BORING ALERT!!!!

If you are wondering if you are doing the right thing. Here’s a question….

ARE YOU BORING???

I will tell you what….if you don’t have something interesting to say then who cares?   Time is short and valuable and folks do not have time to waste.  In the fast paced world we live in, you need to be relevant and interesting…or else keep it moving!

Why are people that don’t even follow Beyoncé asking about her?  Why are people so interested in the secret life of Prince?  Why are people asking what is Trump going to say next?

Sure they are celebrities but guess what…. they are not boring!  People want to be entertained and they want to dive into something that is intriguing and inviting.   And so if you are not selling your business as something interesting then why would anyone want to talk to you?  Why would you expect them to be interested in your product or your service?

The key to being successful is being INTERESTING. I do not care what you are selling it has to grab someone’s attention.  I have watched folks with some very interesting ideas and very interesting products but no one knows about them because they are not introducing it as something interesting.

Marketing is REALLY NOT that complicated.  Sure you need to know your analytics in regards to costs and you CERTAINLY need to know your customer, but if you are coming off as something boring….it means nothing….it means no sale.

FOR EXAMPLE...

Maybe your business is to teach spanish to adults.   We can agree this is a business that given today is a sought after service.   So you set up shop and a website and you post your billboard,  " WE TEACH SPANISH HERE".   

Wonderful…but what is so interesting about that?  Here is where you introduce your niche!  Maybe your niche is that you teach Spanish while cooking ethnic dishes!   And so now you are a little interesting, folks like food.  Or maybe your idea is to teach through reading an interesting novel, capturing the interest of reading enthusiasts at the same time.  Here is another thought, you could provide Spanish classes from children, let the children teach the class.   I know some of this sounds crazy but it is interesting and engaging and that is the key to making a sale!!

I know my example is a stretch but can I tell you how many people I run into that have very interesting businesses but no one knows about it because they fail to present it with some pizzazz!  If you provide a service, it is not enough that you have all of the experience in the world in the subject…be interesting! 

The moral is….you can’t just put up a sign and say come and buy.  You have to create an interest. Make it fun. Make it something worth looking into and something relevant that would of course still answers your customers’ needs.

If you have a product. Talk about it!  What makes it better than anything your customer may have ever experienced?  What do YOU like about it?  

I cannot stress how important it is in business to BE INTERESTING… MARKETING is a vehicle and being INTERESTING is the primary goal! 

• ·        KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER
• ·       NICHE or a Trend
• ·         Watch your competition
• ·         Be INNOVATIVE
• ·         Connect with our audience

I talk about CONTENT MARKETING in my 1^st webinar and I invite you to join in live or view the podcast.   It focuses on Marketing more so but there are clear examples of how being engaging are key to success.

So go ahead and just brain storm how you want to showcase your business.  Research what others in your same industry are doing. Then ask yourself…what I can do to put the same spin on it but make it exclusively all mine. 

Sisterhood (Period)

 I know this may sound strange but I am not making this up.  When I get my issue of Essence in the mail I am so elated.  It is one of the most fulfilling parts of getting mail. Isn’t it nice to get instead of bills?   I gaze at the beautiful cover and I smile at the feature stories as they speak to my heart in so many ways. I turn the pages and glance at how not only how beautiful we are as sisters but how diverse.  NO TWO women are even REMOTELY alike.   But then too as I read the articles I find so much of myself in them. I only have to read the titles or the small captions and immediately I am drawn in.

So this is not a blog about my love of Essence.  It is a blog about my love for self and finding myself in others…other women who are so different in many ways and yet the same.  And that is what amazes me about being in business with sisters.

We embody the epitome of just being different.  We are so diverse in our thinking and our love and our passion and yet we all want the same.  We to succeed.  We all want to be able to build our dreams.  And what is even more beautiful is that we want to see EACH other succeed. 

We want for our sisters what we want for ourselves”   That is a CAFÉ quote. 

