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How to Work Smarter, Not Harder on Your Business

Is all your hard work paying off? Maybe not. According to Boston University's Questrom School of Business, managers can't tell the difference between employees working 80 hours a week - and those who just pretend to. They couldn't see if their overworked employees actually accomplished more than those just pretending to work hard.

But the research doesn't give us a free pass to just slash our work hours and expect to see success. Instead, we should be working smarter, not harder, on our businesses to see results.

So instead of logging upwards of 80 hours of work a week simply for the sake of hard work, turn those 80 hours into a smart and savvy business hustle to skyrocket your success. Here are six ways to get started.

1. Get Clear On Your Goals

Serious focus and clear goal setting is crucial to your business success. Start by writing down your goals to give your hard work a boost. According to a study by Dr. Gail Matthews at the Dominican University, more than 70% of those who wrote down their goals and sent weekly updates to a friend were successful in achieving those goals. Meanwhile, only 35% of those who kept the goals to themselves were actually successful.

2. Offer Incredible Value

Creating unbelievable value in your business isn't a new concept. But how you do it should extend past the services you bill for. I exceeded last year's goal to connect or help one person a day and expected nothing in return. When I meet to help others or get to know them better, I don't ask for the sale or a return favor during that conversation. By simply focusing on helping others and creating value, I automatically generate leads and acquire new customers to the tune of six figures.

You can offer incredible value in your own business by focusing on what you do best. Give away a valuable ebook on your expertise if you're amazing at breaking down complex theories and jargon into easy-to-understand language. Create a LinkedIn group or a premium membership site if you excel at being a cheerleader for your clients and holding them accountable through their own business-building process.

3. Make It Passive

Earning a healthy income is relatively easy if you're working hard and putting in long hours. But there are only so many hours in the day that you can actually work. Spend too many hours on your actual services, and you sacrifice the time needed to develop new products and services and scale your business.

Instead, make part of your business a completely passive pursuit. Start by selling an ebook or self-paced video course. You can also look into how to diversify your wealth-building portfolio to earn passive income. That income can then be reinvested into your business to continue growing it.

4. Automate Your Systems

Earning money isn't the only thing that can be a passive pursuit in your business. Borrow from that passive concept and start automating your systems. Start by pre-qualifying leads with a survey or follow-up form to learn more about their business. This can dramatically reduce time on the phone going through the same questions you ask every lead, only to find out they're not your ideal client.

Use a system like KissFlow to determine processes, build forms, design the workflow, and set permissions for your team. SalesForce can also help automate processes like your project management systems, quality control, and managing advertising campaigns. Focus on completely automating your most common processes to create more margin and free up your time to build your business.

5. Eliminate Decision Fatigue

There are only so many decisions you can make in a single day before suffering burnout and decision fatigue. Research has shown that judges are more likely to offer parole and favorable terms during the morning hours - as decision fatigue sets in during the afternoon, similar offenders are more likely to be denied parole.

Make the majority of your decisions in the morning when your mind is the most alert and rested. Stack your afternoon with less-intensive tasks like meeting for coffee with a business prospect, answering emails, or getting in a workout at the gym.

And remember to take time to decompress and reflect. I reboot my brain by traveling, writing, and skydiving. In a survey of the daily routines of hundreds of Fortune 500 Executives, VPs and CEOs consistently use their evenings to unwind with a short walk, reading, pursuing a hobby, and shutting down electronics to relax before bed. When it's time to make more decisions in your business, you'll feel energized and more focused.

6. Outsource Strategically

Common sense should tell us we can't do everything ourselves. But in reality, entrepreneurs get stuck in the startup or bootstrapping mentality and keep doing everything themselves. Get more done in your business by outsourcing menial tasks, and anything that isn't within your range of expertise.

Start by outsourcing your bookkeeping to a monthly service like Bench, or your payroll to the experts at Wagepoint. Meanwhile, a service like Zirtual can provide you with virtual assistants to help with everything from travel planning to online research.

And don't just stop at delegating professional tasks. Remember, you can also outsource things like cleaning your office or home, cooking meals, and errand running to free up more time in your personal life and create more of a time margin in your business.

Are you ready to give up some control to work smarter, not harder? It's easy to keep wearing 'working hard' like a badge of honor. But working smart, automating processes, and giving up control can help your business soar and dramatically impact your bottom line.

