Customer Service

Ask questions from all your customers...especially the unsatisfied customers!

Watching TV

We must not spend a lot of our time or most of our time watching TV.  When we watch TV, it must be a show that would spark an idea or a show that would inspire us.  BUT this is subjective, this depends of course on the nature of our business.


I said don't spend a lot of time or most our time watching TV.  But we could watch!

Let's watch commercials!

To get ideas and strategies on the different techniques on advertising.

Let's watch knowledge channels!

Like now, while making this article, I am watching Discovery channel, the show is  "How Do They Do It."  I could get ideas here regarding the different processes and practices for quality assurance and quality control.  We could transmute these ideas in ways that we could apply in our product (or service) development.

Let's watch Infomercials!

Oh!  We could get a lot of ideas from here!  Strategies regarding AIDA!

A - Attention
I - Interest
D - Desire
A - Action

[I''ll talk about AIDA on my next article.   But if you already know this topic, good for you!   This will just serve as a reminder.]  =)

Let's watch business shows! (obviously!)  :-) 

But then again, do NOT spend a lot of time with your TV.   Get ideas, transmute, then crystallize them!  Apply them immediately!

Leverage

My first venture in manufacturing was in making handcrafted soaps.

My letter was featured in Entrepreneur magazine, and I told readers that I am looking for distributors.  The response was great!  It was overwhelming!  I got a lot of orders!  Then I got repeat orders! That was the best part!

But I got a problem.   I can't  fulfill the demand.  Why?  Because I had limited financial resources needed to hire people to help in manufacturing and delivering the soaps on time.  Making handcrafted soaps is labor intensive.  So sales dramatically declined!  Because I forgot to leverage!...or I was scared of leverage.  I fear that my formula and other trade secrets may get stolen.  I should have made a system for the manufacturing process that will ensure my secrets will be kept secret and at the same time ensure the quality of the soaps.  I've learned from that mistake and it had cost me a lot relatively!

Now I've learned to leverage.  I am now using the basic strategy of 'subcontracting.'

Even if we are micro-entrepreneurs, it doesn't necessarily mean that we must 'micro-manage!'  Maybe at first, during the start-up level, but then again, even during start-up a little help from others is actually a big help!


Learn to leverage and develop a system that will enable our business to run in auto-pilot during normal condition.

Look for a Mentor

Look for a mentor or mentors.  Mentors, in general, have already committed at least 50% of the mistakes that you may encounter.  So, it saves you a lot of time...and money!

Persistence Test

Pass the "Persistence Test" - Brian Tracy


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Tell yourself "Be persistent!!!" - one of the major ingredients of success!

If you are persistent to reach your goals and passionate about your business, then you are already successful!

You love what you are doing!  You are persistent!  You are already successful!

Find Your Niche!

The Niche Market is a highly specialized market;  Your products and service are aimed to serve a narrow demographic audience.  Your product and service must be focus on that audience.

Develop your  product and service with your niche in mind.

Know your strengths and weaknesses.  Focus on your strengths!

Segment the market, choose your primary and secondary target market based on your strengths (and weaknesses as well), then find your niche market...and SERVE THEM WELL!

Reminder: Your target market is always a moving target!  So, continuous development of products and service is just a standard requirement.

Be ready to ride a roller coaster!

Be ready to ride a roller coaster, to go up and down, to go sideways, to go upside down!

Be ready to get excited!...and to have fun!