Biz Coach Steve

Category: Entrepreneur

  • Work Smarter – Not Harder

    Work Smarter – Not Harder

    “Work smarter, not harder.” We have all probably heard that saying before. It’s great advice, but many entrepreneurs fail to work smarter and they grind it out and work harder.  Which leads to frustration, stress, and burnout. On the other hand, working smarter leads to a work/life balance, control, and focus.

    Here are 10 simple ways to get business SMART:

    1. Come up for some air.  This takes on two different meanings. One is, take some time away from your business. You need to recharge your batteries every now and then. The other meaning is that you need to get out of your office and visit other departments within your business. You cannot really understand what is going on in your business if you stay in your glass tower.
    • Talk with other. Take employees/managers/sales from other department out for lunch and really get to know them. Try not to talk shop, get to really know them. Listen to their ideas about the business. You will be surprised on what you will find out.
    • Spend time with your customers. Find out what the customers REALLY want.  Your customers will tell you what they want from your company – ask them. Take customer service calls, and really hear their concerns.
    • Get a business mentor. Find someone who knows the business and get them to help you. Get a Score mentor to keep you focused and on track. Get that outside perspective. Sorry to tell you this, but your way may not be the best way.
    • Read a book.  Yes, a real book. Read about business, marketing, sales, accounting, and leadership, grow your knowledge base which will help you grow your business.
    • SSSPA. Stop speaking in acronyms. Others will understand you better when you translate techspeak into standard English.  Many of your employees may not know your acronyms which leads to confusion. Be clear.
    • Brush up on your social skills.  Soft skills are the hot trend today in finding staff, therefore you should have great social skills. Learning new communication techniques will help when IT and marketing cannot communicate properly. You can step in and smooth it all out while educating your departments.
    • Look for another answer. So many times, business leaders think they know the answer to solve a problem and many times it is technology. Realize that technology cannot solve every business problem. This is that “thinking outside the box” time.
    • Ask Questions. Believe it or not, someone, somewhere has been in your shoes before. If you are not getting answers to your questions – ASK! Ask questions, don’t tell-get answers. A great leader asks lots of questions.
    1. Get a consensus on terms. Get to the bottom of any failure of communication. Most issues within business arise from poor communication. What sounds clear to you, may sound like mud to someone else. Be clear when you communicate. Ask questions to make sure everyone is clear and on the same page.

    There are many other ways to work smarter within your business, but these are 10 very simple solutions. As you see, most focus around communication. Get a mentor to help with your communication style to meet the needs of others, which will help you be smarter in your business.

    Get Smart!

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    Steve Feld, MBA, Certified Business Coach, Author, provides training and business performance coaching to business owners, professionals and executives. Steve also speaks to organizations, conducts workshops and training.  Focusing on the lead generation and revenue creation to get growth results for the business.

    Contact Biz Coach Steve today to see how he can assist you get the results you want in your business, [email protected], or www.bizcoachsteve.com. He is in the business of growing businesses. Need a speaker, contact Steve today.

    #bizcoachstevef #entrepreneur #smallbusiness #business #smallbiz #coaching #businessowner #businesscoach #leadership #marketing #speaking #keynotespeaker #meetingprofs #eventprofs #meetingstoday

  • You’re Not Fit to Lead If Your Greatest Strength is Seeing Weakness

    You’re Not Fit to Lead If Your Greatest Strength is Seeing Weakness

    That may sound a little harsh. But many business owners and leaders are truly not fit to lead their team because they are only seeing weakness in others.

    We all know, or have worked for, or even are, that smart talented leader that finds it easy to point out inadequacies, describe what’s wrong, and explain disagreements.

    There’s no creativity in pointing out weaknesses.

    There’s no imagination in disagreement.

    There’s no innovation in explaining what cannot be done.

    There’s no added value in tearing someone down.

    What this does is put them into a self-supporting superior feeling due to the lack of true leadership abilities.

    Working with business owners for the past few decades I consistently hear these phrases from ineffective leaders.

    1.        I disagree.

    2.        That won’t work.

    3.        We already tried that.

    4.        You’re wrong.

    5.        You should be better at….

    Ineffective leaders find fault like it’s the only thing leaders do. They believe they need to find fault in everything to justify their position.

