ‘stuff’ loosely connected to the questions asked. The questions trigger something…

Just recently I had this very experience myself. Everything was going along brilliantly in most areas of life and business, and then unexpectedly, one of my old and dangerous (for me) habits kicked in – I lost control of my sugar addiction. I couldn’t get enough sweet food for about two weeks – not great when you are on 90 Day Achievement Challenge to remove 8kg of weight… eeekkk!

The taste of ice cream, desserts, chocolate, sweets and cookie dough was so more-ish during that time! I made chocolate cookies one weekend – sadly my family didn’t get to eat many cookies, but I did introduce my daughter to the delights of eating raw and frozen cookie dough – she’s now a convert! 🙂 It’s divine!!

Anyway, I could feel the ‘niggle’ in the back of my mind. My conscious mind was saying everything was fine, but the ‘niggle’ was telling me that my subconscious mind had lessons and learnings coming up for me.

And so it did. I let myself move through the ‘sugar thing’ without being too grumpy at myself. I also spent time talking to people who unexpectedly came into my world. We had the most amazing and enlightening conversations, which then gave me the courage to talk to people close to me about what I was thinking, and why the ‘niggle’ and my subconscious mind was tearing at me.

During my ‘sugar thing’, I arranged meetings with my coaches and mentors, and together we worked through the learnings and experience.

While a challenge at the time, in hindsight, the experience was phenomenal! I now understand what my subconscious wanted me to learn and think about. I feel amazing, energetic and invincible as I continue coaching my wonderful clients, developing new businesses and writing books. And the great thing is, there was a real reason for the timing of the ‘sugar thing’.

By listening to the niggle and my subconscious, I’ve opened up a whole lot of new business ideas and avenues, and I’ve evolved my thinking about the focus of two of the books I’m working on that will be published in 2016. So, I‘m very happy!

What’s all this got to do with you and your business success?

A lot! Everything even!

You see, I bet you’ve got your own ‘sugar thing’ happening at times. It might not be sugar, but what about alcohol, excessive smoking, overeating etc…? You know how it goes.

I’m certain there are times when something is holding you back and you can’t explain it, but life is underwhelming and your business isn’t fully charging.

In all seriousness and with huge amounts of love, I encourage you to listen to your inner voice, your subconscious, and ask what it wants to tell you. In the stillness of those moments, listen to what it is saying. Listen intently and often. Let your subconscious mind open up and unfold its lessons and learnings for you. It’s highly likely that you’re about to go on a journey of self discovery. It may be painful for a time as you turn and face your niggle, come to understand it, heal it or respond to it.

But I promise you, once you’ve done that, you’ll feel renewed, full of life and focused on all that’s important to you in business and life. You too will feel invincible and everything you’re working towards in your business will seem within touching distance. And even more business success will unfold!

I know this for a fact as I see it time and again with my clients and the shifts they make in their lives and of course, their increased business success when they’ve passed through the storm that brought them to me in the first instance. I wish the same for you and your life and business.

ACTION: You may be thinking… ‘I sooo understand what you’re saying, Adèle’ or ‘What a lot of codswallop’. Either way, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Please leave a message below, and how about passing my blog onto someone who is ‘out of sorts’ right now? You may be doing them a big favour.

Other articles on What Makes Successful Entrepreneurs:

Seven Secrets of Super Successful Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship vs The Meaning of Life
Entrepreneurial Success Without Fulfilment: Who Wants That?
All Work + Little Play = Boring!
Mega Entrepreneur Defined!
Supercharge Your Profitable Business!
Leadership Qualities
NZ Entrepreneurship Success
Millionaire Mindset
7 Secrets of Business Success
Sir Richard Branson Asks…
Ordinary vs Game Changing
Thriving within the Juggling Act
What Ice Cream Flavour is Your Business?
What Makes Great Entrepreneurial Leaders?

Thriving Within the Juggling Act

As entrepreneurs and business owners we juggle a lot of balls all at once. We have our work commitments – growing our businesses, ensuring our customers are happy, providing meaningful and fulfilling work for our team, working with suppliers…. and so the list of work goes on.

Then there’s life… family time, partner time, ‘me time’ (if we’re lucky), friends, jobs around the house, health and fitness… you get the drift, the list is long.

