What's Black , Green and Purple?
As many of you know - I love reading and for some strange reason have a memory for quotes. One I love is "The only difference between a rut and a grave are the dimensions." I know you have been working hard this year. I know you have been working smarter this year as well. I also know - you feel like you are banging your head against a wall at times. You're getting some bruises and you're frustrated. Here's a piece of Diva OUT OF IT!
Don't Look Out - Look In
I want you to take a mirror and reflect it directly on your business. Do you want to increase your bottom line? Then have a look at these areas:
1) Increase Your Rates. Are you charging enough? If you think you are - I have a quote directly from my 6 year old niece Megan - " WHO SAYS?" When and how did you develop your pricing? Where do you sit within the market? Are you giving away too much without enough return?
2) Who Has Purchased From You In The Past? One of the best places to look for new business is - you guessed it - from previous and current customers. On average a new customer costs 6-20x more than growing an existing one. Review the past 2 years of sales. Who were your bread and butter customers? Who were the heavy hitters? Who did you love working with? Who can you ask for referrals?
3) Expenses. You need to look at expenses very seriously. What is providing a solid return on investment and what is wishful thinking? Are you with the best supplier? Cheapest does not mean better by the way. Review your suppliers and see who is really working for you and interested in helping you grow. Do the Diva cut to everyone else.
4) Eliminatereduce the problem clients. I will let you in on a Diva Secret "I Don't Work For Jerks or MicroManagers." Too often these people can suck the living life out of you and they have a tendency to not value your product or service. Have any of these customers found their way into your business?