Issue 7 - May 24, 2003

Editor: Lynne Bullen
lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au

Publisher: Associated Secretarial
Copyright © 2003 Associated Secretarial

In this issue:

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1. Editorial

Hello again! Thanks for checking back. Hope you're enjoying the series. A warm welcome also to our new Subscribers. We trust you'll find the information useful.

Just wondering if you received Part Six, which was sent out to our subscribers on Saturday, 10 May? We've had a few enquiries because, it seems there are some of you who didn't! We think it might be due to new policies some Internet Service Providers have recently adopted. Because of the ever growing problems with "junk mail" and the increase in viruses doing the rounds, many servers now have filters that won't let some things through to the end user. Often, the only way you'll find out that your email is being filtered, is
when something you're expecting, something you know has been sent to you, doesn't arrive.

If you didn't receive Part Six, please email info@associatedsecretarial.com.au advising us and we'll try
again. Please let us know if you don't receive our second "try" within 24 hours of sending your email. We'll get to the bottom of it so you will continue to receive your newsletter on the designated date. In the meantime, you can read the newsletter from the our website. Just click on this link - newsletter archive - and it will take you to the newsletter archives; then just click on "Part 6".

Now, down to business!

Lynne
lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au

2. Article: So, You Want To Be In Business? Part 7: Starting Out - the Basics

==> Building a reliable backup and support system

At the end of our last issue, I wrote "You may be working solo, but you can't do it alone". If you think that's really odd and makes no sense, read on.

Just think about it for a minute or two. You've probably already been "doing business" with at least a dozen people during the course of your research and planning. You will probably deal with a dozen more before you open your doors!

It's true that if you operate a business on your own, if you're a sole operator, you don't really do it on your own. There are many people and organisations who will play a part in your solo enterprise.

All of the people with whom you've been dealing while you took your first steps to gather information and build your foundation will in some way be instrumental in your business success.

In Part 6, we talked about cultivating relationships. You've probably talked to friends and acquaintances who are already operating their own successful businesses.

Hopefully, you will have found yourself a good accountant or sought advice about taxation matters from a friend already operating his or her own successful enterprise.

There is a likelihood that you've spoken to your local council to determine if there are any special bylaws that may hinder or halt the operation of the business your wish to run.

Then there are the businesses you visited to lease or purchase your office furniture and equipment. There will be individuals to whom you look for training and updating your skills, either now or in the future. You've probably chosen the people who will supply your stationery needs, your courier service, and the list goes on.

To these people, you are their client/customer. Many of them may become your clients/customers. Build firm business relationships based upon professional ethics and mutual respect. Stay loyal - just like you expect your customers will be to you. Don't alienate giving them unnecessary or unrealistic deadlines or orders that can't be met because you've not given them your order in time.

These may sound like simple things, and they are. But you must take care of the small matters ... if you don't the bigger matters won't matter! There won't be any!

There are some business people who just don't care. Don't become one of them. Pay attention to the smaller details. Your suppliers and your clients/customers expect that you will.

If there should come a time when there is a greater need than usual and you require extra stocks, give them as much notice as possible. If you should fall victim to an accident, a robbery, an illness or anything that will stop your business operating for a short time, building those bonds now should ensure that your suppliers are willing to come to a mutually agreeable method of payment for any money you owe to them. After all, if one of your clients was having a bit of bad luck, but it was also evident that it was a temporary situation, I'm sure you would treat them in the same way.

This is where you should start if you want to build solid, reliable and mutually beneficial relationships ... those who will be there when times get tough, and they will from time to time.

You see now what I mean by, "You may be working solo, but you can't do it alone"?

Depending on what type of business you are going to operate, you are also going to need another kind of backup and support.

What happens if you should become ill ... whether it's a just a few days down with a bad cold, or a longer illness from which you need time to recover. There are all sorts of reasons as to why you may not be able to work at some stage. Apart from illness, you may have an accident that takes you out for a time.

What about holidays? Holidays! You'll have heard many men and women who run their own small business say things like "Holidays! I don't have time for holidays! I work an 18-hour day most days. I work three of every four weekends. I'd love a holiday. I need a holiday! But who's going to look after the business while I'm gone?"

