This week, I was speaking with a client who wanted to be able to go on vacation with the knowledge that his business was still moving in the right direction. He wanted to be able to go away and be away without checking in (and stressing out) throughout the day. That conversation inspired this post.

As a small business owner or self-employed professional, you place a high value on your time. It’s easy to get caught up in reinventing the wheel over and over again. As you grow and bring on help (a virtual assistant, customer service, etc.) it can be hard to let go and feel confident that your business is moving in the right direction without you being in the office and following up on every detail yourself.

In order to work less, get more done and make sure your staff is doing things they way you want them to be done, you need to create systems.

Business systems are really powerful. They can help you:

-          Manage growth

-          Delegate

-          Bring on assistance

-          Focus on the big picture while still knowing the day-to-day tasks are being handled in the manner in which you WANT them to be handled

-          Standardize your processes

-          Be assured your clients will have a solid and consistent experience with your company

-          Provide for top-notch client service

-          Stop reinventing the wheel

I always recommend my clients create an Operations Manual. In it you will list all the tasks that must be done in your business with step-by-step directions for each task. It should be regularly updated.

The goal of your Operations Manual is to allow anyone to walk into your business and quickly get up to speed. It allows you, the business owner, to know your business is moving forward in the direction YOU want, even when you are not there. Plus, it gives you direction for processes you do over and over but which aren’t part of your daily routine.

Your Operations Manual should be easy to read, use simple language and have practical information. It’s a good idea to have an easy-to-use table of contents.

There are many software options for your operations manual. You can use something as simple as Microsoft Word, although there are many “fancier” options out there. Another route to take would be to use a web-based collaborative tool such as Google Docs or SharePoint so everyone on your team/staff can update the document.

Since your Operations Manual is a living, breathing document, it’s important that you put a quarterly review of it on your calendar. 

While his competition in those qualifying races wasn’t super stiff, you could still see the mark of experience…As well as how strong and fit he is going into this competition. In both of those early heats he calmly hung out in the back of the pack waiting for the chance to make his move.

Then, when that chance came, he made it in a big way. In the second qualifying heat he passed all five other skaters with one huge burst of speed…flying past them so fast he easily gained, and held, a half-lap lead for the rest of the race.

Pretty impressive for a guy who’s old enough—and medaled enough—to retire happily. Yet here he is again, past the age when most speed skaters retire, and he’s never been more prepared to compete and win!

In a recent Seattle Times profile of Apolo Anton Ohno (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/olympics/2010986192_ohno07.html ), Ron Judd said “In his 13 years in the sport, Ohno has become an advanced student of short-track. He watches race tape like a football coach. He studies other teams’ training regimens. He has soaked up all the sports-performance knowledge thrown his way in a decade of residence at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and used it to retool his body to compete with younger racers whose legs don’t scream as loudly at the end of the day.”

By now you’re probably wondering what all this has to do with marketing your business. Well, there’s a lot you can learn from Ohno’s example.

Here’s a guy who has been competing successfully since he was 14 years old, yet he’s still trying to get better. And he does it by studying the competition, seeing what others have done and are doing today, then changing his own training regimen as a result. And practicing hard.

When was the last time you truly studied your competition’s marketing? Or analyzed what worked and what didn’t in your last marketing campaign?

If you’re like most entrepreneurs, the answer to both of those questions is: “Never!”

What about training? What are you doing to make sure your next marketing effort is more successful than your last? If the answer is nothing, then the chances are good that you’re not going to be any more successful down the road.

If you want to grow your business you’ve got to practice, train, and frankly, do what most other entrepreneurs don’t. Below are three things you can do right now to help turn yourself into an Olympic caliber entrepreneur:

1) Watch your competition. Ohno regularly looks at other teams training regimens. Then he takes what he learns and applies it to his own skating.

Most entrepreneurs never take the time to see what their competition is doing. Yet that’s one of the best ways to figure out what you could or should be doing to grow your business.

So take some time to do a bit of Internet research and see what your competition offers, how they offer it, what they charge, and how they market themselves.

2) Study.  Marketing is one of the most important aspects of running a business. Because if you don’t market your business effectively, no one will know you exist or what you have to offer and you won’t have any clients. Without clients you don’t have a business.

