I’m John R. Ingrisano, founder and president of Custom Communications and owner of The Freestyle Entrepreneur (www.TheFreestyleEntrepreneur.com).  I’m a marketing strategist who has helped businesses survive, grow and make money for 35 years.

What you do (and let’s see if I can get most of it right):  Well, you’re a business owner.  You may have dozens of employees, just a handful, or none at all.

Your business may be headquartered in the heart of downtown or in the spare bedroom down the hall.  You sometimes wake up at 3:00 AM thinking about this client or that delivery.  Money is often – if not always — on your mind, as you look for ways to spend less, earn more, cut your quarterly payment to the IRS.  You get eaten alive on expenses, nitpicked to distraction by the government, and have to shake your head in disbelief when you hear that such-and-such labor group is ready to strike over paying $5 more for health insurance.

You love what you do … sometimes, and hate what you do … often.  And let’s face it … there are times when your fondest fantasy is to chuck it all and become an hourly clerk a local convenience store.  Still,  while you sometimes wonder why you do this, you can’t imagine doing anything else.

You do it for the freedom.  You do it for the money.  You do it because you know the answers and don’t need to form a committee or check a survey to figure out what you already know.  You do it because there’s only one thing worse than working for yourself … and that’s working for someone else. 

What I do:  Ditto.  I’m an SBO, a small business owner, who is pretty much unemployable in the world of cubicle-dwelling wage slaves.

My role:  I not only understand small businesses and their needs, but I work with them to enhance their marketing results.  So, if you’d like me to help you and your business survive, thrive and move to the next level, let’s talk.

Work hard.  Make money.  Have fun.

– John R. Ingrisano (aka The Freestyle Entrepreneur)

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“Because there’s only one thing worse than working for yourself … and that’s working for somebody else!” – JRI

As you well know, unless you’re in the first-blush start-up phase as an entrepreneur, business is tough.  It can wear you down.  Long hours, customers/clients who keep forgetting how much they love and need you, employees who will never be worth what you are paying them, the IRS, etc., etc., etc.

No, no, it isn’t always bad.  In fact, it’s really about as sweet as it comes on most days.  The freedom.  The control.  The opportunity to make a ton of money.  The ability to ruin your own life rather than have some brain dead department head do it for you.

I’ve been in business for myself for more than 25 years.  That means I’m essentially unemployable.  Nonetheless, there are long stretches when I fantasize about going to work for “Da Man” (aka. anybody who will give me two paychecks a month, whether I work hard or not).  Still, even my own children have told me that I wouldn’t last halfway through the first Monday morning meeting before I’d start shaking my head, mumbling to myself, excusing myself to go to the restroom, and beating feet for the front door … never to return.  Phew!  So, I try to keep my escape fantasies more realistic … sort of.   

Here are my two most vivid ones:

Escape Fantasy # 1:  It’s a bit vague, as most fantasies are, but I imagine cleaning out my bank account and going to Las Vegas, where I connect with a couple of leggy showgirls, who help me “invest” my money on one wild spin of the wheel  (you know, sort of like investing in the stock market these days).

When I begin daydreaming about this fantasy (talk about a brilliant exit strategy!), I know I’m stressed.  When I add a monkey to the mix – as in Las Vegas, two showgirls and a monkey – I know I’m way over the redline at stress overload.  (And, no, I’m never sure where the monkey fits in, so get your minds out of the gutter.)

Escape Fantasy # 2:  This one’s a bit more mundane.  I find myself thinking about getting a $10-an-hour job behind the counter of a convenience store, growing my hair, picking up a few tattoos, putting in my eight-hour shift, and then clocking out and forgetting about work for the rest of the day.  (I do try to ignore the fact that I will end up either living in my car or in the basement or garage of a soon-to-be ex-friend.)

My point:  there is no point to this silly blog, except that, if you find yourself dealing with stress and dreaming about finding a VW van and heading across the country, give me a call; I just might want to go along.

Work hard.  Make money.  Have fun … and if you’re not doing all three of these, at least enjoy your escape fantasy! 

John R. Ingrisano (aka, the Freestyle Entrepreneur)

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Great ideas are like secrets to success: Everybody has a dozen or so, and most don’t hold up well to the TGSWWC test (short for “That’s Great!  So What?  Who Cares?”).  That’s also the mistake a lot of business owners make when it comes to their marketing.  They waste a ton of money promoting vague, tired old claims that potential customers either don’t believe or don’t care about. 

I have a client that specializes in securities licensing test preparation.  They wanted to build market share, so we spent a lot of time identifying strengths:  they are a dedicated company, in that test prep education is all they do; they are the oldest company in their field; they are family owned; they continually update their materials; their instructors are available 24 hours a day; and their customer service people respond to all contacts within 24 hours.  In short, they do a lot right.  

These were all great strengths, but we learned from our research that none of these was the number one reason customers came to them.  These strengths didn’t pass the TGSWWC test.  What did was one specific fact:  Their students have a 15-20 percent higher pass ratio than the national average.  That was their number one competitive advantage.  Armed with that knowledge, they had the opportunity to retool their marketing and, like a rifle-shot, promote their number one competitive advantage.  

Many of us could learn a lot from this.  Too often, we seize on some clever feature (or more commonly, a vague cliché) that WE think is neat … and then promote it to death, even if no one else cares.  A better idea:  Identify and promote the daylights out of one or two key competitive advantages. 

