Continue.... 40 Ways To Be A Better Entrepreneur Part 2

Topics 61-75

Get Your Business Organized

61. Get Others Organized
You may have this organization stuff down pat, but what about your business partners, spouse or business associates? No matter how neat you are, the disorganization of others can impact your business. Try this to bring a little more order into the lives of those around you:

• Use positive reinforcement. Instead of focusing on other people's disorganization, praise them when they make an attempt to get organized. They knows they're disorganized and don't need to hear your criticism.
• Teach by example. You can't expect someone to listen to you extol the virtues of organization when you're a mess yourself. If you've changed your style from disorganized to organized, be willing to share the secrets behind your transformation.
• Be patient and realize everyone is organized to a different degree. Keep in mind that if someone changes one bad organizing habit, his or her productivity will start to increase. Give that person time to make changes and offer encouragement when he or she makes an effort to get organized.

62. Bit by Bit
Organizing projects are best done one piece at a time. Follow these tips to whittle down each step in your process:

• Determine the main areas you need to organize, and enter them on a list in your daily planner, handheld or contact manager.
• Break these areas into smaller tasks, and enter those tasks on the list. Make the tasks small enough that they're manageable but not so small that they're insignificant.
• Put a realistic deadline next to each task.
• As you accomplish each task and organize various areas, remove the task from your list.
• Avoid the tendency to bounce around your office from one area to another while organizing. When you focus on one area, you'll be able to accomplish more.

63. Clean Out Your Drawers
If you're buried under a pile of papers and your drawers are filled with more napkins, pen caps and sugar packets than usable office supplies, it may be time to clean out your desk. But where do you begin? Here are five steps to help you de-clutter your desk drawers:

• Remove. Whatever your situation, the first step is to remove everything-take out all the pens, pencils, clips, sugar packs, tea bags, photos, keys and dried-up candy.
• Sort. As you remove items, sort according to like items. Sorting shows that you have 87 pens and 830 clips. Ask yourself, "Do I really need so many?"
• Eliminate. After you've discovered that 54 pens don't even work, or that the sugar packets are rock-hard, then you can eliminate the items directly into the trash or into a box labeled "to go elsewhere."
• Contain. Stop and think-if you put all that stuff back into the drawer, it will soon be a jumbled mess again. Instead, keep those groups sorted and separated at all times by first containing them. If you put each group in a drawer divider or shallow box before placing them back in the drawer, they'll stay in one place.
• Assign. Don't just stick the containers in the drawer. Assign them a place. Unassigned items simply float from place to place.

64. Write It Down
Experts recommend entrepreneurs employ not one but two to-do lists. The master list contains a maximum of three items of long-term importance, like "grow sales" or "get new customers." The second list contains day-to-day to-dos that represent tactical steps to completing those strategic to-dos.

Once you have your lists written, categorize all items, tagging them as projects, phone calls, errands, agenda items, work to be done at your computer or desk, things you can do anywhere, and items that aren't urgent.

Review your list items frequently to see if items are listed correctly and should be there to begin with. Working over your list in advance daily and weekly means that, when you consult your list, you don't have to rethink your commitment and your plan right then.

Don't forget to cross things off once you've completed them. Checking off your to-do list not only keeps you organized, but also shows exactly how much you've accomplished.

65. Get in Control!
To work productively and efficiently, you need to create a work environment that supports you. Regain control of your work life by following these steps:

• 1. Create your vision of a clean work environment. Using your existing office space, sketch the ideal configuration of your office on paper. Remember to create a space for your old project files, financial statements and client information.
• 2. Take one day, right now, and organize. You will never have the time to organize unless you schedule it on your calendar. Using your sketch as a guide, go after your mess.
• 3. Unsubscribe from information overload.Throw away the magazines and catalogs you will never read-they just sit there and taunt you. Cancel unwanted subscriptions, and get off any mailing lists that do not help you achieve success.
• 4. Create a new project file folder. A new project usually generates a temporary mess. To avoid spillover, put all new project information, drafts and associated paperwork into an expandable file folder.
• 5.Schedule one cleanup day after every vacation. Add one day to your vacation to organize your thoughts, projects and priorities. A cleanup day lets you organize paperwork from previous projects, pay outstanding bills and answer client mail.

Take Your Sales Skills to the Next Level!

