Road Trip!

When I was younger, a few years ago, I had a good friend who always liked to take the crazy unplanned road trip.  We would throw a few things in the back of my 1975 Datsun and just drive.  We ended up in NYC, Boston, Albany, Peterborough and many other places in between.  We had the rational that because we did not plan it and just flew by the seat of our pants, that was why we had fun and they were all good trips.  This might have been good logic for getting away for a couple days and hitting the road, however I have found it is lousy logic for my day to day life now.  Serendipity and going with the flow still has its place but if you are running a business of 1,000 people or just yourself, planning and knowing where you want to end up is pretty important to make sure you get there.
Some days I long for that freedom of our road trips and the adventures we had, but when it comes to my business and other peoples I prefer the road map, planned stops, budgets and knowing where you want to end up.
A little non-script fun still fits into business but it would not be a great way to run the whole show!
Enjoy your road trip!

It is OK to be Small!

I was analysing a couple businesses recently for potential partners for a client.  They are both small businesses that serve a very specific niche.  One of them had insulated themselves so much from their customers by trying to appear bigger than they are.  These layers are hurting them not helping.
It is OK to be small.  As long as you are providing the best at something you care about, small is great!  Small is agile and Small can be quite profitable.

Make up Your Mind

Decide what you want to be great at, what product or service you care enough about to deliver the best results.  What is that thing that drives you, makes you want to stay up late and get in early?  Decide and you are half way.  Only half way because the whole way is deciding what and the second and most important part is to deliver, ship, do it.  Because in the end it is what you deliver that counts.

What can you recover?

A lot of people and businesses get caught up in a lost customer because they don't  fit into their niche or lost money due to making a bad decision.  But the fact is you can recover from lost money, make changes,  improve business practices, recover more clients by changing your focus and improving marketing.  The one thing you can't recover is time.  Once the minute ticks away or another hour is wasted watching reruns rather than productive time, it is gone.  Time is the one commodity that once gone it is gone.  All other commodities can be recovered, money, clients, market share.  Guard your time there are too many hidden thieves waiting to steal your time.

Who is your customer....Really?

Many small businesses think that their great product or service is so great everyone will want it.
The reality is a lot different.  Although your product or service might be great and fantastic, the market just can't be everyone.  You need to target your efforts and really focus.  I am sure there is a market but if you try and please or market to everyone your efforts will frustrate.  The best marketing is knowing who your market really is and concentrating on that market segment.
It sounds easy but it takes courage to recognize your market is smaller than you thought, but it will make all the difference.