Yet few entrepreneurs spend any time at all studying marketing. While you can’t exactly watch and analyze race tapes, you CAN review books filled with winning advertising and marketing campaigns. Many books written by Ad greats John Caples or David Ogilvy are packed with sample ads and breakdowns of what made them great.

3) Practice. Olympic athletes practice a lot…WAY more than most entrepreneurs for sure. Apolo Ohno practice three times a day. And even then he still doesn’t always win in competition.

Few entrepreneurs practice marketing at all, yet they expect to win all the time. And are discouraged when they don’t.

Need to write new content for your Website? Don’t expect to get it perfect the first time. Create many practice drafts, then edit until it’s the best it can be. If you’re planning to send out a sales letter, write a few versions and test them. Then refine them until you’re getting the results you’re after. ?

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The first is explained by “maverick” entrepreneur Mark Cuban…

For the first time, an advertising monetization platform, such as Yahoo’s Panama, can be integrated into a NON internet video platform. When Comcast serves video from comcast.net to its own high speed data customers, those are NOT internet customers. They are private network subscribers…in short, Yahoo and Comcast can start working together to develop video content and ad platforms that Google can’t touch.

It’s also another blow to the chances that Comcast will renew their search advertising partnership with Google.

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They will help you market your business, grow your network and expand your visibility and leadership skills.

1. Gather endorsements

I’ve used endorsements with resumes, grant applications, on my Web site, in my marketing materials, in letters of request and with project proposals. Endorsements differ from testimonials, in that endorsements tend to focus on your general character strengths and talents. Testimonials are more specific, relating to work you’ve done for a customer or client. Endorsements are easier to obtain since the endorser need not have been a customer. Make a list of potential endorsers, concentrating on those who have the strongest credibility. Ask for a few sentences summarizing your character strengths and talents. Have a couple of draft endorsements ready for those who may ask you to send a sample. Be specific about what you want in the endorsement, and always thank your endorsers.

2. Become a “connector” of people

A “connector” is someone who knows everyone. If you need the best handyman, Realtor or lawyer, this is the person who can give you the name. As a “connector,” you will become a source of referrals. Your network will be so broad with valuable resources, that everyone will be calling you for help. You must begin by gathering resources to be added to your network. Make some contacts with service providers you know or have heard about. As you start making connections, you’ll realize that everyone is looking for something or someone (a job, a hairdresser, a Web site designer). You will provide that referral, making sure that the person you are referring is aware that you’ve passed their name along. You’ll build your visibility and credibility while attracting interesting people and opportunities.

3. Start a club or organization

The most unique segment of my network is a result of founding a non profit organization. The process gave me a reason to meet community leaders, philanthropists and sports professionals at every level and in a variety of sports, expanding my network by hundreds. I’m not advising you to attempt something overwhelming, but surely you can imagine that even starting a small book club or jazz group could expand your network in fantastic ways. You are not only building your network, but you are also helping other people grow theirs. That’s a leadership skill. Start with what you love–a hobby or a talent you’d like to nurture. Put an ad in the paper and contact some friends. Book yourself on local talk shows.

4. Create a publicity vehicle for other people

Anytime you have even the smallest publicity vehicle, there will be people who want access. They will hunt you down in the grocery store and call you at odd hours, but there is a wonderful feeling about helping others get visible. You are essentially helping them to open doors they probably would not be able to open otherwise. You’ll want to set criteria for who gets access to your publicity vehicle, because these are people you want to add to your network. Consider your preferred options for creating this means of publicity. Maybe you can host a local cable television show or radio talk show, write a spotlight column or send out a newsletter that features a person, pet project or business. You might organize a talent, fashion or art show, put people’s links on your Web site or ask them to speak at your club. Give a lecture and reference them as an expert or ask them to be a special guest at a class you teach.

5. Attach yourself to the most visible entity in your area

What is the organization, company or group in your area that is in the media all of the time? It’s fine if the entity is controversial so long as it is respected. Is it the Economic Development Board or the Arts Council? Maybe you have an attraction in your area that the whole town centers life around. Is there a board of directors or a “Friends of the Museum…Library or Zoo?” Whatever it is, there should be a way for you to affiliate. Volunteer your talents on a committee; join the group and attend the meetings. If this entity is getting lots of attention, it must have an impressive network. Your affiliation with it will give you access to that network.