So, what makes a competitive advantage a competitive advantage?  It is a specific (and honest) claim that answers the question:  “Why would/should I buy from you rather than from the other guy?”  Key features may include: 

• It is quantifiable, not vague:  The more specific, the better.  Examples:  “75% of our customers have been with us longer than 10 years!” rather than “We build strong relationships with our clients!”  Or “We have the largest selection in the county, with more than 125 choices!” rather than “We have a huge selection!”  Or “This is our number one best seller!” versus “This item is very popular!”
• It is unique, involving a claim your competitors cannot make.  This can be as simple as “We deliver,” but only if your competitor does not.  
• It focuses on the customer, not on us.  It passes the TGSWWC test.  Remember, customers don’t care about us.  They care about what we can do for them!  So, change that page on your website from “About Us” to “Why Buy From Us!” 

Other examples of clearly stated competitive advantages: 

 “95 % of our business comes from referrals” versus “We have high customer satisfaction!”

“Our customers return and buy from us three times a year, on average!” versus “We build customer loyalty by exceeding their expectations.”

“We deliver in fifteen minutes or less … or it’s free!” versus “We have speedy delivery.”

Here’s the kicker:  Your competitive advantage can be tougher than you think to actually identify.  It’s said that fewer than two CEOs in a thousand can actually articulate their competitive advantage.  Most companies don’t even bother, preferring to stumble along promoting the same, old, tired features, the ones that cause customers to yawn, think, “That’s Great!  So What?  Who Cares?” as they give their business to a more savvy competitor. 

So, work hard, make money, have fun … and practice the TGSWWC test! 

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There is an ongoing political debate in our country about whether gays should serve in the military; and an even bigger debate as to whether they should profess said sexual orientation to their superiors.

Frankly, I have no strong feelings one way or another about the issue. However, I am fascinated by Bill Clinton’s second most famous line during his presidency (right behind # 1, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman!”) regarding the issue. That second most famous line: “Don’t ask. Don’t tell.”

A slightly modified version of it should become a mantra to all entrepreneurs: Don’t ask—don’t sell!

It absolutely amazes me when a sales person (and I firmly believe that, regardless of our respective titles, we’re ALL selling something) presents a product, idea, or service to me, and then never asks me to buy. It’s as if they think that I will be so dazzled with their product or concept that I should be foaming at the mouth to make the purchase!

If you are among that group who wants to ‘educate,’ with the expectation that your prospect is going to miraculously want a piece of that action without you asking for the sale, I have a question for you, “Are you nuts?” And I also have a suggestion for you: “Get a grip, Skippy.”

I don’t care HOW you do it. But DO it. Here a just a few possible ways to ask for the sale:
1.) Can we get you started on this program?
2.) Is there any reason you would not want to make this purchase?
3.) When can we start?
4.) I need a check and your signature?
5.) What quantity/color/size would be right for you?
6.) In my opinion, this is a perfect fit for you. Are we in agreement?
7.) Based on what you said about your wants/needs, it’s my professional recommendation that you go ahead with it today.

Many of you will have even better suggestions than the few I’ve provided above. So I repeat, I don’t care HOW you do it. Just DO it.

Don’t ask. Don’t sell.

Ask. Sell.

Bill Sheridan 8106 Brookview Drive Urbandale, IA 50322

515.669.4913 william_sheridan1@msn.com www.sheridanwrites.com

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by John Ingrisano, President

You’re a consultant wrapping up a big project.  Don’t just submit your invoice and say thanks.  Suggest that now is a good time to discuss that next project.

You’re a retail vendor ringing up the sale and handing your customer his or her change.  Don’t just say thanks for shopping here.  Mention something new – a product or a sale – that will be available next week. 

The bottom line:  The conclusion of every sale should set the stage for the next piece of business.  I learned that in the insurance business, when at the time of policy delivery, we would tentatively set the date for the next appointment to address other needs.  Sometimes, we would lock in an actual date a month or two or three in the future. 

The point:  You have just made a sale.  If you didn’t totally screw it up, the customer/client has a favorable impression of you and/or your product.  Do not just take the money and run or say thanks and move on to the next person or business.  Build more business with current customers. 

Work hard, make money, have fun, and don’t let satisfied customers get away!

The Freestyle Entrepreneur – winner of the 2010 Top 35 Entrepreneur Blog awards from OnLine MBA.

John Ingrisano

The Freestyle Entrepreneur    

204 Lakeview Drive

Algoma, WI 54201

(920) 559-3722

www.TheFreestyleEntreprenuer.com

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Although the incident occurred twenty-five years ago, I remember it as if it was yesterday. My business mentor, Jim, and I were meeting for breakfast at a nationally-known franchise in a central Iowa town. It was his turn to order for both of us as we each had our usual—a bacon & egg biscuit with a cup of coffee.

While still at the counter, my friend removed the wrapper from his breakfast sandwich to see if an irritating and recurring service problem had improved. As CEO of his own company, he was keenly aware of how people at the front desk represented his lumber business in a favorable or unfavorable light.

It was immediately apparent from the look on Jim’s face that he was not a happy camper, “Look at this biscuit,” he complained to the teenager on the opposite site of the counter. “It’s falling apart in my hands. Just like the last time. And the time before that!”

