Focus: Starting A Business

Utilizing the power of FOCUS is key to starting a company or launching a product successfully.

If you're an idea person, as many entrepreneurs tend to be, you're likely at some point to attempt starting a business. Hey, it's challenging, it's fun, there's a thrill in the success, and well, there's also a bummer downside. But, nevertheless, if that spirit is inside you, there's probably nothing you can do to fight the urge.

Now, if you're like me, an idea person with so many ideas it is hard to keep up with them all, then your biggest challenge in starting a business might just have to do with FOCUS!

Yep, I'm admitting it. Sometimes a blog is the best therapy. But, seriously, if you notice friends comment that you have ADD (attention deficit disorder) and/or say "maybe you ought to focus" you just might consider they might be giving you words of wisdom.

Starting a business requires FOCUS!

For example, when I launched my first website, AspireNow, I had someone tell me to focus on just one thing, and do it well. I ignored her advice. While some other websites launched at the same time as AspireNow thrived, AspireNow struggled in the early years. I think if I'd done a better job with my focus, I'd probably have succeeded with that website much sooner.

I recently helped an entrepreneur launch a large digital screen network in California. One of the challenges we faced was myriad ideas from the entrepreneur that caused distraction amongst the sales team and made it difficult to sell what we needed to sell. Again, this was an issue of focus.

If you focus properly on what must be done now to win, you will often succeed where others may fail. Do you need every bell and whistle? In 1901, Henry Ford founded the Cadillac Motor Company. This company tried to be the most luxurious car, with all the bells and whistles, and failed (although pieces of this company later bacame part of General Motors).

During a time when most automobile manufacturers were selling all kinds of odd cars, Henry Ford later chose to focus on ONE DESIGN, ONE COLOR, for ONE TYPE OF CAR (part of the reason for the color, black, was because Ford ran into a bottleneck producing paint that could dry fast enough).

Ford later became the number one automobile manufacturer in the world. Why do you think that was? I think it had a lot to do with focusing in on doing one thing and doing it the best.

How about you? What are you selling? Can you tell me in thirty words or less? When you tell me, do you know for sure that I will understand what you're selling? Are you focused enough to execute on that promise?

Henry Ford focused on producing one car so well his ideas on manufacturing automation became known by 1914 as "Fordisms" and today Ford is a $146 Billion company with over 200,000 employees, producing over 5.5 million automobiles.1 And, although Ford Motor Company is experiencing decline over the past ten years, part of their plan to get back to a top position is to simplify and re-focus. Do you think focusing might help you, too?

When Sara Blakely formed Spanx (initially a form of hosiery products for women without the feet), she created a number of product innovations, but mainly focused on creating a new type of hosiery addressing a market that wanted to wear hose to give them shape, but not hose with FEET. I'm sure if I was a woman, I'd want Spanx, too, because I hate having my feet covered!

(left: photo courtesy of Spanx.)

If you're starting a business, I strongly success you FOCUS on ONE THING and do it very, very well. Do it to the best of your ability. After that one thing is thriving, maybe then add on that other swanky idea. In the meantime, why not just keep an "idea journal" to store all this fancy thoughts?

If you're failing, re-write your business plan, and re-focus. With your new focus ought to come a rejuvenation in your success.

If you're not sure what to focus your energy on and where to direct your clients, let me ask you a simple question: "What do you want clients to remember you for?" In the case of Henry Ford, it was a great, simple, well-built car you could rely upon. If it's your website, it might be "a great, simple, well-designed site you can easily navigate" (with the added clarity of what "type" of site, for sure!).

See how you can simplify, build quality, price, and product into your description in as few words as possible. Then, run it by a few clients, or potential clients, and see how they react. Test it out. As your employees what they think of it. Get feedback, then focus on what you choose. Stay with it for an extended period of time, and prove you can succeed with what you know will win.

Let me know what you're going to focus on - I love to know what entrepreneurs are doing! If you're looking for someone to review your business and see how you might simplify, I'd be happy to help. Drop me a note and we'll schedule a half hour or hour for us to review what you've got going on. I've done it for others and their business thrived after these meetings, so I am confident you'll benefit, too!

