Here are ten potential strategies and ideas for improving a business, along with relevant statistics to support their effectiveness:
Conduct market research to identify customer needs and preferences and use that information to develop and improve products or services. According to a survey by the National Science Foundation, businesses that use market research to make decisions have higher sales and are more likely to survive than those that do not.
Implement a robust and effective marketing campaign to promote the business and attract new customers. Studies have shown that companies that invest more in marketing tend to have higher sales and profitability than those that do not.
Focus on building strong, long-term relationships with customers to encourage loyalty and repeat business. Research has shown that it is more expensive to acquire a new customer than it is to retain an existing one, and that loyal customers are more likely to make larger purchases and refer others to the business.
Invest in the ongoing training and development of employees to improve their skills and knowledge. Companies that provide regular training and development opportunities for their employees tend to have higher levels of employee engagement and productivity, leading to improved performance and profitability.
Use technology and data-driven decision making to improve efficiency, productivity, and accuracy. According to a survey by Accenture, businesses that use data and analytics to make decisions are more likely to be successful than those that do not.
Develop a clear and compelling vision and mission for the business and communicate it to employees to help guide decision making and drive success. Research has shown that companies with a clear vision and mission are more likely to achieve their goals and be successful than those without one.
Streamline operations and eliminate waste to reduce costs and improve profitability. By identifying and eliminating waste, businesses can reduce their expenses and improve their bottom line.
Offer excellent customer service to differentiate the business from competitors and build a positive reputation. A survey by NewVoiceMedia found that poor customer service is the main reason for customer churn, with 66% of customers switching to a competitor after a bad experience.
Collaborate with other businesses or organizations to expand the reach and impact of the business. By partnering with other companies, businesses can access new markets, customers, and resources, leading to increased success and growth.
Be open to new ideas and willing to take calculated risks to drive innovation and growth. Companies that are willing to try new things and take risks are more likely to discover new opportunities and drive innovation, leading to increased success and competitiveness.
The news in the past year didn’t help anyone’s sanity or goal setting. Alt-politics, extreme weather, and virus frenzy swirled together like a tornado. We landed like Dorothy in bizarre alternate reality raging against whatever form of media happened to catch our attention.
Making sense of “The Year of Missing Out”
Despite online appearances, almost everyone experienced the Year of Missing Out. Social media is our window to the world. We see people prioritizing fun over safety and worry about being left out.
Some virtual friends were living their best life, curating an intoxicating feed of travel pics and partying on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Meanwhile, you haven’t posted anything in a while. Friends in your feed ignored rules and enjoyed life, damn the consequences. How is that fair?
I mean, who really needs to see that your hydroponic plants grew an eighth of an inch? (Ask me about my plant babies – they are adorable and growing like crazy.)
Gardening goal setting? Check out LettuceGrow.com – Get a $50 Credit with FRIEND-K9K0
You followed the rules, stayed home and grew a home garden even though you desperately craved connection, fun and normalcy. You are also stuck in your own head, mulling options, and afraid to make your next move.
We are all dealing with something difficult, and it’s a lot
In social media, photos and captions show off the “Best of” moments. In reality, this year impacted everyone in a profound way.
Human beings are wired for connection. When will we ever be able to gather and hug again? Anxiety, depression and stress are at all time altitudes (I recommend the Mooditude App).
Technology created pandemic-proof ways of working from home, innovating and pivoting under disastrous circumstances. It has also led to burnout, endless hours on video, and both physical and digital divides.
Parents and children continue to fight for bandwidth, printers and screens and everyone is left precious little time for any social life. Mothers (and some fathers) made particularly devastating choices that will set them back in their career and wealth goals for decades to come.
Teachers adapted to intimidating technology (on the bright side, both teachers and students are learning necessary 21st century skills).
College students wondered when to go back to dorm life, while facing an unknowable job future, no internships and toxic levels of debt.
Everyone without a steady form of income teeters on the razor thin edge of economic uncertainty, including entrepreneurs, restaurant owners, hair stylists, gig workers, musicians and entertainers.
So many faced the intensity of lost loved ones, illness and long recoveries. Can we all please give a special shout out to our healthcare and front line workers?
When you are unsure about what the future holds, it is natural to be afraid to take a bold next step.
So how can you approach goal setting your world is unsettling?
