Hello! Is Anybody There?

Have you ever done business with someone who would not respond to you? Whether you were trying to communicate by email, text, or phone, you just could not get that person to answer you and, if you ever did get to talk to him or her, you marked it on your calendar as a red letter day because it happened so rarely. If you were in a business relationship like this, how long did you continue giving your business to that person? How many times did you recommend that person to your friends? How many friends did you advise NOT to do business with that person?

Now let's turn that around. If YOU are that businessman or businesswoman who does not respond, how do you think others feel about you right now? Do you suppose that they are recommending you? Or is it more likely that they are telling their friends to avoid doing business with you? Could it be possible that they are saying things like, "Don't bother trying to contact him because he'll never get back with you"?

People view a lack of communication in a variety of ways, and they're all bad. Some may feel that if you don't respond it's because you have something to hide. They won't do business with you because they perceive that you can't be trusted. Others may feel that if you don't respond it's because you are disorganized. They won't do business with you because their perception is that you will not be able to handle their needs. Still others may feel that if you don't respond it's because you are unreliable. They won't do business with you because they imagine not being able to find you when they need you.

Few things can harm your business reputation like poor communication; and yet, quality communication is so simple. It begins with nothing more than a timely acknowledgement of the communication. Basically, when a customer, a potential customer, or any other legitimate contact tries to get in touch with you, let them know that you have received their message. This is not only common courtesy, it is expected. In spite of today's technology, or maybe because of it, people are never really certain that their messages have gotten through unless they get a response. They want you to let them know that you have heard from them. Even an auto-responder with a brief thank you and, "I will be in touch with you soon," or a text with the same message would suffice. Calling the person and saying, "I got your call and will get back with you later today with some information" would do wonders. If you do NOT acknowledge their communication, how many times do you think they are going to try getting through to you before they just give up and take their business elsewhere? To answer that question, ask it of yourself. How many times would YOU try to get in touch with a non-responsive business before you yourself would give up and move on to someone else?

Every legitimate communication is worthy of your response. Obviously, there is much more to effective communication than a prompt response, but it's a starting point. You may think that this is all just good, old common sense that every businessperson knows and is practicing, but you would be mistaken. If you are looking for a way to stand out from your competitors and build a positive reputation in your field, be responsive.

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Michael Gifford has been has often been called “The Go To Guy.” In his many years as an entrepreneur, he has been involved in business start-ups, aided in business expansions, registered a patent and trademarks, and authored a number of books and articles. Currently he provides marketing consulting, web design, and copywriting through his company, New Heights Marketing, Inc. in Sugar Hill, Georgia. Permission is granted by the author to reprint this article provided that this resource box is included in its entirety.

Five Routines of Success

Michael Gifford

The word, “routine” has gotten a bad reputation. Too often, people associate the term with being in a rut or doing something over and over again to the point of tedium. I’d like to suggest that, while some routines might indeed be wearisome, there are those that are absolutely necessary to success in business.

Here is my list of beneficial daily routines in business:

1. Eat well, exercise and get plenty of sleep (I’m sorry to have to break this to you workaholics, but burning the candle at both ends just makes the candle melt down faster. And that goes for you too. Taking care of business means taking care of yourself.)
2. Plan each business day (The surest way to get off course in your business is to have no course at all! Those who fail to plan are planning to fail.)
3. Do something to improve your skills (Read a book, watch a pertinent video, listen to a mentor or a customer, experiment with a new process. In essence, keep expanding your horizons.)
4. Show appreciation for those around you (Yes, thank your customers, but also remember those with whom you work. People love recognition. A heartfelt “thank you” will go a long way toward solidifying both customer and employee loyalty.)
5. Review your day (Finish up by enjoying your successes and gaining insights from your setbacks. Today’s review is the beginning of tomorrow’s planning.)

The trouble with routines is not so much that they are mundane but that we allow them to become so. It’s really all in our perception. They are a means to an end. In order to appreciate and practice these routines, it’s important that we keep the end in sight. If you set out to build a house, would you not have to do something every day in the construction of that house? As trivial as it might seem to saw yet another board or drive yet another nail, you would do it anyway because you want the house. The end, or goal, of your business is something that only you can determine, but realizing that your daily tasks will lead you to that goal can breathe life into those routines and keep you focused on accomplishing them day after day.

Useful routines provide stability for long-term growth in both one’s business and personal life. Recognizing the value of each one will ensure that they will never become “routine” in the negative sense of the word.