What's your favorite way to work smarter, not harder, on your business? 

Let me know in the comments below.

Source : http://on.inc.com/2dvPxYB

Do You Have What It Takes to Make It as an Entrepreneur?

Are you suited to be an entrepreneur? Too often, people start businesses not aware they do not have the right entrepreneurial skill-set—they may be too complacent, laid-back, or cautious to take up on the multifaceted role of entrepreneur—which can lead to the failure of their ventures.

Being aware of your entrepreneurial style before launching a startup can help you determine if you’re suited for entrepreneurship.

1. You Are an Innovator

Do you love experimenting with new ideas? If yes, then you are probably a creative soul who loves original ideas. This type of entrepreneur has a knack for blue-sky thinking which often results in creating or inventing revolutionary products. Steve Jobs is one example of an entrepreneur who changed the face of computing with his out-of-the-box approach to thinking.

2. You Are a Risk-Taker

This type of entrepreneur is not afraid to make bold decisions in their business. They take risks as a way to challenge their own methodologies or strategies and to grow as an individual. With their courageous mindset, they are able to successfully grow their businesses and stay ahead in the game. If you have the ability to face challenges, this may describe you.

3. You Are a Wanna-Be Entrepreneur

You desperately want to be a successful entrepreneur but you seriously lack the talent and abilities to become one. You live in a fantasy world of one day having your own business, but you don’t do anything to get started. You are happy reading success stories about entrepreneurs or watching shows about successful business people and visualizing yourself in the same role. If you identify with this type of entrepreneur, then it’s time to wake up.

4. You Are a Slow Starter

You are serious about starting a business, but you want to be absolutely ready before you take the plunge. It’s important to you that everything is in order, and you want to make sure that the process goes as planned. Much of your time is spent in research and planning, and you’re constantly seeking validation from the people around you. Your constant search for information and second opinions keep delaying from getting started, and in the end, you never launch your dream business.

5. You Are a Day Dreamer

Daydreamers are the kind of entrepreneurs who are only seduced by the glamor of entrepreneurship. They don’t want to be bothered with the laborious parts of launching a startup and only want to dwell on what it feels like to be their own boss. They have mental images of fancy offices and luxurious private jets. But they do not do any real work to convert their dreams into a living reality.

6. You Are an Opportunity Seeker

These entrepreneurs are always searching for new opportunities for starting businesses. They do not build castles in the air, but they instead look for opportunities to build their business. They will also keep in touch with influential people in their industry to get help, even if it comes in the form of financial help or volunteering.

7. You Are Resilient

This hardy type of entrepreneur belongs to the group of strong-willed people who never give up, no matter how difficult the circumstances are. Even if finances are a problem, they never lose sight of their vision and keep progressing towards their goals. Through their determination and resilience, they manage to find solutions.

8. You Are Dependent on Others

There are entrepreneurs who are dependent on others to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality. They are not willing to launch their businesses until they can find the right partners to work with. Therefore, they oftentimes keep delaying their ventures and sometimes end up giving up in the end.

Source : http://bit.ly/2d9LXrs

Did you know ?

The Potential of Social Media for B2B in 2016

“Social media's not going away - it's up to businesses to board the train or get left on the platform.

What other tool can build relationships between businesses with such ease and speed?

What other channel can generate enhanced exposure for your business and develop brand loyalty without spending a penny?

In 2016, B2B social media will generate leads for over half of all businesses and continue to break down barriers between you and those you wish to connect with - if you let it”

source : http://bit.ly/2bNTqrT

USE THESE 10 TIPS FOR MARKETING YOUR STARTUP GLOBALLY

Are you ready to take your startup worldwide?

It’s easier to do than ever thanks to online Kickstarter campaigns, crowdfunding, social media platforms, and the overall move to digital over old school brick and mortar. However, that doesn’t mean it’s actually easy—globalizing your startup comes with an entirely new set of challenges. Plus, it’s even tougher for entrepreneurs because you don’t have the same deep pockets as corporations who can hire entire translation teams to take care of communication. How can you compete in taking your startup global?