Playing it safe is not working. Waiting for opportunities is a losing strategy.
Have you noticed that some people really have been able to surf through this storm? What do these people do that others don’t do?
Successful people practice the art of making sound decisions and acting on them consistently, even in the eye of a storm.
Decisive people have risen to the challenges of the moment. They constantly scan for opportunities and act rapidly. I speak to entrepreneurs every day who embrace digital transformation and create unique solutions to timely challenges.
Sounds interesting…so how do they actually do that?
They identify and tackle the best next step with weekly goal setting and action. Then their weekly results start stacking for massive results. I’ll explain.
In my book, Decide Like a Boss, I break it down into powerful steps that are easy to understand and accomplish.
The Steamwork System featured in the book is a simple approach to achieve results in any area of your life. It will help with:
Defining your essential personal goals in four main areas
Sifting through your weekly “stuff” to identify your most important actions for the week
Making commitments and finding the resources to get these actions done
When this process is performed regularly, the spectacular results start to add up. Before you know it, you are further than you could have imagined.
Why does the Steamwork System work?
The Steamwork System is effective because it takes many aspects of the human experience into account:
Considers both thoughts and feelings
Builds belief in better outcomes
Clarifies priorities
Improves communication to yourself and others
Strengthens negotiations because you know what you want
Consider what the other parties want and need
Solidifies commitment
Sparks resourcefulness
Most powerfully, a regular discipline of decision making and action taking leads to better results each week. These results will compound over time, like compound interest in the bank or, even better, returns in the stock market.
Crank Up Your Goal Setting and Become a Momentum Machine
This process creates a flywheel of micro-successes that generate momentum for larger and larger successes. It doesn’t matter where you start, it just matters that you keep going.
If you’d like the workbook in print or digital format to explore this topic in more depth, you can find it here: https://upround.io/decidelikeaboss/
Don’t forget to post your new found glory days on social media – everyone needs a little FOMO to get motivated!
Imagine your life without access to the Internet, especially if you are not able to leave your home. How would you access information and basic needs like food, clothing, financial services and entertainment? About 20% of the population experiences challenges accessing the internet because of one or more of a variety of disabilities and the lack of website accessibility.
We have all heard about businesses with physical locations needing to make adjustments to accommodate disabled patrons, but what about online destinations? As our economy shifts to conducting business online, it is more important than ever to make websites accessible. Business owners face the risk of unnecessary lawsuits, fines and penalties, which can be avoided quite easily with minor modifications to websites. Making your website accessible will help you reach and serve more clients, generate higher satisfaction, community goodwill and business growth.
So who is filing ADA compliance lawsuits?
Associations and organizations for people with disabilities and law firms are teaming up to form class action lawsuits against large organizations and companies, like Harvard, Netflix, Uber, Chipotle, Domino’s and even musicians like Beyonce. These lawsuits generally cite Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. They are targeting companies with online accessibility barriers to make it easier for disabled people to access the internet. As more companies are conducting business online, the pace is accelerating – one federal-funded accessibility lawsuit is filed per hour! (UsableNet’s 2019 ADA Website and App Accessibility Lawsuit Report)
What types of changes are necessary to achieve Web Accessibility for disabled customers?
Getting and staying compliant can keep your business running smoothly, attracting new, valuable, grateful customers. It can also keep you out of the courtroom, avoiding fines, penalties and legal fees! The landscape and standards for website accessibility are constantly changing, and require a deep understanding of a wide range of disabilities and technologies. They include but are not limited to:
Alternative text for every image so that screen reader software can navigate a site with or without a keyboard
Providing high contrast between the site background and text for easy readability
Providing a way to enlarge text
Making sure forms can be navigated and completed by people using screen readers
Closed captions or transcripts for video and audio content so that the hard of hearing can interact with your content
However, these accommodations don’t have to be expensive or time consuming for a business owner. We work with tools that can streamline this process to automate the accommodations using the latest standards and certify compliance with no impact to the design or functionality of your current website.
What Industries Are Most at Risk?
While every industry could be targeted, some of the most prone to lawsuits are:
Education – Current and potential students must be able to apply for admission, pay tuition and fees, find and register for classes, attend and access materials from virtual classes, submit work, connect with educators and support resources.