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Michael Gifford has been has often been called “The Go To Guy.” In his many years as an entrepreneur, he has been involved in business start-ups, aided in business expansions, registered a patent and trademarks, and authored a number of books and articles. Currently he serves as President of New Heights Marketing, Inc. in Sugar Hill, Georgia. Permission is granted by the author to reprint this article provided that this resource box is included in its entirety.

HYPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Michael Gifford

!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS THE GREATEST IN THE WORLD !!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUY NOW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE !!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did I use enough exclamation points? Does this remind you of some of the e-mail you get or some of the postings you see in social media?

Hype. It's all around us. It's in our mailboxes, on our computers and televisions and radios. Where did it all begin? Who was the first pitchman to scream, "I'm Crazy Joe for Crazy Joe's Used Widgets and I ought to be put away for selling widgets so cheap!!!!" Why did the next person think that his/her ad needed to be louder and gaudier? Where will it all end? Most of all, is it really necessary?

When I was in college, I attended a fine arts camp one summer. During one of the sessions, the leader asked about ten of us to do something that would attract the attention of the other hundred or so people in the room. The task of this hundred plus audience was to ignore us as much as possible and only pay attention when one of us really did something worthy of their notice.

You can easily picture the scene in your mind. Those of us who were trying to get attention were getting in the faces of our audience, shouting, pleading, urging. Then one young man did the unthinkable. He got up from his chair and sat down right in the middle of the room. He did not say a word. He just sat there while the rest of us were continuing to flail and wail and jump and jive to get someone to notice us. You can probably figure what happened. Every last member of the audience turned his or her attention to the man sitting quietly in the middle of the room. He had won.

There is so much hype surrounding us today that it seems as though there is very little truth in advertising. This could be a key to the successful marketing of your business. By simply and plainly telling the truth, you can and will stand out from the crowd.

A character played by Walter Brennan used to say, "No brag, just fact." Joe Friday of "Dragnet" fame was famous for saying, "Just the facts." This should be your motto for promoting your business. When it comes to self-promotion, exaggeration is simply not necessary. If you're good, the facts will prove it. If you're not, no amount of yelling or ADS WITH ALL CAPITAL LETTERS IN THEM will make you good.

When you are looking for someone with whom to do business, don't you go in search of someone you can trust? So does everyone else. We all want someone who will deliver what they promise. To me, that is the bottom line of what we should all be seeking to get across to our target audiences. Tell them what you will do for them, and then do it. Actions STILL speak louder than words, no matter how many exclamation points you put at the end of your sentences.

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Michael Gifford has been has often been called “The Go To Guy.” In his many years as an entrepreneur, he has been involved in business start-ups, aided in business expansions, registered a patent and trademarks, and authored a number of books and articles. Currently he serves as President of New Heights Marketing, Inc. in Sugar Hill, Georgia. Permission is granted by the author to reprint this article provided that this resource box is included in its entirety.

Who Wants to Go First?

Michael Gifford

Everything is in place. You have the business cards, the website, the license, the location, etc. It's all there. Now you are ready for your first customer. There's just one challenge. Many people don't like to be first. Like the second mouse to approach the cheese in a trap, they prefer to watch someone else take the risk. They want to see your company's track record before they will turn over their hard-earned money to you. It's a Catch-22. Your potential customers want you to have an established business before they will buy from you, but, in order for you to have an established business, you have to have customers.

There are many reasons why some consumers don't want to be first. At the top of the list is their experience with fly-by-nights. They have been burned in the past and don't want to get roasted again. The first website I ever created in my website design business was for a customer who had paid a company $5,000 and, after three months, had only their logo on a single page to show for it. Since that time, I have picked up business from a number of people who had paid someone for website work and then did not get the service they were promised or, in some cases, never heard from them again.

Another reason why some consumers don't want to be first is because they feel that experience is the number one qualification that a business owner must have in order for them to trade with him or her. After all, the experienced person always knows the ropes, ins and outs, the tricks of the trade. Right? While that is often true, it's also true that the "newbie" can be more hungry and can also have some innovative ideas that the more experience person has not considered.