66. Dust Yourself Off
There isn't a salesperson alive who hasn't experienced a slump. If you find yourself coasting downhill, here are four steps to follow to pick yourself back up:

• Call on your satisfied customers. Look for additional ways to satisfy their needs or new needs you can meet. Learn about their new problems and challenges, and come back to them with fresh solutions.
• Concentrate on bread-and-butter accounts.Different accounts have different sales cycles, with some taking up to a few years. Sometimes, you get so caught up with landing big one that you forget about little accounts with shorter sales cycles that can bring in money now.
• Stay on top of business and world news, and how these events might affect customers. Look for sources that will give you new ideas on how to fine-tune your activities and target your customers more efficiently. Read materials that will help you speak to your customers in their language. Learn more about how other people grew their businesses.
• Be selective about the company you keep. If everyone around you is in a slump as well, you'll drag each other down. Surround yourself with people who are excited about what they do and ride on their momentum until you can build your own.

67. How'd I Do?
How can you improve if you don't find out where you went wrong and what you did right? Always ask for feedback. If you want to improve your sales presentations or your relationships with customers, ask them what you need to do to maintain and increase their business. While a great learning tool, asking for a customer's opinion is also a good way to show customers you care and are willing to work at solving problems. Asking for feedback can also save a customer relationship. While dissatisfied customers don't always complain, they very rarely buy from you a second time. 68. Listen Up!
One of the most important things you can do to become a better to seller is to become a better listener. You should be listening at least 50 percent of the time.

Improve your listening skills by taking notes, observing your prospect's body language, not jumping to conclusions and concentrating on what your prospect is saying. Also, track how much talking you're doing. If you're talking twice as much as your prospect, or more, it's time to take the backseat and listen.

69. Learn From Your Mistakes
While there's no way to completely avoid making mistakes, there are still plenty of ways to get the most out of the mistakes we do make. Here are three methods to deal with your mistakes:

• Put your ego aside. It's easy to get angry or frustrated when things don't go your way, and hold on to the idea that it's someone else's fault things went wrong. But there's only one way to find out what the problem was-ask the customer. Listen to what they have to say and see if there's still time to save the sale.
• Use a setback as a setup for future success. Let your errors be the motivation for making improvements the next time around. You've put in a lot of time and effort-and if you don't learn from what went wrong, all that time is wasted.
• Take a proactive approach. Read everything you can about your profession, industry, products and services. Meet with people who have particular skills and talents and share information with them. Keeping your mind fine-tuned helps you eliminate making future mistakes.

70. What Not to Do
To sell smarter you need to eliminate all those things that waste your, and your customer's, time. How can you work more efficiently? Try steering clear of these time-wasters:

• Dealing with people who can't make the buying decision. Make sure the person you're speaking to is a decision-maker. Don't be afraid to call the higher levels, even the president of your target company.
• Working without a priority list. Make a top 10 list of your biggest accounts and a top 10 list of your biggest prospects. Look at this list every day to keep yourself focused so you can spend your energy on getting the best return on your investment.
• Relying on technology rather than on relationships. Sales are made from relationships, and it's difficult to establish relationships on a computer screen. Keep e-mails short-remember they're great for passing information but can never take the place of one-on-one communication.

Protecting Your Business

71. Preparing for the Worst
In case of an emergency, such as a flood, fire or earthquake, it's tough for even the strongest of us to keep a level head. So why worry about what's going to happen to your clients, contacts and important documents in the heat of the moment? Why not start planning for disaster now? Here are four things to think about:

• Business-interruption insurance and records reconstruction are good policies to look into. Although disaster insurance can be costly, it may also be worth checking out.
• Be sure to back up all your crucial data and keep those files off site in a safe place. And be sure to check on them from time to time.
• Make copies of important paperwork such as customer contracts, employee information and legal documents, and keep those off site as well.
• Make sure that each of your outside vendors also has a disaster plan in place. You don't want your business adversely affected because one of your vendors hasn't planned ahead.

72. Peace of Mind
Just as you wouldn't drive a car without insurance, it's best not to open a business without some type of coverage. So where and how do you begin? Just follow the steps below to get your business covered.

• Find an agent. Locating an agent to help you identify the right insurance at the right price should be a high priority for every new business owner.
• Types of insurance. After you decide on an agent, sit down with him or her to consider what types of insurance you may need. These might include property, liability, auto, workers' compensation and business interruption insurance.
• Research your options. As with any buying decision, comparison-shop insurance policies and coverage and make sure you understand what you're comparing.