There are 10 easy, budget-friendly ways to stay competitive even on a startup’s budget. Here’s how to go global even when your bottom line is playing boss:

Learn a New Language

Learning a new language yourself helps you show respect for the culture you’re marketing to. Even if you make a faux pas or can’t communicate like a native speaker, making an effort is what really counts. It might be what makes an investor in Japan choose you over a bigger company that didn’t bother to learn basic greetings.

Get on the Right Social Media Platforms

Facebook and Twitter aren’t the be-all, end-all of social media. In fact, the platforms used by other countries for connecting, marketing, and producing might vary widely. Accessing Western social media from China is banned, though not impossible; instead, the local market has developed its own competitors like WeChat and Sina Weibo. Find out what the most popular SM platforms are in the countries you’re targeting and get on board.

Hire Smart, Hire Local

As a growing company, you’ll probably soon have an opportunity to bring on a new worker or contractor. Hiring someone who’s from the region you’re targeting, or at least is highly experienced in the culture, can give you an edge. Plus, it helps diversify your startup, which is a plus no matter how you look at it.

Tell Your Story in Pictures

If you can’t afford a certified translator right now, remember that pictures are worth 1,000 words and need no translation. Use an infographic, image, or short (wordless video) to convey your message. It’s creative and more appealing than a dry document anyway.

Go Fully Digital

There are some founders who are experienced in old school marketing strategies and stay in that realm because that’s where they’re comfortable. Stop. It’s a digital world and marketing is changing, which allows you to reach all corners of the world—plus it’s more affordable, so it’s a win-win.

Research the Culture

It’s not just about the language, but also the culture when marketing. You can easily creative an offensive marketing campaign in another country and never know it. Know the culture and the language if you’re delving into that territory.

Take Holidays into Account

If you really want to tap into a culture or region, make sure to plan your marketing around their biggest holidays. For example, who wouldn’t jump on the holiday marketing bandwagon in the US? However, in India it’s Diwali in October/November that’s the big ticket item. It makes your marketing relevant and gives you a free competitive edge. 

Give Them Their Own Domain

In some cases, you might want to pick up multiple domains and create content for each region. If it requires another language, it needs expert translation. If not, just make sure the content is different and appropriate to the country. For example, you might want to get both the .com and the .ca for your American and Canadian audiences. 

Drop the Slang

Many startups want to be seen as young and trending, which means using a lot of slang. It’s lost on some Americans, so just imagine how confusing it can be to other markets outside the country. Even some “staple” slang like “jones” (i.e. “jonesing” for some chocolate) makes zero sense in other English-speaking countries.

Don’t take Short Cuts

There are no short cuts around certifiable translations. If you can’t afford to go global now in some regards, don’t. There are many other ways to reach audiences besides butchering a language.

While it’s simpler to go global now more than ever, don’t dive in without doing your research. Just like starting your venture, preparation is key. Know who your audience is, why you selected that market, and how they want to be approached before you ever create a first impression. 

 Source : http://bit.ly/2c3Jpex

11 Stupid Mistakes Sabotaging Your Sales Success

Just a decade ago, sales was a fairly straightforward profession. Salespeople could be successful with only a fancy suit, an enthusiastic grin, and a well-rehearsed pitch.

But none of those things are relevant anymore, let alone effective.

Pitching prematurely does not work in today’s information-saturated marketplace. Your prospects are more well-informed than ever before. Modern buyers don’t always need or want to meet with you, making your winning smile a bit less critical. And you certainly can’t rely on your fancy suit to impress them these days.

It’s time to adapt to the times.

To catch you up to the current, Marc Wayshak provides some of the most concise and best advice I’ve been seeing lately. Wayshak is the best-selling author of Game Plan Selling, creator of the Sales Strategy Academy, and host of his own channel on YouTube.

1) Putting off your calls.

Phone prospecting is one of the most important sales skills. The only way to get past the fear of phone prospecting is to pick up the phone and get started. No matter the source or warmness of your leads, you have to pick up the phone. Create a calling schedule -- and stick to it!

2) Not using a script.

The only thing worse than a procrastinated phone call is an unplanned one. Salespeople are quick to reject the idea of using a script as a basis for a call -- but scripts only sound scripted if they’re poorly written, inflexible and not practiced. Use a script for every phone call to keep yourself on track, keep the call focused, and to plan your response to pushback from prospects.

3) Using a “sales voice.”

