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Dear Janna,
With summer in full swing, we are half-way through the year. How are you doing on meeting your goals for the year? While summer is a great time to take some time off and enjoy the warm weather, do you have your business processes in order to keep your business working, even if you are not? It's the difference between owning a business that works for you or having a job. If you need help getting your business to work for you, join me at one of my upcoming workshops or let's meet for a one on one coaching session.
Enjoy the Warmth of Summer,
Janna
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A Dozen Characteristics Essential for Entrepreneurs (Part 1)
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Over the last few months, we examined the five phases or levels of entrepreneurship to gain a better understanding of the fundamentals that distinguish ordinary entrepreneurs from the extraordinary ones. Upon studying the extraordinary entrepreneurs, we begin to notice certain common traits.
While, quite naturally, individual entrepreneurs have many unique traits that are not common to other entrepreneurs, all entrepreneurs do share a kindred spirit, a certain type of constitution and outlook, and a special drive and willingness. Rather than elaborating on the many differences within this broadly diverse demographic, it is more helpful to look at those aspects of similarity.
Here we will start with the first 6 of 12 characteristics that are found within all successful entrepreneurs - and without which most people will fall short of what it takes to succeed in an entrepreneurial enterprise.
#1) Confident
Confidence is a hallmark of the entrepreneur. Not all of us are born with confidence, but that does not mean we are not capable of it. Many confident women and men gain their sense of self esteem and faith in their ability to greet challenges by acting - even when they lack the confidence - and then gaining strength and belief in themselves by seeing the results and gaining the praise and respect of others.
#2) Feels a Sense of Ownership
Taking responsibility for getting things done - and doing them with care and attention - means to act like an owner. Rather than viewing a problem as someone else's, the entrepreneur sees it as his or her own and takes pride in finding a solution, leaving things in better shape then they were before encountering them, and improving upon situations rather than leaving them unattended. While a sense of ownership makes for a stellar employee, the entrepreneur knows that the goal is not to be owned by the enslavement of too much responsibility. Rather than controlling situations in an attempt to possess them, the entrepreneur teaches other people how to take charge. In that way the clever entrepreneur uses individual accountability in the ultimate pursuit of profitability, teamwork, and overall success.
#3) Able to Communicate
Entrepreneurs recognize that the most important part of any business is the human element. Human resources - whether in the form of clients, employees, or strategic partners - are what makes or breaks a business, and communication is the key to successful relationships with people. The entrepreneur works to hone communication skills, whether those are written, spoken, or non-verbal messages conveyed through body language. And to support communication, he or she will take advantage of all available tools and resources. Those might include foreign language or public speaking classes, computer and telecom technology, search engine optimization or neuro- linguistic programming as it relates to sales and marketing, or specialized writing such as that needed for grants, business proposals, mission statements, or policy manuals. Above all, the entrepreneur develops a keen ability to listen and hear what others are trying to say, because the best communicators got that way by first being the best listeners.
#4) Passionate about Learning
Entrepreneurs are often "autodidactic" learners, which means that much of what they know they learned not in a formal classroom setting but instead on their own by seeking out information, asking questions, and doing personal reading and research. They also are quick to learn from their own mistakes, which means they are less prone to keep repeating them due to arrogance, ego, or a blindness to one's own faults, shortcomings, or errors in judgement. To teach is to learn. And to lead, train, and impart experience to others the entrepreneur is constantly striving to learn more and get better educated. Because of the passion for education, true entrepreneurs surround themselves with people who either know more than they do or know things that are different from what they know. They entertain the views of others and perspectives that may be unlike their own, for instance, in order to be better students of hu- man nature. In this way they continue to enrich themselves with knowledge while also making a concerted effort to grow that knowledge by sharing it with others who are also front row students of life's valuable and unlimited lessons.
#5) Team Player
Those who go into business for themselves but do not utilize teamwork wind up without the team but still have all the work to get done. They shoulder the whole burden for themselves, and wind up just trading their old job for a new and more demanding one - in an attempt to be self-employed. But the new venture carries greater personal and financial risks. On the other hand, team players know how to succeed by employing the physics of interpersonal synergy and dynamic relationships. One twig can be easily snapped, but a bundle of those small twigs becomes stronger than the sum of its individual parts and can be impossible to bend, much less break. The same goes for businesses, and successful entrepreneurs leverage teamwork to get the heavy lifting done without breaking stride.