Lastly, here are some general rules for insurance coverage:

• Consider buying a combination policy that covers both property and liability coverage. This could save you some money.
• Look for a small-business insurance package that includes a full range of coverage. This is often much cheaper than buying coverage from several different companies.
• See what your trade or professional association, chamber of commerce or other business association offers for group insurance coverage. The buying power of a large group may mean lower rates for you.

73. Why Can't We Be Friends?
You just lost one of your employees-does that mean clients are soon to follow? It could if you didn't make employees sign a noncompete agreement.So what is this magic contract? What does it do? Who should sign it?

A noncompete agreement is a formal contract between you and your employees in which they promise not to use information or contacts pertinent to your business in a competing situation. This could mean going to work for a competitor or starting a competing business of their own.

Which employees should sign noncompete agreements? While the prerequisites vary from business to business, the following is a good general list. (The term "employees" in this list represents executive level, management, supervisory and non-management personnel that are relative to that example.)

• Employees involved in research or product development.
• Employees involved in the design, fabrication, engineering and manufacturing process.
• Employees who service products made and sold by your company.
• Sales and service employees who have regular contact with customers or sensitive customer information.
• Employees with access to sensitive business information or trade secrets.
• Most importantly, employees who have sufficient information about your business that would allow them to start a competing business.

74. Get It in Writing
If you're doing business with someone, whether as a client or a provider, you're going to need a contract. Ideally, you'd have a top law firm at your disposal to hammer these things out for you, but the reality for most entrepreneurs is that they have to do these things themselves.

So what should a contract say? Here are the essential elements of a business agreement:

• The parties to the agreement. In other words, your business name and the name of the other party, whether that's a customer or a vendor.
• What each party is going to gain from the agreement. This is referred to in legal vocabulary as consideration.
• The main terms of the contract. For example, what each party is promising to do. Obviously, it's extremely important that this part of the contract be very specific and include such things as the work to be performed, the price to be paid for the work, how and when payment will be made, when the work will be completed, how long the contract will be in effect, and whether either party is "warranting" anything.
• Execution. Be sure both parties sign the contract and that the person signing (if he or she is representing a company) has the authority to sign.
• Date. This is the date the contract is signed.
• Delivery. Make sure each party receives a copy of the final signed agreement.

75. It's the Thought That Counts
Assets such as intellectual property, trade secrets, pricing formulas, customer lists, business plans, recipes and the like are typically the foundation upon which a company is built in a business world full of copycat competitors.

Here are five ways to protect the ideas, designs and plans that make your business unique:

• Patents, copyrights and trademarks. These are legal filings that document your ownership and create certain legal protections to help you protect your property. Have your attorney assist you with these applications.
• Confidentiality or nondisclosure agreements.These documents commit a party to keeping specified data and information confidential and out of the hands of unintended parties. Always consult an attorney on this.
• Employment agreements. These agreements stipulate that all company assets are proprietary and that unauthorized disclosure of confidential information such as pricing formulas, customer lists and other data and information is prohibited.
• Computer passwords, safes and locked file cabinets. When used properly, they can restrict access to proprietary information.
• Data backup. Back up everything that is important. Digital documents should be backed up on a server that's in a different location or on a zip disk or CD that's kept offsite along with copies of important physical documents. Absolutely do not attempt to store anything important in your head.

• Topics 76-90

  Who Should You Be Marketing To?

  76. The Military Market
  The armed forces are a massive market, says Christopher Michel, president of Military.com, a San Francisco-based military affinity marketing company that connects public- and private-sector clients to military audiences. With about 3 million active armed forces members and reservists, he estimates the tangential markets of veterans, family members, defense workers and the like to be as high as 50 million.

  Serving the special needs of this mobile, family-oriented audience is one way to get their attention--and their dollars. Training companies (which may qualify for reimbursement through military education benefits) as well as relocation services, financial consultants, consumer goods shops and furnishings retailers are some businesses that are a natural fit, says Michel.

  Saying you're patriotic is all well and good, but lip service isn't going to cut it. Michel counsels his clients to back up "thank you" with some sort of discount or tangible benefit, such as a free gift, or even going beyond the call of duty and hiring veterans or support reservists to work in your company. And the best way to reach this market, says Michel, is word-of-mouth. Because of the close communities on many bases, people talk to each other about companies that support military members, so the word spreads quickly.

