The XMAS shutdown - and how to avoid it

Many people comment, (complain), about the appearance of Christmas decorations and paraphernalia in the shops as early as September or October.

But I was somewhat astounded to hear a business owner talking up the infamous XMAS Shutdown already in October.

But another business owner in the same conversation had an interesting solution . . .

Cover via Amazon

Before we get to that however, it got me to thinking . . .

How much do business owners actually create the Xmas shutdown phenomena just by talking about it and expecting it.

You could get all metaphysical about it and say that The Secret predicts that you will get what you most think about.

But it is even more practical than that.

When business owners literally and physically are planning for a slowdown in business, how can this not slow down business for them, and in general?

And the more people that talk about it and plan for it, the more it is going to happen. Stands to reason.

People shutdown their business over Christmas because they expect that everyone else is going to do the same.  It becomes self-fulfilling.

But what if they didn”t ?

The Solution

Well, there are several solutions.

The first and most obvious is this:

Do not talk about or plan for a shutdown!

You can plan to be busy or you can plan to be quiet. It all comes down to the actions that you take.

Xmas (Photo credit: rsfrd)

It might mean thinking “outside of the box” and doing something different from what you would normally do.

Which brings me to the strategy taken by the other person in that conversation . . .

At this time of year, he starts running introductory seminars and promos that generate client interest in his services.

They may not be ready to buy, (especially if they are stuck in the Xmas shutdown mentality), but it gets them thinking and planning for the new year.

And of course, some will commit to a start in January.

This way, he can hit the ground running in January with clients and prospects in the sales pipeline.

Businesses that take the Xmas shutdown approach face January with an empty sales pipeline.

Where would you rather be?

Also consider this . . .

If your competitors are all closed down over Christmas, what opportunities might exist to service some of their clients during that period . . . ? ?

And possibly retain them as your clients in the new year!

 

Well, that is quite simple really!

.

What should you do now?

1. Ask yourself – Do you really need to shutdown for Christmas?


2. How are you contributing to the Xmas Shutdown?


3. Want some help or ideas? Just contact us at Hotpink Websites now.

.

Quote

My heart goes out to all the incredibly strong kids fighting cancer right now. Hope their christmas wishes came true.
~ Unknown

Remember – The XMAS shutdown – and how to avoid it

.

Related articles

• 
  Affects of Shutdown on Small Businesses
  


• 
  12 Saturday’s Until Xmas!!!!
  


• 
  Santa And Chimney Cross Stitch Xmas Card
  


• 
  Xmas Cookbooks
  


• 
  Camping grounds filling up fast for Xmas
  

 

The XMAS shutdown - and how to avoid it

What do you do?

It’s a question that every business owner should be asking themselves. What do you do?

The answers vary, of course. Some people reply with the . . .

English: Toyota Camry Hybrid taxi from EnvironCAB of Arlington, Virginia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

. . . name of the industry that they work in.

For example, hair dresser, travel agent, coach, mechanic, taxi driver, whatever . . .

Some will reply with a somewhat more enlightened response, identifying the actual service that they provide. 

They are distinguishing between the title of their industry, and the benefits that their customer receive.  This is very good for marketing.

For example:

• We help people to look great and feel great


• We organise the best travel experiences you will ever have


• We keep your car running efficiently and safely.


• We get people safely to their destination

But very few business owners say that they are cleaners and lawyers and book keepers and website developers.

So why do they insist on doing these things themselves?

Why do they insist on going the DIY route, when it clearly costs more and does not give a professional result in almost all cases.

Ever tried cutting your own hair !! LOL

This just makes no sense at all, and it often shows up in the websites that they end up with which:

• Look old and out of date


• Are not easy to read


• Do not generate new or repeat sales for the business


• And are not used at all to market the business

 

THE REAL COST

Added to that is the real cost of DIY.

Think about the first time that you drive to a new destination in a new city, especially if you go without a map or GPS.

It inevitably takes much longer than if you caught a taxi or limo service.  You take wrong turns, get stuck because you don’t know the bottlenecks and short cuts, and you probably cop a fine for unknowingly doing something wrong!

The professionals are experienced and know their way around.

They get you there in a fraction of the time and cost. Because you are not DIY driving, you will not make mistakes and get tickets and fines.

You will arrive safe and relaxed at your destination ready for whatever work or play awaits you there.

Learn to DELEGATE

The same thing applies for any task in your business for which you are not professionally qualified.

In the long run, it is always cheaper and quicker to get the professionals in to do the job.

English: Findlay, Ohio, September 20, 2007 — Gilbert Yingling, a representative with Small Business Administration (SBA) makes calls to local business owners from a local chamber of commerce business directory as part of an SBA outreach program. He then follows up with person to person meetings with the business owners. John Ficara/FEMA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

And sometimes as a business owner, even if you are professionally qualified in a particular area, it is much better for the business overall for you to step back to keep oversight of the business.

To stay one step removed from the process.

“Not always possible in a small or fledgling business”, I hear you reply!

True that. And . . .

Unless you aim to step back and delegate, that small and fledgling business will remain that way.