With this tendency on the part of consumers to hesitate at the opportunity to be at the front of your line, what can you do to get someone to stick his or her neck out and give you a try? Here are five suggestions:

1. Start your solicitations for business with your warm market. It doesn't matter how much cold, lifeless technology influences our lives. As warm, living humans we still want to do business with a real person we can trust. Let your friends, family, and others close to you know about your business. Because of their trust in you, someone from those groups will likely take a risk with you when no one else will.
2. Provide your credentials. Perhaps you are a plumber who had worked for another company prior to launching your own operation. Let consumers know of your knowledge. Even if you are totally new to a field, let people know of the related knowledge that you are bringing to your new venture and how it will benefit them when they buy from you.
3. Testimonials. If you are not in direct competition with your most recent employer, you could ask him or her to write a testimonial regarding your abilities. Even though you are new in owning your own business, you could be immediately viewed as well-versed in your chosen field.
4. Give. There are many ways for you to give in a way that can generate new business. You can give a discount, give something free, or even give a percentage of your sales to charity. If you choose to give to charity, be sure that you have already talked with the charity to let them know your plans. Knowing that they will benefit from your sales, they might even help bring customers to you.
5. Offer a guarantee in conjunction with a commitment. Be specific when you do this and offer it in writing.

Because you have been willing to risk it all to start your business, it can be difficult to comprehend why customers would not be willing to engage with you right off the bat. After all, they are taking a much lower risk. Just understand that not everyone has the entrepreneurial spirit that you have. Be patient and give consumers reasons to believe that you have something great in store for them. Then, reward them for their commitment to you by giving them more than they expected.

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Michael Gifford has been has often been called “The Go To Guy.” In his many years as an entrepreneur, he has been involved in business start-ups, aided in business expansions, registered a patent and trademarks, and authored a number of books and articles. Currently he serves as President of New Heights Marketing, Inc. in Sugar Hill, Georgia. Permission is granted by the author to reprint this article provided that this resource box is included in its entirety.

A Business Opportunity Waiting to Happen

Michael Gifford

The Business Opportunity Maze

Have you been thinking about starting your own business? If you’re like most people with the same desire, not only are you having difficulty determining WHERE to start, you’re also confused about WHAT to start. You have read so many business opportunity classifieds, received so many offers in the mail, watched so many late night money-making infomercials, and listened to so many sales presentations that your head is swimming.

Now It’s My Turn

I’m going to introduce you to what could be your greatest business opportunity ever. I assure you that you have never seen anything else exactly like this anywhere at any price. You and you alone would control its success. Best of all, it’s something you already have which means it wouldn’t cost you a penny to get it started. Permit me to introduce you to YOU!!!

That’s right – YOU! You, the one-of-a-kind individual. You, the architect of your own dreams and the captain of your own success. You, the one true motivating force behind your actions. YOU! You have your own unique personality, skills and knowledge and, because of this, you may very well be a business opportunity waiting to happen.

Oh, the Things You Can Do!

I know that there are 40 bazillion opportunities out there and several of them are probably very good, but in your search for that perfect business, why limit yourself to what others have to offer? Why not take a look at what YOU YOURSELF have to offer and create your own business? It’s not like it’s never been done by anyone before. After all, every business that has ever existed had to have been started by someone!

We stand in awe of people such as Henry Ford, Bill Gates, and others like them because of what they started and built their businesses into, yet all they did was take two things you yourself have and combine them with a couple of other items that you need to get if you don’t already possess them. They took their KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS and combined them with a BURNING DESIRE and BELIEF IN THEMSELVES. They did not wait around for someone else to give them an opportunity. Instead, each of them was a business opportunity waiting to happen, and, oh, did they ever happen.

“Am I?”

Are you a business opportunity waiting to happen? A little self-examination might help you decide.

Start with a serious assessment of your knowledge and skills. What are your strengths? What do you do really well? Can you turn this into a business? Do you know anyone else who has? How are they doing at it? Could you improve upon what they do? Write all of this down.

Now concentrate on what you most enjoy doing in life. If you could do just one thing for a living and make all the money you’d ever need doing it, what would that be? CAN you make a living doing it? Are there others doing it? If you can’t make a living doing it, is there something you can do that is related to it? For example, if your favorite activity in life is golf but you know that you could never make the pro tour, what business could you start that would allow you to make a comfortable living while you spend your days thinking about and doing something involving golf? Again, make sure that you put pen to paper as you do this important exercise.

Is this all you need to know? No. These questions form only a starting point from which you can and must proceed into more intense research. But these questions can certainly serve to get your creative juices flowing and help you decide what type of business is right for you. Besides, it’s a lot of fun to just sit down and dream of the many possibilities of a life spent doing what you enjoy most.