Frankly, the young employee could not possibly have been less interested in his customer’s dilemma. He looked bored and disinterested when responding, “What’s the deal, mister? Ya’ want a new biscuit?”

“What I want,” explained my exasperated buddy through gritted teeth “is someone who cares.”

Wow! I don’t know if the bored teenager learned anything that day, but I learned a ton.

I’ve reflected on Jim’s reaction about the crumbly biscuit many times in my dealings with customers in the corporate world through the years; and it’s a mantra that I repeat often to myself as I’ve established a freelance writing and writing coach business.

In your case and mine, our clients and prospects expect and deserve a quality product from us. But just as importantly, they deserve someone who cares.

Bill Sheridan  8106 Brookview Drive   Urbandale, IA 50322     515.669.4913

william_sheridan1@msn.com        www.sheridanwrites.com

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I once set a goal to become a millionaire within five years.  It was the most boring, painful two weeks of my life.  Why? 

No, it’s not that I achieved my goal.  It’s that the goal didn’t excite me.  I really didn’t care about it.  Oh, money is fine, but it’s the things money can provide that have the power to stir one’s soul. 

So, I set out to achieve new goals.  For example, I decided I wanted to live for at least a year in the Caribbean, not as a tourist, but as a business consultant and journalist.  I did it, and it was a hoot. 

My biggest, ongoing goal as an entrepreneur is to have as few people as possible telling me what to do.  A bit vague, perhaps, but freedom is one of my primary motivators. 

Of course, when my kids were young, my goal was to provide them with a stable, financially secure life.  Quite a motivator also … so much so that when they grew up and left home, it took me quite some time to adjust and find new goals.

Some rules about goal-setting: 

1. They have to be soul-stirring.  You can’t fake it.  If your goal doesn’t move you, move on.  Find a new goal.
2. They have to be big enough.  Goals to build a new deck on the back of your house or own a Lincoln Town Car are pretty puny.  Stop staring at your shoes.  Look up.  Higher.  Dream a bigger dream.
3. They have to be yours.  Don’t look to your neighbors, friends, competitors or spouse for your goals.  Real goals are personal.  (I knew an ex-jock and sportscaster in Indianapolis years ago who, at the age of 50, finally was confident enough to admit that his big goal was to study ballet.  Actually, it makes sense; there’s quite a connection between athletics and dance.  The point:  He finally had the guts to go for HIS goal, not what others expected of him.)
4. They don’t have to be achievable.   That’s right.  I know.  I know.  I just violated a major rule of goal-setting.  Everybody tells you that goals must be practical and manageable.  I disagree.  A goal can be a dream, an impractical vision of what you would like to achieve.  Want to sail around the world?  Build your own airplane?  Take your family to Rome for your 30^th anniversary?  Why not try?  It falls under the category of shooting for the stars and failing … only reaching the moon!

And btw, not achieving a goal is not the same thing as failing.  Never giving it a shot … that’s failure. 

In other words, work hard, make money, have fun, and set goals that stir your soul and sizzle.  Hssssssssssss.  – JRI  

The Freestyle Entrepreneur – winner of the 2010 Top 35 Entrepreneur Blog awards from OnLine MBA.

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I’m an old, crusty dog, writing about business and doing dog-and-pony presentations for better than 35 years.  So, I’m hard to surprise and even harder to delight!  Still, that’s what happened this week.

As you may recall, in the name of shameless self-promotion, I sent out a notice a few days ago announcing that my biz blog, The Freestyle Entrepreneur, had been named one of the best blogs for entrepreneurs.  That tickled me.

But what really got me giggling was a card I received a few days later from Dean Lund, my insurance agent with American Family.  The card, with a hand-written note and a copy of my email announcement, caught me totally by surprise, especially since of the hundreds (thousands? Millions?) of people who were sent the notice, Dean was the only one to send a congrats note.    (And, no, no, no, this is not criticism of anyone; we’re all busy.)

This does explain why Dean is my insurance agent and has been for about 15 years.  Now, I could probably find insurance cheaper, and I get offers in the mail all the time.  But Dean has always been there for me, even now that I live more than 150 miles from his office and haven’t actually seen him face to face in at least 10 years.  I need service or have a question? He or one of his staff makes sure it is taken care of 100 % of the time.    

My point:  Nothing that Dean does is all that mystical or extraordinary.  He just always walks the walk when it comes to top-of-the-line service.  Most of all, he is aware of his clients and knows how rare it is for people to receive an attaboy (or attagirl).  We are all pretty much starved for appreciation; yes, even an old dog like me.  (Scratch me behind the ear and say, “Good fella,” and I’ll wag my tail for hours!)

The bottom line:  The five minutes Dean Lund took to send me that card not only made me giggle and earned my appreciation, but it also earned my business for a long time to come.

So, work hard, make money, have fun, and find a way to make your customers giggle.  — JRI   

 * * *

The Freestyle Entrepreneur — winner of the 2010 Top 35 Entrepreneur Blog awards from OnLine MBA.

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Need a motivational speaker to fire up your hourly folks or remind your sales force that what they do is super important?
Let John Ingrisano, author of the Back to Basics Book of Selling, give a boost to your bottom line with a get-results workshop, seminar, or motivational presentation.

For details, call 920-559-3722 or email john@thefreestyleentrepreneur.com.

