28 Questions to Help You Critique Your Business Boost Profits
28 Questions to Help You Critique Your Business Boost Profits
Here is the main thing I see -- and it doesn"t matter how long someone has been in business or how much they're making. The business owner forgets that (s)he has to be both the boss and employee; but not at the same time, of course. Visualize this. A company without a boss. Or a solo company without an employee. Yet, many people, yes, even you, are running their businesses like that!
Even if you love the work you're doing – and I hope you are in a business you love -- like accounting or selling mortgages or being a financial planner, it is imperative that you take at least 1 day a week and be the boss of you and at least one day a week to be the marketing director! Even if you're an independent professional or agent working for a BIG company, you need to take time out to be the boss and marketer.
What do bosses do? Well in small companies, they manage the functions of the company so that everything is running smoothly. They review the performance of employees (even if they're the only employee!) They do the hiring and firing -- of consultants and clients, alike. They make sure that accounting, and purchasing, and HR functions are running without a hitch. They have a team of other business owners that they confide in, and at the very least they"ve hired a business coach to keep their ass in gear.
And now comes the part I know you won"t want to hear -- they have a plan in place that they use daily as a guide and to monitor their performance. What I find, as I talk with experienced business owners, is that the day came when they realized that the only thing that they hadn"t yet done, that they "knew" they needed to do, was create a plan. They came to this realization when
they became sick and tired of putting out fires all the time. OR they became sick and tired of knowing that they could be earning more or working less, but try as they did, something was always in the way of their continued growth.
50,000 organizations have benefited from bringing The One Page Business Plan® System into their companies. And 30 universities use the system as part of their business curriculum. Business Planning doesn"t have to be as difficult as "we" (and I was included in that "we" years
ago) make it. So if you Can't answer all of the 28 questions below confidently, it's time to put the metal to the petal and create your business and marketing plan. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain!
1. Is the legal structure of your business protecting you personally? (like an LLC, S or C Corp)
2. What services and/or products do you offer?
3. What is your experience with this market?
4. What are the risks involved with this business?
5. What are the risks you have in regards to growing your business?
6. What are your business strengths?
7. *What business are you building? (VISION)
8. What problems does your company solve?
9. Who is struggling with the problem your company solves?
10. Who is your ideal client?
11. How large is the market share for that "ideal client"?
12. Where do you find more or your clients?
13. What is the best way for them to learn about the services or products your company offers?
14. Who is your competition?
15. How do the problems your company solves differ from existing or competing businesses?
16. How does your company differ from your competition?
17. *How will your product/service help your prospects have better lives/businesses? (MISSION)
18. How are you going to make money?
19. What amount of money do you think you need to have an enjoyable life?
20. What are the core values of your company?
21. *What 10 BIG ways are you planning to market or build your company? (STRATEGIES)
22. *How will you monitor the results of your marketing efforts? (OBJECTIVES)
23. How are you pricing your services or products?
24. What does your marketing funnel look like?
25. Who is on your management team and what is their experience?
26. Who is on your board of advisors and what is their experience?
27. *What are the BIG steps that you must take to achieve your dreams? (ACTION STEPS)
28. Do you have a website that is capturing prospects?
* These 5 concepts are from The One Page Business Plan® program
© 2007 Maria Marsala
28 Questions to Help You Critique Your Business Boost Profits - To learn more about this author, visit Maria Marsala's Website.
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I'm asked all the time, "what could I do that will help me grow faster?" And I"d love to have just one answer, but of course I Don't. The "what" is different for each person who hires me, because they are running their business differently that someone else. What I can tell you is that when you're not winning like you"d like to be winning, there are tried and true things that can help you and you're not going to like the answer. So I'll hold off on telling you the answer for a little bit longer.
Here is the main thing I see -- and it doesn"t matter how long someone has been in business or how much they're making. The business owner forgets that (s)he has to be both the boss and employee; but not at the same time, of course. Visualize this. A company without a boss. Or a solo company without an employee. Yet, many people, yes, even you, are running their businesses like that!
Even if you love the work you're doing – and I hope you are in a business you love -- like accounting or selling mortgages or being a financial planner, it is imperative that you take at least 1 day a week and be the boss of you and at least one day a week to be the marketing director! Even if you're an independent professional or agent working for a BIG company, you need to take time out to be the boss and marketer.
What do bosses do? Well in small companies, they manage the functions of the company so that everything is running smoothly. They review the performance of employees (even if they're the only employee!) They do the hiring and firing -- of consultants and clients, alike. They make sure that accounting, and purchasing, and HR functions are running without a hitch. They have a team of other business owners that they confide in, and at the very least they"ve hired a business coach to keep their ass in gear.
And now comes the part I know you won"t want to hear -- they have a plan in place that they use daily as a guide and to monitor their performance. What I find, as I talk with experienced business owners, is that the day came when they realized that the only thing that they hadn"t yet done, that they "knew" they needed to do, was create a plan. They came to this realization when
they became sick and tired of putting out fires all the time. OR they became sick and tired of knowing that they could be earning more or working less, but try as they did, something was always in the way of their continued growth.
50,000 organizations have benefited from bringing The One Page Business Plan® System into their companies. And 30 universities use the system as part of their business curriculum. Business Planning doesn"t have to be as difficult as "we" (and I was included in that "we" years
ago) make it. So if you Can't answer all of the 28 questions below confidently, it's time to put the metal to the petal and create your business and marketing plan. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain!
1. Is the legal structure of your business protecting you personally? (like an LLC, S or C Corp)
2. What services and/or products do you offer?
3. What is your experience with this market?
4. What are the risks involved with this business?
5. What are the risks you have in regards to growing your business?
6. What are your business strengths?
7. *What business are you building? (VISION)
8. What problems does your company solve?
9. Who is struggling with the problem your company solves?
10. Who is your ideal client?
11. How large is the market share for that "ideal client"?
12. Where do you find more or your clients?
13. What is the best way for them to learn about the services or products your company offers?
14. Who is your competition?
15. How do the problems your company solves differ from existing or competing businesses?
16. How does your company differ from your competition?
17. *How will your product/service help your prospects have better lives/businesses? (MISSION)
18. How are you going to make money?
19. What amount of money do you think you need to have an enjoyable life?
20. What are the core values of your company?
21. *What 10 BIG ways are you planning to market or build your company? (STRATEGIES)
22. *How will you monitor the results of your marketing efforts? (OBJECTIVES)
23. How are you pricing your services or products?
24. What does your marketing funnel look like?
25. Who is on your management team and what is their experience?
26. Who is on your board of advisors and what is their experience?
27. *What are the BIG steps that you must take to achieve your dreams? (ACTION STEPS)
28. Do you have a website that is capturing prospects?
* These 5 concepts are from The One Page Business Plan® program
© 2007 Maria Marsala
28 Questions to Help You Critique Your Business Boost Profits - To learn more about this author, visit Maria Marsala's Website.
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Casey GollanCasey Gollan, Business Coaching & Mentoring Programs. Add $1 Million to $10 Million in the next 1 to 3 years. Since 1996 Casey has to added hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses. Watch a free video see client results Business Coaching website. - Visit Casey Gollan's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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