So, Are You?

Are you indeed a business opportunity waiting to happen? Do you have something locked up inside you which if released and developed into a business would have people knocking down your door to purchase what you’re offering? Could your success in the business you create be a future cover story for “Entrepreneur” magazine? Perhaps there has never been a better time than now for you to find out.

“If you begin an important endeavor, there is a chance of failure. If you do not begin, your failure is certain.”

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Michael Gifford has been has often been called “The Go To Guy.” In his many years as an entrepreneur, he has been involved in business start-ups, aided in business expansions, registered a patent and trademarks, and authored a number of books and articles. Currently he serves as President of New Heights Marketing, Inc. in Sugar Hill, Georgia. Permission is granted by the author to reprint this article provided that this resource box is included in its entirety.

May I Have My Shirt Back Please?

Michael Gifford

Taking stock of your finances before starting a business can be vital to your success.

Everyone who has ever even thought about starting a business has asked themselves at least one question. Whether our business would require us to purchase inventory, equipment, advertising, training, or any of a thousand other items necessary for success, we’ve all had to ask ourselves, “Where am I going to get the money to get my business off the ground?”

The answer to this question can mean the difference between comfortably repaying a reasonable loan or begging someone to return the shirt they took off your back because it was the only collateral you had left. How can you finance your new venture and still keep your entire wardrobe intact?

Don’t Burn That Bridge Yet

First of all, I suggest that, if at all possible, you make sure that you have at least one steady income before jumping into your new business full-time. This may mean that you’ll have to hang on to your current job a little while longer until you can replace the income you’re earning now. Once you get a little taste of the freedom of working for yourself, once you get that first check in your new business, it’s a terrible temptation to want to rush right up to your boss and tell him or her that you’re through. Be careful of that. In this article I’m going to assume that you’ll be starting your business on a part- time basis or that there will be at least one member of your household bringing in a steady income during start-up.

What I’m Not Going to Tell You

You probably thought I’d be directing you to all the different sources available for financing your business. That’s another article. Sure, I could suggest this lending institution or that. I could tell you how to borrow from family and friends. I could advise you regarding terms and rates. I could provide you with information on how to incorporate and sell stock. But I like to go back behind the obvious. It would be fairly easy to borrow money from a credit card or family member or, to some extent, even a bank if you have good credit, but let’s think for a few moments about some serious assessments that you need to take before making a financial commitment.

Assess Your Assets

It’s a good idea to know how much you own anyway so sit down and make a list of all of your assets including checking account balances, savings account balances, certificates of deposit, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, retirement accounts, life insurance policies with cash values, home equity and personal property values. Basically, anything in your possession that has financial value should be counted. You can value personal property either by hiring a CPA to figure the market price of depreciable goods, paying an appraiser to estimate the value of items like jewelry and antiques, or searching for similar items that others have for sale to see how they are pricing them.

As it specifically relates to financing your business, there are two reasons for completing the tasks mentioned above. First, if you want to finance your business without borrowing from others, you’ll be able to see if you have enough cash on hand to get started in the particular business you want to own. If not, you might wish to change businesses or wait until you have more saved up before you start your business. Second, you’ll be able to see what collateral you have available should you decide to borrow the money to finance your business.

I think most people don’t realize how much they possess. Knowing this will help you make your decision regarding where and how to get the money to start out. In addition, this habit of accurate, up-to-date record keeping of your assets will most certainly be appreciated by your family in the event of serious illness or your death.

Assess Your Risk

Why don’t bankers lend money to every businessperson who applies for it? Why would any banker deny funding for a person with rock solid credit? The answer lies in the risk factor involved in the business.

A good friend of mine who was the Vice-President of a major national bank for over 20 years told me that the type of business one wishes to start influences a bank’s decision regarding financing as much as any other facet of the loan application. The reason is simple. You might have great credit. You might have a bundle of assets. But you also might have those ONLY in the beginning. If you were to venture into a highly risky business, it’s possible that it wouldn’t be long until you would be selling those assets and damaging that credit. At that point, your former good financial standing would not mean a thing.

What is a risky business? It could be one that has not been well researched or well planned. It could also be one that involves a high level of liability. There are several factors that come into play here but you need to ask yourself how much you really know about the business you’re wanting to start, how easy or difficult it will be for you to obtain customers, etc.

