Post by Kristy Straka, contributing Women On Business writer
In the early stages of our business plan, we had a set focus. We should all have a set focus because that is what our initial thoughts are.
As we continue the business plan and actually put the business plan into motion, we realize that WOW!, I should have done this or I should have included that!
This creative thinking should not discourage you, should not deter you from deciding to include different aspects of your business.
Think of it as mental expansion into your business.
When we started our mobile dental labs, we had the idea that Dental DLOW’s were the service we would provide. Later, we found that doctors who owned CEREC and wanted to operate it themselves were stuck without sufficient training without traveling and adding expense to their plan which stifled them.
They found that after the $125K sale that training was necessary. Training? Where was it, how much would it cost, how many classes would it take? How could they practice dentistry AND take additional training for CEREC?
Was it cost effective for them to shut down their $20,000 per day dental operation so they could actually train on this piece of equipment? Would it benefit them not to train and learn as much as they could on their own?
Nothing made sense to them until we told them that “we would come to them!” We would train them! This is something that we realized was a need. Develop a need as an alternative revenue for your business. It’s not a money grubbing idea for you to make more money, it’s actually a significant idea for you to offer a service for people that they will pay for so they can learn on the job. Don’t make them travel, help them. Offer a service, a consultant service that is based on your own experience that will help them and make you money.
What is it in your business that can make additional revenue for you and increase awareness for your clients. Do you have an expertise that they need? Can you train them? Can you be of benefit to them? Can you offer them a course that they can learn from without additional expense? Can you make additional revenue? If you are self-employed, you are an expert! You have value that we can all learn from. There are people in your industry who need your help, and this is why I choose to write for this column. I believe that we are all contributors. We only need to help one person. If we help one person gain experience from our business then referrals will come back to us.
Be smart, help those who just work for a living and don’t have time to make a plan. If they fail to plan, they will plan without those who can help them move forward. I challenge each and everyone of you to write down what you have to offer others who are somehow related to you in your field. What do they need from you, how can you help them produce? How can you make their life better? As you grow, so will they.
Take a moment and write down all the people you know who could benefit from your experiences. If you are in business, you are a born teacher. Teach . . .
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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Flexibility is the most important skill to have in business!
Not only do you have to be willing to adjust to changes in your own vision, you need to be responsive to the specific needs of your customers, and to the changing conditions in the collective environment.
Visionary, distributor of goods and services, acrobat, and most definitely teacher as some of the many hats we wear as entrepreneurs.
I saw a great bumper sticker years ago which has stuck with me,
It read: “If you can read this, thank a teacher.”
It is humbling, and empowering, to think that each of us in business can help someone else with what we have already learned.
Thanks for the reminder, Kristy.
Cindy Morris, msw
Priestess Entrepreneur
http://SuccessPriestess.blogspot.com