    The ability to see wrong, point out a weakness, highlight mistakes, and declare deficiencies is important and necessary. But don’ts, won’ts, and can’ts stabilize the past and move the business forward.

    It’s safe and powerful for leaders with the authority to prevent change, end exploration, and tell people what they can’t do.

    Now, here’s what highly effective leaders love to ask:

    1.        Have you thought about…? Offer alternatives when you disagree. What if…?

    2.        How about…? Have the courage to make something better, rather than simply pointing out inadequacy.

    3.        You’re great at …. How can you bring your strengths to this challenge? The future depends on the strengths of the people around the table.

    4.        How might we make this better?

    5.        What are we trying to achieve and why does it matter? When you’re ready to point out a fault, ask yourself, “What are we trying to accomplish?”

    The future belongs to the curious.

    They ask questions and look for alternative solutions instead of showcasing fault and blame.

    So, how can a leader change their ways and stop finding fault and start pursuing excellence within their business?

    Here are 3 simple tips:

    1.        Notice three strengths for every weakness you point out.

    2.        Say what you see when you see progress. Highlight your wins and positive movement.

    3.        Leverage positive energy. Figure out how to apply energy to positive outcomes. Positive energy equates to positive outcomes. Negative energy leads to negative outcomes.

    If you see growth, other solutions, ask questions, seek input from others, have a positive mindset, your business will grow and be successful.

    On the other hand, if you thrive on pointing out fault, don’t ask questions, blame everyone and everything around you, refuse to listen to anyone but yourself and have a negative mindset, then your business, employees, customers, and vendors will not want to have anything to do with you and your business will die.

    So, take a deep look at yourself. 

    Are you fit to lead?

    #

    Steve Feld, MBA, Certified Business Coach, Author, provides training and business performance coaching to business owners, professionals, and executives. Steve also speaks to organizations, conducts workshops, and training. Focusing on the lead generation and revenue creation to get growth results for the business.

    Contact Biz Coach Steve today to see how he can assist you to get the results you want in your business, [email protected], or www.bizcoachsteve.com. He is in the business of growing businesses. Need a speaker, contact Steve today.

    #bizcoachstevef #entrepreneur #smallbusiness #business #smallbiz #coaching #businessowner #businesscoach #leadership #marketing #speaking #keynotespeaker #meetingprofs #eventprofs #meetingstoday

  • Can leadership training help my business bottom line?

    Can leadership training help my business bottom line?

    “Because we have always done it that way!”

    That is a phrase that I have heard from many business owners and leaders when asking them about something that is not working in their business. My next question is usually, “And why is it done that way?” Most often, it’s not the old-style patriarchal leadership way. When it comes to progress and success in today’s competitive environment, the authoritarian business leader is as effective as kings and dictators are for their nations’ economies. Many businesses know something is not working within their own business, but yet hold on to past ways that keep the business and their employee from moving forward.

    This way of thinking is not only hindering the business, but they are controlling their people and in doing so, they create an environment of stagnation that fails to tap into their population’s talents and ambitions. Leadership training can help a business owner learn how to lead people in a way that brings out their best and encourages them to take ownership.

    We live in a diverse country, which requires business leaders and owners to know and understand generational and cultural differences and they need to learn the best approaches to communicate and motivate each one. Doing it, because that is the way you have always done it-will not work now and into the future.

    The best leaders and managers invite staff to fully invest in their own success.

    The top-down, one-way communication style died many decades ago, but some business leaders and owners still use it because they are used to making all the decisions.

    With today’s demographics and the high demand for experienced, knowledgeable workers, small businesses have to have a very solid plan for attraction, retention and succession. All that starts with the leader’s vision and leadership style.

    Demand and control as an effective management style is dead – and still prevalent in many businesses today –because that’s not a style that will work with younger employers. You need to engage them if you want to keep them, and if you want to keep them you have to actually understand where you want to go and they have to see you as a person who wants to develop them.” Today’s employees want more than a JOB, they want to feel wanted, their ideas contribute to the business, as well as being respected.