  77. The Hispanic Market
  Some 38.8 million Hispanics live in the United States, according to 2002 Census Bureau estimates, and their influence is huge and growing. Hispanics control about $653 billion in spending power, and that number is expected to top $1 trillion by 2008, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia in Athens.

  Entrepreneurs can find numerous niches in this vast market. Populations of Americanized, predominantly English-speaking second- and third-generation Hispanics are on the rise. This group wants to be marketed to as part of the mass market--not as a separate entity, says Luis Garcia, president of Garcia 360°, an advertising firm in San Antonio, Texas, specializing in the Hispanic market. So speak to cultural differences subtly in your marketing messages (for example, cast a Hispanic family in ads--complete with grandparents in the home, which notes the large family influence). Consider using Spanglish, English mixed with Spanish words or phrases, to communicate to this market. Don't be superficial, though: Garcia recommends getting into grass-roots campaigns by sponsoring Hispanic community events or charities.

  Opportunities exist in nearly every industry segment--from food and entertainment to financial services and Web services. Adding new flavor lines to existing food products, for example, is one way to enter this market. Or partner with a manufacturer in a Latin American country to distribute its products here in the United States.

  78. Boomers
  Baby boomers-the 80 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964-have a lot on their minds these days. Their kids are going off to college. They're watching wrinkles and stubborn pounds pile on. They're worried about retirement after losing $8 trillion in the stock market. And their parents are passing away, leaving some boomers with inheritances to manage.

  Their life changes can be your gain. Boomers comprise half of the $7 trillion in consumer spending every year, says Ken Gronbach, president of KGC Direct LLC, a Higganum, Connecticut, company that specializes in generational marketing. The key to capturing boomers will be helping them feel comfortable with themselves--because their worst fear is turning into their parents. Aging "is very painful for them," Gronbach says.

  Boomers will spend whatever it takes to boost their confidence, feel more secure and recapture their youth. Opportunities abound in retirement and financial planning, spa and fitness, comfortable clothing, motor homes, luxury homes, low-maintenance pets and classic cars.

  79. Seniors
  For many seniors, the golden years represent a period of relaxation--a breath of fresh air after a lifetime of work and responsibility. For today's entrepreneurs, meanwhile, the golden years also mean a golden opportunity. Visible on the horizon is an unprecedented demand for senior care and other senior services. During the next 30 years, the number of people 65 and older is expected to double, and the number of people over age 85 will triple, according to James Firman, president and CEO of The National Council on the Aging. "There will be a huge expansion in the need for services to help people stay at home or in whatever facilities they're in," he says. The senior-care industry will "definitely be a major growth industry."

  According to Steve Barlam, president of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, 60 percent of those seeking a care manager's services are managing their parents' care from a distance, while the remainder live nearby but don't have time to handle all the arrangements. In other cases, there's a conflict between family members, and an objective third party is needed. This translates into a growing need for products and services to help this "sandwich generation." These can range from providing senior day-care centers to in-home care services, companionship and even in-home beauty services.

  80. Women
  Marketers of any product or service can adopt a service philosophy that delivers the product design elements and customer service that women want. Once you translate these expectations to your market niche, you'll win the hearts and pocketbooks of women.

  Women's earning power is escalating: They comprise over half of all college students and about 38 percent of small-business owners, according to 2002 figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A February 2002 study by Prudential Financial found that, of the 400 American women surveyed, 37 percent live in households with incomes of $50,000 to $100,000, and 12 percent live in households with more than $100,000 in annual income. Nearly half of adult women are solely responsible for saving money for their households.

  So what can you do to make sure you attract women to your business? Try these tips:

  • Get the little stuff right, and the big stuff will take care of itself. Women develop a collage of impressions about a business from a hundred small factors. Everything from its cleanliness to the design of the shopping bag gets a woman's attention. Smart business owners turn this to their advantage by investing in small amenities women can appreciate.
  • Women have so many work and family responsibilities, they don't have time to research and ponder every buying decision. Offering carefully selected choices will have women choosing your business over an overwhelming A-to-Z plethora.
  • Whether buying for themselves or for the businesses they own or manage, women make final purchasing decisions based on their relationship with the seller, not on statistics and quantitative data. Given a choice between two nearly identical products, women are likely to decide based on customer service and the ongoing relationship with the vendor.

