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Is Your Small Business Website a Diamond in the Rough?
The sheer vastness of the cyber economy is staggering. There are
well over six billion web pages vying for the attention Internet
users around the globe. Needless to say, millions of these sites
are owned and maintained by people just like...
MLM Training- MLM Recruiter? MLM Sponsor? MLM Babysitter? MLM Mentor?
by Doug Firebaugh
There are many Leadership factors involved in building an mlm downline, but none are more frustrating than the roles a Network Marketing Leader can play when recruiting and engaging a new person in this business.
We...
Multicultural Marketing – Taking Care Of Business At Hand
Multicultural marketing mirrors the changed face of America and is getting the attention of small-business and other organizations looking for an edge in diverse ethnic markets. “Gone are the days when businesses succeed with a ‘one size fits all’...
Network Marketing Training- Secrets To MLM Holiday Success- Part 2- The Holiday Letter
In network Marketing, with the Holiday Season approaching, there are so many chances to start a conversation with someone and recruit them for the Holidays. But it has to be done right! Many times you can have a great chance to communicate about...
Vacation Marketing
Does your marketing come to a screeching halt during your annual vacation pilgrimage? Do you cease to promote your company and your products or services? Does your company dwindle into a period of non-existence while you are away? Success...
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5 Steps To Help Fail-Proof Your Growing Service Business
Business startup and failure rates are scary...
In The USA...
- Every Year Over 1 Million People Start A Business
- By The End Of The First Year 40% Of Them Will Be Out Of Business
- Within 5 Years More Than 80% (800,000) Of These Businesses Will Have Failed
(Source: The eMyth Revisited, Michal E Gerber, US Department of Commerce)
In The UK...
- 2003 Saw 423,100 New Businesses In England & Wales Startup
- Over Half of All New Firms Fail In The First 3 Years
- At Least 211,550 Of These Businesses Will Have Failed Before The End Of 2006
(Source: Barclays SME Market Research Team England & Wales Statistics Based On Business Current Account Customers)
Unfortunately more and more people are being encouraged to go it alone by government agencies and banks while being given out-dated advice that doesn't actually work.
The advisors in these organisations typically have experience in larger production / manufacturing / financial businesses and share marketing advice that really doesn't work for the majority of small service-based businesses today.
Their text-book marketing principles simply do not translate to businesses with limited money to invest in advertising, direct mail and telesales.
In many cases these advisors are telling people how to run a business even though they're actually working for a bank or government agency themselves. They have no real experience spending their own money to grow a business.
Survival and inevitable success means being lean, mean and focused on getting a genuine result (in the form of profit) from the time and money you invest.
So here are 5 tips you can use to take the power back and begin "fail proofing" your growing business today.
#1. Question "Experts" Thoroughly
Be wary of government funded trainers and / or advisors put forward by banks.
These people, in many cases, don't have a clue what its like to run and grow their own business. Make it your job to "suss them out" before taking anything they tell you too seriously.
Some questions that I like...
What's your experience of starting and running a small business?
Have you actually spent your own money trying to make a business work?
What mistakes have you made? What lessons can I learn from your experience?
Will this advice / support / idea cost me money or make me money?
Who really benefits when I take the course of action you're recommending?
#2. Model Excellent Businesses
Now by this I don't mean simply copy random things they do.
Just because the boss of a successful firm like yours drives a brand-new
Bentley it doesn't mean you should rush out and buy one too. That won't guarantee success.
You're looking to find the things that she did in order to afford the Bentley in the first place.
So find out as much about their processes and systems as you can and then look for evidence to support applying similar things that work for them to your business.
Subscribe to their mailing list. Visit their premises. Talk to their staff. Talk to their customers. Read their ads (or notice that they don't advertise). Network with them.
You can learn just as much from non-competing businesses too. So why not set up a support / learning group or see if a successful entrepreneur would be able to mentor you.
#3. Have A BIG Goal
Big goals, by definition, should be easier to hit than small goals. So don't think small - think big.
After nearly 8 years in business I still like to set regular, big, 90 day goals. I call these goals SHAGs - Short Hairy Audacious Goals.
Too many businesses focus on surviving. They think in terms of what they don't want. They miss the opportunity to really succeed and then get what they were desperately trying to avoid - failure!
Focusing on what you don't want really doesn't work. If you don't want to fail you should focus on succeeding in a big way.
#4. Improve Constantly
Have goals and set targets. Know what outcomes you want and quantify them where possible.
Then work towards your goals using the following cycle...
1. Implement (Do Something) 2. Measure (Test & Review) 3. Improve (Learn & Adjust)
As my friend and firewalk trainer Sanjay Shah says, if you simply improve by 1 percent a day, you'll have improved 300 percent (allowing for holidays) in a year!
