Your business skills have an expiration date

It’s never too late to learn something new. Honing your business skills can help you maximize productivity and attain goals by providing strategic insight and applicable techniques. Don’t just take the time to learn something new. Knowledge unused is wasted. Implement what you learn and share it with others.

It doesn’t matter how you acquire information and new knowledge. However, it does matter that you actively pursue it and utilize it for the benefit of you and your business. Your business is a journey and just like with any trip, you see new things, learn new things and bring new things back with you. Make the most of your journey. Don’t just be a tourist; get to know the people and culture of where you are.

5 ways to hone your business skills:

1.     Take a class online, live or via phone. Most of the time, these are cost-effective ways to acquire new information on a wide variety of topics. They are also convenient in terms of location and access.

2.     Connect with a mentor. The wisdom that you gain from someone who has walked the walk is priceless. You can learn from their experiences and mistakes. You can expand on what has worked for them. Most importantly, you have emotional support and encouragement.

3.     Read business magazines, books and reports. These are quick, yet powerful ways to discover quick tips, tools and techniques that will increase your knowledge and resources.

4.     Join a business association related to your industry. Association memberships keep you aligned with best industry practices and legislation.

5.     Sign up for a business retreat or convention out of town. Getting out of your “territory” and meeting new business owners is refreshing. You can see how things are done in other areas, expand your market base, collaborate with new connections and break the monotony of your daily routine.

Don’t get left behind. Failing to refresh yourself and ideas on a regular basis is a sure way to not only kill your creativity but dull your business senses. Use the venues above to keep your finger on the pulse of your target market, industry and relevance of your business. Your business skills are directly related to your business success.

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

A.Michelle Blakeley is the Founder and CEO of Simplicity, Inc.; a progressive small business development firm. She manages her clients’ business expectations and prevents information overload via Micro Business Therapy™ and Micro Business Action Plans. She is featured in Forbes.com and the Financial Post as one of 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter and the host of Simple Truths for Women Entrepreneurs on BlogTalkRadio.com.

Stop, think and listen

Small business owners often find themselves in a constant state of emergency. Emergencies can occur through no fault of your own, however; putting out fires on a daily basis is a sign that your business systems, processes and practices are not functioning properly and are ineffective.

It is imperative that small business owners (especially those without staff and limited resources) have streamlined and organized systems and practices. This includes the way you process your clients’ information, marketing techniques, sales scripts and invoices/ bookkeeping. And let’s not forget hours of operation. There is nothing wrong with setting your own hours, but are you adhering to them? Are you spending the appropriate amount of time with your family? How and when are you honing your skills and increasing your business knowledge? Do you set aside time to perform the menial administrative duties? Do you plan your work? There needs to be a clear, well-defined and functional manner in which you operate your business.

When you are overwhelmed, frustrated and lost you should stop, think and listen. Stop doing what you are doing. Just like in a real emergency, STOP. Don’t panic. Our stress and anxiety levels immediately increase when we are flying by the seat of our pants. We are naturally concerned about revenue, clients and the direction of our business. This is okay. However, it is also easy to add to this concern unnecessarily when we operate our business without proper planning and a functional work system. So again, when you find yourself panicked, overwhelmed or simply unproductive, stop. When you are in quicksand, it is the flailing around that will cause you to sink even faster. Don’t move forward or backward. Just be still.

Think. Reflection and introspect is critical for small business owners. We have to be able to step back and survey the land to see clearly. Be realistic about where you are and what has taken place so far. Assess your business condition. What are you doing right? What are you doing wrong? What are your resources? What are your strengths? If you are not sure, don’t be afraid to ask for help. The knowledge and wisdom from wise counsel and a fresh pair of eyes could be the jolt you need to redirect your energy in the right direction.

Once you have come out of survival mode and have taken some time to really think about and assess your position, you must be open-minded and prepared to listen. Open-minded enough to accept the reality of your condition in whatever state it is in. Denial is destructive to you and your business. Listen to your intuition. We all have that small voice inside that gives us a heads up when we are going in the wrong direction or if something doesn’t feel right. Listen to that voice and give it the power and credit it deserves. If you have sought wise counsel, listen to what it is they are telling you. They should be telling you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.

The next time you find yourself overwhelmed, lost, frustrated or in a constant state of emergency, stop, think and listen.

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

A.Michelle Blakeley is the Founder and CEO of Simplicity, Inc.; a progressive small business development firm. She manages her clients’ business expectations and prevents information overload via Micro Business Therapy™ and Micro Business Action Plans. She is featured in Forbes.com and the Financial Post as one of 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter and the host of Simple Truths for Women Entrepreneurs on BlogTalkRadio.com.

Claim your business… and claim new clients!

One of the new small business trends for 2010 is to re-engage local business owners. Many small business owners are making a shift in their marketing and networking strategies from the online community to the local community. This can prove to be beneficial and strengthen collaborations among small business owners. Establishing joint ventures and referral programs has always been viewed as a solid marketing strategy. To enhance your local marketing efforts you should claim your business profile on Google and Bing.

There are 3 fantastic benefits to claiming your business:

1. Let’s your local community know who you are

2. Your satisfied clients can post rave reviews about your services

3. Organically increase your search engine optimization

By adding your business profile to sites like Google and Bing you make it even easier for your local community to find you. More people search locally on Google than anywhere else. Think yellow pages, but via search engine and there is NO COST. When someone does a search for your type of product or service, you increase the chances of them finding you in the results.

When you claim your Google or Bing business profile be sure to make it as complete as possible; this includes: verifying your address, phone number and hours of operation. You can also add things like: your logo/photo, brief bio, website, email address, top five categories you would like to be listed in (you can even create your own to refine your niche), payment options, videos, coupons and post real-time updates. What better way to get your basic business information in front of local potential clients?

The best part about claiming and adding your profile to Google and Bing is that you can have your satisfied clients and energetic fans post reviews directly to your profile. Just like you see reviews for restaurants, auto repair shops, stores, movies, etc. potential clients can read rave reviews about your product or services. You can request clients submit a review as part of your quality control program. Instead of sending them a survey simply ask them to submit a review to your profile. You can then add those reviews to your website.

See the results yourself. On Google, you can see how many times people have viewed your listing, what actions they took, and where they came from in your local area. Google and Bing improve your chances of showing up in local search results using information about your business from all over the web. Your reviews will improve those search results as well.

With all that being said, there are a couple of caveats. In our world of instant technology, a bad testimonial or review can spread like wild fire, particularly in a local area. Please be mindful of your clients’ experience. You should always focus on client service first and not the sale. Client service speaks volumes over a poor product. If and when you receive a bad review, take action immediately. Contact the reviewer directly, inquire about the source of their dissatisfaction and attempt to make amends. Also, be wary of scrupulous business owners who attempt to claim your business. They will add a profile with your business name, but their business address in attempt to get your potential clients to their location or call. Ensure your business information is updated and accurate on a regular basis.

Claim your business profile AND claim new clients.

p.s. Yelp has also been mentioned as a search engine to post and claim your business profile. However, there have been some recent concerns about their business practices. You can read one of the stories here.

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

A.Michelle Blakeley is the Founder and CEO of Simplicity, Inc.; a progressive small business development firm. She manages her clients’ business expectations and prevents information overload via Micro Business Therapy™ and Micro Business Action Plans. She is featured in Forbes.com and the Financial Post as one of 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter and the host of Simple Truths for Women Entrepreneurs on BlogTalkRadio.com.