In the meantime, make a sign with "FOCUS" as the key word. Cut it out and post it places (like the fridge, by your computer, in your car, etc.) to remind you of the importance of this key to success in starting a business.

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Copyright © 1999-2009 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.
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1 Ford information courtesty of Wikipedia

When Are We Most Productive?

I recently read a post on productivity and considering the natural cycles of society, it makes sense that we're likely the most productive during the same hours that coincide the best times to post a blog post or post an article to our website.

How can I base this? Because this is when people are in the most focused, intense "work" mode.

Amazingly enough, the best time to post a blog post is 10:30 a.m. PST to 2:00 p.m. PST Tuesday through Friday. I'll stretch that a tad, but based upon this I'll state the peak productivity time, in general, for employees and workers is between 10:00 a.m. PST and 3:00 p.m. PST.

What I'm talking about is how to maximize things that so many people struggle with, ranging from time management to productivity skills, doing first things first, managing the "7 Habits of Highly Successful People", and other time/management/productivity concerns.

Considering the schedule I've proposed, I have to ask: are you taking LONG LUNCHES? If you are, you're cutting into your most productive time during the day. I'd suggest that you either eat a lighter lunch or take a late lunch, that way you'll be maximizing your highest productivity hours in each week.

If you've failed to consider the most productive hours of a day, and claim that late night is your top time (I've been guilty) or claim that morning is also your most productive time (been guilty of that, too), well, here's the wake up call: most people are in work mode during Tuesday through Friday. They start to "check out" at 2:00 p.m. because many have kids they need to tend to. School schedules usually release children around 2:00 pm or 3:00 pm, and amazingly, this is also when productivity begins to wane among adults, too. After 5:00 p.m., we're thinking about dinner. After dinner, we relax and digest our food. During the weekend, we're relaxing and having fun from our hard work during the week. However, I will also point out that if we use Internet data for our assumption, then we need to consider that many people are East Coast-based and therefore 2:00 p.m. PST is 5:00 p.m. (EST) to them.

Peak Productive Time?

When is your peak productive time? If you're like many others, you probably take a half hour to settle into your work. In addition, you probably unwind for the last 15 minutes each day, too. On top of that, you'll need at least two 10 minute breaks, and at least 30 minutes for lunch. Take all of that away, you're probably going to have your peak productivity start to kick in around 8:30 a.m. and then wind down around 4:45 p.m., if you maintain an 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. schedule.

Make the most out of it!

The 80/20 rule will apply, too, so that peak time during the middle of the day is critical to your ongoing success. Don't waste it! Your best time for a meeting is likely on Wednesday or Thursday right around NOON. So, make the most out of these time slots!

Maximize the time when you can reach the most people, impact them the most, and focus your efforts to be your most productive self between Tuesday and Friday between the time frame of 10:30 a.m. PST and 5:00 p.m. EST. Schedule your most important meeting each week at Noon on Thursday. That is when you'll get the biggest bang for your time slot.

When you practice solid time management skills, you will fare better. Ideas I have to refresh for you with this article include:

Time Management Tips:

1. Focus on one thing at a time.
2. Complete a task, then move on to your next item on your priority list.
3. Start with one global or long-term goal, then a short-term easy goal, each day. This will make sure you don't avoid the most pressing thing, and also ensure you don't ignore your long-term goals, either.
4. Set a goal for the amount of time to break, eat, and break throughout the day.
5. Don't get side-tracked with items off of your list.

When we instill a sense of discipline into our work day, we get more things done. See if renewing your focus on your peak hours, and by putting your list of things-to-do into the core of that time-frame, you're bound to be more successful.
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

Don't Quit When You Fail To Sell

Recently, I went through a sales slump. It happens to the best. This, just after a month when I sold 80% of everything I touched. So, with the ugly month after the great month, I'm still doing fine.