That is a quote from a business whose primary mission is to celebrate the differences and similarities in being sisters in business.  I think that is why I find so much love for CAFÉ.  

But then this isn’t about a blog about Nicole Newman and Tara Colquitt. It is about a blog about love for self and finding myself in others.

I have so many wonderful ideas of what I want for my business…what I want for my daughter.  There are times I feel winded, and I mean literally can’t breathe because there is so much for me to do and to be done. And frankly I am scared. 

I wrote a post on FB a few days ago about validation and finding it in others.  And then what should happen, a young lady directs me to her post about the very same thing and how she has managed or continues to manage it.  Here I find a courageous and beautiful woman that has transformed her life for love of herself.   I felt honored to have her direct me to her blog.  And here again, a woman that wants for her sister as she wants for herself.  She is a brand worth reckoning and as she models her life for daughter to see as she continues to empower those around her. She helped me realize this is what I am doing every day…being a champion for my daughter.  She reminded me of that…just  BEING TYEMA.

But this is not a blog about Tyema Sanchez Salaam.  Yes, this is a blog about love of self and myself in others.

And then there is this woman that EVERY SINGLE TIME I SEE HER. She has the HUGEST smile on her face.  She is continuously positive and her NETWORK embraces her as a strong and ambitious business owner and coach.  She is open to anyone for conversation and she is always asking how she can help you, your business or how her business can collaborate with yours.  She is humble and yet a pillar.  She wants for you what she wants for herself.  She is BEING Michelle!  She has her own goals and ambitions but they mean nothing if she cannot help you grow.  

#Growtogether..That is her hashtag and her smile just draws you in!!! . 

But this is not a blog about Michelle Snow.   It is a blog about love of self and finding myself in others.

And so I am just surrounded by empowering and remarkable women.  Each one is different and beautiful in their own right and yet we all share the same goals…the need to uplift and at the end of the day they want for others what they want for themselves.

And here I am in business, building my dreams and looking to build something for my daughter. I read through my Essence magazine and I lose my breath, overwhelmed. I look at the beautiful women that are so diverse and so rare and different each in her own right.  And I read through the articles and find the similarity, how they speak to my own cause and how I find myself in them.   I look around me and I find that in my own circle I am surrounded by strong and beautiful women that have each in their own way have shown me, Leslie,  that I should continue to believe in myself because they believe in me.  They want for me what I want for myself.  We want for each other what we want for ourselves.  We Grow Together.  You Go We go. We are BEING (you fill in the blank). WE ARE LOVE.

But this isn’t a blog about Tara Colquitt, Nicole Newman, Tyema Sanchez Salaam or Michelle Snow. It is a blog about Leslie Crudup.  And I want for my sisters what I want for myself.

Dedication and devotion is part of business growth…have you really embraced it?

WE ARE TALKING IN 2016

MY NEW BLOG FOR YEAR!!!!  WE MADE IT, RIGHT??

We are all up and we are ready to tackle yet another year of making that difference! So let me lay my cards on the table because this year that is my approach. I am no longer holding punches because if I don’t punch I get knocked down. And If I don’t swing then people won’t even know I am a fighter.

And to the point for the today......  

What is the biggest motivator for us business owners today! It is when we make a sale! How elated do we get when we have landed an offer and sealed the deal! Don’t you feel energized!  You are confident and ready to tackle the next one.  You can give yourself a pat on the back and tell yourself, OK, maybe I can do this! RIGHT!  ABSOLUTELY!!!

But let’s be serious…after you have tapped your family and friends you have to reach out to uncharted territory and THAT is where you will be living.  So in regards to SALES, How will you make that connection?  How do you find that customer that wants what you are selling?

SO for myself I ask the very same questions.  I will tell you what happened to me however just recently.  After looking for courses on Sales, and reading blogs and webinars about how to close a deal, I found the answer my friend is blowing in the wind. IT IS ALWAYS the simplest solution at times.