    Business owners and leaders believe they can change and adapt, but the reality is they revert back to their old ways.  They need to embrace outside leadership training. Then they can learn how to use what they have learned from experience, pass it on to their team and engage them into the strategic planning process. Today’s best leaders are the ones who can instil leadership skills in all their employees. They are the ones that value their employee’s contributions.

    But, the experts say, part of that means that the leader must know how to walk the talk.

    Integrity is a big part of this.

    You will not motivate, and you will not lead people well if you say one thing and are doing something else entirely. Leadership by example is one of the strongest ways to get alignment and alignment is key to achieving your goals. Be a better leader and you will attract and retain the best people.

    What are you doing in your business to empower, lead, inspire your employees?

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    Steve Feld, MBA, Certified Business Coach, Author, provides training and business performance coaching to business owners, professionals, and executives. Steve also speaks to organizations, conducts workshops and training.  Focusing on the lead generation and revenue creation to get growth results for the business.

    Contact Biz Coach Steve today to see how he can assist you get the results you want in your business, [email protected], or www.bizcoachsteve.com. He is in the business of growing businesses. Need a speaker, contact Steve today.

    #bizcoachstevef #entrepreneur #smallbusiness #business #smallbiz #coaching #businessowner #businesscoach #leadership #marketing #speaking #keynotespeaker #meetingprofs #eventprofs #meetingstoday

  • Time for an immediate change in your life

    Time for an immediate change in your life

    Right now, many folks feel overwhelmed, lost, confused, angry, and uncertain with everything that is going on around them.

    We are in the middle of a pandemic. The political climate is polarized. Group of people are rising, while other are trying to keep them down. A new reality for many business owners has not sunk in yet. Masks. PPE. Social Distancing.

    We all know it is time for a change. Time to change how we do business. Time for a change on how we treat others. Time for a change within ourselves.

    We all want positive change in our lives. We seek to succeed, and to break free from the doldrums of the everyday rat race. 

    We also know that motivation can be fleeting. So how can we buckle down and shock ourselves into the change we need? Many business owners like to stay stuck in the comfort zone. While others are changing and putting themselves in a place that is not comfortable today, but they know that feeling of un-comfort is short term and they will thrive and survive.

    I’m going to share seven simple ways to produce stunning change in your life immediately. 

    1. Wake up 30 minutes earlier than you usually do.

    I’ve got into a rhythm of waking up at 5 a.m. to speak with my clients that are 3 hours ahead of me. While I’m not a morning person, getting up earlier helps me get a jump start on my day.

    If you challenge yourself to get up just 30 minutes earlier, it will help you kick start your day. Even if it is to get out of bed, sit in a nice chair and think. It will also help you at night. You will be that much more ready for sleep in the evening.

    You’ll also have gotten just a bit more accomplished throughout your day. This will alleviate any bedtime brain chatter/freak outs about the day ahead. Those little 30 minutes are amazing.

    2. If you can, meditate or nap during the day.  

    When I first heard this, two things came to mind. Pre-school and that I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep at night. What I found, was a short 30-60-minute cat nap or meditation during the day provided me with more energy.

    That break reduced stress, re-energized me. Gave me that “moment to myself.”

    Ducking into a conference room to close your eyes and enjoy some deep breathing can have a lasting effect. Use an app of your choice to help with a guided meditation. 

    3. Remove the distractions to your goals.

    Need to remove all obstacles and distractions that are blocking you from achieving your goals. If you say you don’t have time to make outbound sales calls, then block time on your calendar to just focus on outbound sales calls. Make a list of who you want to call, why you are calling them, and what you are going to say the day before. This way when it’s time to make the calls, you make the calls. Not wasting time to figure out who you are going to call and what you are going to say. Make sure your door is closed and let other know you are on call time and cannot be disturbed. Eliminate all the distractions during that time. No inbound calls during that hour, no one walking into your office, not going to the water cooler.

    4. Tackle big tasks one baby step at a time.

    I always think of the saying, “you can’t eat an elephant in one bit.” Big projects loom constantly. The more we think of the big deadline, or the volume of pages that need to be written, the more discouraged we become. Anxiety builds, then fear, then procrastination.

    By breaking down big tasks into little ones, we break the inertia and move in a positive direction. Stock piling small wins will build our confidence and stoke the fires of production. 