Restaurants & Hospitality – Current and potential clients must be able to research your offerings, reserve, book and pay for meals and accommodations.
Healthcare – Current and prospective clients must be able to research your offerings, book appointments and view medical test results and notes securely.
Sports & Entertainment – current and potential clients must be able to research your offerings, reserve, book and pay for tickets, streaming services and more.
Being proactive about website accessibility is more important than ever for businesses of all sizes. You’ve worked so hard to create a great business and website. Now more than ever, it is important both ethically and financially to protect your business from Web Accessibility lawsuits.
Is your website is ADA compliant? We can do a quick check for you and help you make some simple, affordable changes to correct any issues.
We put together this handy guide for getting Zoom Ready because we’ve received so many questions about using Zoom effectively for meetings, book clubs, family gatherings and more! Whether you are new to world of remote work, or used to working from home, you have probably encountered Zoom, a communication tool for video conferencing and meetings. Zoom is free for meetings up to 40 minutes in length, and very affordable plans are available if your needs exceed the free plans.
Here are our best tips for getting Zoom Ready:
Be Prepared
Know your goals for the meeting
Prepare slides if needed
Have supporting documents, forms, slides, websites or resources set up and ready to show
Close other tabs on your browsers to avoid sharing things you don’t want to
Set clear expectations about when you will be able to answer questions and how you would like people to interact during the meeting
Document decisions and action items just like any other meeting
Be Present
Be on time or early (especially if you are the host)
Stay connected to the conversation emotionally
Avoid multitasking
Make time for small talk, create rapport
Showing your hands and using gestures builds trust (TEDx Talk)
Be Yourself
Speak naturally and enthusiastically as if you are in person with your audience
Make eye contact with the camera, not your image on the screen
Set the Scene
Set up your camera angle to shoot you from slightly above your eye level
Set up an attractive, high contrast background
If you have dark hair and clothing, choose a light background and vice versa
Clean up clutter and mess!
Avoid windows, mirrors or glass behind you which show unintentional glare or reflections
Set Up Flattering Lighting
A window or LED light in front of you work best
Overhead light can create dark shadows under your chin
Backlight from lamps, windows or other sources can outshine your face
Avoid Embarrassment
Don’t take your phone to the bathroom and other faux pas!
Don’t shout at anyone while your microphone and video are on
Try not to get up and walk around while you are on video
Set up in a room with a door and possibly a lock to avoid interruptions from children, spouses and pets
Prepare Your Gadgets
Strong internet connection to avoid delay or interruption (kick other people off streaming services while you are taking an important meeting)
Test that your audio is good
Use your computer’s microphone and speakers – or –
Get a USB microphone and/or speakers for your computer
Good headphones with a microphone jack that fits your computer, tablet or phone
Get to Know Zoom Controls
Make sure you practice before your big meeting so that you understand mute and video on/off controls
Try Pinning/Unpinning the view you want to watch (either the speaker, a web page or slides)
Watch the chat to see if anyone has questions (it can help to have another person manage the chat for you when you are leading the meeting)
Test the record meeting settings so that you can tell when the meeting is being recorded (note, by default, any attendee can record the meeting unless you change the setting)
Change your Zoom Settings to meet your needs
Use HD
Enhance appearance
Manage screen sharing and whiteboard functions
Manage participants’ audio – mute all while the main presentation is going
Use a unique ID for large meetings
Require a password for your meeting
Leverage the waiting room feature (now default; click participants and admit all when you are ready to start the meeting)
Learn to start a meeting instantly and invite people
Learn to schedule a meeting
Learn to schedule a recurring meeting
Add a Chrome extension for adding a zoom link to G Suite Calendar invitations
Enjoy meeting with Zoom!
Let us know if you would add any other tips to this list.
Get ready for a bold statement – every company that plans to survive to 2030 and beyond must come to terms that they ARE a technology company. Those who run tech companies already, I’m sure you already know this. But those of you who fear they aren’t tech-savvy or who downright resist improvement through technology are doomed unless you read on and take this message to heart.
Technology isn’t just an industry sector, it is a foundation for every industry. Just as you need other supporting functions of your business like finance, sales, marketing, human resources, etc., you must invest in technology that helps you gain efficiency in your business processes. It is your systems for getting things done that most likely need to be turned into software to speed up, standardize and distribute the core functions of your business so that they can be automated or streamlined when they are done by your team, vendors or customers.