This is off the subject, but another angle on the risk factor has to do with how much of your time and money you’re willing to risk. Some people want nothing whatsoever to do with risk. They want guarantees all the way. If you’re that type of person, you’d probably find that owning your own business is not for you. I know I’ve strayed from the thrust of this article in writing this, but I fear that some people go into business with their eyes closed to the possibility that they could lose everything. There are very few “sure things” in life. A business is not one of them.

Assess Your Debt Tolerance

Everyone who has applied for a mortgage is familiar with the debt to income ratios which the mortgage companies use to determine how much house you can afford. The last time I applied for a mortgage I was told that my monthly debts plus monthly house payment could not exceed 35-40% of my income. That seems like a reasonable figure. You certainly don’t want your debt to exceed half of your income.

Go ahead and figure your current debt to income ratio. Be sure to include all of your monthly obligations including credit cards, car payments and house payments. I would suggest even including things like insurance and utilities because they are fixed monthly expenses as well. Add all of these together and divide this number by your current monthly household income.

Now figure out how much extra you could pay each month for a loan to get your business started. If your ratio is currently at 30%, how much could you pay each month on a loan and still keep the ratio in the 35-40% range? For example, let’s say that your current household income after taxes is $8,000 per month and all of your monthly obligations equal $2,500. Your current debt to income ratio is 31%. 40% of the $8,000 would equal $3,200. This would mean that you could borrow an amount with a monthly repayment of up to $700 per month.

Once you figure this out, get an amortization schedule or call your banker and find out how much you could finance by paying back said amount of money per month. Try to go for as short a term as possible. A 15 year note may get your payments within your desired range, but it will also cause you to pay a significantly higher amount of interest than a five year or even a 10 year note.

In a day when it’s so easy to get your hands on money through credit card and second mortgage offers, be careful to assess your debt limit. Few things are more stressful than having more debt than you can handle.

Do Your Homework

I am a MAJOR proponent of carefully planning out as much of your business as you can before you ever take the first call or write up the first order. Of course, the best way to finance your new venture is with available cash. However, the fact of the matter is that it is often necessary to borrow to get a business started. While following the steps noted above will not guarantee that you will succeed in your own business or that you will be able to keep that shirt, they will help you plan in such a way that if the shirt IS taken off your back, you’ll at least have another one hanging in the closet for a spare.

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Michael Gifford has been has often been called “The Go To Guy.” In his many years as an entrepreneur, he has been involved in business start-ups, aided in business expansions, registered a patent and trademarks, and authored a number of books and articles. Currently he serves as President of New Heights Marketing, Inc. in Sugar Hill, Georgia. Permission is granted by the author to reprint this article provided that this resource box is included in its entirety.

On Blueberry Hill

Michael Gifford

THE HARVEST

"Go to the back corner of the field," the attendant said. "Those bushes haven't been picked over yet." A novice at gathering blueberries, I dutifully set out toward the far reaches of this large blueberry field. But I never made it there. Instead, I found all of the sweet, juicy blue fruit I could glean within seconds of entering the field. I discovered bush after bush loaded down with berries. What's more, these berries were the plumpest and, as I discovered later, the best tasting I had ever eaten.

Naturally, my curiosity was aroused. "Why were these berries overlooked?" I asked myself as I tossed my harvest into a bucket. Suddenly I took note of my position. I was kneeling down and leaning into one of the bushes. That's when it struck me. Yes, these bushes had been picked over, BUT ONLY ON THE EDGES AND AT EYE-LEVEL! My predecessors in harvesting had grabbed off all they could get as quickly and effortlessly as possible and then they quit. They never even saw what I soon discovered were by comparison the biggest and most delicious pick of the crop.

THE APPLICATION
"Just take whatever you can get quickly and easily. Don't sweat. Don't bend down. Don't inconvenience yourself in any way." Most of the people who had picked blueberries in this field before me had taken this approach. Sadly, this is the approach that many people seem to take toward life, and even operating their businesses, as well.

Take a lesson from the blueberry field. The sweetest fruits of success are found by those who refuse to settle for average and aren't afraid to work for the best. Remember that the next time you feel like giving less or quitting. That little extra might be all you need.

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Michael Gifford has been has often been called “The Go To Guy.” In his many years as an entrepreneur, he has been involved in business start-ups, aided in business expansions, registered a patent and trademarks, and authored a number of books and articles. Currently he serves as President of New Heights Marketing, Inc. in Sugar Hill, Georgia. Permission is granted by the author to reprint this article provided that this resource box is included in its entirety.