Look In The Mirror To Find Barriers To Success

Sometimes the biggest obstacle to our success is sitting right under our noses.

That would be us!

Have you thought about whether you are the barrier to success in your business?

According to Mark Goulston, there are eight behaviors we commonly use to sabatoge our efforts at success. He says,” Repetitive behaviors that block your efforts to accomplish your long-term objectives are self-defeating. And, while you’re losing your competitive edge by always meeting challenges in a self-defeating fashion, your competition confronts and masters stressful situations head-on.”

Here are the big eight.

1. Procrastinating
2. Not preparing well enough.
3. Not following through.
4. Not learning from your mistakes.
5. Being competent, but uncharming.
6. Saying yes when you want to say no.
7. Having unrealistic expectations.
8. Getting involved with the wrong people.

I know I’ve been guilty of #7. I have to make sure and check that all the time.

What about you? Are you creating these roadblocks in your business? Leave me a comment and tell me how you’re going to overcome them.

Need to Quickly Improve Your Cash Flow? Here’s Help

The economy is improving in baby steps. But that may not have had an impact on your business yet.

If your small business is still struggling with cash flow, never fear, there are some quick and creative ways you can improve just by making a few tweaks in your  business.

I have recently published a new quick read book that can help you solve some of those cash flow problems. It’s available in Amazon Kindle format (you don’t need a Kindle to read it — just get the free Kindle reading app here).

In this book, you will learn eight creative tactics to get your cash flow moving in the right direction. Here’s a sneak peek:

  1. Don’t Be An Invoice Laggard
  2. Plastic Will Make Your Cash Flow Faster
  3. Get Paid In Chunks
  4. A Steady Paycheck Will Even The Flow
  5. Double Up With A Joint Venture Partner
  6. Keep The Dust Off Your Receivables
  7. Focus On The Red Corvette
  8. Forget Crystal Balls, Use a Cash Flow Budget

Michelle Dunn, credit and collections expert for small business says:

“This is a short little book but it is really full of new, helpful information that can help you improve your cash flow in this new economy – a must read for any business owner looking to protect their cash and their business.”

In addition to the eight ways to improve your cash flow now, I’ve included the transcript (and some really tough questions for you to ask about your business) of a Cash Flow Summit I led with small business cash flow experts Philip Campbell and Caroline Jordan. And, you get the MP3 recording of the summit for free once you have the book. Here’s what we talked about during the summit:

  • The Causes of Small Business Cash Flow Problems
  • Dealing With Payment Deadbeats
  • Ya Gotta Be A Marketer or Your Business Will Have No Cash Flow
  • Pricing Can Make or Break Your Company
  • Avoiding the Payables Death Spiral
  • Get Ahead of Your Cash Flow With Budgets and Forecasts
  • Three Quick Tips to Get You Moving In The Right Direction

There are a ton of tips and value inside this short book that can help you improve your cash flow — now. And for a limited time, I’ve priced it at an insanely low 99 cents. Yep, it will cost you less than a buck. That’s a pretty cheap investment to get quick improvement in your business.

Click here to get your copy of Pump Up Your Cash Flow Now! 8 Quick and Easy Ways to Improve Your Bottom Line

Thank you in advance. :)

Wait! Give Prospective Clients the “Acid” Test Before Jumping In

I’m sure you probably remember the “client from hell.”

If you’ve been in business for any length of time you have surely experienced this phenomenon. And if you haven’t been lucky enough meet this person yet, all I can say is hallelujah!

The thing that’s funny about these people is that they give us clues — ahead of time — that we really should listen to.

Have you ever had that feeling in the pit of your stomach that working with the prospective client you just met would be a prescription for disaster?

Do you listen to it? I’ve found through experience that it’s wise to listen to that feeling. You probably have too.

A while back Rob Levinson, a marketing consultant who used to write for StartUpJournal.com, suggested using an eight minute test to screen new clients. He said the following questions are key.

1) Does the prospect have a sense of humor?
2) Is the business story compelling?
3) Will the assignment propel my career?
4) Will I be treated like a vendor or partner?
5) Are they responsive?

I think he’s right on target. Using a standard method to size up potential clients is a good idea. You probably have a standard process too. If you don’t — and you’re running into too many “clients from hell” — it’s high time you did.

Do you have a special way to size up prospective clients? Tell me about it by leaving a comment.

« Older Posts
Newer Posts »