    5. Think about death more often. Yes, seriously. 

    “I wish I could have done more work.” Said no one on their death bed. They only talk about regrets on things they never had time to do and accomplish. We are trying to do more in less time so that we don’t waste time, which many times takes up more time.

    What does work is if we increase the scarcity of time.  We can do this effectively if we set serious time constraints. For example, challenging our minds to believe that this year is your last year on earth. How productive would you be then?

    Studies have shown that workers are the most productive 3 days before and 3 days after they go on an extended vacation. Change your thinking and be more productive.

    6. Choose better words.

    Becoming more aware of the impact that your words have on those around you, and yourself, can be a powerful change agent. Opening a conversation with comments like “You look tired” or “You look good for your age” can destroy your rapport with friends and colleagues.

    A mentor of mine always had me restate a sentence so that I will use better wording. It drove me nuts for the first 3 months, then I noticed how I said everything changed. It also changed how others responded. His little activity really changed my life for the better.

    Watch your words and how you use them. It will change the environment around you.

    7. Get new friends.

    It’s true that you’re the sum of the people you spend the most time with. If you surround yourself with positive people who are pushing themselves to bigger and better things, chances are you’ll have a better time of effecting change in your own life. Harvard Business Review’s Joseph Grenny says this can be a potent way to trick your brain into long lasting change. 

    If you want deep, long-lasting, positive change in your life, you’ll have to commit to at least a few of these suggestions. Why not try out one or two? You’ll enjoy the results.

    #

    Steve Feld, MBA, Certified Business Coach, Author, provides training and business performance coaching to business owners, professionals, and executives. Steve also speaks to organizations, conducts workshops and training.  Focusing on the lead generation and revenue creation to get growth results for the business.

    Contact Biz Coach Steve today to see how he can assist you get the results you want in your business, [email protected], or www.bizcoachsteve.com. He is in the business of growing businesses. Need a speaker, contact Steve today.

    #bizcoachstevef #entrepreneur #smallbusiness #business #smallbiz #coaching #businessowner #businesscoach #leadership #marketing #speaking #keynotespeaker #meetingprofs #eventprofs #meetingstoday

  • Time Management is Painful Real leaders do it anyway

    We all want to feel good, and not feel bad. So, we prefer that change be comfortable. Sometimes it is. Most of the time it’s not. If you have ever wanted to “get in shape,” “lose weight,” etc. You think it may be easy. But as is it so often said in the fitness world, “No pain, no gain.” You want to slim your waistline? Bigger muscles? You earn that progress through discomfort. You’re going to sweat, and it’s going to burn. Sure, you’ll feel great afterward, but the process is going to hurt. That’s how you know it’s working. That, and seeing the results when you stick with it over time. Many people really believe that if they go to the gym, look at the machines, not put any effort into the workout, some how will see miraculous results in their body. That is avoiding the discomfort and your results will reflect your input. But, if you schedule time in your day to workout, train with other or a trainer, really push yourself-feel the burn. Your results will be directly related to all that hard work.  Stick with your workout and really see the difference in your body and life.

    Business change works exactly the same way. In my experience as a coach, it’s your relationship to discomfort that makes all the difference. Leadership is a challenge, so working on yourself as a leader should feel like a workout. You are intentionally (stressing intentional) doing things that make you uncomfortable to improve yourself and your business. It’s not easy. But it doesn’t have to lead to burnout. In fitness, it’s called over-training. In business, it’s called overwhelm. Over time, what was uncomfortable in the past is easy and something new will be uncomfortable-that is how you will grow as a leader.

    Having more time in your day is right there for the taking, but you have to accept some discomfort to get there. Over the years, the most successful clients I’ve had are the ones willing to accept this short-term ‘pain’ for the long-term benefit. They live by their calendar and their calendar is filled with revenue generating activities, and activities that are moving the business and their team forward.

