Throw The Box Away!

Say Yes!

We live in a pretty negative world.  It is much easier to say "No!" than to say Yes!  We have allowed ourselves to look for the negative instead of looking for the positive.  Most kids hear "No!" much more often than they hear "Yes!"  It is not only true in our homes and at school, but in the workplace.

In the workplace, you might hear "No, that is a pretty stupid idea."  "No, we tried it that way two years ago, and we know it will not work."  "No, We need more effort, not more staff."  "No!"  It is prolific in all of life, and the work place does not escape it's use either. 

May i suggest that as business owners, managers, sales persons and others, we take a new look at "Yes!"  Say Yes, to reviewing how you do your marketing and to trying some new marketing ideas.  Say Yes, to changing some systems or starting systems that will help GROW YOUR BUSINESS AND NOT KILL IT.

Say Yes, to growing yourself, to committing to reading a new business book a month or listening to a motivational cd or business cd each month. Say Yes, to thinking outside the box.  Say Yes, to getting outside your comfort zone. 

Say Yes, to examining your customer service practices and expecting more out of yourself and your staff in going far beyond the expected with your customers. Say Yes, to expanding your business and not being satisfied with the status quo. 

Say Yes, to such things as email campaigns and better web sites and blogs for your business. 

Do not say NO! IT CANNOT BE DONE!  If you do, you are shooting yourself in the foot. You may be missing an opportunity.

It can be done!  Things can be better.  You can make things more efficient and more profitable and bigger and better.

You see, it is what goes on in the six inches between your ears.  It is an attitude.  When my kids were small (a long time ago), I found it very easy to say No.  As I look back, some of those times became an excuse for not wanting to change or put myself out or to put my kids before my needs or desires. 

Thank Goodness, I have always believed, however, in the concept of the possible.  You see, you can say "Yes!"  You really need to, if you are going to have a successful business.

Say Yes! 

The Weather Is Cold Outside. What About Inside?

It is cold here in the mid-west part of the United States right now.  In fact, it is very cold over much of the country.  Winter has set in and the temperatures have dropped significantly.  Outside the weather is cold and in many places freezing with much snow on the ground.  But what about inside your place of business?

What is your employee temperature?  How is the attitude quotient?  Do those who work for you or with you really look forward to coming to work?  Is your business environment a fun place to be or full of drudgery?

I know many places of employment that say they really care about their employees, however treat them like cattle or care very little about what is happening in their lives.  Their sayings look good on a wall or when talking to future candidates, but the reality is that "their walk is not their talk." 

What about your business?  How do you care for those who work for you or with you?  Are they a valued member of your team?  Do their ideas count?  Do you listen to them and really contemplate their imput?  Or are they to be seen but not heard? 

Is your work place filled with intense stress because you are not organized and therefore have unreal expectations for others? 

Do your valued partners, (your employees), feel like they have ownership in what they do? 

It's really cold outside in much of the United States.  But it is okay.  It too will pass with the seasons.  But are you hurting your business environment because it is WINTER INSIDE YOUR BUSINESS TOO.  Unfortunately, that will not change unless you take immediate action.   The ball is in your court.

The Missing Link, What About You

What do you do when an opportunity comes your way?  It really is interesting to me what happens when people are presented with an opportunity, ...one that makes them think outside the box, move beyond their comfort zone, challenge them to go far beyond the supposedly impossible.

It happens to potential sales people and to business owners.  It happens to nearly everyone of us.  Recently i saw two people who were presented with an unbelievable opportunity to have a new career, do something great for people, make potentially a lot of money, yet chose to live inside their comfort zone and stay in the prison of their own limitations.  What do you mean, you say?

Well, when it comes to sales people or someone looking at a sales position, they just can't conceive of working in a full commission position.  "What happens if i do not make a paycheck?"  "What if i do not make a sale?"  "What will my spouse say, or think?" 

Recently a candidate who was superbly qualified and had a real interest in a sales career, just shrunk back when he heard that it was a full commission position.  "I have a child on the way.  My wife will not approve.  What if i struggle."  And he took the "safe way" out.  He chose not to RISK.  He chose not to take a leap of faith.  He chose not to follow his dream.  He chose to take the easy way out, and unfortunately he will pay a heavy price inside those six inches between his ears.  He chose to listen to his own negative self talk, and he sold himself short.

Then there was the sales person who had started the journey however discovered that it was tougher than she thought.  Life in the "sales lane" took time, and energy, and stretching, and learning, and doing. Life in the  "sales lane" took perserverance and staying power.  Again...it was a time to risk, however she chose the easy way out and quit.  And she will pay the price with that choice.  She will never know the thrill of winning, the thrill of being successful at her dreams and the opportunities that come her way. 