Who, indeed?

It's true that when you're just starting out, you do have to put in the "hard yards" and the long hours. Apart from the logical and practical side of running your business, there is also the realistic side of things. You can't do it all on your own. You will, at some stage, need reliable backup and support.

We're all guilty at some time of not looking after ourselves; working too hard and driving ourselves to the brink of becoming ill. Somehow, we manage to stay afloat. But we can't keep this up for ever!

In the last issue we talked about the importance of looking after yourself ... a very necessary part of business practice. If you're not looking after yourself, you can't expect to look after your customers/clients. They'll start noticing that your products or services are not up to scratch. If that continues, they'll go
elsewhere.

Building yourself a reliable backup and support system is the only way you'll stay afloat. You don't want to lose your clients/customers to your competition!

You need reliable, professional people, preferably those you may have worked with at some time. A known quantity is a must. Find people who are willing to take up your workload when you need assistance on a large assignment, or if you're ill or on a holiday. Often, these people may be older people who've recently retired. Their experience will be an invaluable resource to you. Too many younger people starting out today and think they "know it all". Some of them do, and some of them will come "unstuck" very early and fail. Never dismiss the advice from older business professionals who are no longer working. They have those little gems of advice that can be in the form of a word or a short sentence. When you hear them, suddenly things make sense. This is what I call a "light bulb" moment.

Choose your backup and support people carefully, check references and confirm abilities and skills. Cultivate good relationships and nurture them. Make sure your chosen support people can do the job.
Remember, your professional credibility is at stake. You must be sure that while you're away, your customers don't stray!

It's all a matter of building strong, mutually beneficial alliances with those business people who know about the business you're in and can help your clients/customers when you're not around.

Now that we've talked about the support that you may find from those already in business or older, past work colleagues, and your suppliers, let's look at another resource.

Your family and your friends. With any luck, they've been with you every step of the way while you've been planning, building your foundations and taking the necessary steps to eventually open your doors on the first day.

Your family and friends will have an understanding of what your goal is. Because of this, and their knowledge of you as a person as well you in you in your professional skin, they will be among the best people to help when you need a hand.

Your family and your friends are people you know better than any of your business contacts. These people are the most valuable and most important people in your life. Nurture these relationships. Treasure them, but ... and it really is quite a big but ... make sure they are mindful that you are running a business. The very fact that they're family or friends, may mean that some of them will just phone or turn up for a chat. Now, when that happens, they are blissfully unaware that they are intruding on your time and your workspace. Whether you work from your home or at another location, guidelines for family and friends are sometimes the hardest to put into place. A great deal of tact is necessary. It all depends on the way you relate your message.

Building relationships and making sure you have reliable backup and support is one of the major keys to a successful business enterprise. Fail here, and you won't make it. Start building these relationships now. Have your support system in place before you open your doors.

Finally, there are your customers! Make every single one of them feel special ... because they are! Stay one step ahead of your competition and give your clients a little something extra. That special "thing" that keeps your customers loyal. That special little thing that your clients/customers will miss when you're not
around. That special, personal touch only you have! That value added, special "something" will turn "shoppers" into "customers".

Think about that for a minute. "Shoppers". "Customers".

They are two very different entities.

A shopper is someone who comes to you for your product or service. You'll make your sale or win the contract. But that's it. That person may never come your way again.

The Customer/Client, however, is one you help create. It's the one that keeps on coming back when the need arises. It's up to you to turn a "Shopper" into a "Client/Customer".

During the last six issues we've outlined just part of the process to planning, building your foundations and lots of other principles and practices necessary for running a successful small business. We can't give you everything. Each business venture is unique.

Use the basics and adapt them to your own situation.

All you need to do now is pluck up the courage and take the first step.

Oh! I can hear you now! Some of you are saying, "Yes, I'm ready. I know what I must do next, but what if ...?"

Many of you who are just about to take the plunge are thinking "But what if ..."

