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Sales Masters Guild Mentor, Lesley Jones, introduces us to her Entrepreneurs Training Days and the formula for a business that works.

 

The challenge for most business owners is building a business that works whether they are present or not.

 

As business owners we are passionate about our product or service, it is scaling our business that is our biggest challenge. From employing our first associate to our 20th employee, there is always a fear that it may not work and that money and reputation will be lost. This fear can cause a business to stop in its tracks and prevent us from ever achieving the income and lifestyle of our dreams.

So where do you turn for help?

At first I chose to discuss my business challenges with my partner and family. This was a disaster, they were all employees in large companies and couldn’t grasp the concept of running a business. They treated me as though I had a new hobby and pointed out it wasn’t going to work so I should go and get a ‘proper job’.

 

I switched to asking other small business owners for guidance, whilst some were generous with their time, others wanted money at every turn. I did benefit from some excellent advice, but so much of it was conflicting, confusing and just didn’t seem right for my business.

 

What I needed was a formula for a business that worked, one that would give me the income I wanted and the lifestyle I aspired to. I am pleased to say I found it.

 

There are many elements to this formula, all of which I cover in my Entrepreneur Training Day. During this interactive workshop, we work together ON your business, identifying the areas that are working well and not so well, taking a structured approach and finding solutions that work for your business.

In this blog, I share with you three elements of the formula that have made a positive impact on my business, in the hope that they will inspire you to do more, become more and build the lifestyle you aspire to.

Develop a positive mind-set and don’t be afraid to change direction

We all have voices in our heads that tell us we are stupid or cannot be successful at a task. We didn’t have these voices when we were born, they have built up over the years as we have been given advice from parents, siblings, teachers and employers. Whilst some of this advice is positive, it is mostly negative and stops us from achieving our full potential.

 

The Entrepreneurs mind is inherently positive, negative thoughts are challenged and their origins questioned. This is a skill that can be learned and will have a big impact on the success of your business when you master it.

 

You can learn by reading personal development books and surrounding yourself with positive people, like at my Peer Mentoring Groups. It will change your outlook on your business and your life.

We cover a lot about mind-set on my Entrepreneurs Training Day. It is a key element to get right if you are to build a successful business, one that works whether you are present or taking a well-earned break.

 

During the day we explore how your mind might be stopping you achieve the success you desire and give you the tools to move forward. We share ways to keep you motivated when things get tough and how to create your own LUCK.

 

Being successful in business is a journey, it will not happen overnight. Making mistakes, learning from them and changing direction slightly are all valuable parts of your journey.

 

The difference is that Entrepreneurs see these mistakes as opportunities, so don’t dwell on what is not working in your business, ask yourself :

 

• ‘ How can I improve this…..’ 
• ‘ How can I get around this obstacle……..’ 
• ‘ How can I move forward….’ 

 

You will surprise yourself with the ideas you come up with.

Reverse engineer your plan

As business owners, many of us fear creating a business plan. We won’t allow ourselves to think further than the next 3 or 6 months. We think if we set 5 year goals, even 1 year goals and don’t achieve them, then we have failed. This of course is not true, you may not have reached your goal but you will be a lot nearer it than if you hadn’t set the goal in the first place.

 

It is very easy to get so involved in your business, doing the do, that you lose sight of what you are trying to create. One or two years down the line, you look up and reflect, only to find you are no further forward than when you started. Still doing the same old stuff and no nearer to the lifestyle you aspire to create for yourself.

So what is it to be – Plan or NO Plan?

If you were going on holiday to somewhere you had not been before, you wouldn’t just set off and hope to get to your destination without planning the route, maybe booking a flight or ferry and sorting out a hotel to stop at on the way. So why do so many business owners start their business with no idea of what they are trying to create or how they are going to create it.

 

A milestone driven plan will give focus and purpose to your everyday tasks. It will inspire you to get up in the morning to attend that early meeting; to respond to enquiries and to follow up with prospects.

The second key element to the Entrepreneurs Training Day is planning. We focus on creating a 1 page plan for your business, yes I mean 1 page, not a 20 page book that will sit on the shelf and never be looked at again. A simple plan that will keep you focused on the prize, and one that will grow and adapt as your business grows.

 

We show you how to set big goals, how to break these down into manageable chunks and finally into tasks that if you do every day will transform your business over time.

Creating a unique proposition

It is highly unlikely that your business is totally unique. If you look around, you will see plenty of other businesses with similar names that ‘do’ the same things as you. So how do you differentiate yourself?

There are many ways that businesses can define their USP (Unique Selling Proposition), including highest quality, convenience, guarantees, customer service, speed of delivery etc etc. But what really makes a difference is YOU.

 

Prospects will buy from you when they know, like and trust you to deliver what you say you will. YOU are that extra 10% that will differentiate your business from your competitors and will be the reason you will gain the business.

 

On the one day workshop, we help you define this 10% uniqueness. In a nutshell it is a combination of your background, knowledge, contacts and the way you deliver your service. We explore each of these elements and help you condense this information into a clear sentence that is unique to you and can be used in all your marketing materials.

 

The difference between winning the business and coming second is huge, winning means you get paid, coming second means you earn nothing. So your USP is extremely important.

Summary of the Day

Overall the Entrepreneurs day is packed with great advice, you will learn new skills that you can implement immediately into your business. You will come away with a plan of action having had a fresh look at your target market, your brand, your finances and how you manage your time.

 

In business as in life, a goal without a plan is just a dream.

Or as Benjamin Franklin said “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”

 

Lesley’s Entrepreneurs Training Days are open to anyone wanting to make an impact on their business.

 

You can contact Lesley directly if you’d like to discuss the training in more detail before booking through her Mentors profile page.

 

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