Have you noticed that many companies are making their customers fill out forms online to create accounts? Most customer service is accessible online. Your account questions get answered on a website, app or automated phone system. Getting software to perform these routine tasks is allowing these companies to grow rapidly at a higher profit margin, so they will have more cash to grow. These companies have already discovered and acted on the bold statement that they are tech companies and have outsourced customer care functions to you! Most of the products and services you purchased to run your company in the past few years were probably sold to you online with limited human contact.
If you aren’t already automating, delegating and distributing your work through technology, your competitors are. Your customers expect an increase in the ease and speed of interacting with companies. The costs of doing business with them are having a great user experience, usually delivered through thoughtfully designed software.
Start your technology company revolution by identifying the functions of your business that take the most time and therefore cost the most. If you can invest in software projects that streamline those functions, you can cut costs and increase your profits.
Laura Berens is Founder & CEO of Love and Fit, creator and host of the Time To Be You podcast, and a business consultant for women entrepreneurs.
With over 10 years of corporate experience, Laura has learned the true value of hard work. During her career in business development and sales, Laura became an expert in the fields of media and corporate wellness. The completion of her first NPC bodybuilding competition in 2012 marked the start of Laura’s passionate dive into the professional fitness world.
After becoming a mother, Laura discovered an untapped market which perfectly merged her expertise in fitness, business and love of helping women. Unsatisfied with the nursing sports bra options available on the market, she founded her own company, Love and Fit. Its mission: to provide functional and fashionable activewear options to help all women feel empowered, strong and fit.
Facebook chatbots are quickly becoming the hottest and most effective marketing tool on Facebook today! Not only are they hosted on the worlds most popular messaging app, Facebook Messenger which boasts over 1 Billion active users, but they are excellent for growing your business, your brand, your email list and cutting through the noise and the lousy Facebook algorithm. In this information-packed session, Kelly Noble Mirabella will teach you the basics of Chatbots. What are they? Why should you care? How can they help grow your business? Plus where to start TODAY when creating your first chatbot experience. All will be revealed and so much more!
Bio:
With more than 11 years of social media marketing experience—and more than a few wacky costumes—Kelly brings tricky social media concepts to life through her fun, clear and memorable social media training videos and classes. Long before social media savvy was status quo, Kelly recognized how social media can take brand recognition, customer engagement and marketing efforts to a radical new level. What’s more, Kelly has spent the past two years learning to build Facebook messenger bots (aka “chatbots”), and now teaches others how to build them with simple, entertaining and,
sometimes, 80s-themed tutorials. Today, she teaches entrepreneurs, small business owners and working professionals how to use social media to improve their businesses and achieve their goals.
Kelly is known for her enthusiasm, creativity and passion for demystifying social media—not to mention her playful costumes and thematic presentations. Whether trying out Facebook Live or building your own chatbot, you can count on Kelly to guide you with skill and flair for totally stellar results.
If you are shoving cards in people’s hands and talking all about yourself, you are doing networking all wrong. Here’s some gentle reminders that will change everything for you!
You are inconsistent with networking
You show up to events occasionally, appear aloof, take only a shallow interest in getting to know others, and are more interested in collecting cards than connecting.
You don’t follow up after a networking event
I’d venture a guess that there is a huge pile of cards sitting on your desk that you haven’t even touched. If this is true, you are missing a huge opportunity and wasting a ton of time attending networking events.
Sending a quick note to everyone you meet with an invitation to connect on LinkedIn or Facebook will keep you top of mind. This is not an opportunity to send over the full sales pitch…you are just starting a relationship.
You request and expect referrals right away
Business people with integrity who have spent years building up trust with clients and contacts will be wary if you ask them for referrals right away. You could be most valuable resource in the world, but building trust is still a process. Dedicate yourself to caring about the people you meet, offer to get to know them, find out how you can help and take action on that. When you give first (#givefirst), you are setting yourself up to receive abundantly.
You aren’t clear about what you do and what value you can add
Express what you do in a way that offers specific ways you can help a specific target client. This approach takes the pressure off the conversation and makes it clear what type of client would be a good fit for you. The person you are talking to may not fit that profile, but when you are clear, you paint a vivid picture of who you need to meet very quickly. You never know who might pop to mind!