    Can you wake up, get ready and leave the house every morning in sixty minutes flat? Can you cut your lunches to thirty minutes for a while instead of an hour? Can you say “No” to some brilliant and fun projects that you know you can’t really focus on and are not moving your business forward? Can you train someone on your staff today to handle three things that you know you shouldn’t be dealing with as the business leader? Are you willing to post office hours for the only times of the day where employees can interrupt you? Having an open-door policy is highly encouraged, but you need to be productive. Having set hours on specific days, where your staff can come and talk to you will increase your productivity. You then put lower level tasks on your calendar during those open-door times. This way if someone wants to speak with you, they are not derailing your thought progress on something bigger. You will be able to hop back on replying to emails or making a few outbound calls.

    It’s your relationship to discomfort that makes all the difference.

    Some of these things may sound easy but putting it into practice is another story. Going out of your normal routine can be very uncomfortable. Just remember why you’re doing this – it’s in the best interest of the business and you as the owner. Most business owner I speak with are filling their day with non-revenue producing activities and are busy being busy.

    In the end, you’ll realize that “I don’t have time” is almost never true, it’s just that you haven’t yet made the difficult choices about how you use your time. And making those choices is the first step to creating a business that works.

    Not enough sales, people problems, cash flow issues, etc. – are all symptoms – they’re all a call to face the discomfort directly and solve it first by making the time. Then you’ll have your strength to be able to lift the real weights of finance or management systems or whatever your business needs next. Just like working out. You need to schedule the time, go to the gym, have a workout routine (so you’re not just wasting time), be committed to a result you are working to achieve.

    It all begins with you.

    What are you going to do today to get more time back to move your business forward?

    #

    Steve Feld, MBA, Certified Business Coach, Author, provides training and business performance coaching to business owners, professionals and executives. Steve also speaks to organizations, conducts workshops and training.  Focusing on the lead generation and revenue creation to get growth results for the business.

    Contact Biz Coach Steve today to see how he can assist you get the results you want in your business, [email protected], or www.bizcoachsteve.com. He is in the business of growing businesses. Need a speaker, contact Steve today.

    #bizcoachstevef #entrepreneur #smallbusiness #business #smallbiz #coaching #businessowner #businesscoach #leadership #marketing #speaking #keynotespeaker #meetingprofs #eventprofs #meetingstoday

  • Remain Flexible

    One of the greatest challenges to success in business is to learn how to stay focused on your goals while remaining flexible enough to adapt to needed change.
     
    I am a big believer in creating and executing S.M.A.R.T. goals and designed a very specific strategic plan to achieve them, it is equally important to remain open and flexible along the way.  As a business owner, if you look back at most of your defining moments, or the pivotal events that transformed your life, I bet most were unplanned and happened unexpectedly.  Life is a mystery; you never know what might show up and you can’t be so myopic that you miss opportunities and solutions you couldn’t have even fathomed before.
     
    Murphy’s Law and the T-shirt Philosophy
    You know ol’ Murph right?  The oh-too familiar friend who always seems to show up at your party at the most embarrassing and worst-possible times.  Well Murphy lives to teach us this: If something can go wrong, it will.  Don’t be too attached to the route you first charted, as you will undoubtedly be reevaluating and readjusting all along the way.
     
    Imagine being at the top of a triple black diamond (most extreme) ski run and your goal is to get to the bottom of the mountain where there is a warm fire and hot cocoa.  If you just ski straight down, which seems like the most logical direction, you probably won’t end up with all your limbs intact–certainly not with your skis still strapped on–when you reach those final yards.  You’re going to have to zig, zag, bob and weave your way all the way down.  You might not look too graceful, you might fall (repeatedly) and you might be fearful all the way down (maybe even screaming like a 4-year-old girl)!  But if you are focused on the goal (getting to the bottom, warm fire and hot cocoa), and are constantly ready to adjust to each new visible obstacle, you’ll find your reward waiting for you at the bottom of the slope.
     
    Then there is the T-shirt philosophy—Stuff (you pick your word) Happens… so be ready to deal with it.
     
    An old military axiom says, “No plan ever survives first contact with the enemy.”  After the successful invasion of Normandy in WWII, General Dwight D. Eisenhower was asked about the detailed planning process that went into the invasion.  He said, “The plans were useless, but the planning was indispensable.”
     
    In an interview with Scott McNealy of Sun Microsystems, he said, “When you start and build a business, you have to throw out all assumptions every three weeks.”
     