When you are in the grocery store, management knows you are there to buy something but they don’t know what?  That is why they have sales folks on the floor asking you….”Is there something I can help you find?” Is there anything that you need?  As a customer we sometimes just want someone to ASK us so we can just be led.  Sometimes when someone asks us it actually helps us identify why we came in the store in the first place (I know I can be easily distracted).

SO HERE IS THE DEAL… think about your business and what you offer. You have to just have a conversation with the next person you talk to and ask them what they are looking for?  Ask them if there is something that you can help them find? If the answer isn’t directly tied to your business that is fine. You may have to redirect them or maybe cross sell and help them.   The next time they see you they just might ask you the same question. Its reciprocal and it works!! 

There are however a few things to think about as you go through this process.

•  Think outside the box.  What someone is telling you is what they need.  It might not be necessarily within your business scope but they will love you for taking and interest and being able to help them solve for it.  Do discard that, be a resource whenever you can.
•  Be accessible.  Give them your access to contact you if they need anything or to follow up to find out how things went. You have a potential client, ALWAYS.  Don’t just hand them a business card. If you are able take their information, name and phone or email.  Or just ask them to find your business on Facebook. Make a connection regardless.
•  Be efficient. For yourself and for them.  Be cognizant of their time so don’t belabor the conversation needlessly.  Speak decisively and leave them the opportunity to close.  No want a sales person that won’t leave them be.

The funny thing is I don’t consider myself a SALESPERSON but I am in business to make sales.  AT THE END OF DAY (favorite tag line), it all comes down to customer retention.  Finding that potential customer and making him your customer for life.  It may happen that day. It may happen months from that date. The key is to be there when they are ready.

TRY IT OUT…if nothing else but for practice just talking to folks.  You are now in uncharted territory but to navigate is not as hard as you think!

Leslie Crudup writes for The Business Liaisons, LLC – Business Consulting

www.thebusinessliaisons.com

Marketing...Don't Stress It So Much!

It is not that deep really.   So you have thought of branding and marketing yourself?  The concept is pretty straight forward and you can read tons of articles and books and attend online and offline seminars and you will find the outlay is pretty much the same. 

The pertinent piece to the puzzle is putting in the work!  You have to put in the work and the time to get the results for which you are looking.   And the money that is needed is another factor.  If you don’t have the money then you REALLY need to be creative and put in even more of the latter!  You have to map it out and you have to write things down.   You know the saying. If you fail to plan, then plan to fail.  So in essence it is about putting pen to paper and foreseeing the vision.  You have to visualize your brand before you and then the marketing will come thereafter.  Brainstorm!  Just start writing!  And here is how!!

•   Take out a blank piece of paper and make two columns or fold the paper in half the  long way.
•  The first column should say Brand and the second half should say Marketing.

 You have to begin with branding before you can do any marketing.  Marketing is the process of advertising and relaying your brand to the masses.   So ask yourself the basic branding questions below and jot down the words, or phrases that immediately come to your mind when thinking of your business. This need not be anything formal as this is only for your eyes at this point.  So you are writing…here are some questions to help get you started.

1)     What is my mission?

2)     What is my vision?

3)     What makes me happy and excited about this business?

4)     What is my passion in general?

5)     What kind of person am I?

6)     What is my personality?

7)     What do I want customers to know about me?

8)     What difference do I want to make?

9)     What is your story?

10)  What do I have to offer?

Once you have finished this section now you can start looking at the marketing side.  What can you do you to show people who you are based on what you wrote in your brand?  Notice I didn’t say so much about the product or service you are selling yet.  It is important to know who you are before you can sell anything and to that how do you want to relay this information.  I want you to think of what type of marketing would bring out the best of who you are!   Are you the serious type, concise and to the point?   Are you funny, whimsical and like to laugh about life?  Are you the studious owns, that likes to get people thinking, or engage them in learning?   What is your style?   Are you a story teller or a get to the point type of person?  These are all questions that just speak to how you will market yourself.  It is the foundation of your marketing plan and strategy. 

