Very often I am asked:  “What can i do to imporve my business?  The economy isn’t good.  I have lsot customers.  It’s more difficult to find new prospects, customers or clients.”

Interestingly, while this is a harsh reality for many businesses, it is not for many others.  How come?  There a many reasons.  Much of the time it has to do with being in the right market niche when the economy turns sour.  But, this is circumstantial. 

To learn how to have a good business in spite of a bad economy look at the businesses, regardless of market niche that demonstrate “positive deviance. ”

What is positive deviance?  It is those businesses that are doing something positive that enables them to stand out from the competition regardless of the economy.  What are those positive things?  There are many points but I will focus on two things.

1.  Exceptional Customer Service

2.  Turning customers into advocates

These businesses are successful because they treat their clients and customers like first class passengers on their airline.  There customers do experience exceptional customer service.

And, they turn customers into advocates because they take their relationship beyond the initial transaction.  Part of a good marketing business plan is to add value to the relationship.  This may be done with a regular newsletter, cards or a follow up phone call. 

Small business growth and growing small business are not done by accident.  They are done by design.  In this design with exceptional customer service and deepening the relationship the business is able to generate referrals and do it consistently. 

How do you get referrals?  By turning your database of customers and clients into your sales force with exceptional customer service and adding value to the relationship.  This takes time and a consistent approach. 

Regardless of where your business is now you can start on this success process.  It is a winning performance strategy.  After all, you did start your small business to win.

A parasite is an organism that invades the body of the host organism and ultimately sucks the life out the host, in most cases, causing it to die.  Too often, I have worked with business owners and professionals who have a good business but at the same time are stuck, overwhelmed or just plain unhappy. 

What’s holding them back?  You would think that it would be obvious.  It’s the parasites and they are not obvious.  If they were, we would never let them enter.  Whether you are starting up your own business or running your own business here are some things to look for. 

1. Process parasites
2. Relational parasites
3. Thought parasites
4. Client parasites

For this post let’s look at the first one, process parasites.  This refers to your process of doing business and the parasites are the things that need to be eliminated from your process to improve your business.  Are any of your methods causing you to have higher costs, greater inconvenience or adversely affecting your product or service?  Most of the time in small business there are things we can improve in the process. 

But to improve the process means to embrace change.  After all, the old way is the way things have always been done around here.  Why change?  As is said, “Don’t fix what isn’t broke”.  Sadly, the parasites in a business process have become tolerations. 

And, if you don’t develop the discipline of eliminating tolerations then guess what, you will keep adding them.  This is not a process for growing small business.  And, you will add them to the point where your business process and you will be a mess.  The small business growth and success you desire will be unattainable.

Look at your business process now.  Or, get someone to look at it for you.  To have the success you desire you must minimize or eliminate the tolerations.  After all, in owning your own business you have a choice when it comes to change.  You can either let it run over you or you can embrace it. 

Be in the habit of embracing change and you will be successful.   

After all if you have a good marketing business plan or a successful performance strategy for small business growth you should be doing well.  Maybe?

One of the greatest challenges in starting your own business is to select the right business for you.  You may think that this is the easiest part.  What I have found from years of experience and hundreds of clients is that if you select the wrong business the rest really doesn’t matter. 

I have three free products to help you in this process.  That’s right.  They are free!  There are no strings attached.  I have a free audio mini course–The 10 Deadly Mistakes Entrepreneurs And Solo Professionals Make And How To Avoid Them.  There is second free course focusing on successful character in self-employment–Winning Character Traits.  And the third free course deals with a critical aspect to self-employment success–Winning Personal Development. 

Owning your own business is more than just a statement.  It is owning the investment, the systems and the emotions to make that business successful.  All three are critical to your success.  What I see most of the time is people getting into a business because they have had experience in that type of business. 

They usually bring one of two skills to the business.  They either know how to deliver or make the product or service.  Or, they know how to manage the business.  Very seldom, do they truly know how to do both.  They may think they know how to do both but the reality is that, more often than not, this is not the case.

Small business growth and to have your small business successful is about both delivering the product or service while doing a great job of managing.  It does not matter how good your marketing business plan is if you can’t give exceptional customer service in the quality and delivery of your product. 