    Just as a business never goes according to the initial business plan, neither does the plan for your life.  Don’t get too entrenched in it having to be or go a certain way.  Be flexible, have a vision and an outcome in mind, but remain wide-eyed about what might show up to accelerate your ride, and open to the various paths that can get you there.
     
    Goal achieving is a delicate balance between planning and improvisation.
     
    Deal or No Deal?
    You never know what’s in the next suitcase…
    In an interview with leadership and management guru Ken Blanchard, he said: “Life is what happens to you when you are planning to do something else.”  Ah, so true.
     
    Remain flexible—Stress and success constraints are caused when people are too fixed and rigid in their beliefs about how things should be.  Learn to bob and weave.  Realize it’s OK to say, “I changed my mind.”

    Reflect on when you might have been too rigid on your goals in the past, even when they were no longer important to your now-greater future.  And remember this lesson as you walk into the great unknown of your new year and new decade.  It is possible that a great unexpected miracle is around the next corner; keep yourself open and flexible to the possibilities.

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    Steve Feld, MBA, Certified Business Coach, Author, provides training and business performance coaching to business owners, professionals and executives. Steve also speaks to organizations, conducts workshops and training.  Focusing on the lead generation and revenue creation to get growth results for the business.

    Contact Biz Coach Steve today to see how he can assist you get the results you want in your business, [email protected], or www.bizcoachsteve.com. He is in the business of growing businesses. Need a speaker, contact Steve today.

    #bizcoachstevef #entrepreneur #smallbusiness #business #smallbiz #coaching #businessowner #businesscoach #leadership #marketing #speaking #keynotespeaker #meetingprofs #eventprofs #meetingstoday

  • 8 Signs an Employee Is Exceptional

    We can all spot a great employee: she’s dependable, proactive, hardworking, a great leader, and a great follower. She brings a wide variety of easily defined attributes, but they also have some hard to find soft skills to the table.

    Some employees, though, are exceptional. They have skills and qualities that aren’t evaluated on performance appraisals but make a huge impact on that individual’s performance, the performance of the people around her, and especially on the company’s results.

    Here are eight signs an employee is truly exceptional:

    1. They think beyond job descriptions: The smaller the company, the more important it is that employees can think on their feet, adapt quickly to shifting priorities, and do whatever it takes, regardless of role or position, to get things done.

    When a key customer’s project is in jeopardy, exceptional employees know without being told there’s a problem, and they jump in without being asked, even if–especially if–it’s not their job.

    2. They’re quirky: The best employees are often a little different: a little eccentric, sometimes irreverent, even delighted to be unusual. They seem slightly odd, but in a really good way. Unusual personalities shake things up, make work more fun, and transform a plain-vanilla group into a team with flair and flavor.

    People who aren’t afraid to be different naturally stretch boundaries and challenge the status quo, and they often come up with the best ideas.

    3. They know when to rein in their individuality: An unusual personality is a lot of fun–right up until the moment it isn’t. When a major challenge pops up or a situation gets stressful, the best employees stop expressing their individuality and fit seamlessly into the team.

    Exceptional employees know when to play and when to be serious; when to be irreverent and when to conform; and when to challenge and when to back off.

    It’s a tough balance to strike, and a rare few can walk that fine line with ease.

    4. They praise other people in public: Praise from a boss feels good. Praise from a peer feels awesome, especially when you look up to that person.

    Exceptional employees recognize the contributions of others, especially in group settings where the impact of their words is even greater.

    5. They disagree in private: We all want employees to bring issues forward, but some problems are better handled in private. Great employees often get more latitude to bring up controversial subjects in a group setting because their performance allows greater freedom.

    Exceptional employees come to you before or after a meeting to discuss a sensitive issue, knowing that bringing it up in a group setting could set off a firestorm.

    6. They ask questions when others won’t: Some employees are hesitant to speak up in meetings. Some are even hesitant to speak up privately.

    An employee once asked me a question about potential layoffs. After the meeting I said to him, “Why did you ask about that? You already know what’s going on.” He said, “I do, but a lot of other people don’t, and they’re afraid to ask. I thought it would help if they heard the answer from you.”

    Exceptional employees have an innate feel for the issues and concerns of those around them and step up to ask questions or raise important issues when others hesitate.