Why do I refer to your style first before you sell your product or service why?   Because people are buying an experience.  They want to feel the way you do about your business, they want feel your personality as that relates to them.  Why do you think you see commercials that at the onset have little to do with the item they are selling?  They are selling an experience.  They want you to feel first.  They want you be happy, or be encouraged or be educated.  They want you to know they feel the same way you do and that is why they believe in their product or service and want you to as well.

Marketing can be anything from doing mailers, emails, posting instructional videos, showcasing testimonies, showcasing customers, posting media that speaks to your character, fun and whimsical commercials or characters to serious and profound statements that get someone’s attention. It can be providing giveaways to marketing or partnering with someone on an event that speaks to your brand.  The sky is really the limit.  Brainstorm all day if you have to!

Below is my sample sheet of what this may look like and I hope you do take the time to do the same.  I know there are so many spins on this that you can come up with.  Have fun with it and take the time to   explore yourself.

NOW after you have gone through this exercise you can then integrate your product or service.  And watch how easily it will come.  You will feel more like yourself and you will feel more like your business and that is what you want for your customer…relatability.   It makes for a dedicated and repeat customer!

Major companies rely on this type of thought out marketing to build their brand as well.

Red Bull uses its sponsoring of extreme sport events to reach and target its market.  The company identifies their customer with things they would like to do themselves and this is for the participants and the spectators!

Airbnb created a community marketplace for people to list and book accommodations around the world through a social media campaign centered on the hashtag #OneLessStranger.  They simply asked the community to perform random acts of hospitality for strangers, and then take a video or photo with the person and share it using the hashtag.  Here they appeal the spirit of their customers in identifying them as the giving nature…much like themselves!

Coca-Cola is a great example of a brand using international marketing efforts. Though a large corporation, Coca-Cola focuses on small community programs and invests a lot of time and money in small-scale charity efforts.

It makes perfect sense doesn’t it?  I think so.  In a world where people are just searching for belonging it is so important to find what makes that person your customer. Yes it comes back to just knowing yourself and then knowing your customer.   The key is to find the opportunity to relate.

So you see this isn’t as hard as it seems conceptually.   The first step is the hardest however.  Block out time from your schedule, start with a blank slate and your imagination and write!  Put PEN TO PAPER!!

The Dog Had Me Committed!!

THE DOG HAD ME COMMITTED!

I am sure writing this I am not alone.  Sometimes you wake up and you already feel as if the wind was taken from your sail…and this is before you get out of bed, right?

Chocolate Chip, my chocolate lab!  Every morning I wake up and I take my dog Chip for a walk.  As soon as I wake up I can hear him as he comes running up the steps over to the side of my bed.  His tag is wailing profusely and he starts jumping on me and trying to lick my hand.   He knows that it is time for his walk. 

Oh BOY, Mommy is up!  He and I have a morning regime.  5:30am every day we take to the darkness to stroll the neighborhood.  This is his time to stretch his legs, take care of his business, and sniff out what is new and to basically get started with his day.  When we come back from our walk he then runs to his bowl for water.  He laps like crazy and then he proceeds to plop down on the dining room floor.  He is very content now.   He could care less if he is in your way.  He watches us in kitchen and I swear I can see a faint smile on his face.  He has given me permission to proceed with my day.   Now if I wake up and I begin to do anything other than reach for his collar he becomes agitated.  He is annoyed because that I am running late and not tending to the matter at hand…his morning walk.   He will nag me like crazy!  He nudges his bowl around, he whimpers, he will even come over to me and kick my knees (eww, right?)  The key is he makes it very obvious that his needs have not been met.  I have to give to him, he is persistent.  He knows what he wants and if he gets it he is happy, if not he lets you know. 

I suppose I should be looking to him for inspiration.  I should be looking to him for the answers to what I need to fulfill my dreams.  If I want something then I need to be persistent about it. I need to be excited and I need to be committed.  I can’t be content if it hasn’t happened.  I look at him when he is begging me to take him out and I do think…oh what a pain.  But you know what….to him, either its’ going to happen or it’s not.  He is committed from the time I wake up to the time we walk out the door.  He is committed when it hasn’t happened as he resorts to antics that persuade me to get the job done.  I have to love him.  Today he is actually the wind in my sail.  He has inspired me to be persistent, don’t give up and stay the course.