Would you agree that it’s really easy to get bogged down or overwhelmed in the busy-ness of life and business? The juggling act can be a challenge regardless of how good a delegator we are.

I’m particularly busy at present with several new businesses in the throes of being established, two books being written and edited, coaching clients… and then there are the other things I want to spend time doing. Family time is especially important to me, as is exercise and learning time – I love learning, and I also need to create time for what I call ‘Soulful Vitality’ – don’t worry, it’s not ‘woo-woo’ stuff!

So what’s Soulful Vitality?

Soulful Vitality is a range of things but it’s mostly it’s about savouring ourselves and being anything and everything we want to be in this life. I bring my own Soulful Vitality to life each day in a number of ways, so here’s a few of them.

For starters, I am up and out power walking by 6am each morning for one hour. In that hour of ‘me time’ I will only think about the wonderful things in my life.

I begin by thinking about all that I am grateful for in life – the big and the small things – great health, very happy marriage, wonderful daughter and stepson, wonderful friends (new and old), the beautiful park I walk in, the trees, the blue sky and sun (when they appear), and so my daily list goes on.

I also think about the vision I’ve created for my life and the short and long term goals I am working on towards the achievement of my vision. There’s nothing like visualising that big vision/dream each day to keep it alive and real in my mind, regardless of how near or far I am from achieving its various elements. Thinking about my vision certainly speeds up my power walking each day, which is great for getting my heart rate up, so there’s a double benefit – a bit of exercise.

I choose happiness as a state to live in each day. Yes, like everyone I have my moments, but the essence of my being is that I am happy. I’m happy within the ups and downs of life as I treat each of the things that happen as opportunities for learning, lessons and experiences. You see, I also believe that whatever happens to us, it was meant to happen as there is something that we should be taking from that experience – no matter how hard, damaging or sad that experience is. So as you might expect, during my walk, I just revel in the state of happiness and reflect on the lessons I learn each day on my life journey.

You might be thinking that happiness is the same as gratitude. Well for some it is, but for me, they are separate but tightly connected to each other.

Finally on my walk I think about the ways I can be more generous each day as generosity is one of my core values. Generosity is not just about giving money away, it’s about giving of oneself – giving our heart and soul to others, giving our knowledge, our skills, our ideas, our love, our friendship. While some days I feel really generous, other days I can improve and so I am constantly developing that part of me.

By the time I get home one hour later, I’ve had exercise and fresh air, and I’m well and truly ready to start work. I’m also feeling totally energised after having some ‘me time’ so the juggling act seems more manageable! In fact most days it’s really easy as everything I am juggling is connected to my vision so it all feels worthwhile (so long as I delegate the parts that are best done by others).

ACTION: How about including some ‘me time’ into your day for reflection, visioning, gratitude, and generosity? And don’t forget to think about happiness as a state to live within each day. It’s life changing, I promise.

Other articles on What Makes Successful Entrepreneurs:

Seven Secrets of Super Successful Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship vs The Meaning of Life
Entrepreneurial Success Without Fulfilment: Who Wants That?
All Work + Little Play = Boring!
Mega Entrepreneur Defined!
Supercharge Your Profitable Business!
Leadership Qualities
NZ Entrepreneurship Success
Millionaire Mindset
7 Secrets of Business Success
Sir Richard Branson Asks…
Ordinary vs Game Changing
Business Success and Cookie Dough
What Ice Cream Flavour is Your Business?
What Makes Great Entrepreneurial Leaders?

Ordinary vs Game Changing

“It doesn’t take any more effort to dream a big dream than it takes to dream a small dream.” ~ General Wesley Clark, Former Head of NATO Allied Troops

Have you ever set a goal and then not achieved it? If you said yes, you’re not alone; most of us are in that camp with you. In fact, that’s generally the norm in life. People set goals all the time and often make little progress towards achieving them.

We set goals because we think we should, or because others are setting them, or it’s a New Year’s resolution and that’s what happens at that time of year, or it’s part of being in business and the accountant says that’s what we should do. Whew! Sound familiar?

Have you ever wondered why we don’t achieve our goals?

In my experience, the answer is really simple. Most often people don’t achieve their goals because the goal(s) they set aren’t that important to them.

I just love this quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as it’s so true: “Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.”