John R. Ingrisano
204 Lakeview Drive
Algoma, WI 54201
john@TheFreestyleEntrepreneur.com

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Growing up on suburban Long Island about 30 miles outside New York, I saw a lot of successful business people. Most of them (and most were men back then) were crispy clean executives, wearing severely white, starched shirts, impeccable suits and shoes that glowed, and they were groomed like something out of today’s Mad Men TV show. In short, they looked successful.

Well, I’ve spent the last 25 years living in small towns in Wisconsin. I guess I know maybe a dozen or so millionaires. It’s hard to tell, since most of these entrepreneurs dress like the thrift shop had a special, tend to drive either pick-up trucks or nondescript Fords or Buicks, meet at the local diner at 3:00 PM each day for coffee at a community table, and tend not to take themselves too seriously. In fact, they’re downright fun-loving, full of practical jokes.

No, it’s not quite like Andy of Mayberry, and don’t ever think these folks are anything but sharp as tacks – well-read, often well-educated, with a gift for knowing when to skin somebody on a deal and when to shake hands and do a fellow a favor … without ever mentioning it. They’re genuine.
They’re a different breed of cat from their big city cousins. So, here’s to you small town entrepreneurs. You rock!

The Freestyle Entrepreneur — winner of the 2010 Top 35 Entrepreneur Blog awards from OnLine MBA.
John Ingrisano
The Freestyle Entrepreneur
204 Lakeview Drive
Algoma, WI 54201
(920) 559-3722
www.TheFreestyleEntreprenuer.com

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 <a href=”http://www.onlinemba.com/top_entrepreneur/”><img src=”http://www.onlinemba.com/top_entrepreneur/images/Badges/circlebadge2.png” alt=”Top Entreprenuership Blog” border=”0″ /></a><br><font size=”1″><a href=”http://www.onlinemba.com”>MBA Online</a></font>
 

I want to thank all our readers for helping The Freestyle Entrepreneur be included on the list of the 2010 Top 35 Entrepreneur Blog awards from OnLine MBA.   

Want more biz tips and support?  Visit www.TheFreestyleEntrepreneur.com.

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Hint:  You do not sell product, whether it’s baked beans or loans or funky nautical gifts.  If that’s the way you think, you’ll always be stuck in the center of the pack, loping along, but never breaking out to win big!

Let me explain by asking a question.  What’s the difference between the various banks in your community?  Or the grocery stores?  Or even the fast-food joints?  Too often, darn little, just enough to motivate customers to keep moving their business … playing each business off each other.  (When it comes to restaurants, my friends and I know just where to find the “buck-a-burger” night on Monday, “Taco Tuesday,” and “Fabulous two-fer Friday” specials.”  But that doesn’t buy our loyalty for the rest of the week.)

So, why lock yourself into an exhausting, low-profit, head-to-head, toe-to-toe competition over weekly specials and tiny price differences?   (“Mortgage rates at our bank are .25% lower!!!” or “Peas this week only, save 7 cents!”)?  Big woof!  They do not work.  Let me repeat that:  They do NOT work.  Sure, they keep you from falling behind the herd, but they sure do NOT put you in the lead.  (And remember,  “Unless you’re the lead sled dog, the view never changes.”) That’s kind of like having air conditioning.  Big deal.  You have to.  But it doesn’t bring in business.)    

Instead, let me take the example of grocery stores and show you how the lead dogs do it, starting with Fairway Foods in New York/New Jersey.  Fairway is a fairly small, privately-owned mini-chain, with a funky personality that turns shopping into an adventure.  One of their owners, Steve Jenkins, travels the globe periodically to find unique products and purchase them directly at competitive prices.  (I could be wrong, but I think they have the biggest olive section in the world.  And their cheeses.  Well, Jenkins has become a self-taught — and world-famous — cheese expert, and finds cheeses that make you want to go to Fairway for them alone.)  It’s a quirky, cramped, friendly place … and people love it.  Yes, their prices are competitive, but their real competitive advantage is the experience of just wandering the aisles and discovering foods you’re not going to find at the Super-store chains.

Then there’s Trader Joe’s, another funky grocery store that tends to place their stores in inconvenient places, offer limited choices and provide gourmet selections at reasonable prices.  They have created loyal followers that are the envy of every grocer.  It’s not the products (well, it is, kind of), but the experience.  They do limited advertising, offer no weekly specials, and drive the other stores crazy.

Finally, take Aldi foods, which I used to think of as low-quality, low-rent stores.  I was wrong.  First of all, Aldi’s owns Trader Joe’s, bought them back in the late ’70s, and their owners, two German brothers, rank among the top five richest people in the world!  Aldi’s dominates the grocery business in Europe.  They have made their fortunes by offering excellent quality at up to one-third lower prices, with limited selections (see why they bought Trader Joe’s?) and a no-frills atmosphere.  They succeed by buying directly, managing overhead ferociously and providing quality.

The point:  If you want to compete (and you’d better want to), get outside the box and find a way to make you and your products and your business unique.  Give yourself a special competitive advantage and skip the weekly specials.  As with Fairway, Trader Joe’s and Aldi Foods, make what you have to offer so compelling that customers come to you … and keep coming. 

So, work hard, make money, have fun  … and learn to compete on your own terms.  [Mini-ad:  Need help finding your marketing groove and your unique competitive advantage. Call me.] 