  Work/Life Balance

  81. Chill Out
  Unfortunately, building a business doesn't come easy. There are tough choices to make, a million things to do, and stress, stress, stress. Before you pull your hair out, take a deep breath and try these tips for reducing your stress:

  • Create a master list of goals. Break your larger goals into realistic short-term goals, and break short-term goals into realistic steps you can take immediately.
  • Remember, happiness is your end game.Instead of stopping when you become frustrated, simply decide on the best action you can take, and take it.
  • Evaluate and learn from your actions. At the end of the day, congratulate yourself for what you've accomplished, and let go of what you have not.
  • Realize you don't have to do this alone. As you grow your business, many tasks become routine and can be accomplished by someone else. Develop a list of these tasks, and delegate them so you can concentrate more on growing your business.

  82. Get Out of Town
  Everyone needs a break, even entrepreneurs. But if you're just not comfortable leaving your business in someone else's hands for a few weeks while you sip cocktails on the beach, take baby steps. How about a mini-break? For some business owners, it's easier to get away if they think of their trip as a long weekend rather than a full-fledged holiday.

  If you do manage to get away, it might still be difficult to leave it all behind. On vacation, set clear limits on how long you'll work-if at all. Remember, you need to get away from the office, not bring the office with you. So schedule your vacation time, delegate what you can and just go.

  Here are some easy ways to make your vacation dreams into a relaxing reality:

  • Vacation during the slowest time of the year.
  • Take three-day weekends as mini-vacations.
  • Discover new, fun activities close to home.
  • Turn off that cell phone and leave the laptop behind.
  • If you must work, limit it to just one hour a day.
  • Throw caution to the wind. Just go!

  83. On the Home Front
  For homebased entrepreneurs, making the distinction between home life and work life is the most difficult because work takes place in the home. To maintain the stability of your home life, and, possibly, your sanity, follow these seven tips to keep your office from completely invading your home.

  • Clearly differentiate your workspace from the rest of the house.
  • Set definite work hours.
  • Have a signal that makes it clear when you don't want to be disturbed.
  • Learn how to say, "No, I'm working now," and stick to it.
  • Use a separate business phone line.
  • Soundproof your office.
  • Have a separate outside office entrance.

  84. Watch the Clock
  There are never enough hours in the day. While you can't slow down time or make the day longer, you can make the most out of the 24 hours you do have. Use these five steps to take the crunch time out of your workday:

  • Plan tomorrow today. At the end of each workday, take a blank sheet of paper and write down everything you must accomplish tomorrow in the order the tasks should be done. The next day, you won't have to decide what to do first, and crossing off the things you accomplish will give you great satisfaction.
  • Learn to prioritize. All your daily activities can be broken down into three categories. The first, the "A" list, represents prospecting for new business. Next is the "B" list-growing and expanding current business. This includes activities that build on existing relationships and generate more business from current clients. Lastly, there's the "C" list, nonselling activities that include writing reports, proposals, follow-up letters and thank-you notes.
  • Don't waste travel time. One of the most valuable time-management tools is the tape recorder. When driving, speak into a recorder, dictating notes and reminders of things you have to do. The next best travel tool is your cell phone, which you can use to make or return calls when riding to a destination.
  • Don't put off 'til tomorrow . . . One time-management expert's favorite tip involves eliminating procrastination. To get his staff ready to go first thing each morning, he suggests they spend 20 minutes on the ride to work listening to motivational tapes and then get started making calls as soon as they get to their desks.
  • Give yourself a break. Time-management techniques aren't going to provide effective solutions if you don't have the energy to give 100 percent. So take a few minutes and walk around the office or around your building, go out to lunch. The ideas that wouldn't come to you in the office might pour out once you're in a new environment.

  85. We're a Happy Family
  Even if you're not running a family business, your business still impacts the lives of everyone in your family. So how do you manage to be a good spouse, parent and child while powering your way to the top of the business world? Here are some tips that, while they won't guarantee happiness 24/7, will help harmonize your home and work lives:

  • Call a "family meeting." Discuss ways you can share the responsibilities of the home, including childcare, cooking and cleaning. If you and your spouse are reaching your limits, are there other adults in the family-aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, grandparents-or friends who can provide some help?
  • Don't try to be a superhero and handle everything alone. Ask yourself, "Is my spouse doing all they can? Are the children pitching in?" Have you divided both childcare and housework in your household?
  • Take advantage of technology. Stay accessible via cell phones, pagers, e-mail and fax capabilities. If something happens at home, how easily can you be reached?
  • Watch for burnout. Live by the motto "If I don't take care of myself, I won't be able to take care of another."