But, I have to share with you, when I was in the middle of that slump it seemed like nothing I could say worked. I lost all kinds of business that I could have won. Then again, many of the prospects I was meeting weren't going to buy, either.

Sometimes, sales is a matter of qualifying up front. Now, if your sales position doesn't allow you to pre-qualify your prospects, and you have to work certain accounts or prospects, then you simply have to take your lumps and stay positive through any down cycle. However, I do have a few ideas that might help you start selling again.

Here are a few tips I have for you to remain positive when you're not closing deals:

1. Keep on plugging. Don't stop showing up for work, don't show up late to appointments, and keep yourself on time and focused.

2. Remain positive. Use a touch-stone to put you in your "magic place" before you begin your sales calls. Pump your fist in the air. Make sure you eat properly, get a good night's sleep, and smile with your mouth AND eyes!

3. Tighten up your pitch. If you're missing on some deals you'd normally close, it is possible you've gotten off of your pitch. I find that usually when I miss deals I ought to have won, it is because I made the mistake of selling BEFORE thoroughly understanding my client's needs. If you make that mistake, you're showing them that you care more about YOU than THEM. And most clients want it the other way around. Show them you care, first. Confirm that you heard them right. THEN propose your solution. Use less time to sell, keep it tight, focused, and on track, and you'll get the next one.

The bottom line is: when you're failing, if you know you're a winner, keep the faith. You WILL turn it around. I know I did. And it is a GREAT feeling!
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

Are You Spaghetti Marketing?

Spaghetti marketing is a new term I just found at a Copywriter Underground. It refers to the idea of throwing stuff up against the wall and seeing if it sticks. A lot of marketers, salespeople, and entrepreneurs, for that matter, often forget that every aspect of their business ought to have an underlying strategy. The lack of a defined strategy, when applied to marketing, may be called "Spaghetti Marketing" -- especially when you're spending marketing dollars without a clearly defined plan.

If your firm is engaged in spaghetti marketing, STOP!

It is time to take some time to rethink what you are doing. Put together the following components:

1. Vision: what do you want to accomplish with your marketing?

Do you want more exposure for your business? A stronger online presence? A bigger list? More conversions of people reading your material? Whatever your vision is, this will determine the next steps. Just keep in mind that your vision ought to direction relate to your company's mission statement.

2. Objectives.

Take, for example, the idea of increased online presence. That is a good vision, but won't produce results until you implement objectives underneath that vision to set in motion action.

Examples of objectives for this vision might be:
a. Increase website SEO (shameless marketing plug: ARRiiVE can help if you need it)
b. Launch a blog to build more backlinks to website (ahh.. yes, again, if you need help...)
c. Create a wiki to build more collaboration from business partners

You get the idea. The point is to define what objectives will better produce the vision and result in success.

3. Action Plan

The action plan are the actual steps you need to take to accomplish each objective. These might be like this:

1. Investigate differences between Typepad, WordPress, and Blogger.
2. Pick a platform.
3. Set-up layout for blog...
and so forth.

For another example, I have a goal to "create a wiki" for www.ARRiiVE.com and www.AspireNow.com right now. During a conversation today with a business partner, she mentioned that she found a software tool to make creation of wiki platforms that integrate seemlessly with your website. Bingo! There's step 1 down! Actually, a wiki ought to have its own unique vision, objectives, and action plans, too... so you can break this down into steps for each. My vision for my ARRiiVE wiki is to build collaboration around sales and marketing techniques that create new types of teams.

If you start putting this level of thought behind your marketing strategy, you might realize that the marketing efforts you've been putting out are not aligned with your strategy. In that case, your Spaghetti Marketing may not have done you any favors. I've always felt that the rifle approach is the better approach - as long as you know what target you're aiming at. So, pick a good target, take aim, put together your plan, and then fire at your objectives.
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Copyright © 2008 by Scott Andrews, CEO of ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved.

ARRiiVE Business Solutions helps executives improve sales, launch products and services, and build dynamic, cross-functional collaborative teams. For more information, contact info (at)ARRiiVE (dot) com or call us at 1 (805) 459-6939.

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