The missing link happens to be the ability to choose to risk.  Life is too short not to risk.  You may not always win, but not to risk means that you will not experience the possibility of winning.  You may not always win, but not to risk means that you will miss out on opportunity after opportunity.  You may not always win, but not to risk means you you will choose to sell yourself short. 

For people like myself, who happen to be risk takers, not foolishly but calculatingly, it is very difficult to understand why people do not choose to think outside the box.  I find it frustrating to deal with those who want to play it safe.  I find it incomprehensible that people want to stay comfortable...and always wonder "what could have happened."

So, do you have the missing link?  Are you a risk taker?  Do you think outside the box?  Are you willing to seize the opportunity?  Do so, and more than likely, you will win much more than you will lose. 

You may say however, that you do not know all you need to know.  Well, my friend, may i suggest something really far out.  Something that will take you a long ways.  Something that will make you a winner.  May i suggest that you do not always have to get it right, you JUST NEED TO GET GOING!  Get going!!!  Start now!!!  Do not look back!!!

New Web Site Launched: DonihueOnLine.com

We are delighted to share a new website with you, entitled "Donihue On Line" found at http://www.donihueonline.com.  This web site features our Business Success and Development consultative services for small and medium sized companies.  Whether "brick and mortar" or a "home-based business", Donihue On Line can help you take your business to the next level. 

Ranging from Consultations to Business Development, we can help with organizational issues and models, team effectiveness, sales and marketing, goal attainment and much more.  As Business Success Experts our staff can help you with many areas of your business from mentoring, coaching, and motivational speaking to actual custom financial solutions as well as organizational and team building methods. 

Check out our new Donihue On Line website at http://www.donihueonline.com   

An Important Reminder At The First of 2007!

You might not expect this coming from a business blog and especially from a workaholic.  But i was thinking about 2007 and how we can be effective as we manage our businesses and continue striving to make them an incredible success. 

In the midst of all the 2006 year end rush or reports and evaluations....  In the midst of the 2007 projections and goal setting and implementation, please remember the following. 

Please be sure to TAKE TIME AND SMELL THE ROSES.  We only have one life to live and we only have so much time to enjoy life and those we love and care about.  We only have so much time to refresh so that we can move our businesses strongly forward.  We only have so much time to influence our children, our grandchildren or other people we deem important with the values, ethics and priorities we live for. 

Time moves so fast, and the older i get, the faster it seems to move.  Your business is very important.  Your employees and those you are responsible for are vitally dependent on you and your leadership.  But, to be effective, take time out to refresh, to gather regularly with family and friends, to read, to meditate, to.....

There is a poem out that is called "The Dash."  In it, it says that what is really important is how you live your dash, the period between your birth and your death.  It will make a lot of difference to so many people you meet, love and deal with.

Just a reminder.  Be sure, in your busy life, to STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES!  You and every one else will be glad you did.

View From An Owner Perspective

It happened a couple of months ago.  We were in Los Angeles arriving to do a trade show for our company. As we were at the car rental counter, the agent tried her best to upgrade us to a larger, roomier and more expensive car.  That in itself is not a problem, because at times my partner and i have done just that.  What happened next was interesting, insightful, laughable and also an indicator of a sorry state of affairs.

When we said that we were not interested in upgrading the vehicle, the night manager said, "That's okay guys, just charge it to the company!"  In other words, put it on your expense account!  We looked at each other, and burst out in laughter, saying, "Sweet heart! (She was a woman) We ARE the company.  You see, we OWN the company!"  She was embarrassed and i went on to say, "Isn't that just like an employee mentality.  Just charge the company!"

We have laughed about that incident, but in reality it brought back to me a fundamental issue between ownership and employees.  Sometimes it seems that from an employee stand point, everyone or many people have the attitude, "Do not worry about it, just charge the company.  They will pay it. It is the company's responsibility."  It is understandable, but sometimes frustrating.

You see, as an owner, "I AM THE ONE who will end up paying for it when it is charged."  Now, we pride ourselves on how we take care of our employees, but as a reminder to all those  who do not own their own company but work for another, remember that extra charge, or extra expenditure is being paid for by someone, and it does make a difference and means something.

Believe me.  I am no Scrooge and am not really worried or anxious about alot of these issues.  But it just reminded me that we need to take responsibility for our actions whether we are an owner, manager or employee.

So the next time, you are tempted to spend some money for your company that may not need to be spent, take a second and think about it.  Are you part of a solution or part of the problem? 