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In the name of blatant, shameless self-promotion, if you’re in the Appleton/Fox Valley area in Wisconsin, tune in to WHBY, 1150 AM this Saturday, July 24 at 9:00 AM, to hear entrepreneur John Ingrisano, who will be a guest on Jim Rosetti’s biztalk radio talk show. 

For more info, visit www.biztalkwithscore.com or www.scorefoxcities.com.  Also, we’d love to hear from you.  The call-in numbers are 281-1150 in Appleton and 877-887-1150 outside Appleton (Green Bay, Fond Du Lac or Oshkosh).

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                                              By John R. Ingrisano

How to survive and thrive in a tough economy:  It’s not the big things; it’s not the little things.  It’s both the big things AND the little things that will make it a slam dunk.

Example:  Recently, a friend needed a new alternator for her car.  I shopped it around.  One place charged me $37 to do a diagnostic (since I wasn’t sure it was the alternator going in) and then said they could replace it for $460. 

Business # 2 said they could look at it, no diagnostic charge, and if it needed a new alternator, the cost would be $370.

Business # 3 said they’d look at it, no charge and, if the work was necessary, the cost would be around $350. 

Business # 3 got the business based on the cost and because we knew them from previous work.  That was the big thing.

Now for the little thing.  A piece of molding on the driver side door, by the window, had been loose for some time.  About a week after the alternator work was done, we noticed that the molding had been fixed – at no charge and without even a word about it from the shop. 

Ding!  Ding!  Ding!  Talk about a neat, little five-cent extra that warmed our hearts and cemented our loyalty.  That was a little thing that made a big difference.  So, guess where we’ll be going for ALL our future repair work? 

The moral to the story:  Work hard, make money, have fun, and remember that it is both the big things and the little things that make you successful.

P.S.  Giving credit where credit is due, if you live in the Kewaunee County or Door County area of Wisconsin, the name of the shop is Sahs Auto, on County S between Algoma and Sturgeon Bay.  Check ‘em out.  

Want more biz tips and support?  Visit www.TheFreestyleEntrepreneur.com.

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As a small business owner, you don’t follow the herd.  You lead it … and if anyone else follows, that fine.  If not, so be it.  (One of the best bumper stickers I ever saw read:  “Unless you’re the lead sled dog, the view never changes.”) 

You’re holding your business together and making it work because you cut your own path, go your own way, make your own rules.

That’s what a friend of mine has done.  In this lousy economy, with its even lousier housing market, he started a “home detailing” business.  He approaches home sellers and for a fee, spruces up the home and makes it more attractive.  While others are going broke, he is so busy that he is hiring people … and still can’t keep up.  That’s a man who made his own rules, and he’s profiting handsomely as a result.

The bottom line:  During these tough times, you cannot afford to stay huddled in the box.  It’s time to get out of it.  Think about new ways to make money, cut costs, keep on growing (not just surviving) in this recession.

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Simple tip:  Shut up and listen.   The number one way to blow a sale is to literally talk yourself out of it by not knowing when to quit talking. 

We love to talk about our products, our services, our business, ourselves.  Sure, the prospect needs to know who we are and what we do.  However, if he or she has to fight to get a word in edgewise, the sale is in serious jeopardy.

A better way: 

1. Know when to shut up.  Once you’ve told your story, practice keeping your mouth closed.  Bite your tongue if you must, but zip it.
2. Ask probing, inviting questions.  Get the prospect talking about what he likes or what she does.  Questions like, “Tell me about that,” or “What is your biggest challenge these days?” give the prospect the opportunity to tell you things you might not otherwise learn. 
3. Listen.  This involves more than just being quiet.  Pay attention to the words and their nuances.  Learn to listen so hard that your ears ache at the end of the meeting.

Now get out there and work hard, make money, listen, and have fun.

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The bad news:  Somebody shot my dog.  The good news:  I’m teaching my cat how to hunt.  Let me explain.

The recession caught me between a rock and a hard place.  First, my small consulting business crashed, losing more than 50 % of my business in six months. 

Even worse, it caught me with my pants down.  I was tooling along on autopilot until, all of a sudden:  “Hey, where’d the business go?”  I assumed that my business was fairly recession-proof.  After all, it had been in the past.  This time, no.  Like trying to herd pigs in a cornfield back through a broken fence, I’d shore up one contract here, lose two there, as clients desperately tried to save their own businesses by cutting back.  One 20-year client sadly told me, “You have to understand, John, I cannot submit ANY outside invoices this year!”

Definitely not business as usual.  The game had changed (as it has for most of us), and I had missed the signs (as have many of us).  Somebody shot my dog, one that for 20 years plus had been stirring up super business like a keen-nosed pointer in cornfield stubble crawling with quail.  