The tone of your voice can literally end a conversation before it even begins. Ditch the salesy, enthusiastic tone that most salespeople use, and opt for a low-key, friend-like greeting instead. Record your sales calls and listen to your voice to see how you can improve.

4) Focusing too much on yourself.

Prospects don’t care about you. They only care about themselves. Stop worrying about trying to present yourself and your solutions in an attempt to impress. Instead, focus on your prospects’ goals and challenges. Be interested instead of trying to be interesting.

5) Not setting a clear next step.

Never end a successful phone call or sales meeting without a defined next step. Unless it makes no sense to ever talk to your prospect again, always schedule a very clear next step during your current sales meetings or phone calls so both you and your prospect know how to proceed. Don’t wait to get buy-in for next steps after you’ve hung up.

6) Talking too much.

Ninety-nine percent of salespeople talk too much in selling situations. Very few salespeople talk too little. Cut the chat -- and get your prospects talking by asking them great questions. 

7) Trying to be like everyone else.

Far too many salespeople sound and act like they think salespeople should act. Prospects are sick of it. On the other hand, when you’re perceived as different from other salespeople, your value goes up in prospects’ eyes. Don’t be afraid to be unique. In fact, look for ways you and your company can seem and be different.

8) Not showing value.

Your prospects’ challenges cost them money. If you can find out the dollar amount of that cost, then you can quantify your offering’s value to your prospect. Make this a priority in every selling situation. You’re probably wasting your time if your prospect isn’t convinced you can save them or make them money -- or both.

9) Not qualifying on a budget.

Most salespeople never ask prospects about a budget. This is a mistake. Prospects usually have a budget, even if they say they don’t. It might not be earmarked for your solution, but most companies have money to spend if they believe they can get better results. Probing what the budget is, why it’s that size, and under what conditions they’ll spend it, will allow you to craft the right solution.

10) Continuing to pursue unqualified prospects.

The biggest difference between top salespeople and everyone else is that top salespeople spend the majority of their time with well-qualified prospects. This requires that you drop prospects who are less likely to buy. Dropping this dead weight allows you to spend your time finding and pursuing better opportunities.

11) Presenting too early.

Many salespeople start their sales meetings with a presentation -- and shoot themselves in the foot. Instead of leading with a presentation, begin by focusing on prospects’ key challenges and objectives. You may need to lead with a story about how you’ve helped people like them, but start a conversation, not a dog and pony show. 

Source : http://bit.ly/2aMiYUm

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Twitter : @patosins

4 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Becoming An Entrepreneur

1. Are you ready to work harder than you ever have?

As an entrepreneur, you will most likely work harder and longer than ever before. True entrepreneurs aren’t only putting in 40 hours a week and then calling it a long week; they are more than likely doubling the hours they had at their regular jobs.

The best part about working that hard and that much is you’re working towards something that you are passionate about. You’re working towards what you’re creating and what you will be able to call your own.

Working for someone else can be satisfying in a certain sense, but you are still working towards a goal and building a company that is not your own. Working for yourself means ownership, and creating, from the ground up, what is yours.

2. Are you ready for the obstacles ahead?

Being an entrepreneur and following your own path has its own set of obstacles. Tough obstacles. In a 40-hour work week, you faced obstacles, but usually on a smaller scale. The obstacles you face with a normal job can be missing a deadline or messing up a sale, but it’s not life-threatening. The obstacles you will face as an entrepreneur can be life-threatening in the sense of, if you fail or quit, you or your family could lose everything. If you don’t make it through the obstacles as an entrepreneur, you could easily ruin your life and have nothing to show for it. But overcoming the obstacles of entrepreneurship will reap some of the biggest rewards.

3. Are you ready to be your own boss?

Being a full-time entrepreneur means you set your own schedule, make your own hours, and do your own thing whenever you want. That sounds pretty exciting, right? Just make sure you don’t get too comfortable with that idea. Everything you do as an entrepreneur will affect your results and your success. If you constantly procrastinate and get complacent, you will see the same thing happen in your business and in your life.

4. Are you ready to have fun?

Despite all of the hard work and different challenges you will face as an entrepreneur, you will still have fun. The best part is seeing you slowly progress and build a company or a brand from the ground up. At eye level, it doesn’t seem like too much fun with all of the hard work and dedication, but if you take a step back and look what you have created, you will feel accomplished and it will only motivate you to keep moving forward.