Driven in 2007

So what is ahead for your business in 2007?  The title of this blog site is "Blowing The Doors Off Business."  Is that what you are planning to do for your business in 2007?  Are you going to change things so that your business will go to the next level, or will it be business as usual.  No changes, no growth, no stretching, no risk, no movement in the right direction. 

I have always looked at myself as a change agent.  One who is willing to take risks, move to the next level, never be satisfied with the present and very goal oriented. What about you?  If you are going to move to the next level then you need to take some risks, be a change agent, become focused on the results and not on the process. 

There are far too many people, including business owners, managers, sales people and others involved in business and companies every day that may not be satisfied with the status quo but are totally unwilling to change. They see that the present is not what they want but change is way too much of a hurtle.  It is uncomfortable, unnerving, risky, and it causes them too much stress.

Well, my friend, if you are going to take your business to the next level then change needs to take place.  It is time to get moving, time to step up to the plate, time to stop procrastinating.  You have heard the saying, "If you want what you always have, you will do what you have always done, and you will get what you have always gotten."  Well, to change things, you need to change what goes into your mind.  You need to do something different.  You need to head toward your desired results.

In 2007 for many of us, that means that we must become "market driven."  What I am really talking about is that we need to find and know our niche, and market to that niche.  We do not need to get sidetracked and off course.  We need to become dogmatic about marketing to our target clientele and really get serious about it. 

So what are you going to do to increase your opt in list or your client opportunity list?  What new campaigns are you going to carry out?  What new joint ventures are you going to create or how many new follow up strategies are you going to put into practice?  How serious are you about reaching your niche market? 

2007 is not a time for business as usual.  There will be struggles and obstacles.  There will be those who want to sidetrack you.  There will be issues that arise and problems that need to be solved that you are not aware of.

But in spite of all of that, to go to the next level, you need to become driven in 2007.  Become a marketing guru.  If you have not studied marketing, begin today.  If you are not sure where to begin, get a mentor.  If you are afraid to change, jump in and get started anyway.

Recently we were at that turn in the road.  We knew that to take our business up to the next level would require expansion, change, additional personnel, outlay of many dollars and a continued change of thinking.  It would require a paradigm shift.  Seeing things differently and implementing new strategies to reach our goal.  An opportunity had been presented to us, and we needed to decide whether or not to walk through the door of that opportunity.

It would require not only a change in our thinking, but the willingness to put into action a market driven strategy along with the other changes that needed to occur.  Sure it meant going out on a limb.  Sure it meant a major outlay of capital.  Sure it meant hiring and many more things. 

But it also meant that we would become even more driven in the market place. That as we knew our niche, we would become so driven that nothing would stop us from the goal.  We would become more serious about reaching our potential customers through a myriad of ways.  We would seek out those new ways to service our customers and reach new ones.  We would pay the price!

So in 2007 there is a renewed commitment; an intensity of purpose and a driven strategy.  We have decided that there is no choice. There is not an option but to move ahead. 

What about for you and your company?  Will you become driven in 2007? Or, will you accept business as usual? And be frustrated at the result in December of 2007, just 12 months from now.

 

 

Remote Deposit. A Business Check Solutions

The Check 21 Law that went into affect in 2004 can make life so much easier for your company. If you receive consumer checks, vendor checks, business checks, government checks, virtually any kind of check drawn on a U.S. bank, you can now do from the convenience of your companys' location (or remote location) the same thing that only the top 5 or so banks are now doing for their customers. What is it? Accounts Receivable Conversion or now often called, Remote Deposit!

Because of 9/11 and the fact that billions of dollars in checks were stranded on the ground when the airplanes were all grounded, Congress passed a law that went into affect in Oct 2004 that would allow for image conversion of checks for companies and banks. Your company's AR Dept can now image the checks and send them to the Fed and into the company's bank account and NEVER leave the office.

One popular way to accomplish remote deposit utilizes a document imaging terminal, a computer, and Internet access to secure servers off location, with no software to buy. Remote Deposit can reduce hours of work and time in preparing deposits. No longer do you need to copy checks, enter them manually into your accounts receivable software, spend time looking up accounts, waste valuable time in filling out deposit slips and going to the bank or having an armored car service do it for you. Once you have completed the image process, you can actually import all your information into your particular accounting software. You can even do recurring billing in house, without outsourcing it with the results of added expense.

Companies i know have streamlined their Accounts Receivable Dept from a nightmare to a breeze. Major Result? They find huge savings in dollars, man (woman) hours, and wasted time trying to recoup NSF checks. Some solutions even allow for near elimination of contact with the customer over NSF checks, and substantial savings in the process.