Unless we have what I call ‘seductive clarity’ around why a dream or goal is important to us, it won’t be achieved.

What’s seductive clarity? Well, I’m about to get a bit soppy on you!

Remember that moment when you fell in love, or saw your child – your baby – for the very first time? What did you feel in that moment?

I’m guessing it was a passion, a desire, a raw need, a drive, a responsibility, a happiness! In short, you were seduced by love.

In love, we want and need that person forever and a day. Our hearts stop, we get distracted and can’t focus on anything other than the person we have fallen in love with. Ahhh, I still rejoice with the memories of those early moments in love! 🙂

To this day, some 13 years later, I still remember that heart stopping moment when I saw our baby for the first time and love kicked in, along with the need to cuddle, nurture and caress that tiny being that was given to us to love, hold, cherish and guide through life.

Seductive clarity with our dreams and goals is the same. We must feel the utmost emotional connection with them – a love – a heart stopping importance, a must have or must achieve drive, and the feeling – the excitement – that comes with the possibility of achieving something important.

If we don’t have all that then we won’t care enough to achieve the dream or goal. And sadly, when the going gets tough, as it does in life and business, we’ll be off and onto the next shiny thing… the goal will be forgotten or buried as silly or not important.

Yet, the achievement of a dream or goal can be life changing. The achievement of a goal can make an ordinary life extraordinary. The achievement of a big goal can be a game changer in business.

So, let’s get serious about this for a minute. We’re nearly half way through 2015. How’s the year progressing for you? Same old, same old? Or are you on track to achieve some major and hopefully game changing goals this year?

It’s not too late in the year to set goals. There’s plenty of time to nail something that is important to you.

Personally, I have set three very major goals that will be achieved over 90 days… and the energy, excitement and commitment I feel towards the achievement of those goals creates the daily momentum I need to nail them. I’m three weeks into my three projects and the achievement of the goals is on track, which is fantastic. These goals are game changers for me…. To say I am excited about the upcoming achievement of them is a BIG understatement! I’ll tell you what they are after they’re ‘in the bag’.

ACTION: What about you? How about creating a game changing or breakthrough goal that you will achieve this year? That goal must quantum leap your personal or professional life somehow.

You’ll know it’s important when you want to live and breathe it every day until it’s achieved. Your emotional attachment will be enormous, and you will be prepared to do the work to achieve it.

So come on. Set the goal and then get on, do the work, and achieve it. Imagine how life will be once you’ve achieved it.

How about letting me know in the comments below if you are up for the challenge? Let’s get some big goals happening and achieved this year.

Other articles on What Makes Successful Entrepreneurs:

Seven Secrets of Super Successful Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship vs The Meaning of Life
Entrepreneurial Success Without Fulfilment: Who Wants That?
All Work + Little Play = Boring!
Mega Entrepreneur Defined!
Supercharge Your Profitable Business!
Leadership Qualities
NZ Entrepreneurship Success
Millionaire Mindset
7 Secrets of Business Success
Sir Richard Branson Asks…
Thriving within the Juggling Act
Business Success and Cookie Dough
What Ice Cream Flavour is Your Business?
What Makes Great Entrepreneurial Leaders?

Business Success Tips : Meet Bob Littell

Bob Littell
Mr Netweaver

Are you ‘on the networking circuit’ to grow your business? And if you are, what do you loathe most about networking? Being sold to? Being spammed afterwards? Being put on email lists? Not knowing what to do with all the business cards you collect? Not knowing what to do after you meet an interesting person?

Some people love networking while others find it a struggle, yet they feel they have to do it to grow their businesses.

Meet my friend, Bob Littell – he’s Mr NetWeaver or Chief NetWeaver! He founded the concept of NetWeaving many years ago and it’s a much better and more successful alternative to networking. In fact, NetWeaving’s been referred to as the business side of ‘Pay It Forward’ – remember that wonderful and heart warming movie a few years ago?

NetWeaving takes the concept of networking to a whole new level and in the process everyone wins. The rewards of being a great NetWeaver are phenomenal. People have gotten to the top of the corporate ladder by being NetWeavers while others have grown their businesses massively.

This week’s interview will explain what NetWeaving is all about, and I promise you, it’s a very simple concept.