Entrepreneurship takes a lot of effort and dedication, but it’s amazing. Are you ready for it?

 Source: http://tcat.tc/1oIV2aZ

8 Valuable Tips for Women Entrepreneurs

The feminist in me (which is pretty much all of me) bristles a bit when we talk about women entrepreneurs as a separate group that requires preferential advice. But unfortunately, we still live in a patriarchal society and as much as I wish I could deny it, women are still treated differently in many areas, including entrepreneurship.

There are also a lot of double-standards out there when it come to how female and male entrepreneurs are treated. Yet, starting in a lower position than our male counterparts, female entrepreneurs are forced to work harder and often outperform men.

All of that being said, I have to admit that it is still somewhat helpful to see advice out there that is specifically tailored towards women and how we interpret and are interpreted by, the world.

Here are some of the best pieces of advice I’ve seen for women entrepreneurs recently. I should add that, if we were to put this advice into a Venn Diagram, while all of it would be useful for women entrepreneurs, a lot of it would also be useful for all entrepreneurs whether male or female, and a lot of it would also be useful for women in general.

1. Find your passion. If you’re going to be spending most of your waking hours working towards something, try your damndest to make it something you’re truly passionate about.
2. Keep your home and work life separate. This can be a huge challenge for those who work from home, and if you’re diving into a startup venture full-time and can’t afford an office space, you’ll almost definitely be working from home. If you keep your schedule too flexible, customers and clients will take advantage of it, causing unnecessary stress.
3. Form real connections with other women. I’m not saying join a twelve step program for women entrepreneurs (does such a thing exist? That could be a genius startup idea in itself!) but get out there and meet other women who are in the same boat. Get yourself a kickass mentor, or create a group if one doesn’t already exist in your area.
4. Network your face off. Even if you’re far from a social butterfly, you can still network with the best of them. Being a successful networker is a learned skill. Knowing the right people, or even just knowing the people who know the right people can be incredibly beneficial when you’re trying to build and grow your business. It can also help you become part of a community of likeminded folk.
5. Don’t start a business just for the money. Sure there are a lot of serial entrepreneurs who jump from one venture to the next and chase trends and money rather than what really interests them. This works, but not often, and it can take a long time before you start actually making money, so it’s best to make sure you enjoy what you’re doing so you don’t burn out before the money even comes.
6. Be brutally honest with yourself. If you can’t be honest with yourself, how can you be expected to be honest with anyone else. It’s challenging at first, but you need to be able to see your own strengths and weaknesses with a critical eye, and assess shortcomings or needs for additional support with unbiased judgement.
7. Ask for help when you need it. This goes along with the previous tip. Don’t try to conquer the world single-handedly. The most successful entrepreneurs know when to ask for help. Be strategic about it and know that it’s not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of good judgement and awareness.
8. Take risks. Almost every aspect of entrepreneurship involves taking risks, and while some might end in failure, the ones that don’t can be very rewarding. Just remember to enter these risks with the confidence that you will succeed.

 Source: http://bit.ly/1pN1NJO

A List Of The Worst Business Advice You Can Follow — Ever

There’s plenty of advice out there for how to start and run a business. But not all of it is good. In fact, there are some common sayings that are actually some of the worst business advice out there. The following includes some of the worst business advice you can follow.

The Worst Business Advice

Do What You Love

Although it may seem like a nice notion, this popular saying is widely considered one of the worst pieces of business advice out there. Just because you love doing something doesn’t mean that others will find it helpful or necessary. And if no one buys what you’re selling, then doing what you love won’t really get you anywhere.

If You Build It, They Will Come

Likewise, simply building an offering doesn’t mean that you’ll actually attract any customers. This saying implies that if you put in the work, there are customers out there who will support your business. But if you don’t do the research and find a market for your product or service, you very well could be in for a rude awakening.

The Customer is Always Right

This popular saying is meant to encourage business owners and employees to work hard to accommodate customers. And while customers and their opinions are generally important to the success of businesses, they’re not always right. If you’re constantly giving discounts or changing your offerings every time a customer makes a demand, you could be hurting your brand and your bottom line.