Projections are that within 10 years, 80% of mid to large size companies will be doing their accounts receivable conversion in house through Remote Deposit. Yours should definitely consider it. More information can be obtained through our company website at BedrockMerchants.com

Want To Double or Triple Your Customers

How do you get more people into your brick and mortar location or onto your web site, and double or triple your traffic?  Whatever brick and mortar business you have, be it insurance, mortgage brokerage, pizza shop, or as lawyer, accountant or contractor, you can increase your traffic and business substantially over the next few months!  This can even help your internet business.

How? You ask. Through combining some creative marketing and a wonderful relationship software called Success On Contact! Imagine someone coming to your website looking for an automobile, insurance, a mortgage, or pizza (depending on what you offer) and through the awesome relationship management software, Success On Contact, you will IMMEDIATELY KNOW THAT THEY ARE THERE AND BE ABLE TO CONTACT THEM LIVE. Imagine their surpise and yet interest because you care. 

Think of it. You will be able to help them immediately with their need or desire because you will have instant access to the knowledge that they are now on your web site and can immediately communicate with them.  Once they are in your Success On Contact relationship management software, you can automatically send them newsletters, email, voice broadcasts in thirty two different campaigns.  And imagine this. There is no need for double entry to this program.

Originally designed for home-based business owners, the Success On Contact software system is rapidly gaining wide spread enthusiasm from direct sales organizations and traditional businesses. This system is being embraced by many professionals across the spectrum, from real estate agents, to mortgage brokers, stock brokers, insurance agents, credit card merchant services, car dealerships, network marketers, and tanning salons and MANY MORE.  Nearly any business can benefit from Success On Contact! Own a pizza shop?  Increase your customer base through Success On Contact.

You will definitely want to check this out. Email me today at pdonihue@bedrockmerchants.com for more information.  (place the words "Success On Contact" in the subject line) This unique software system can revolutionize your business and increase your customer base.

The Power Of Focus

One of the most compelling reasons why businesses fail, or business owners, managers, and sales people do not succeed is their lack of keeping a focus on what is vital, important, and results oriented.  It is this lack of focus that can bring any well intentioned business and business owner, manager or sales person far short of their goal.  It can spell the difference between failure and success, moderate income and wealth, obscurity and successful notoriety.

Lack of focus can mean that a home based business will never get off the ground; the owner/manager will be chasing after every fad or new opportunity rather than digging in and going after the goal.  It will mean bursts of start …and stop; start over again with some new idea …and stop. It will be like a sailing vessel tossed to and fro by the strong winds and finally capsizing because of the storms. Lack of focus can mean the difference between a huge online business and constantly seeking new opportunities where the grass looks greener, never settling in for the long haul. It can mean the failure of a brick and mortar business.

The power of focus is results oriented. Some people center in on the process, but focus centers on the results of the entire project.  If you worry about how many phone calls you have to make, or people you need to see, then you will never get off first base and begin to prospect and turn leads into prospects and then into customers.  What is driving you?  Are you desiring to gain wealth through a successful home based business or brick and mortar business?  Are you wishing to be independently wealthy?  Are you seeking more time with your family, before everyone grows up? What are the results you desire for your life, your business, your family? 

The power of focus says that the results are worth consistency and stick-to-it-ive-ness.  Focus does not count the cost (the process) but is determined to pay the price for the achievement of the goal.  Focus takes hard work.  Focus means remaining with the task when others want to play. Focus does not mean giving up.  Focus does not mean jumping after the next great fad.  Focus means a 2, 3 and 5 year or more commitment.  The power of focus is most assuredly outcome driven. The outcome is what is most important (outside of integrity and honesty.)

Outcome driven success is a step by step process. To have a successful business will mean that you have a succession of small wins.  You eat the elephant one bite at a time and you are successful in your business one small victory after another.  It does not happen overnight, but day after day after day of small consistent victories and wins can bring a great result.

Often the problem for most people is a focus that is broken.  They lose their focus, their drive, their consistent movement toward the one result that they have dreamed and planned and worked for.  They get side-tracked and forget what result they want and begin to focus on how to get to that result.  You focus when you commit yourself to one goal.  You focus when you never quit.  You focus when you manage your time so that your commitment is clear. Nothing gets in the way of the goal, time-wise.

The power of focus means that you begin. Too many people never get started.  They have the idea. They have the desire.  They have the dream.  But they never get started.  They never leave the starting line and the dream never happens.  The idea never comes to fruition.  The business never succeeds. They never risk.  They want to play it safe.

So what about you?  Do you really want to succeed?  Do you have the results in your focus?  Is it pin-point clear?  Have you started, even though you do not have it all together?  Have you begun, even though the path is not always totally clear?  Grab hold of your idea.  Hold on to your dream.  Get started today!