For almost three years I've worked for an educational institution, but it seems that my time has come to move on. Now being offered a position with a hotel and there is my sole proprietorship business. The business is growing slowly, but is also enduring difficult times due to the economic situation hence, the battles have only begun. Innovations, strategic positioning, enhancing product value and clientèle confidence is ever-more important in todays service industry, but even with that, some clients (possible) still think that they can do without, maybe so and possibly this is why many local businesses fail because they fail to set the NEED for such services.
Ok, I said business is tough and I have decided I will not have my business suffer by carrying my baggage. I will sacrifice yet another dream to insure stability for my company, this means, I need to get a J-O-B. No problems with that, I think I would make a tremendous offering back into the work force, I know my capabilities and my ambitious crave to succeed in anything that I do, but now I ask again, what's next?Difficult decisions are difficult only for the very fact that a change would affect not on you as the person, but everyone around you, in this case, my love ones, my family. Am I ready to make the change? But if the requirement is to provide for my family then seriously there is no reason I should not consider this. The problem is lied with the extensive hours that once again I will place by being employed versus self employment. Don't get me wrong, self-employment is much more difficult as I wake each wondering whether I'd make a buck today or not. These challenges of being self-employed in a small economically distraught economy makes you think if this is what's next to rely on as a livelihood. Scale down on lifestyle, done...but here I am again, whats next?
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7 comments:
---The business is growing slowly, but is also enduring difficult times due to the economic situation hence, the battles have only begun.
I learned during my two year stint with Verizon Wireless that the company does not care about what the economy is. Even the most well known company can be struggling like everyone else. But they look in a direction that they can control and work off their strength. Their sales force is what brings revenue, in your case could be consulting and selling the idea of your service through a presentation.
Economy is something you can’t control, but you could control the way your business is acting up by focusing on the little things down to details and improving on what brings revenue on a day to day basis rather than the month. Crunch the numbers of daily tasks and suggest a goal to hit, if this number does not get reached, work towards it tomorrow and make changes in actions. It already sounds stressful, but you knew that business is tough. And I would like to learn from the hard times that way you find your own potential of what you can do.
The driving force for your business is selling during a hard economy. You may have done this already, but you want to show the value to your customers as to why they need this service. Pushing you to the verge to sell the needed service and reiterate that it is needed only portrays you as a used car salesman. You have personality and friendship; they would possibly buy your friendship in trusting you and your business. Ask what the strengths are of your business and work with it.
The economy is slow. People are not spending much, but the message that comes from the company, which is your motto or brand name is the positive action that will make your clients stick with you and to ensure that once they have this service, they would not regret. Advertise strongly to customers and show that in action.
Continue...
A few ideas that could help moving from slow to fast:
The Setup:
CNMI Calendar- be at every event/ venue and set up a booth to let people know about the business.
Advertise- have business cards, pamphlets, and promotional items available (free give away of water bottles with your label on it).
Have signs in other parts of the island that has your business name on it, besides the front door of the office.
Word of mouth- someone recommending that this service you provided brought them increase in sales or known island wide through articles.
Seek customers in Tinian, Rota, Guam and other places like Korea, Japan, and Hawaii. A small business that can compete globally have no loses.
Also, look around you. People can live without cell phones, we choose not to. They all have the best devices with internet, in reality it’s a crave that they need to have in order to make life easier and for entertainment even though it is expensive. See your business as this service and need to create a presentation to mold this idea.
Don’t close down the doors when times are tough, go mobile. Use a business advertising van or your car with your logo printed on the sides and the back. Have a small portable office in it with laptop and supplies and a banner. When you need to setup, just stop at a legal business parking spot and do your tasks. Open the doors and let your banner out to show people you are there. When they come, explain the business or give out promotions.
Be a mobile consultant that will meet your clients at their locations at different times, that way you have places to go everyday. Don’t have to pay monthly rent!
---Some clients (possible) still think that they can do without, maybe so and possibly this is why many local businesses fail because they fail to set the NEED for such services.
Relationships- letting them know your business will provide the best service is hard even though it is a win-win situation. The ‘still think’ needs to change and that’s the hardest part to get through them. They need to see why or be fascinated, if this doesn’t work out for them, then provide a one time free service the next time around. Let them see the picture, their business being stagnant for years on what works best for them, question them, don’t they want to grow and see what their business can become past the success stage that they are in. Business owners also become stagnant, using only what works for them and not being able to take change to see what the potential of their business could grow into if they use your service. They need to buy this idea, give them time frames, this is what we want them to be in 6 months and try to meet that requirement.
---I know my capabilities and my ambitious crave to succeed in anything that I do, but now I ask again, what's next?
Keep the good word and push your kids to succeed. Be the teacher and let them know what you’ve learned so far. It may be okay for you to say I succeeded, which I think you did. But you got kids that need to learn from you and for them to improve as they get older. It is summer, they may be thinking free time, but for you, try and give them small projects that they could learn from. Activities such as sit down and talk to ask them at this point, do they ever think what you want to be when you grow up, or what are they good at. It gives them a reference to start thinking.
Or have them teach you something new… what about writing a story together of what they think the future is when they grow up, then combine your stories and go with it. Kids are creative. Your creative!
Continuation..