6. Create a coalition

A coalition is a group of people who are “cause-driven.” Coalitions are assembled to accomplish great things. They run political campaigns, lobby for new laws, fight against “wrongs” and raise funds to build institutions. Coalitions require leadership, and if that’s a path that interests you, then you’ll need to begin with a forceful mission. A coalition needs a sense of doing something significant for the masses. Are you a speaker who would like to see professional fees standardized? Maybe you are a business consultant that wants a small business incentives program started in your community. After thinking it through, review your network for supporters. You are the root for this coalition, but you still need a few diehard supporters. The more visible these supporters are, the stronger your foundation. They will help you by adding supporters from their networks. Once you’ve got your core group, meet with them to brainstorm a plan to move the cause forward.

7. Learn a new skill

When you open yourself to learning something new, you allow yourself to grow. You create mental and physical space to accept new intelligence, understanding and self-awareness. You will be pulled through shifts, emotions and into a clarity that is elevating. You’ll attract new people to you, because you are circulating in a new area of interest. Become aware of how your network begins to grow and the opportunities that result. Check your local community college or university, library, recreation department and even online sources for ideas.

8. Revisit “planted seeds”

I once sought out a man that was several states away to talk to about a business idea. He was in an industry unfamiliar to me, but perfectly positioned to help me develop the idea. Though the gentleman and I connected well, nothing evolved from the conversation. However, over the years, I sent him newspaper clippings and an occasional note whenever I noticed his career changes. Then, out of the blue, he called to discuss exactly what we had talked about years earlier. The right situation prompted him to make contact, and because I kept in touch, he knew how to reach me. Make it easier for people to connect with you by staying connected to them. Review old notes or business cards, and send these people an update.

9. Be unique in your communication

Rarely do I get a nice envelop with a beautiful hand-written address. Because it is unusual to receive such personal attention, it brings a smile when it does occur. I keep nice note cards on hand, so that my “thanks” or “touching base” notes are a bit a more special. One year, a friend of mine made beautiful Valentine’s Day cards to send. I saved mine for years, using it as a bookmark. A gentleman where I live maintained a database of friends and business associates to whom he regularly emailed local special events photos. Everyone loved them. Your extra effort is worth the memory it will create.

10. Barter

Bartering is simply swapping goods for goods or services for services (and any combination of those). I bartered with a carpenter to build an entertainment center in exchange for a freezer. Years ago, I swapped my personal coaching services for weight training from a celebrity fitness trainer in Los Angeles. He actually trained me via email and over the phone. I’ve known people to barter for their rent (house-sitting or handy-manning), and others who barter their marketing services for massages and computer help. There are bartering Web sites that will match you, but, however it is done, the important thing to remember is that there must be a complete mutual understanding of the end-result and all expectations. Put the agreement in writing. Check your own network for people who have created successful arrangements.

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Mary Kurek is a Networking and Marketing Coach, Business Consultant and Speaker. Her clients have included professional athletes, actors, speakers, broadcasters, musicians, real estate professionals and business owners. Mary is a former Governor’s Press Staff member and a Chamber of Commerce Executive Director. Her book, Who’s Hiding in Your Address Book is due to be released June 2007. Sample pages, articles, audio tips and more can be found here: http://www.marykurek.com/

The concern was how, where, and with whom to discuss issues relating to operating a business. Their feeling was one of isolation and being alone in the world. They were unable to find other business owners who could relate and identify with their short and long term challenges.

Enter the entrepreneur peer support concept.

Independent business owners need the opportunity to discuss their business problems with others who share the same concerns. At the same time, the entrepreneur must be free to go into some detail without a competitor using the information to their advantage. In the past, most business owners were left to their own devices and to bottle up their worries inside. They were unable to talk over daily and long range business difficulties with understanding peers who faced most of the same issues. The internet in general, and blogs in particular, have created that much needed virtual support group.

Business bloggers have a built in support group whether they realize it or not. Other blogging business people are reaching out through their writings; actively seeking peer support and guidance. As other business owners read the postings, the realization appears that other people share the most of the same business challenges. At the same time, the bloggers aren’t business competitors, but more likely, potential business partners or resources. The seeds of a business support network are planted.

As the business bloggers become more familiar with one another through comment, e-mail, Skype, telephone, and live in person discussions, the support network is born. Already, several groups of business bloggers are meeting via Skype conference on a regular basis. The chat isn’t always about business related issues either. Often, it’s simply enough to know that others out their can understand and relate to what an entrepreneur confronts on a daily basis. The sharing together is what really matters.