Is selecting a business because you have experience in it wrong?  The general answer is no.  That is a good place to begin the selection process.  The key is to select a business that emphasizes your strengths.  And, if you are getting into something that does not make sense financially and whose systems have you doing things you don’t enjoy then the odds are that you will experience the negative emotion of unhappiness. 

And, unhappiness will lead to burnout.  Obviously, there are many things to consider when looking for a successful performance strategy in starting your own business.  Whether it is a bad economy or a good one, the key to your long term success, more often than not, is in the happiness that you feel. 

If you aren’t happy in your business it is like putting yourself in jail every day.  You only have so much time on this earth.  You might as well make it count by investing your money time and energy where you will be happy.  Check out my three free offerings.  They are free now but that will probably change.  Here’s wishing for you to have the freedom and abundance you desire.

With the numerous businesses and business owners I have worked with over the years there is one thing all of the successful ones have done.  They have embraced change.  To have your small business successful, you must embrace change or you will be run over by it. 

If you are serious about yourself and the success of your small business then you must be an active participant in change.  Look at the businesses that once were thriving but are no longer around.  With this in mind, I have put together several products that are designed to support you in creating your own successful performance strategy.

A good marketing business plan that recognizes change and embraces it can make an entrepreneur successful.  Do you want to be that entrepreneur?  Are you willing to learn the steps to success? 

All progress starts with those 5 inches between your ears.  What the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.  How are you feeding your mind?

If you change your thinking you will change your habits.  Change your habits and you will change your activity.  Change your activity and you will change your results.  Change your results and you will change your life. 

If you are COMMITTED to change and taking yourself and your business forward, take a look at the following:

1.  Progress Set Free E-Book–The Lost Keys To Small Business Success–This will get you started on the process of change. 

2.  Progress Set Free Home Study Course–The Keys And Steps To Small Business Success:  A    Definitive Guide To A Better Business And A Better You.  This course goes in depth and is for those who are truly serious about their success.  This course can help you create pathways to upgrade your business and your life.

3.  Progress Set Free–Free Audio Mini Course–Imprisoned By Progress and The Treadmill Philosophy–The 10 Deadly Mistakes Entrepreneurs and Solo Professionals Make And How To Avoid Them.  This audio series provides short audio clips with stories that discuss common challenges the business owner faces in starting up a small business or running a small business.

Whether you are running your business in a bad economy or a good one, change is the key to success.  Make a number of small changes and it will lead to the bigger changes you desire.

In the three previous posts we have looked at three other challenges you face in starting your own business in a bad economy.  In fact, they are challenges you would face even if the economy were good.  They assume even greater importance when things are not as good and your margin for error is smaller. 

The three earlier challenges were:

1.  Do you have a market for the product or service you wish to provide?

2.  Is the market you wish to pursue vulnerable to economic cycles?

3.  What type of business should you get into during an economic downturn?

The last challenge is:  What should you stay away from?  This may ruffle some feathers. 

The first type of business that I would be very careful about is multi-level.  Most of them provide great products or services.  But, are the products or services necessary?  Will the products or services save the customer money?  If your answer is yes to these questions then I would pursue it further. 

Multi-level is easy entry and it takes hard work.  There is nothing wrong with that.  Just remember that getting rich overnight or well off quickly happens to a very small percentage of those involved in multi-level.  If you have a good network of people who would be receptive to you, your product or service then you have the right things going for you that could move you forward more quickly. 

During a bad economy the second thing about multi-level, or any business for that matter, is whether or not you have to create a market.  For example, if your product has to do with weight loss you are in a good area.  This is an accepted market.  You are not having to create anything new.  People are already spending money in this market.  And, weight loss ties directly to people’s health, sense of well-being and their image. 

In summary, stay away from businesses that have you creating a market or doing a lot of pioneering.  Pioneering is necessary for any new product to get established but pioneering by its very nature has lots of casualties. 

In looking at businesses to stay away from I would avoid anything that promises you overnight success.  Yes, overnight success can happen.  But, the odds are less than one in a thousand.  And, even if you read a long string of testimonials about the success of the business remember that, more often than not, thousands failed and lost their investment for the very few that succeeded. 

A successful performance strategy is to look at these businesses very closely and skeptically.  Small business growth is about having a good marketing business plan.  The marketing business plan may look good but is it really executable?  Growing your small business will be about being able to execute a workable marketing business plan. 