    7. They are self-motivated: Self-motivation often springs from a desire to show that doubters are wrong. The woman without a college degree or the man who was told he didn’t have leadership potential often possesses a burning desire to prove other people wrong.

    Education, intelligence, talent, and skill are important, but drive is critical. Exceptional employees are driven by something deeper and more personal than just the desire to do a good job.

    8. They’re constantly exploring: Some people are rarely satisfied (I mean that in a good way) and are constantly tinkering with something: reworking a timeline, adjusting a process, tweaking a workflow.

    Good employees follow processes. Great employees tweak processes. Exceptional employees find ways to reinvent processes, not just because they are expected to…but because they just can’t help themselves.

    How can you recognize these employees? Encourage them? Provide them with the resources and developmental skills they want?  Let that employee know they are doing a great job and support them. They are the ones to ask about your business and will help you grow your business.

    #

    Steve Feld, MBA, Certified Business Coach, Author, provides training and business performance coaching to business owners, professionals and executives. Steve also speaks to organizations, conducts workshops and training.  Focusing on the lead generation and revenue creation to get growth results for the business.

    Contact Biz Coach Steve today to see how he can assist you get the results you want in your business, [email protected], or www.bizcoachsteve.com. He is in the business of growing businesses. Need a speaker, contact Steve today.

    #bizcoachstevef #entrepreneur #smallbusiness #business #smallbiz #coaching #businessowner #businesscoach #leadership #marketing #speaking #keynotespeaker #meetingprofs #eventprofs #meetingstoday

  • Sticking to your values – in a time of crisis

    What are your values in your business? Are your values Integrity, Honesty, Trust, Ownership along with many more? Those values may have changed due to COVID-19. Are you still true to your personal and business values, or have they changed with the unexpected circumstances that are taking place?

    Many businesses have stuck to their value, while other have thrown out their core values and substituted them for greed and shortcut solutions that will harm them in the end. With the first value that is being violated – Integrity.

    Here is what I am talking about. Once the shutdown order was given in his state, Bob (name changed to protect him) a retail business owner just told his staff to go home and wait it out, instructed them not to file for unemployment. Bob stopped paying the companies group medical insurance, in fact he just stopped paying all his bills. He didn’t communicate anything to his customers, vendors or staff. Just closed the doors and went home to wait it all out. Bob’s store was successful and had a good referral business. Didn’t have any real social media presence and believed word of mouth was enough to keep his business moving forward.

    His staff, now unemployed-but not officially. Because, Bob did not fire them, lay them off, or furlough them. Just told them to go home. Bob does not answer their calls or responds to his staff’s emails and texts. The staff has filed for unemployment-late in the game and Bob is denying all the claims.

    Bob clearly has not stuck to his values and taken no responsibility for his actions. Bob told me this story and then when I attempted to coach him back to his values, he shut me off, just like his staff, customers and vendors. Bob will probably not have a business once everything re-opens. He has thrown in the towel along with his values.

    Another retail store business owner (let’s call her Cindy), stuck to her personal and business values. She pivoted her business from brick and mortar to on-line; she intentionally told her staff that she is going to fire them so they can file for unemployment and they will be rehired as soon as they are allowed to open. She immediately reached out to all her vendors to see what she can negotiate to defer payments. Cindy did emails, texts, videos to her customers telling them what is going on with the business and they are operating on-line and to see how she can help the community.

    Cindy was able to keep 60% of her staff working full time. She started doing simple informational videos about the products and services she offers, which has increased her sales. She and all her staff (even the ones she “fired”) made masks to donate to local homeless shelters and retirement homes. They stayed active and she and her business stuck to their values. Cindy will come out of this is a great place and have new raving fans, vendors and staff.

    These are just two examples of businesses and how their values have changed. In speaking to a minority of business owners, they have thrown out their values to buy toilet paper and sanitizer only to mark it up 400% to sell it online and then they claim it’s to save their business. But they are putting that money in their own pocket. Other businesses are donating food, clothing, protective gear, time to help others that may have lost their jobs for good, have no food, cannot make their rent/mortgage payments.