The good news:  I’m teaching my cat how to hunt … and it’s one smart, keen-eyed stalker of a cat.   Poignant metaphors aside, I finally woke up. I didn’t know how I was going to retool my business, but I knew I had to and was going to.  Here’s what I did:

• I studied what had changed in the markets.   The biggest change:  Customers were cautious.  It wasn’t a matter of cutting costs.  Instead, I recognized that, while they still had needs for my services, I had to do a better job of  presenting the value of those services in helping them achieve their goals. 
• I studied what had changed in my business … or for me, what had NOT changed.  I realized that I was operating under a 1999 business plan and marketing mindset.  Back then, my competitive advantage was that I was not only the best in terms of teaching clients how to maximize their profits by kick-butt marketing strategies; I was pretty much the only one in the markets in which I worked.  That void had filled in over the last decade, and I was locked in keen competition with interlopers. 
• I re-evaluated my competitive advantage.  What made me special?  Unique?  I found two things:  First, experience. I’ve been a blood ‘n guts business owner for 25 years.  During that time, I’ve seen it all, experienced it all.  Second, when I analyzed my records and talked to my clients, I found that, on average, my clients receive roughly a ten-fold  ROI on my services.  So, if my services cost $5,000, their direct return tends to be $50,000 in the first year alone.
• I set out to bang the drum long and loud, telling my story and connecting with clients old and new.  I now summarize my top competitive advantages by telling my prospects and clients, “What do I bring to our relationship?  ‘Twenty-five-ten.’  Twenty-five years of business experience that helps assure my clients a ten-fold return on the price of my services.”  
• I plan to review my plan every year.  I have no intention of getting caught flat-footed again. 

So, somebody shot my old dog.  Fortunately, my cat’s working out just fine.  Plus, I have a litter of new puppies I’ll be training and turning loose in the coming months and years.

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“When troops flee, are insubordinate, distressed, collapse in disorder or are routed, it is the fault of the general.” — Sun Tzu

Decades ago, I was doing some training for a big-name Wall Street investment company.  My go-to guy and I were in a meeting when his boss came in and – right in front of me –chewed his butt up one side of the room and down the other.  The boss left and we headed out to lunch.  However, along the way, my contact guy paused just long enough to read the riot act (unabridged version) to his secretary. 

Talk about a great culture in which to work!  I was witness to a shameful chain-of-command pecking order.  Worse still, the way the players in this drama sat there stone faced, I suspect this sort of thing was fairly common.   

My point is that – and this is one of those truths that we all hate to admit — when employees screw up, service is lousy, morale sucks, the sales force is ready to bolt, it’s always – ALWAYS – management’s fault!

We set the tone and create the culture.  If we come in late, cut corners or treat employees like dead meat, they will wander in late, too, cut corners and treat customers (and each other) like dead meat.  If we behave like jerks, so will our employees. 

The good news:  When the biz hums like a well-greased machine, when people are courteous and respectful and cooperate as team players, when sales climb and everybody gives a damn – ding, ding, ding!  It’s because you are doing something right.   

So, be keenly aware of the culture you create in your operation.  Be honest, demanding, respectful, hard-working and knowledgeable, and your team will soar, as will your sales and your profits.

Work hard.  Make money.  Have fun.

Want more biz tips and support?  Visit www.TheFreestyleEntrepreneur.com.

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I am no economist; just a guy knee-deep in the grit, grime and glory of small business.  And when I say the last year or so has been a bear, I suspect I am preaching to the choir.  I discovered that, yes, there is money out there, but no one is giving it away without a good tug of war. 

Still, I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel … and I pray it is not a train.  I am seeing clients  who are starting to shift from a bunker mentality into cautious planning mode.  They are hiring (or at least thinking about it), starting to spend money, even anticipating growth in 2011. 

Do not get me wrong.  It is still tough, but more like being hit by a mini-van rather than a semi.  For example, according to the latest survey by Small Business Watch:  “The percentage of small business owners rating the current economy as good or excellent was 12 percent in May, compared to 13 percent in April.  The April and May ratings on the current state of the economy are the highest since June 2008.  Thirty-two percent rate the economy as fair in May, while 56 percent still think it’s poor.”

Then there is get-away time, which I believe is a key indicator for SBOs.  I know that when I am in a financial bind, I postpone vacations and weekends.

Well, over the last couple of years, with the economy in the toilet, a lot of other business owners did the same thing.  According to a summary from that same SBW survey: “Although the recession forced more than half of small business owners to postpone or cancel their vacations during the past two years, a few more are considering some time off this year: 51 percent of small business owners said in May that the economy forced them to cancel or postpone vacations or time off, down from 58 percent last year.  

So, no, it is not great news.  But there are signs of hope.  So, keep on working hard, try to make money, and, yes, even have fun.  Good luck!

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Depot Street Memories
The Lawler Stories

By Bill Sheridan

“This book is comprised of a number of essays written at various stages of my life. It does not really have a beginning or an end. At some point I will stop writing. That will be your cue to stop reading.”—Bill Sheridan

That’s Bill Sheridan’s opening to Depot Street Memories, The Lawler Stories and my cue to expound on this simple yet powerful—and highly readable—book!

In what began as a series of news articles and vignettes penned over several years, Iowa writer, Bill Sheridan, shares what it was like growing up in post-World War II America–1944-1961. In this he provides a look back for those of us who began life as he did, without TV, mega malls, the Internet and nonstop worldwide communications; in an America where, frankly, children were more likely to build and maintain independent character than they are today.

However, Bill Sheridan’s experiences in his small northeast Iowa hometown were a lot like growing up at the same time on New York’s Long Island as I did.

It’s just that young Mr. Sheridan was paying attention!

Comic Irony and Bathos

Life is seldom always pretty or funny–although along with disappointments, fate dispenses its share of humor. Bill has a keen ear for life’s pity and relief, and Depot Street Memories (the family lived on Depot Street) includes rich examples of both.

Among the smiles and pleasant recollections is Bill’s description of Lawler as a “small town that was almost a big family, where people gave youngsters a hand up and wanted to see them do well.” For instance, Bill always admired the creativity of his late-classmate, Allyn Einch, who excelled in quick thinking, and the wise compassion of their 4th grade teacher, Sister Mary Elise, who apparently knew when it made sense to give a kid a break.