Obviously, there are many more questions and answers about starting a business in a bad economy.  The goal of these blog posts was to give you some things to think about from a different perspective.  My wish for all of you is to have the best in business and life.

In the previous two posts I have discussed two important challenges to starting a business, whether it be in a bad economy or a good one.  A successful performance strategy involves two things.  First, you must determine if you truly have a market for your product or service. 

Secondly, you must know how susceptible your market is to fluctuations in economic cycles.  Think about it.  Eight months ago most businesses were riding high.  Things have changed quickly and not for the better.  Is what you are thinking of getting into subject to wild fluctuations? 

This may seem obvious.  Life and business is the study of the obvious.  And, too often people overlook the obvious in their enthusiasm or pursuit of the next thing that is going to bring them new wealth and a new life.  Small business growth and having a successful marketing business plan is about being a master of the obvious.

Remember, history doesn’t repeat itself.  Only those who fail to study history repeat its mistakes.  Be a good student of history. 

The third challenge to starting your business in a bad economy is to ask:  What business should I get into during an economic downturn?  You may be saying at this point—this must be obvious.  I have answered the first two challenges.  I have a market for my service and it is one that has promise during an economic downturn. 

What business should you get into?  You have the market.  You can market to it.  But is the business you want to get into honoring “who you are?”  This is the one element that is most often overlooked and the one that leads to failure and burnout.  Growing small business is not an accident.  Small business growth is a function of good design.

Think about it.  You have a market for your product or service.  And, it is a good market.  Yet, the skills and disciplines you must employ to be successful are not part of, or a developed part of your skill set.  In the pursuit of the dollar, I have watched more people end up in a wreck because they did not get into a business that honors who they are. 

Here’s an example.  A man I know opened a one-man auto repair shop nearby.  His knowledge and ability to repair cars was extraordinary.  His business grew.  Unfortunately, his people skills didn’t.  He had always been a great technician but had not developed great people skills.  In the beginning when his business was small he didn’t feel as pressured. 

As it grew he had to spend more time with people and as a result he was repairing cars late into the night.  You may say, the obvious solutiion is to hire someone.  But, when you are challenged in your people skills and have the attitude that no one can do the job as well as you are you likely to hire someone?  No. 

The result was that after two years he was out of business and back working for another repair shop.  The worst part was that he was broken by his failure.  The good news is that he realizes his attitude about people undid him and now he is attempting to do something about it. 

Whatever business you start be sure that a lot of that business honors who you are.  Yes, there are certain skills you can learn.  But, there are ones that even if you learn them you would be better off delegating those tasks to someone else. 

Look beyond the startup phase and envision what you want your business and life to look like.  If you truly don’t see that picture being accomplished you may be better off looking into another type of business.

In the previous post we looked at the first challenge of what type of business to start in a bad economy.  The first challenge was to determine if you have a market with some depth for your product or service. 

Challenge #2 is about how vulnerable the market, you wish to pursue, is to economic cycles.  Most products and services can and will be affected by economic cycles.  The key is how large are the fluctuations will be. 

Of course, that is hard to know.  But, I would suggest that you research some history of how your market fared during previous economic downturns.  If your product or service falls more into the category of a “want” rather than a “need” then the probability of failure is increased. 

But, that is not always the case.  Let’s look at the leisure or recreational industry.  You may say, and correctly so, that leisure or recreational activities fall in the “want” area.  Yet, people still are going to do something to enjoy themselves.  Very often they will possibly go to more movies instead of concerts because of the expense.  Or, travel may be limited to seeing things in their immediate area as opposed to a large or expensive trip.

The goal is to find a market that will still be needed during a downturn.  Basic services such as cleaning, caretaking of others and bookkeeping are examples of services that should see a reduced negative impact during a downturn.

When starting up your own business, especially in a bad economy, you will move ahead much more quickly if the down cycles are shallow.   A successful performance strategy demands this.  And, to have more consistent small business growth it is critical that you know as much as you can about your market. 

Growing small business is not just about having a great marketing plan.  It is about having a product or service that is needed or will be in demand even when economic times aren’t good.

In the previous post we looked at four challenges or questions that must be answered to starting your own business during an economic downturn. 

Today we’ll take a look at Challenge #1: 

Do you have a market for the product or service you wish to provide?