  Get Involved With Your Community!

  86. Encourage Employees to Give Back
  A big part of community involvement is giving employees the freedom to do charitable work as well. One simple way is to offer paid time off for volunteer work. Whether it's eight hours a year or 40 hours, your gift of time will encourage their charitable natures.

  "At our company, any employee can take off 40 hours a year to do charitable work, so if they want to spend a week to build a house with Habitat for Humanity, we'll pay for it," says Craig Hall, author of The Responsible Entrepreneur and owner of Hall Financial Group. "Most times, if companies encourage employees to volunteer, those employees will take them up on it. Now, as a smaller company, maybe you can't be that extreme, but you could allot a smaller amount of time-say, 20 hours-for volunteer work."

  87. Create a City Where People Want to Live
  As an entrepreneur, the first thought on your mind might not be the health of your city, but it should be. If your town thrives, your business is rewarded with a larger customer base and a better potential work force. Your business then gives back by hiring more local workers and contributing more taxes. And one of the key elements to fostering a healthy city is to attract the creative folks who will start and work in innovative businesses.

  The newest generation of workers, says Kip Bergstrom, executive director of the Rhode Island Econommic Policy Council, want quality cities and the chance to help build those cities. "By being part of that [building process], entrepreneurs are modeling a behavior that's attractive to their current and prospective workers." For example, members of the Rhode Island Technology Council, a private/public partnership designed to stimulate technology and innovation, have worked hundreds of hours with local secondary schools and colleges to help create a tech-savvy work force.

  Donate your time and know-how to help new companies get a leg up. Sponsor arts events. Look into a new location in an area undergoing redevelopment. Join planning committees. You've built a great business; now use that knowledge to help build a great city.

  88. Share the Riches of Your Business
  Are you interested in doing community work that directly involves your business? Try these ideas:

  1. If you're in the food business, donate excess food to homeless shelters.
  2. If you're in the music business, arrange for small, free concerts at homes for the elderly.
  3. If you're a financial person, offer to give some counseling sessions or seminars at a neighborhood center on budgeting or debt management.
  4. If your business provides an infrastructure-related skill--plumbing, electrical, construction and so on--you have ample opportunities to satisfy your community improvement urges by donating your skills to impoverished families or local nonprofit agencies.
  5. If you offer professional services like dentistry, tax preparation or attorney services, donate your time to those who can't afford it.
  6. If you're a b-to-b service provider--marketing, PR, financial, Web design, IT and so on--offer your expertise to local nonprofit agencies.

  89. How to Get Involved
  There are no end of good causes that can use a helping hand. Every community--no matter how small--offers scores of avenues for an organization to get involved. Here are just a few ideas that might work for your company:

  1. Join an adopt-a-highway program.
  2. Offer high school or local college students the opportunity for real-world experience with an intern program.
  3. Provide food for the elderly or homeless: Help financially or by serving meals.
  4. Sponsor broadcast public-service announcements.
  5. Host an American Red Cross blood drive at your place of business.
  6. Help with fundraising for any number of good social causes.
  7. Get involved with a high-profile telethon for your local public television.
  8. Work with a local environmental group to clean up a nearby natural area.
  9. Consider sports sponsorships, especially for teams from disadvantaged neighborhoods.
  10. Get involved with a walk, bike or run for disease research.
  11. Approach a service group in your community and ask them to develop a project for your umbrella sponsorship.
  12. Look into mentoring programs for local young people.

  90. Why You Should Be a Do-Gooder
  By their very nature, small businesses depend more on their local communities than do large corporations. You don't succeed in a community without getting involved. It's good for business, it's good for the community, and, ultimately, it's good for you. To enhance your job satisfaction and enjoyment of your local community, you and your company should become good corporate citizens.

  There's a range of rewards for good corporate citizenship, including these:

  1. 1. It brings personal satisfaction, since you can really choose the public service arenas in which you and your company will become active.
  2. 2. You'll meet other business leaders and get to know them face to face, often outside their normal "business personalities." This interaction can be personally rewarding--and it expands your network of business contacts.
  3. 3. You'll keep from being too one-dimensional through your work. If you don't have time for community involvement, you need to make time for community involvement.
  4. 4. If you're running your own business, you've likely been luckier than most on the way up. Making your company a good corporate citizen is a way to "give something back."
  5. 5. When businesspeople go out of their way to make an impact on the community, that's news. You may garner positive press coverage for your efforts.
  6. 6. You can increase the quality of the people you draw to your company. Your high-minded community commitment will attract other hard-working, like-spirited employees.