Having been caught by the Sister with other boys in a noon snowball fight, Bill’s friend is asked if he’d been throwing them, and if so, if he knew the punishment would be having his fingers smacked? Allyn denied this, so the Sister asked:

Allyn, I saw you out there, so I will ask you again. Were you throwing them?

No, Sister. I wasn’t throwing snowballs.

If you were out there with the rest of the boys who were throwing snowballs, and I saw you with them, just exactly what were you doing?

I was catching them, Sister!

Sister paused, stifled a grin, and moved on without saying another word to him. She did not smack Allyn’s fingers.

Ironic bathos was also hard at work in Lawler. Quoting the late radio broadcaster, Paul Harvey, Bill concedes: “Not all we call progress is progress,” and for every happy encounter with the good people of Lawler, Bill’s childhood included run-ins with a few dim bulbs in life’s marquee!

Bill’s widowed mother, Virginia, was a strong, independent woman. Although Bill wishes his Mom had been more willing to seek help from others, Bill and his siblings worked hard at young ages “to help keep the family ship afloat.” For the boys, that included mowing lawns and shoveling snow:

I recall one time knocking on the door of purported millionaire, Frank Eichoff. He owned a successful hardware store and years later left money in his will to build a fabulous new Mt. Carmel Catholic Church. On that particular snowy day, however, he wasn’t feeling quite as generous.  I screwed up my 10-year old courage and asked him if he would like his sidewalk shoveled. Taking one look at me he growled, “Let the guy who put it there take it off,” and slammed the door in my face.

But as Bill wryly emailed recently: “We Hawkeyes don’t let perfect get in the way of almost tolerable!”

Connecting the Dots

I’m sure we’ve all had experiences like Bill Sheridan describes so well in Depot Street Memories. Still, those future generations whose formative years routinely accustom them to TV, mega malls, the Internet and nonstop worldwide communications will, as Bill puts it, “Never know what it is like to live in a town where those things are irrelevant.”

In my view, when it comes to building and maintaining independent character, there’s a Lawler boy in all of us.

If we’re lucky.

To order your copy, visit:
Bill Sheridan-Freelance Writer
Sheridan Writes, LLC
8106 Brookview Drive
Urbandale, IA 50322

Bill Willard is a commercial freelance writer in Clearwater FL. A high-impact writer and editor for over 30 years, in addition to his byline pieces, Bill’s beat includes ghostwriting and editing for businesses of all types and sizes, professional practitioners and individuals. Contact him at billw15@tampabay.rr.com to sign up for his popular e-blog, “Take Back America” or information about his affordable articles for financial advisors and other small-business owners.

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If you are working harder and feeling the pressure more than ever, you are not alone.  With the economy looking less than swell, most of us are working harder and harder just to keep up.  So, when we head for home, it’s a good idea to leave your work behind you. 

The trick is to work hard, make money and still maintain balance in your life.  Plus, taking that day of vacation, or even an evening out, and forgetting about work completely is the best way to clear your head, recharge your batteries, and keep your business humming.    

Here are six techniques to help you leave work behind and keep yourself sane: 

• Recognize the value of leisure.  Don’t fight it or fear it.  At the very least, see it as “mental maintenance” time.  Recommendation:  Build work-free days into your business plan. 
•  Teach yourself how to relax.  Many business owners don’t feel comfortable out of “business mode.” Work is their comfort zone, where they feel safest, most productive.  Many of us would rather work on a Tuesday evening than go to our son’s holiday concert or find an excuse to go to the office on Saturday rather than attend a niece’s wedding.  Recommendation:  Learn to think of yourself as more than a businessperson.  Not only will it be fun (eventually), but it will also make you fresher and more focused at work (right away).  
•  Organize and plan your work time.  If you eliminate one hour of time wasters a day, that becomes more than six 40-hour weeks a year. Recommendation:  Use some of that “found” time for at least one three-day weekend a month.   
• Organize and plan your family and leisure time.  Work is important; so is family.  Recommendation:  Set aside one or two family nights a week to play games, go to a movie, have dinner out.  Schedule it like an appointment neither you nor anyone else can break.   Talk to your family and get their input.  Let someone else be in charge.  Or try just taking a whole day off and making it a gift to your son, daughter, spouse or friend to do with as they please.   
• Teach yourself how to delegate.  Yes, you are the brains and lifeblood of your business.  Still, for many overworked, overstressed business people, it’s not so much that they have no one who can do the job, but that they don’t know how to delegate.   Recommendation:  Either find and train someone who can fill in for you while you are out of the office, or get everything done ahead of time and shut down for a day or two.  Start delegating what you can, not just what you must.   
• Build a wall between work and home.  This trains your mind when to think work, when to think leisure.  Recommendation:  Don’t bring work home or on vacation.  Leave the briefcase at the office or in the car.  Bonus:  If you force yourself to get all your work done before you come home, you’ll get more done on business time and feel guilt-free when you take leisure time…sort of like getting ice cream if you finish your veggies!     

 The bottom line:  If you’re like most business professionals today, you work hard putting in long hours each day doing what you do best.  One of the rewards should be a comfortable lifestyle.  Make sure you take the time to enjoy it.