A few ideas that could help moving from slow to fast:
The Setup:
CNMI Calendar- be at every event/ venue and set up a booth to let people know about the business.
Advertise- have business cards, pamphlets, and promotional items available (free give away of water bottles with your label on it).
Have signs in other parts of the island that has your business name on it, besides the front door of the office.
Word of mouth- someone recommending that this service you provided brought them increase in sales or known island wide through articles.
Seek customers in Tinian, Rota, Guam and other places like Korea, Japan, and Hawaii. A small business that can compete globally have no loses.
Also, look around you. People can live without cell phones, we choose not to. They all have the best devices with internet, in reality it’s a crave that they need to have in order to make life easier and for entertainment even though it is expensive. See your business as this service and need to create a presentation to mold this idea.
Don’t close down the doors when times are tough, go mobile. Use a business advertising van or your car with your logo printed on the sides and the back. Have a small portable office in it with laptop and supplies and a banner. When you need to setup, just stop at a legal business parking spot and do your tasks. Open the doors and let your banner out to show people you are there. When they come, explain the business or give out promotions.
Be a mobile consultant that will meet your clients at their locations at different times, that way you have places to go everyday. Don’t have to pay monthly rent!
---Some clients (possible) still think that they can do without, maybe so and possibly this is why many local businesses fail because they fail to set the NEED for such services.
Relationships- letting them know your business will provide the best service is hard even though it is a win-win situation. The ‘still think’ needs to change and that’s the hardest part to get through them. They need to see why or be fascinated, if this doesn’t work out for them, then provide a one time free service the next time around. Let them see the picture, their business being stagnant for years on what works best for them, question them, don’t they want to grow and see what their business can become past the success stage that they are in. Business owners also become stagnant, using only what works for them and not being able to take change to see what the potential of their business could grow into if they use your service. They need to buy this idea, give them time frames, this is what we want them to be in 6 months and try to meet that requirement.
---I know my capabilities and my ambitious crave to succeed in anything that I do, but now I ask again, what's next?
Keep the good word and push your kids to succeed. Be the teacher and let them know what you’ve learned so far. It may be okay for you to say I succeeded, which I think you did. But you got kids that need to learn from you and for them to improve as they get older. It is summer, they may be thinking free time, but for you, try and give them small projects that they could learn from. Activities such as sit down and talk to ask them at this point, do they ever think what you want to be when you grow up, or what are they good at. It gives them a reference to start thinking.
Or have them teach you something new… what about writing a story together of what they think the future is when they grow up, then combine your stories and go with it. Kids are creative. Your creative!
Continuation..
A few ideas that could help moving from slow to fast:
The Setup:
CNMI Calendar- be at every event/ venue and set up a booth to let people know about the business.
Advertise- have business cards, pamphlets, and promotional items available (free give away of water bottles with your label on it).
Have signs in other parts of the island that has your business name on it, besides the front door of the office.
Word of mouth- someone recommending that this service you provided brought them increase in sales or known island wide through articles.
Seek customers in Tinian, Rota, Guam and other places like Korea, Japan, and Hawaii. A small business that can compete globally have no loses.
Also, look around you. People can live without cell phones, we choose not to. They all have the best devices with internet, in reality it’s a crave that they need to have in order to make life easier and for entertainment even though it is expensive. See your business as this service and need to create a presentation to mold this idea.
Don’t close down the doors when times are tough, go mobile. Use a business advertising van or your car with your logo printed on the sides and the back. Have a small portable office in it with laptop and supplies and a banner. When you need to setup, just stop at a legal business parking spot and do your tasks. Open the doors and let your banner out to show people you are there. When they come, explain the business or give out promotions.
Be a mobile consultant that will meet your clients at their locations at different times, that way you have places to go everyday. Don’t have to pay monthly rent!
---Some clients (possible) still think that they can do without, maybe so and possibly this is why many local businesses fail because they fail to set the NEED for such services.
Relationships- letting them know your business will provide the best service is hard even though it is a win-win situation. The ‘still think’ needs to change and that’s the hardest part to get through them. They need to see why or be fascinated, if this doesn’t work out for them, then provide a one time free service the next time around. Let them see the picture, their business being stagnant for years on what works best for them, question them, don’t they want to grow and see what their business can become past the success stage that they are in. Business owners also become stagnant, using only what works for them and not being able to take change to see what the potential of their business could grow into if they use your service. They need to buy this idea, give them time frames, this is what we want them to be in 6 months and try to meet that requirement.
---I know my capabilities and my ambitious crave to succeed in anything that I do, but now I ask again, what's next?
Keep the good word and push your kids to succeed. Be the teacher and let them know what you’ve learned so far. It may be okay for you to say I succeeded, which I think you did. But you got kids that need to learn from you and for them to improve as they get older. It is summer, they may be thinking free time, but for you, try and give them small projects that they could learn from. Activities such as sit down and talk to ask them at this point, do they ever think what you want to be when you grow up, or what are they good at. It gives them a reference to start thinking.
Or have them teach you something new… what about writing a story together of what they think the future is when they grow up, then combine your stories and go with it. Kids are creative. Your creative!
Wow brother! one day when make big, I would love to have you come home and work with me... Now that is for sure!
lol, i don't have a business and kids yet, so not very credible with this one, just my thoughts and two cents to give you motivation...inspiring? yah, you think.
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