    I would like to say Bob and Cindy are fictional, but they are just two business I have spoken with since the craziness began. Many other business owners are not sticking with their values and will learn an extremely hard lesson when this is all over with. The business owners that have stuck and even improved their values will survive through these times and come out posed for growth.

    So, are you sticking to your personal and business values?  Are you operating with integrity, honesty, trust, accountability, commitment to customers, humility, ownership, leadership, quality, teamwork, and many others?  Or have you thrown out your values in these unprecedented times? Harming others or taking shortcuts?

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    Steve Feld, MBA, Certified Business Coach, Author, provides training and business performance coaching to business owners, professionals and executives. Steve also speaks to organizations, conducts workshops and training.  Focusing on the lead generation and revenue creation to get growth results for the business.

    Contact Biz Coach Steve today to see how he can assist you get the results you want in your business, [email protected], or www.bizcoachsteve.com. He is in the business of growing businesses. Need a speaker, contact Steve today.

  • What are YOUR hiring standards?

    Standards. We may not think about them much. But we all have them. Individuals. Families. Companies.

    From time to time, we are forced to measure our conduct against our standards. We may find when we do that, we are not living up to what we profess to believe. I am talking about what happens when a business cuts corners, makes compromises, takes “the path of least resistance,” contrary to an established policy.

  • 7 Steps to the Perfect Social Media Plan

    Do you dream about the perfect social media plan? The perfect social media template? Many business leaders wanting to get social dream about it.  They think they need it. The social media magic template. The one that includes the perfect strategy, tactics and themselves as the social hero of their company and social superstar of their market niche!

    You know the social media template I am talking about.  The one that will help you see a positive return on investment where everything is measurable and justifiable to stakeholders. The one that will make your employees scream with delight and as a result enable you grow your business even faster!

    The question is… does the perfect social media template or strategy for your business exist?

    A perfect strategy or template, well probably not! A good template and structure, yes!

    Do you want the answer? Are you ready for the top 7 tips to develop a social media strategy that will make your ROI zoom?

    Here ya go…

    Step 1: Do your own research on how to best leverage social media to meet business goals and objectives. Don’t be on every social media platform. Find the right ones for your business.

    Step 2: Develop a business and integrated marketing plan inclusive of goals and objectives. Be sure to focus clearly on your target market segments with a goal of knowing them and getting in their head the best you possibly can.

    Step 3: If you don’t have the skills and knowledge of social media internally, hire the agency or consultant to help you integrate social media into your business. Be sure that they understand integrated marketing, the importance of setting goals and objectives and can help you develop and execute a plan to meet yours! Refuse to accept a list of random acts of social media (RAMs). If the plan is not integrated then the RAMs will eat your ROI for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

    Step 4: Integrate social media into your business plan with a focus on leveraging social media to support your business goals and objectives. Your business plan may need to be adjusted based upon your new findings and research of the social media landscape.

    Step 5: Develop an integrated social media strategy, approach and plan that best supports your business goals and objectives. Just like your marketing plan, have a detailed social media plan. When, where, what, how you are going to post content. What is that content? Be detailed in your social media plan

    Step 6: Execute the integrated marketing, social media and business plan.  DO IT!  Don’t put your social medial plan in a drawer and forget about it. Act on it and measure the results.

    Step 7: Continuously analyze, measure and refine your approach, strategies and tactics based upon achievement to goals and objectives. Things will change based on the data you receive from your social media plan, be ready to make those adjustments to get the ROI you are looking for.

    Now, start on Step 1 and start researching social media platforms that are relevant to your business and where your customers are.  Then go through the other steps to build your perfect social media plan.

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    Steve Feld, MBA, Certified Business Coach, Author, provides training and business performance coaching to business owners, professionals and executives. Steve also speaks to organizations, conducts workshops and training.  Focusing on the lead generation and revenue creation to get growth results for the business.

    Contact Biz Coach Steve today to see how he can assist you get the results you want in your business, [email protected], or www.bizcoachsteve.com. He is in the business of growing businesses. Need a speaker, contact Steve today. #bizcoachstevef #entrepreneur #smallbusiness #business #smallbiz #coaching #businessowner #businesscoach #leadership #marketing #speaking #keynotespeaker #meetingprofs #eventprofs #meetingstoday