What I learn from my clients
Watching people put your advice into action and seeing the results is amazing.
My clients teach me time and time again about what really works in business:
Focus on what’s important instead of always dealing with what’s urgent.
Automate everything that can be automated.
Delegate or outsource everything you don’t have to do yourself.
Set prices to give you a surplus to invest back into the business.
Use a CRM.
Sell more to existing clients instead of always chasing new ones.
Even the most hopeless situation can be turned around.
Don’t work for clients you don’t like.
Work “with” rather than “for” clients.
Always sell value rather than price.
Walk away from clients who put price ahead of value.
Its always better to hire for attitude than skills.
Finding the right employee can add so much more than what’s in their job description.
There is no substitute for knowing the numbers in your business.
Friends and business can mix – as long as there’s a written agreement.
The most useful thing about a plan can be to measure how good you are at guessing.
That even the most hopeless situation can be turned around. // By suitable application of bladed weapons and low-grade explosives.
That its http://annhawkins.com/2011/02/always/better to hire for attitude than skills. // Or “fire”. Depends on the attitude.
That finding the right employee can add so much more than what’s in their job description. // As you’ll discover a year or two later, after they left in a huff.
That there is no substitute for knowing the numbers in your business. // Which is why the accountant got fired…
That running a business with your spouse isn’t always a good idea. // I read that as “ruining”. Strangely, it still makes sense.
That if you do run a business with your spouse you’d better put the marriage before the business or you’ll say goodbye to both. // Probably a good idea. After all, at least you got a contract when you married.
That friends and business can mix – as long as there’s a written agreement. // And really, really good coffee.
That you have to put something in before you get something out. // We’re back to marriage again, aren’t we?
That the most useful thing http://annhawkins.com/about/a plan can be to measure how good you are at guessing. // Or writing science fiction. I think I’ve read too many business plans.
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Sorry, it’s that whimsical time of the evening… :)