#5. Don't Follow The Crowd
Look, we both know most businesses fail so don't do what most other businesses do or you'll get the same results.
Don't just advertise because every other business seems to advertise. Make sure advertising will make you money.
Don't just do telesales because that happens to be the service your local Chamber of Commerce is selling.
Don't measure turnover when profit and cashflow is usually more important.
Don't take on staff just because other businesses believe more people equals growth. More people often just means less profit!
Don't do the same thing, in the same way, to the same people as every other business like yours.
Do something different!
About the Author
4 Out Of 5 Small Businesses Go Bust Inside 5 Years! Finally - A Guaranteed Way To Make Sure You're Not One Of Them... http://www.leanmarketing.co.uk/toolbooks
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When You Know How | Network Marketing Works! |
Your guide to tips, resources, opportunities. Get your Free CD the Science of Network Marketing. We can show you how to make it work for you. |
www.network-marketing-works.com |
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Marketing, business - Is Network Marketing Just a Scam? |
Marketing, business - Is Network Marketing Just a Scam? - Entrepreneur.com. |
www.entrepreneur.com |
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Business Opportunities: MLM, Network Marketing, Work at Home |
Listing of Business Opportunities: MLM, Network Marketing, Mail Order, Kiosks and more. |
www.entrepreneur.com |
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Multi-level marketing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
Multi-level marketing (MLM) (also called network marketing or NM) is a business ... In a typical multi-level marketing or network marketing arrangement, ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
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List of network marketing companies - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
Jump to: navigation, search. This is a list of companies which utilize network marketing, also known as multi-level marketing. ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
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MLM - Network Marketing Business Journal |
MLM industry journal is the oldest, largest MLM newspaper for the newest network marketing, direct sales, homebased income opportunities and articles. |
www.mmmonthly.com |
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The Real Problem with Network Marketing and Multi-Level Marketing ... |
It never ceases to amaze me the extreme polar views on the topic of network marketing and MLM. Some people are passionate about it in the extreme, ... |
entrepreneurs.about.com |
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Network Marketing News ONLINE - Home |
Network Marketing and MLM Tools, Training, and Information - your online resource. Business Opportunity. Free fax-on demand. Free autoresponders. |
www.networkmarketingnews.com |
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MLM Woman Newsletter - The Complete MLM/Network Marketing Resource ... |
MLM Woman Newsletter - The complete resource on the Internet for the MLM Woman and Man. |
www.mlmwoman.com |
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Site Build It! - Network Marketing |
Site Build It! is the only all-in-one site-building, site-hosting, AND site-marketing system of software tools for Network Marketers (MLM). |
networkmarketing.sitesell.com |
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Amazon.com: Your First Year in Network Marketing: Overcome Your ... |
Amazon.com: Your First Year in Network Marketing: Overcome Your Fears, Experience Success, and Achieve Your Dreams!: Books: Mark Yarnell,Rene Reid Yarnell ... |
www.amazon.com |
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Home based buisness ideas, MLM and Network Marketing Business ... |
Home based business ideas. Best home business and home based business ideas.Spiritual marketing your home based business ideas. Namaste. |
www.mlmforums.com |
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Network Marketing: Home |
Special Offer. >> Home. News / Events. 15.08.06: APPOINTMENT OF GREG GUTHRIE. © Copyright Network Marketing 2002, |, Terms of Use, |, Privacy Policy ... |
www.networkmarketing.com.au |
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Specialists in marketing and creative recruitment both agencies ... |
One of the UK's leading marketing recruitment consultancies. Specialists in marketing and creative recruitment both for agencies and clients on a temporary ... |
www.networkmarketingjobs.com |
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Network Marketing Success Now |
Tips and resources to help you build a successful network marketing business online... |
nmsnow.com |
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MLM Network Marketing Resources by Online MLM .com |
Directory of network marketing and direct sales companies. |
www.onlinemlm.com |
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MLM Network Marketing training Randy Gage |
MLM Network Marketing training resources by Randy Gage and other leading MLM industry experts give business building secrets for success in your home ... |
www.networkmarketingtimes.com |
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multi-level marketing |
multi-level marketing (a.k.a. network marketing & referral marketing) ... EVALUATIONS of MLM or Network Marketing Companies, Based on the "5 Red Flags" of a ... |
skepdic.com |
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Network Marketing |
Network Marketing as the basis of a home based business. |
www.homeworking.com |
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Network Marketing Support Services |
Offers resources for the MLM professional. |
www.mlmhelp.com |
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