 

THREE THINGS TO REMEMBER to keep the wind beneath your sail.

• Get up and be thankful you are up! SMILE and be excited because you have the opportunity today to make a difference.
• Get on with it, map out your day and just stay the course, set your daily objectives (I live by a TO DO LIST).
• When something is not going the way you foresee it, find a way to make it happen.  You don’t have to beg like Chip but certainly look for plan B to get it done.
• I can’t believe the dog had me reassessing how I should be persistent with my business.  He showed me tenacity and he should me perseverance. Who knew so much would come from a morning walk! 

It is the simplest of reminders that show us what we need to succeed. Don’t overlook them!

Leslie Crudup writes for The Business Liaisons, LLC – Business Consulting

www.thebusinessliaisons.com

Free Advice Below and It Will Cost Ya!!

So those that are anything like me you are always researching and reading and in search of opportunities to improve your business.  I read as much as I can and I watch videos and informational shows all the time about being a business owner.   Entrepreneur has to be the most commonly used word these days.  With economic struggles and the instability of the corporate arena, more and more folks are looking to do it themselves.  They are looking to get into business and call their own shots.

Well I watch Shark Tank and Profit just as everyone else and TED talks is one of my favorites!  The same message is made in every avenue of starting a business. It is hard work and you need to know where you are before you know where you are going.

If you are already in business or just starting out it is imperative that you know your financial position, today so you know where you want to be tomorrow.  It is broken down in the components below.  Focus on these and no matter what continually review and assess. It is a cyclical process and you have to remain persistent.  You have to look to people that can help you if you can’t do it yourself.  The key however is to DO IT!

Revenue – How much money is coming in, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly? You have to keep track of how you are performing at different increments of your time.   You should have an idea already of what you need it to be so now you should look to see how close or far you are from that target.

Gross Profit – Revenue minus costs = plain and simple. Once you have determined your costs for making or providing your product then you should deduct from what is coming in.  And again it should be done weekly, monthly, quarterly, and/or yearly.  Typically when all is said and done you want to shoot for your gross profit to range in at best 50% more once direct costs are deducted.

Expenses – Every business owner needs to know how much is costs to run the business.  What are you spending in terms of administration, operations, and marketing.  How much do you allocate to these expenses and where the flexibility in what you can control is. Compensation is one you know you can control.  You need to know of your expenses in total how to fluctuate in the moment of a crisis. Marketing and advertising are always a variable so you should carefully review them and if possible they should be in line with your sales so that the expense can be justified.

Profit Margin – the key, the key, the key.  Look at your gross profit and reduce it by your expenses.  Take this number and then divide by your total sales and you have your profit margin.  This number is vital as it tells you in a nutshell how profitable you are in business.  AGAIN, review, review, review and assess.  A rule of thumb is to research others in your industry and find out what their profit margins read. You want to be in line with if not better.  Use your research as a benchmark!

In assessing and identifying your numbers it is going to take time. It is not something that is going to come easy initially but I assure you it will open up a world to you once you become familiar with what your business looks like financially.  And as I mentioned you can ALWAYS find help. If numbers are not your thing then find and accountant or even an accounting software package that will bring those numbers to you. 

Let me add…knowing your numbers is crucial for whether you are selling a product or service. If you are providing a service then you have to reach for more intangibles but the points are all still the same.

I wish you luck in your business and I wish you tenacity.  Stick to it and hang in there!  GOOD LUCK!

Leslie Crudup writes for The Business Liaisons, LLC – Business Consulting

www.thebusinessliaisons.com

Dr.Seuss Said it Best!