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I’m just kidding about those lazy, hazy days.  If you’re like most SBOs and mangers, you will be running at a full gallop this summer.  However, when you do get some free time, here are some gotta-read books for lying out in the sun, relaxing in bed before you snap off the light, or (come on, John, just say it) when you’re enjoying some quiet time in the bathroom. 

What these books have in common:  They’re hands-on, dollars-and-cents knowledge tomes that can fill your head with good information and your pockets with profits. 

 Creating Competitive Advantage: Give Customers a Reason to Choose You Over Your Competitors, by Jaynie L. Smith (2006), is one of those Wow! books that every business owner needs to read.  Here are just two of the many practical lessons Smith serves up:  (1) Do not compete on price.  When you do, says Smith, “you’re accepting commodity status.” And (2) your true competitive advantage is quantifiable.  Example:  “Great customer service” is a meaningless phrase, while, “We have a 95% customer satisfaction on eBay,” actually means something,

 Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell (2008) is a fun read that will get your mind outside the box, but in a logical, constructive way.   The key message is that success is not about innate talent, but about other factors.  One is sheer, hard work, which Gladwell refers to as the “10,000 Hour Rule.”

 He draws a direct connection between level of success and time dedicated to learning a skill.  For example, The Beatles’ phenomenal success can be attributed to the more than 1,200 performances they did early in their careers in the strip joints of Hamburg, Germany, playing sometimes seven days a week and up to ten hours a day.  Gladwell quotes The Beatles biographer Philip Norman writing about their time in Hamburg:  “They were no good on stage when they went there and they were very good when they came back….  They weren’t disciplined onstage at all before that.  But when they came back, they sounded like no one else.  It was the making of them.”

Marketing to the Social Web:  How Digital Customer Communities Build Your Business, by Larry Weber (2009) is about the rules of the e-marketing game.  Weber points out that marketing used to mean bending, twisting, shouting, cajoling, sex-appealing, manipulating, and pleading to get people to BUY!  BUY!  BUY!  It was a one-way, top-down message. 

 No more.  And we can blame that on (or thank) the web.  “Today, 90 percent of the people who can avoid TV ads through TiVo, DVD recording, or the skip button on the VCR remote do so,” says Weber.     

 Today’s successful marketers are “aggregators,” not broadcasters.  They build experiences, along with buying opportunities.  The customers are in charge.  If we give them what they want – information, experiences and the power to buy what they want, when they want (even at 2:00 AM in their jammies, if they like) and how they want (online, instore, inhome, at the beach) — they will buy … eventually.

 Selling for Geniuses: Selling When Selling Isn’t in Your Title, by eight successful small business people from across the country, including Wisconsin’s Dan Paulson, president of InVision Business Development (2009). 

 What makes this book stand out is that every page is loaded with practical info.  If you read Selling for Geniuses and don’t come away with a dozen or more money-making ideas, go back and read it again. You weren’t paying attention.

 So, go ahead, when you do take a break this summer, soak up the sun and the ideas in these must-read business books.  Then get back to work.  And as always: work hard, make money, have fun!

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Ask almost any biz owner, “What’s your top competitive advantage?” and you’ll most likely get a blank stare back in reply.  Worse, you might hear, “Great prices!” or “Super customer service!” or “Top quality products!”  In other words … not a clue.

If that sounds like you, don’t feel bad.  Competitive advantage is one of the toughest things to lasoo in and wrestle to the ground.  Most of us have an instinctive sense that we’re the best at what we have to offer.  But it’s darn near impossible for most of us to articulate.  And until we can do that, how are we ever going to tell the good news to our customers? 

So, here are three things you need to know about identifying your competitive advantage:

1. It’s something that makes you unique and that sets you apart from the competition.  If you have a great product, but so does everyone else, big deal!  You have no advantage.  However, if you deliver or make house calls – and your competition does not – bingo!  This may be your competitive advantage.
2. It’s something customers value and desire.  You may be the oldest company in your field or have a brand new office building.  However, if your customers don’t care about either of these, big deal.  It has to be something they want. 
3. It’s quantifiable.  This is key.  “We have great customer service” is a non-starter.  It says nothing and has no meaning.  But if you can say, “Ninety percent of our new customers come from referrals from existing customers,” you have a winner.  This claim has teeth.  It’s something customers can appreciate. 

The bottom line about competitive advantage is that, once understood, it can direct your marketing efforts like a rifle shot, help you close more sales and make more money.  And that’s the name of the game.

Want to learn more about competitive advantage?  If you’re in the NE Wisconsin area, you’re invited to attend my dog ‘n pony presentation for the Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation Power Breakfast series on Tuesday, May 18th (I know, super short notice; sorry about that) at the Northbrook Country Club in Luxemburg.  But KCEDC Executive Director Jennifer Brown says just show up.  No reservations required.

Work hard.  Make money.  Have fun.

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When you do a favor for employees, customers, or even competitors, do it and then drop it.  Never bring it up again.  If you remind them of what you have done for them, they will eventually begin to dislike and even despise you.  That’s human nature.  If they want to bring it up, that’s fine, but you shouldn’t.

The best example is what happens all too often when you lend someone money and they can’t (or won’t repay).  Too often, that person will begin to resent you, avoid you, eventually pick a fight so he or she can break off the relationship.  People can be funny that way.   So, work hard, make money, have fun … and don’t put people in your debt.  — JRI   

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