Start with small steps

Find ways to claw back a few hours here and there that you can invest into working ON the business and growing the business and generating new revenues to pay for more time that you can delegate.

I know that this is a big challenge for business owners, so if even one business owner takes action on this post, then it will have been worth writing.

I would love to hear what you are going to do . . . better, what you have done.

Well, that is quite simple really!

.

What should you do now?

1. Take a look at where you can delegate some small task that you now do yourself.


2. And then find someone to delegate it to.


3. Want some help or ideas? Just contact us at Hotpink Websites now.

.

Quote

A king, realizing his incompetence, can either delegate or abdicate his duties.
~ Marlene Dietrich

Remember – What do you do?

.

Related articles

• 
  Business Networking Tips 14
  


• 
  How small business owners get paid in 5 days
  


• 
  5 Commonly Missed Tax Deductions for Small Business Owners
  


• 
  4 Free Services Every Budget-Conscious Small Business Should Use
  

What do you do?

Opportunity + Reward = Desire

As with many things in life, Opportunity + Reward = Desire.

And no more-so, it seems, than when it comes to crime in local businesses . . .

Robbery not allowed (Photo credit: Arenamontanus)

The local copper turned up at our Chamber of Commerce meeting today and asked us, “Are you inviting crime into your businesses?”

He reported the sad truth of crime happening in local businesses, many of which we just do not hear about in the media.

Here are some quick tips . . .

Opportunity + Reward = Desire

When a criminal sees the Opportunity and the Reward, the Desire increases exponentially . . . and the result is a crime.

 

The Police call this the Crime Triangle.

So, every little deterrent is important . . .

For example . . . check your business for these:

• Cash register (POS) clearly visible to passing traffic


• POS clearly visible to other staff members


• Posters and advertising and huge displays help with marketing, but they also help to conceal crimes in progress


• High shelves, and cluttered walkways

These all have the effect of increasing the Opportunity factor in the Crime Triangle.

Our copper sited an example of walking into a shop at night to find the staff counting the money on the counter in plain view.

Talk about Opportunity + Reward !!

And since this happens regularly at the same time every day, it makes it so easy to plan a crime. 

Actions that happen regularly at the same time every day increase the Opportunity Factor.

Get some help

The Police are more than happy to help you with identifying and fixing things in your place of business that could attract or create crime.

After-all, each crime prevented is a better result for them – less work and a safer community.

Well, that is quite simple really!

.

What should you do now?

1. Take a commonsense look at your place of business.


2. Take a commonsense look at the daily routine in your business


3. And then, call in the coppers if your are not sure.


4. Want some help or ideas? Just contact us at Hotpink Websites now.

.

Quote

Don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t sell drugs.
The government hates competition.
~ Hussein Nishah

Remember – Opportunity + Reward = Desire

.

Related articles

• 
  Three Armed Robberies in Fluvanna Have Store Owners on Edge
  


• 
  Reward Offered For Commercial Burglaries Information
  


• 
  Get along the best restaurant POS systems
  


• 
  Tips sought in armed robbery on Berkshire Mall parking lot
  


• 
  Women don’t commit as much corporate crime as men, study shows
  


• 
  What to Do About Black Crime?
  


• 
  Police program takes proactive approach to fighting crime
  

Opportunity + Reward = Desire

Business Networking Tips 14

Many business networkers have trouble coming up with their 30 second promotional or elevator pitch.

Here is a hot tip that will make this Sooo EASY . . .

Elevator Pitch: Ezra Goldman (University of Copenhagen), Willem Boijens (Adaptive Path) (Photo credit: Citymart.com)

When I was told about this simple system at a networking meeting this morning, I thought . . .

WOW !  How easy is that !

So I quickly wrote it down and tried it out then and there.

I found that it is even easy to make up something on the spot without a lot of deliberation.

Here’s what you do.

Just fill in the blanks in these 4 lines and you will have the perfect, well timed 30 second promotional.

I help . . .
Achieve . . .
So they can . . .
And I can . . .

This might look something like this:

I help . . . brides
Achieve . . . their ideal wedding
So they can . . . relax and enjoy their special day
And I can . . . show my creative flair

. . . or . . .

I help . . . small business owners
Achieve . . . a powerful website platform
So they can . . . generate repeat sales and find new customers
And I can . . . share my systems and marketing knowledge

Now, you can vary the words at the start of each line to make it flow more, but you get the idea.

Give it a go !

Well, that is quite simple really!

.

What should you do now?

1. Write down these 4 lines or memorise them.


2. Prepare one to use at your next networking meeting.


3. Want some help or ideas? Just contact us at Hotpink Websites now.

.

Quote

If one elevator button has a star on it, I’m pressing it.
~ BJ Novak

Remember – Business Networking Tips 14

.

Related articles

• 
  Business Networking Tips 12
  


• 
  She Has Her Own Thing! Part 3: Networking For Opportunity
  


• 
  8 tips for more efficient business networking offline
  


• 
  She Has Her Own Thing! Part 2: Creating a Buzz For Your Biz
  


• 
  7 Tips For Entrepreneurs Who Like To Work Alone
  


• 
  If You Really Want To Be Great At Presenting, Get Creative!
  