You know growing up, I was not introduced to anything about owning my own business. I remember my Grandfather had a candy store on the corner of 18^th and Titan and to me he was the wealthiest man I knew!  How I loved being able to go BEHIND the counter to pick through my choices of delectable chocolates and candies.   He was however very frugal and if you didn’t know him, you would think he was mean.  But he was not and to me he was everything.  He owned his own and called the shots on everything and worked his own hours.  Even still I didn’t think about owning my own business.   Both my parents worked in the corporate environment so they never talked about it much.   They talked about going to school, getting and education and getting a job.   A job.   BOY if I knew then what I know now.

JOB – Just over broke…you’ve heard it?  And no truer words.   Why do I have a Master’s Degree and even served as an AVP in the corporate world and here I am still with just a JOB?  My father was a title officer and today I wish I owned a title company.  My mom was a buyer and today I wish I owned a retail venue.  

Today, my only wish for my daughter to is to own what she wants in life.  I want her to be the one that calls the shots and is the master of her fate.

I suppose that is what I had in mind when I named her.   Simone Alexandra (TO BE HEARD and a LEADER OF MEN).   Today I will teach her about being a business owner.  I will teach her about being accountable for her own success.  She will be encouraged to ask questions, count her money and understand how it can work for her. I want her to know that working towards ownership is the key to success in life. 

So I am sure I am NOT ALONE. 

• What are you doing to encourage your children into being their own boss? Do they have a fire that needs to be ignited?
• What is their passion?  What are they continually talking about or taking an interest. You should nurture it.  And though it might be a few different things over the course of some time, do not discourage them to explore.  Have a conversation with them to find out those few ideas that grab their attention best.  Being supportive is the key!!!
• How can a hobby or interest be monetized or turned into a business?  Encourage them to research and identify what is needed to do so.  BOOKS and GOOGLE!!!  Or if they know someone in a field that they can talk to, this is the best opportunity to find a mentor.
• If it is your business they are interested in then of course engage them as an employee.  And even if not, give them a job anyway.  Teach them the administrative side of business. It is the same regardless. They can keep up your customer database, log in receipts or help with the heavy lifting when traveling and setting up shop.
•  Open a bank account for your young person and teach them how to invest. There are many sites that teach financial literacy for kids. You can refer to one of these or just start with the basics. 

IMPORTANT CONCEPTS TO DRIVE HOME while they are in school.

1)       Communication/English
a.       Encourage them to strengthen reading and writing skills. How simplistic is this?  I would go so far to say to push them beyond what the school curriculum requires.  Provide them opportunities to read and write outside of school.  IF you start this at a young age it will become second nature and they will find pleasure in it even more so.

2)       Math/Numbers

a.        Primarily understanding the concept of money and accounting. Need I say more on this one?

3)       Creativity/Innovation

a.       Seek out opportunities for your children to express themselves and to be innovative.  When they see a need they should ask how to fill the need.  It is so important to allow them to ask questions and to be patient with their inquisitiveness.

4)       Money and its concept

a.       Children should be taught to view the dollar as an investment not a commodity to spend.   The key is to encourage them to recognize the power the dollar has, how is can make more money for them and leverage them in so many decisions in life.   And it is not about being a millionaire, it is about being an expert in the concept tis all…rich or poor! 

There is so much we can give our children with introducing them to owning a business.  They are given the joy of exploring self-worth and being a leader with responsibility. They have more of an opportunity to control their own life.  What better option than to be able to call the shots with their career than being a leader!    They should “BE HEARD” and “A LEADER OF MEN”.

 Below are some cool sites to visit.  Start here and then if you haven’t already start with your children…age is no factor, the time is now!

http://hellobeautiful.com/2013/11/15/raising-innovators-10-entrepreneurs-your-child-should-know/

http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/young-entrepreneurs-of-color-innovators-children/

http://www.blackenterprise.com/tag/100-urban-entrepreneurs/

http://www.teachingkidsbusiness.com/entrepreneurship-program.htm

http://youthbiz.org/

Leslie Crudup writes for The Business Liaisons, LLC – Business Coaching and Consulting

www.thebusinessliaisons.com