If you need a little more spark to fuel your dream into a reality; to take that little voice called Fear and put it aside, read the Article written by Birgitt, of Associated Secretarial It's in this issue, just a bit further along ... and oddly enough it's called "What if...?"

In the meantime, if there's something you don't understand, or there are some questions you would like to pose, please contact me at lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au I would be happy to help.

In our next issue, we'll sum up Parts 1 - 7 and give you a few more hints and tips as well.

Until then, take care of yourself and those you love.

See you in two weeks!

Lynne

Lynne Bullen is a successful businesswoman whose talents include Public Relations; Editorial and Commercial Copywriting; Design and Facilitation of Seminars, Forums and Workshops, and helping small business to grow and prosper.Lynne Bullen Strategies was registered and commenced business in 1991 to offer VA services to the small business owner. She is also the Founder of Associated Secretarial ...the perfect solution. Lynne is happy to share her knowledge to help others achieve their goals. lynne@associatedsecretial.com.au

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4. Article: What if...?

You’ve been thinking about starting your own business, but… So, what’s really stopping you? Fear. Fear of rejection, of ridicule, failure, the unknown. When it comes right down to it, that’s your biggest stumbling block. Trust me, your imagination is a lot worse than the reality.

You’ve got a great idea for a new business – it’s your dream – being your own boss, working your own hours. Freedom. But…

What if your idea is not as good as you think it is? What if you can’t run a business? What if everyone thinks you’ve lost the plot? What if …?

You’ve done your homework, you know what’s needed to set-up and run a small business, you’ve got the enthusiasm to do it and you know (and everyone you’ve spoken to agrees) it’s a great idea. Hell, you’re running rings around the guys at your 9 to 5! You know you can build your business, part-time and weekends, until it’s holding its own – and then you can kiss the boss goodbye!

But,

What if nobody wants what I have to sell?

Anyone starting out in any sort of business will have done some homework. If not, stop reading now and go do it! Go on! Come back when you’ve got a handle on it.

For everyone else – you’ve done your homework, you know there’s a market. You know that there are people online and in the real world making a living doing want you want to do. Hey, news flash: if they can, so can you!

What you have to figure out is how they’re doing it – advertising, marketing (ah, no, its not a dirty word), word of mouth, web site, yellow pages, whatever. Unless people know you have something to sell, nobody is going to be buying. This will take some thought and a lot of trial and error, but whatever you do, getting your name out there will get you customers. You just have to do it!

What if I can’t run a business?

I didn’t know that I could run a business either, until I tried. Five years later, still going and getting better. That’s not to say that it was easy. It wasn’t! You have to be willing to work, put in the hours, figure it out and make sacrifices. Yes, that also means working weeknights and weekends when you’re first starting out. Learning the basics and then learning some more.

I’d never recommend anyone giving up a job with a steady income and diving headfirst into a business venture without some clients and a sustainable income. Once you have got those clients though, and you’re generating enough money to take the plunge – take it. Then, you have to work even harder – but it’s worth it if you’re prepared to persist and do what it takes.

What if I put up a web site, or advertise in the local paper, and nothing happens?

Trial and error. Maybe the local paper doesn’t have the circulation you need – advertise in a bigger one. Doesn’t work either – try cold calling or visiting businesses in your area. Have you got a marketing plan?

Your web site isn’t getting many visitors – have you got interesting content? Are the pages easy to navigate? Do you update your site regularly? Have you submitted your site to search engines?

Getting your name out there is the most important thing. Sure, some types of promotion will work better than others – be willing to experiment.

What if people don’t like me?

I remember when I put together my first web site: Will the client like it? Will anyone like it? What if my inbox is inundated with emails telling me I’m a talentless twerp?

Yes, the client did like it. Yes, everyone else I spoke to liked it. And, no, no emails telling me my site design looked like something found in a dog’s dinner bowl. My imagination conjured up a lot of negatives – but the reality was quite different.

We all have doubts – about ourselves, our abilities, our image. A fear of exposing ourselves as maybe less than perfect. Hey, no one is perfect. Going beyond those doubts is the difference between wondering if you can and doing it.