If you’d like to know where you are on the NetWeaving ladder, then you can also take a simple NetWeaving quiz here. I took it and I’m delighted that I’m a ‘Natural NetWeaver’ – I’ve been doing it all my life without putting a name to it. What about you?

Enjoy my interview with Bob…. I hope you learn loads, and then get on helping others in business and life by paying it forward as a Netweaver.

You can listen to the original Interview with Bob Littell here:

To connect with Bob Littell:
W: www.netweaving.com

W: www.netweaving-pif-week.com

Adèle hosts an interview series entitled:

• Successful Entrepreneurs’ Stories : Adèle McLay Interviews…..
• Business Success Tips : Adèle McLay Interviews …..

Listen to more Subject Matter Experts and be inspired in the Business Success Tips: Adèle McLay Interviews….. YouTube and Podcast series:

Other articles on What Makes Successful Entrepreneurs:

Sir Richard Branson asks….

“What business do I really think I could improve?” ~ Sir Richard Branson

I’ve just listened to an interview that Sir Richard Branson gave late last year and, as you’d expect, the topic was his take on entrepreneurship success.

Sir Richard expressed great concern for entrepreneurs who are establishing businesses purely on the premise of ‘where I can make money’, rather than looking at business from the point of view of improving an industry.

Sir Richard always asks the question, “What businesses frustrate me?”, then he goes off and starts businesses in industries he wants to clean up and improve.

The stories of Virgin Records, Virgin Airlines, Virgin Rail, and more recently, Virgin Money are legendary, and certainly these Virgin businesses have disrupted the industries they compete in so that we, the customers, are winners. Why? Because in improving an industry, all players must follow and up their game or else they fail. Therefore, the industry improves.

Virgin Airlines is a brilliant example of this. Virgin Atlantic was the first to introduce individual TV screens on the backs of airline chairs so that we could watch the movies we chose, rather than what the airline wanted us to watch on the communal screens. Now all airlines flying long haul have this feature. If they didn’t, no-one would fly with them as this is the ‘new normal’ that we as customers have come to expect.

Sir Richard Branson’s comments got me thinking.

If we’re already in business, are we as business owners disrupting and improving the industry that we’re a part of or are we just like all other players out there, delivering the same old homogeneous products and services to our customers?

Now you’re probably thinking, “But I am just a small player in my market, and I don’t need to disrupt anything, I just need to get on and do the work”.

Yes and no! Yes, you may be a small fish in a big sea, but you will have lots of competition, even if you only compete in your local market.

And no! You can’t just get on and do the work. You and your business must stand out and do things differently and better otherwise someone else in your industry will create the new normal and you will be left behind. You and your business will irrelevant; a dinosaur!

Size is of no importance in disrupting an industry. Doing lots of things a little bit better than everyone else is what stands the best players out from the rest. Any business can do that.

How about thinking of businesses that you as a consumer or business owner support because to you they are better than and different from the rest? What stands them apart from the rest for you? Often it’s lots of little things and not just one BIG thing that make the difference.

Now for some big questions:

How are you and your business standing out from the crowd? What distinguishes your business from others in your industry?
What does your business’s brand represent?
What part of your industry are you improving?
What about you, the business owner/entrepreneur? How do you stand out?
What impression do you leave? Are you personally branded so you are different to all the other business owners out there in your industry?

Food for thought? I hope so.

You as the person behind your business must stand out. Your business must stand out. Be different. Disrupt and improve your industry. Be better than the rest. Do all this well and the money, the profit, the success will follow. I promise.

How about starting a conversation and letting me know how your business is disrupting and improving your industry at a macro or micro level? I’d love to know.

Other articles on What Makes Successful Entrepreneurs:

Seven Secrets of Super Successful Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship vs The Meaning of Life
Entrepreneurial Success Without Fulfilment: Who Wants That?
All Work + Little Play = Boring!
Mega Entrepreneur Defined!
Supercharge Your Profitable Business!
Leadership Qualities
NZ Entrepreneurship Success
Millionaire Mindset
7 Secrets of Business Success
Ordinary vs Game Changing
Thriving within the Juggling Act
Business Success and Cookie Dough
What Ice Cream Flavour is Your Business?
What Makes Great Entrepreneurial Leaders?