• 
  The profits of business networking
  


• 
  Promoting your start-up business – Part 5 – Networking
  


• 
  Networking For Your Online Business
  

Business Networking Tips 14

Business Networking Tips 12

Business Networking works in two ways.

One is where you just happened to meet the right person at the meeting who is looking for your product or services right now.

These serendipitous meetings are always welcome, because they quite often lead to a quick sale.

However, the real value in business networking is . . .

hospital (Photo credit: sancho_panza)

in building relationships with people who will refer you to other customers, and not just being a customer themselves.

And as we have discussed elsewhere in this blog, these relationships are built over time with frequent interactions.

You, or your BDM or salesperson, needs to turn up regularly at the business networking meetings for you to build these relationships and create a presence for your business in the group.

Which draws us to the point of this particular article.

If you cannot attend a business networking meeting for health, holidays or any reason, then send along a stand-in to represent your business.

They introduce themselves by their own name, but representing you and your business.

For example “Hi, I am Fred Smith standing in for Jane Green from ABC Enterprises.”

You should also provide any appropriate materials for your stand-in to use, including:

• a script for the 30 second promotional talk


• business cards

The stand in would ideally be another member of your business . . .

Or someone who knows your business quite well.

It might be your husband / wife, or a neighbour or friend, or even a raving fan customer.

The goal is to maintain the presence of your business in the group.
To stay front of mind with members of the group.

Do it now

Oh, and because you usually only need a stand-in in an emergency situation, get it organised ahead of time.

If you do not have staff at your disposal to send along at short notice, speak to someone now and ask if they would be willing to do this for you when the time comes.

Another Hot Tip

Most of these groups are pretty hot on keeping your promotional talk to the time limit, which may be 60 seconds, 30 seconds or even 15 seconds.

So make sure that you read through the script that you provide before you give it to your stand-in. 

Time it and make sure he or she can get through it in the allotted time.

Well, that is quite simple really!

.

What should you do now?

1. Find a stand-in and make the necessary arrangements.


2. Want some help or ideas? Just contact us at Hotpink Websites now.

.

Quote

Yes, obstacles stand in your way, but so what? When you’re living with purpose & passion, you’ll find your way beyond every difficulty.
~ Unknown

Remember – Business Networking Tips 12

.

Related articles

• 
  Promoting your start-up business – Part 5 – Networking
  


• 
  A New Network: Part II
  


• 
  The profits of business networking
  


• 
  Feisty Enterprise Tip #12: Get Into Networks That Give You Know-How and Fun
  


• 
  Networking with Strangers is the Great American Business Myth
  


• 
  7 Tips For Entrepreneurs Who Like To Work Alone
  

Business Networking Tips 12

Find what worked before and do it again now

This came up in one of our Marketing Review client meetings – “Find what worked before and do it again now”

A new client had been bemoaning their lower that expected sales for the quarter.  So we asked . . .

Coach Boeheim Lays Out a Plan (Photo credit: MattBritt00)

“What did you do before that worked?”

They responded . . .

“Well, when we call our past clients or send out cards by post, we always make some good sales.”

We came back with . . .

“Then do more of that!”

It is so simple and yet so easily overlooked in business and sales . . . that

the things that worked before, will usually work again!

It then becomes just a matter of repetition.  Repeating the sales process over and over, and making the sales.

Now, it is true that some things do change over time, so always Test and Measure your results.

But it just makes good sense to

. . . find what worked before and do it again now!

So, if you are looking to improve your results in these so-called “tough pre-election times”, then take a look at what you’ve done in the past to generate more sales.

And since elections come around regularly and they do seem to have a depressing effect on the economy, take a good note of anything that you have done in the last couple of months that generated new sales.

Because you are probably going to need those strategies again in another 3 years time !! LOL

Marketing Review

The Marketing Review client meeting is a quarterly meeting that we have with our clients.

website ideas (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

Although the primary focus is on the website and how to make it work even better for the client . . . our advisers often put on their business coaching and/or personal coaching hats and get talking about other factors that are affecting the business and discuss ways to change or improve these areas too.

At Hotpink Websites, we are much, much more than just a website company!

Well, that is quite simple really!

.

What should you do now?

1. Think about what has worked for you before.


2. And then do more of that now.


3. Want some help or ideas? Just contact us at Hotpink Websites now.

.

Quote

Learn from your mistakes. the only things that need to be practiced in repetition should be of self-beneficial or humanitarian purpose.
~ Unknown

Remember – Find what worked before and do it again now

.

Related articles

• 
  Check your domain name expiry date
  


• 
  How to Integrate Inbound Marketing With a Traditional Sales Team
  


• 
  What’s the Connection Between Sales and Marketing?
  


• 
  What Coaching IS, Part I
  


• 
  11 Sales Experts Explain Why Your Sales Team Is Underperforming
  


• 
  Top ActionCOACH Trey Finley Adds A One-of-a-Kind Marketing Tool for…
  


• 
  The Art of Herding Sales Cats
  

 

Find what worked before and do it again now