You may be saying that answering this sounds pretty simple.  In many cases it is.  One of the major considerations in starting a business should be where is your business going to come from?  To whom are you going to market your product or service?  Are they ready to receive your product or service?

Very often I have watched people who work for a larger company and develop relationships with that company’s clients.  In fact they may have had conversations with the client about going out on their own and that when they do, the client will come with them.

There are a couple of problems with this scenario.  Studies have shown that for every 10 clients that will tell you that they are going to switch that only 2 do.  Secondly, in today’s litigious world, depending on the stipulations of your employment, you may be subject to a lawsuit. 

Even if you are totally in the right, a lawsuit, because of the time and expense it requires, may very likely sink you.  I have watched companies sue former employees in an effort to kill their business by tying up a major amount of time and resources. 

A better performance strategy for success and to grow your small business is to stay away from any legal problems. 

The second point to consider in whether or not you have a market that is good for your product or service is to study the obvious.  Too often, what may appear to be obvious to you may be full of problems. 

Too often it is easy to fake yourself out by thinking that your passion and enthusiasm for a product or service will make you successful.  Passion and enthusiasm are important ingredients in the success process.  But, they are not a guaranty. 

Look beyond your passion and enthusiasm for your market and be as realistic as possible.  Be realistic as to whether or not this market is a good market.  Be objective.  Once you have determined that the market is good, then you can let your enthusiasm and passion loose to create the business and life you desire.

All of us need water to survive and to thrive.  But, the quality of the water you are drinking will determine your success or failure.  The water, in this case, is what you choose to let your mind drink in.  Are you drinking in thoughts of success?  

Years ago in Africa there was this tribe.  They were healthy and prosperous.    All their water came from a beautiful spring that supposedly had medicinal and healing properties. 

Suddenly, people started to die or get very sick for no apparent reason.  Experts were called in to determine what was causing the problem.  Here’s what they found.

The experts went back up the mountain to the origin of the spring.  It turned out that a mother pig and her piglets had drowned and were stuck in the opening where the spring came out.  The water was contaminated. 

The mother pig and her piglets were removed and the water was once again pure and the health of the people of the tribe was restored. 

The key to having the success you desire in business and personally rests on your ability to keep your water as pure as possible.  Be careful about what you let your mind drink in. We all have bad things that happen to us.  Starting your own business or running your own business is about challenges and overcoming them.

The problem is that too many business owners will hold onto the negative.  They will keep drinking in defeating thoughts.  They will remember the negative customer or they will not forgive and employee.  Over time the anger that they carry simmers.  It becomes the fertilizer in which the root of bitterness takes hold. 

There are many keys to having small business growth and to taking future steps to have your business successful.  But, to truly move forward you cannot let the root of bitterness take hold.  It may sound trite but it is true. 

First, forgive yourself.  Stop using the past as a weapon on yourself.  The past is past.  There isn’t anything you can do about it.  Secondly, you must forgive others.  Without forgiveness you set up an invisible wall that may protect your anger but at the same time it will keep opportunity from coming in. 

Develop a successful performance strategy.  Get clear of your past and uproot any bitterness you may have.  Focus on keeping your mind as free as possible of the negative.  When you do, you are more likely to attract the success you desire.

You have started up your own business.  Or, you are running your own business.  Regardless, even successful business owners will get stuck.  But, they won’t stay stuck for long.

With multiple challenges it is easy to get stuck.  One of the steps to business success is to minimize the time you are stuck or on hold. 

How do you go about getting unstuck?

• Have a Plan B in everything you do.  What is your alternative if Plan A does not work?
• Be ready to execute Plan B.  This is where many business owners get stuck.  They have thought about Plan B but they are not ready to execute it.

Why is having a Plan B important?  Having a Plan B forces you to get bigger than the challenge or problem? 

You get bigger than the challenge or problem by having a larger vision of how you are going to succeed.  Without this larger vision you will stay stuck. 

You will take the same problem and just dress it in different clothes without getting to the root cause of why the problem remains and you remain stuck. 

The root cause for staying stuck is that you won’t change your thinking.  Change your thinking and you will change your activity and that will change your results.  That’s success.

Whether it is your marketing business plan, personnel, sales or any other area where you can get stuck have a Plan B.  Small business growth is about having a Plan B.  When you do you will enlarge your vision, grow bigger than your challenge and move to greater success.

And, here’s the most important part.  You will do it in less time.