  7. Topics 91-100

     Creating True-Blue Customers

     91. After the Sale . . .
     Demonstrate that you care about the quality of your service. Call customers after a sale and ask them questions like:

     • Are you pleased with the service you received?
     • What did you like most about working with us?
     • What would you like to see improved?

     Without this invaluable information, you'll have a hard time improving your products and services. Besides, when you ask customers for feedback and implement their comments, they feel a sense of ownership in what you're doing and thus become more loyal to your products and services.

     Additionally, consistently write thank-you notes. This is a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised at how many entrepreneurs neglect to write thank-you notes-especially when they get really busy. Take the time to show your customers that you genuinely appreciate their business. They'll remember your thoughtfulness because most of your competition won't send out thank-you notes.

     92. Hey! Remember Me?
     Write old customers personal, handwritten notes frequently. "I was just sitting at my desk and your name popped into my head. Are you still having a great time flying all over the country? Let me know if you need another set of luggage. I can stop by with our latest models any time." Or if you run into an old customer at an event, follow up with a note: "It was great seeing you at the CDC Christmas party. I'll call you early in the New Year to schedule a lunch."

     Also, remember special occasions. Send regular customers birthday cards, anniversary cards, holiday cards...you name it. Gifts are excellent follow-up tools, too. You don't have to spend a fortune to show you care; use your creativity to come up with interesting gift ideas that tie into your business, the customer's business or his or her recent purchase.

     With all your existing customers can do for you, there's simply no reason not to stay in regular contact with them. Use your imagination, and you'll think of plenty of other ideas that can help you develop a lasting relationship.

     93. Toot Your Own Horn
     Let customers know what you're doing for them. This can be in the form of a newsletter mailed to existing customers, or it can be more informal, such as a phone call. Whatever method you use, the key is to dramatically point out to customers the excellent service you're giving them. If you never mention all the things you're doing for them, they may not notice. You aren't being cocky when you talk to customers about all the work you've done to please them. Just make a phone call and let them know they don't have to worry because you handled the paperwork, called the attorney or double-checked on the shipment-one less thing they have to do. 94. Beyond the Basics
     Do you have a dedicated staff or channel for resolving customer problems quickly and effectively? How about online customer assistance? One of the best ways to add value and stand out from the competition is to offer your customers superior customer service. Customers often make choices between parity products and services based on the perceived "customer experience." This is what they can expect to receive in the way of support from your company after a sale is closed. Top-flight customer service on all sales will help you build repeat business, create positive word-of-mouth and increase sales from new customers as a result.

     One simple way to increase the reach of your customer service is to empower your employees. Giving employees some flexibility in handling problems that arise benefits your business in several ways. Research has shown that employees who have this kind of freedom begin to think more strategically about their work and about your business. They endear themselves to your customers because they act as customer advocates. They go beyond satisfying needs to exceeding expectations. And because they are thoroughly familiar with your company's product or service, the company philosophy, the state of the industry, and the ins and outs of good business practices, such employees can "sell" your business again and again, giving you a competitive advantage.

     95. Keep 'Em Coming Back for More
     With the skyrocketing cost of customer acquisition, it makes sense to focus on retaining and up-selling current customers. It can cost as much as five times more to win a new customer than to keep an old one. Customer loyalty programs (aka reward programs) have become essential in price-sensitive arenas and where there are similar products or services. About half of all Americans belong to at least one.

     Here are a few things to keep in mind when creating a reward program:

     • Choose the right rewards-in-kind rewards (buy five, and the sixth one is free) are less costly and are clearly associated with your business.
     • Tell customers what to expect; this entices them to make purchases toward their goals.
     • Reward your best customers by offering graduated awards with increasing cash value. This turns low-value customers into high-value ones, and it avoids the pitfalls of other types of reward programs, which attract less-profitable price switchers.
     • Reward at enrollment to encourage customers to register, and measure performance by setting goals for the program and constantly monitor the results.