Never Turn Down a Paying Customer

Likewise, you shouldn’t assume that every customer you get will help your business. Especially if you have a consulting business or provide some other service where it can be necessary for you to work with someone over the long-term, it may very well be in your best interest to only take on a few very select clients.

Don’t Quit Your Day Job

This is some of the worst business advice out there because there’s no right path for every entrepreneur. If you’re just starting out, it may very well be in your best interest to keep your full-time job while building a business. But then again you might be better off quitting and putting all your time and effort into your new venture. When it comes to making this decision, each entrepreneur has to decide based on his or her own set of circumstances, and not listen to a single one-size-fits-all recommendation.

Stay Away From Established Markets

Some experts claim that in order to start a successful business, you need to find a brand new niche or a huge gap in the market. But that’s not always true. You can start a business in an established market as long as you have at least one small thing that customers will appreciate to set you apart.

If You Want Something Done Right, You Have to Do It Yourself

Too many business owners try to do everything themselves because they have a hard time trusting anyone else with their business. But the fact is there are experts and great potential employees out there who can help you do things better than you could all by yourself.

It’s All About Who You Know

Personal connections can certainly be helpful when it comes to running a successful business. But putting such a huge emphasis on them can discourage some people who aren’t well connected from starting businesses. You can always build connections as you go.

Stick to Your Plan

A business plan is a helpful tool. But it shouldn’t be the ultimate, unchanging guide for your business. Sometimes things change, and you should be able to adapt your plan to those changes.

Follow an Established Path to Success

Some experts think that there are just one or two ways to make it in the business world. But young, innovative entrepreneurs are forging their own paths every day. So don’t let anyone tell you that there’s one path you HAVE TO take in order to succeed.

Keep Your Business and Personal Life Separate

While there can be some merit to this piece of advice in certain situations, it’s no longer an absolute rule. Some small businesses actually thrive because the owner or the team shares their personality with customers. You don’t need to air all of your personal drama on social media. But being a little bit open and personable with your customers can be a good thing.

All Attention is Good Attention

Drawing attention to your business, especially during the early stages, can be difficult. So when you get any type of attention or press it might seem like a good thing. But if that attention isn’t in line with your brand and the image you want to portray, it could be doing more harm than good.

Hire the Most Experienced People

Experience can be a very good quality when looking to build your team. But it shouldn’t be the only quality you look for. Finding people who are enthusiastic, talented, creative and who share your vision for your business can be just as important — if not more so.

Offer the Lowest Prices

Plenty of new businesses fall into the trap of trying to differentiate themselves from the competition by offering the lowest prices. But that isn’t always sustainable depending upon your costs and your business model. And it could damage your reputation moving forward.

Work Hard and Success Will Come

Hard work is certainly important when it comes to running a successful business. But it is not the only thing that matters. Don’t think that just because you’re putting in long hours and trying your best that success will eventually come. Sometimes it’s more important to “work smart” than to work hard. Ultimately, the results you get are what matter.

Don’t Try New Things

If you’ve found one or two things that work in your business, it can seem like a safe bet to stick with what works. But doing that won’t allow your business to grow as quickly as you might like. Trying new things can be risky, but it can also be rewarding.

Never Say No

Saying no to new clients, partnerships or opportunities may seem like a bad business strategy. But if you say yes to everything, you could be spreading yourself too thin or taking your business in too many different directions. You need to be very intentional when making those decisions so you can be sure that they’re going to benefit your business in the long run.

You Have to Spend Money to Make Money

This can be true in some circumstances. But you shouldn’t fall into the trap of thinking that making big investments in new equipment, employees, training or other resources, will magically make your business better. You need to be smart about how you spend. And besides, many entrepreneurs have built highly successful businesses with very few or almost no resources at all.

Never Stop Working

You have to work hard to run a successful business. But you also need to find a balance, or else you’ll burn yourself out and find yourself too uninspired to run your business successful. The risk of burnout is one reason work-life balance is an absolute must.

Give Up

Not all businesses succeed. In fact, most don’t. But this is still some of the worst business advice you could ever receive. It’s never up to someone else whether you give up or not. If that’s a decision you need to make, it should be based on more than just outside opinions. Never let others decide when it is time for you to throw in the towel.

What are some of the worst pieces of business advice you have ever heard?

Source: http://bit.ly/1okfcbc