I’m going to be blunt: who really cares? You’ve put your first ad in the paper and <gulp> announced the fact that you’re open for business. You’ve put up your first web site and <shudder> exposed your soft underbelly to the entire world! So!? The only people answering your ad are those that want your services or skills (unless of course you’ve plagiarised someone else’s ad and they want to sue). The people visiting your web site are those that have found you in search engine results using the keywords on your site – you’ve got what they want.

I’ll be honest: there are small-minded people who, for petty reasons of their own, may try to put you down – they’re a tiny minority – ignore them.

The world won’t ridicule, laugh or reject you. Your imagination is a lot worse than the reality.

So, doubts aside. Put yourself out there and do it. I know you can!

Birgitt Thursby is a successful virtual assistant and web site designer, specialising in helping small business - mailto:birgitt@bpthursby.com.au
http://www.bpthursby.com.au/

5. Article: The Real Truth About Working Smarter, Not Harder

Running a business or department can often stretch you to the limit.

To be effective at doing what you do best, it's imperative to look at what tasks you can either delegate or outsource.

Delegating

This is an interesting word. For some people it means completely letting go of their responsibilities and getting someone else to do the work. Now that's all well and good providing that you train that person on how you've been handling those tasks. Show them how it's been done first.

For many business owners and managers, delegating means completely abdicating all responsibility for a particular task to somebody else without showing them how. They expect that person to know... immediately.

Well, forget it. No wonder you often hear people say, "I tried to delegate that task but no-one was as good as me at doing it!" Or "I just couldn't find the right person who was capable of taking on those responsibilities".

That's an interesting comment. Often people are given responsibilities for which they have had no training in and are then expected to know how to carry out those duties. A great example of this is when a person is promoted to manager/team leader and he/she is automatically expected to know how to manage
themselves and their people.

Coming In From the Outside

How about the new kid on the block who comes in to take up the reins in a position, which has already been vacated. They're expected to run the department or business as if they've been working in the company for the past three years!

Outsourcing

When your car needs to be repaired do you spend hours trying to fix it or see a mechanic who takes two hours?

Do you do your own tax return or have an accountant prepare it for you?

If you need a new assistant do you place an ad in the paper, spend hours interviewing people or have a recruitment company do all the ground work and send you the top three applicants?

Why waste your precious time on tasks which will do exactly that...waste your precious time. And time is money!

Use the Experts

Use the valuable input of experts who can take away the stress and hassle and carry out the tasks in a fraction of the time it would take you. Sure you have to pay for it, but isn't it better to work smarter, not harder?

Why spend hours on tasks which are not your specialty?

Identify what you do best then delegate or outsource the rest. In fact, if you truly feel you are good at what you do and are happy to share that, why not teach someone else those same skills, then you could really leverage yourself.

Particularly if you are business owner, this would allow you more time to work on your business rather than in it.

A Word of Caution For Business Owners

Be careful about who you get your advice from. I know of many small business owners who listen to the advice of their personal assistants, spouses and relatives on how they should run their business although those people have never been in business themselves.

By all means get feedback from your people, however if you really want to work smarter, not harder invest some money into a business coach or someone who has already run a successful business so that you can avoid costly mistakes and have someone else offer a fresh perspective. Being too closely involved can give you a tainted view.

The Final Word

Write down all your responsibilities and the tasks that you undertake. Tick the tasks which someone else could realistically do. Then write next to it either the name of the person or type of person/company who can do this for you or offer some expert assistance or support ie. bookkeeper, printing company, personal
assistant, coach.

To work smarter not harder, always look at who else can do this work/task. Always look at lightening your load so that you can spend your time doing what you do best.

About the Author: Residing in Melbourne, Victoria (Aust) Lorraine Pirihi is a personal productivity specialist, life coach, dynamic speaker and author. Her business The Office Organiser specialises in showing busy people how to spend less time in the office and more time doing the things they really want and need to do. Contact Lorraine today on 03 9532 5497 and she'll show you how easily you can get motivated, find direction and take action to improve all areas of your life! lorraine@office-organiser.com.au, http://www.office-organiser.com.au/

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