     Achieving Your Business Goals

     96. Revisiting Your Goals
     The value of a goal lies in the way it provides you with a relatively steady, unwinking light toward which to steer in the fog of everyday business life. But that doesn't mean a goal should be as immovable as a lighthouse. You should periodically take a fresh look at your goals to see if they need to be changed or, perhaps, dumped. Changes in your personal situation, such as a desire to spend more time with your family, may cause some goals to become irrelevant to your true desires. Of course, the best reason to scrap a goal is because it's been accomplished.

     The last thing you need to know about goals is that they are just that-goals. They aren't preordained events that will occur whether or not you work toward them. In other words, just having a goal of reaching $10 million in sales doesn't mean you'll achieve it. Nor should the accomplishment of a goal be considered absolutely necessary to your personal well-being. Some goals are more important than others, but it's not wise to be so committed to a given goal that, if you don't achieve it or it's not all you hoped it would be, you'll be emotionally destroyed.

     97. Loosen Up!
     If setting and achieving your goals isn't fun, then why bother? Let your imagination carry you away to your greatest and wildest dreams, and don't limit your possibilities. Play with your goals; try being outrageous and notice how that feels. Making goal-setting a joyous activity improves your chances of achieving your goals-and setting new ones that will challenge you to reach even greater heights.

     And if you fail? Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and create a new goal. We've all set goals we've failed to reach. As a result, many people create enormous mental barriers when they think about goal-setting, turning goals into yet another opportunity to fear failure or blocking themselves from aiming at what they truly desire. A "failure" is only a failure when you learn nothing from it.

     98. The Power of Visualization
     As you begin to write down your goals, place yourself in the future-and make it seem real. Write down the date by which the goal will be accomplished, then stop, close your eyes and imagine that you are there. Visualize yourself as clearly as you can-what you are wearing, where you are, what you are doing. How does it feel to have accomplished that goal? Make the vision as real as you can, involving all your senses.

     When you write down your goals, write in the present tense. For example, if your goal is to open a restaurant, write as if the restaurant is already successful. That is, "My restaurant, (and put in the name here), is a hit! We're booked solid every night of the week. I've been interviewed in five local newspapers and have had dozens of calls from people who want to know if I'm franchising the concept. Everywhere I go, people tell me how much they love our food!"

     Additionally, write down your vision of your ideal life. This is your grandest vision of your life and your world as you would live it at your highest purpose and potential. Let your imagination run wild and create the biggest picture possible for yourself. Are there real-life circumstances that might keep you from your vision ("I can't afford it," "I don't have the right training")? Pretend they don't exist and see what you can come up with when your possibilities are boundless.

     99. Creating Targets Worth Reaching
     When looking at new goals, make sure they have the following qualities:

     • Specificity. You stand a better chance of achieving a goal if it's specific. "Raising capital" isn't a specific goal; "raising $10,000 by July 1" is.
     • Optimism. Goals should be positive and uplifting. "Being able to pay the bills" is not exactly an inspirational goal. "Achieving financial security" phrases your goal in a more positive manner, thus firing up your energy to attain it.
     • Realism. If you set a goal to earn $100,000 per month when you've never earned that much in a year, that goal is unrealistic. Begin with small steps, such as increasing your monthly income by 25 percent. Once your first goal is met, you can reach for larger ones.
     • Thinking short- and long-term. Short-term goals are attainable in a period of weeks to a year. Long-term goals can be achieved five, 10 or even 20 years from now; they should be substantially greater than short-term goals but should still be realistic.
     • 100. Plan for Success
       At its simplest, a goal is just something you aim for. But goals are powerful contributors to successful business growth in several ways. To begin with, the process of setting goals forces you to think through what you want from your business and how growth may-may not-provide that. This process helps suggest directions for pursuing that growth, which can greatly improve your chances of achieving your goals in the first place.

     Goals also give you a framework within which to work. This tends to focus your efforts by helping you rule out actions that won't contribute to achieving the goals you have set. A very important part of that framework is a timetable. Any good goal has a timetable, and that timetable will influence your actions profoundly. For instance, if your goal is to retire by age 50, you'll know that any growth plan with a payoff that won't occur by your 51st birthday is not one you'll consider, no matter how attractive it might otherwise seem.

     Lastly, write your goals down and make a cribsheet to post in a place where you'll see it every day-a bulletin board by your desk, your bathroom mirror, your refrigerator. You may think you'll remember your goals five months or five years down the road, but a visual reminder will do wonders to help you stay focused on the goals you've set and on the tasks you need to complete on a daily basis to reach those goals.