You can get better at networking!
Ask yourself, “How can I get to know the community first so that referrals flow in more easily?” Get involved with a community organization and share your talents freely. Work on becoming more visible as a leader who cares about connecting and helping others and you will be appreciated and noticed.
If you are looking to gain traction in your company, everything starts with you having a product or service that’s absolutely irresistible to customers.
How do you know if you have hit that streak of business gold?
Your customer is desperate to solve a painful problem and you have the *potential* be their dream come true. You share your product and they can’t buy it fast enough and thank you profusely! You need to offer something that makes a real difference for people – saving them time, money and curing a real pain.
Once you have that magical formula…it is time to share it!
You need to share your solution with those who might need it and convince other people like them that it works!
People who have the pain that you know you can solve are naturally skeptical. They want proof you’re telling the truth. They don’t want to be sold, but they do want to solve that thorny, painful problem.
To overcome skepticism you have to demonstrate impressive results and that happens to work best with massive transformation stories.
You need to share that confirmation of moving from A to B, from pain to power, from rags to riches, from before to after.
You need stories of customers trying your product or service and saying, “Wow! This is amazing!”
This sparks the curiosity to try the product or service and share the reaction with others.
What commercials can you remember that follow this formula?
Laundry? Diets? Medicine? They all do!
Every single advertiser relies on confirmation in the form of emotional stories that provide proof and invite trial.
Emotion sells, facts back up the decision.
Get that emotional connection figured out and watch your business take off!
________
PS: We’re starting a CEO group in Santa Clarita next month. We’re going to spend 3 hours a month going deep into applying growth strategies for your business. Would you like to join us? Click here?
Just reply to this email and put “DLAB” in the subject line, and I’ll get you all the details 🙂
Whenever you’re ready… here are 4 ways we can help you grow YOUR business:
My favorite thing to do is to talk deeply with other entrepreneurs about their success strategies in all kinds of businesses. Big businesses, small businesses, professional services – they are all gathering weekly at http://1MillionCups.com/SantaClarita
2. Get my personal help with your business and personal budget
Nobody likes facing their numbers, but it is so important! Meet with me for a half an hour and break down your business and/or personal budgets to make sure you have the runway to make your business work. Make your appointment here: http://calendly.com/taniamulry
3. Work with us one-on-one
If you’d like to work directly with me to make big decisions and set up success systems, processes, policies, website, app and/or marketing strategies for your business… just reply to this message and put “One-on-One” in the subject line… tell me about your business, what you’d like to work on together and I’ll reply with next steps!
Grow your business with an elite group of CEOs in a mentor-led group
LEVEL UP YOUR GROWTH WITH DECIDE LIKE A BOSS (DLAB)
DLAB is Steamwork’s Peer-Powered Decision Accelerator, where business owners come together monthly to make stronger decisions, action plans, find their dream team and hold accountability.
DLAB is a 12-month program with cycles of decisions, implementation and celebration.
1. Live Monthly Momentum Meetings
These are can’t miss peer-powered strategy team meetings where you identify your biggest growth opportunity, work through challenges, fears and obstacles, build level-up goals, action plans, commitment and accountability.
2. Members’ Only Online Collaboration Group
Stay connected between meetings in an online group for feedback and sharing.
3. Momentum Day
DLAB celebrates progress quarterly and connects past, present & future members to socialize.
VALUES OF THE STEAMWORK DLAB COMMUNITY
We stand for Fun, Challenge, Courage, Commitment, Consistency, Giving, and Being Present.
WHO ARE THE PEERS IN DLAB?
Serial entrepreneurs, experienced executives and high-performance coaches join DLAB.
HOW WILL YOU GROW YOUR BUSINESS DURING DLAB?
Create a steady personal income from your business
Define and launch your irresistible offering by hacking your buyers’ brains
Own your numbers in your business
Crush your fears and obstacles
Develop daily disciplines for a productive, thriving, healthy business
Overcome technology, media, resourcing and mindset issues
Take your expertise to an online sales model to make more money on autopilot
Create a tribe of rabidly responsive and enthusiastic fans and customers
THE POTENTIAL OF IMPLEMENTING 12 MONTHLY GROWTH PLANS