#6) System-Oriented
Like mathematical formulas, good systems allow us to reproduce great results every time - with less and less exertion of energy or resources. Entrepreneurs rely upon systems before they rely upon people, and they look for system- based solutions before searching for human resource solutions. If the person gets the job done but falls sick or leaves,
the job is threatened. But if a system is created to get the job done, anyone can step in and follow the blueprint to get the desired result. Similarly, when troubleshooting and problem solving, the entrepreneur will first examine and study the system - because a flaw in the system will produce a flawed outcome each and every time. Designing, implementing, and perfecting systems is one of the most useful and rewarding skills of an entrepreneur.
Next month we will conclude with characteristics 7 through 12.
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It's not too late to get in on GrowthCLUB!
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It is time establish your business Growth Plan! What will the next 90 days hold for your business?
GrowthCLUB is your business map, tune-up, and oil change all in one:
- Energy, vision, and focus for the next 90 days in your Business
- Take home strategies to build profits right away
- A personal workbook mapping out precise goals and activity for the next 90 days in all key areas of your business
- A network of business contacts to work with
- The skills and tools to get more done in less time
- A clear understanding of what has worked in your business and what hasn't... and WHY
- New ways to get your team to take responsibility and ownership of their roles IN the business....leaving you more free time to work ON the business
Invest in knowing where your business is going tomorrow,and the steps you need to lead it there. Don't let another day just slip away, become proactive and take charge of the direction you future takes! Sign up today and see your business path clearly!
Investment $495 per person
More Details go to: GrowthCLUB - 90 day planning workshop
Where & When:
The Inn at Palmer Divide
Thursday, June 24, 2010 from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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The Third Myth of Customer Service
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In our previous newsletters we presented the first two of The 5 Myths of Customer Service, by John Goodman.
Myth 3: The key to great service is getting the frontline to follow and enforce our policies.
Reality: Policy and process problems related to products are costing you two to four times as much revenue as staff sales behavior and policy adherence.
This myth is really way, way off base. Usually only 20-30 percent of dissatisfaction comes from frontline staff failures. The four top causes of dissatisfaction are out of stocks, obtaining help in finding or selecting items, returns, and long waits at checkout. None of these is primarily caused by the failure of frontline staff to do their jobs. Customer waits to get service or at checkout are often exacerbated because customers take additional time to complain about the wait when they do obtain help. These issues then contribute to staff turnover because the staff have to take flak for policies that they have no control over. They are put in the position of either saying, that is our policy which appears to be unresponsive or worse they overtly acknowledge that management doesn't care about the customer's needs. Much turnover is due to employees saying to themselves, "I'm not getting paid enough to take all this flak." You can either pay them more or reduce the flak.
Action: Ask your frontline reps what issues they regularly encounter but cannot fix. Modify the policy and process issues in light of the revenue damage. Finally, provide the frontline with flexibility to solve problems, illustrating this by stories as well as clear, believable explanations and responses. This is a problem that must be solved by senior management, not supervisors.
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Quote of the Month
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Quote of the Month:
Your ability to negotiate, communicate, influence, and persuade others to do things is absolutely indispensable to everything you accomplish in life. The most effective men and women in every area are those who can quite competently organize the cooperation and assistance of other people toward the accomplishment of important goals and objectives. - Brian Tracy
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On the Radio
with Janna
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Don't forget to tune in to Action in Business with Janna Hoiberg at a new time: Saturday's at 9:30am and Sunday at 1:30pm on Newstalk 1460 KZNT!
What you'll gain doesn't come from theory, it comes from real life experience!
To listen to the podcasts go to Facebook- each broadcast is posted. Also, join me on LinkedIn.
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6 Steps to Massive Results
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Wed., July 9, 2010
Time: 11:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Location: ENT, 7350 Campus Drive, 2nd Floor
Investment: $20 per person
Join us for an informative and fun business building workshop where you'll learn the time-tested principles of how to...
- Gain control of your time, team and money
- Turn your marketing into an investment, not an expense
- Multiply your customers, revenue and profits
- Leverage team, systems, technology and marketing
- Recruit, motivate and retain a winning team of employees
RSVP by email to Janna Hoiberg or phone (719) 358-6936
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Testimonial for Janna
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"Janna- You have made a huge difference in my life and my outlook on my business future. You have shared wisdom that has allowed me to be confident in my abilities and my drive. Thank You!" - Business Owner, Remodeling Business
"As our business coach we appreciate all Janna's support, knowledge and professional approach to coaching. I look forward to continued growth of our company with your help." - Business Owner - Wealth Manager
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Upcoming Events:
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Mark your Calendars!
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June 24, 2010- GrowthCLUB
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
The Inn at Palmer Divide
Investment: $495
July 9, 2010 - 6 Steps to Massive Results
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
ENT, 7350 Campus Dr.
Investment: $20
July 30, 2010 - Team Building for Medical Professionals
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Wellness Restoration Center
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