If you are a business owner who feels alone and isolated. If you believe that there is no one who understands your daily trials and rewards, it’s comforting to know that other entrepreneurs feel the same way. Find a group of business bloggers with whom you have developed a trusting relationship and form a business peer discussion group. Talk about those pressing issues that your employees and family don’t seem to grasp. Share the joys and pleasure of owning your own business with other owners who enjoy that same sense of achievement and independence.

Set up a regular meeting time, and chat together as a group on Skype, or some other conference call medium. If you find another trusted entrepreneur in the same city, you can meet in person over coffee or lunch. Two person discussions are also valuable stress relievers, as well as idea generators. You may find yourself providing as much or more peer advice to others as is returned to you. Business people helping business people is a reward in itself.

Start an entrepreneur peer support group today.

Sharing ideas and talking about problems helps everyone succeed and lead happier lives.

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Wayne Hurlbert provides insigtful information about marketing, promotions, search engine optimization and public relations for websites and business blogs on the popular Blog Business World.

Check out Blog Business World for yourself.

The strategy serves both types of activities quite well. I intend to set the record straight with this article!

First, A Bit Of Background

If you lookup “trend following” on Google, it will report that some 286,000 pages mention the expression. I am willing to bet that most, if not all, are related to speculative trading.

However, I am also willing to bet that Top Web Entrepreneurs, whether knowingly or not, use a strategy based on “trend following” to guide them in their choice of Web endeavors.

Let me explain.

I used to invest my money. That has brought me a certain significant return. But, it took decades of compounding the meager crumbs that the banks and other financial institutions were (reluctantly) giving me in interest.

One day, in 1998, I switched strategy. I became a trader. I am what is known as a “system trader”. I have developed a system to protect myself while trading. My trading is based on a “trend following strategy”.

I’m proud to say that it works remarkably well. For me, that is. There’s a catch, you see. It requires strict adherence to the a plan: my plan.

My plan, discipline, tight control over emotions, and patience make up “the name of the game”.

What Does “Trend Following Trading” Have To Do With Top Web Entrepreneurship?

The skills required to become a Top Web entrepreneur are not much different than the ones a consistently successful trader uses. Note the use of the word “consistently”. Anyone can be a lucky trader. Many think that Top Web Entrepreneurs were lucky to find their “niche”. Not so. They all worked hard at identifying it, and at planning how to best exploit it sometimes months, or years, before the event makes the news.

Top traders also work hard. Most of their energy goes into preserving their capital, so that they will always have enough to trade the next day, and never go broke. They never take risks! They manage risk. There’s a major difference.

So much so, that managing risks is the most important factor between success and failure, both in trading, and in business.

When the trend becomes newsworthy, it rapidly ceases to be worthy of exploiting! It is cresting, in it’s adult phase, then. It will soon begin to decline.

Top Web Entrepreneurs, just like Top Traders, plan to get in as close to the (confirmed) beginning of the trend as possible. They avoid entry when the trend has already given most people a good run for their money! The probabilities of cresting are getting bigger, at that point. They do not want to enter a trend, just as it is about to decline.

How does one become a successful Web entrepreneur without taking risks?

By testing your ideas “offline” first!

Successful traders, do their testing outside of the markets. That use sophisticated computerized systems, either bought commercially, or home brewed. The very Top traders use home brewed systems. They feed their system years of historical data about the stock, or foreign currency they are interested in trading. The tests are computerized, so they take a few moments only. In a flash, they know what potential their idea may have about that given stock or currency. They also know what the risks are. They can prepare to counter them.

Successful Web entrepreneurs also make use of computers, of course. But not in the same way. They do not have years of historical data to test their ideas on. Only uncharted grounds are potentially ripe to give new types of crops. It’s in the very nature of innovative ideas to not have a history.

Top Web entrepreneurs use sophisticated systems to mine the Web for the data they need. They develop their own system (around a strategy), but use the computerized applications that are available on the Web. Remember, the data they need does not exist at least, not as a coherent, filtered set yet. They have to look for “signs” of it. Then they analyze the signs. This analysis leads them to retain some pieces of data, and reject others as irrelevant. Not an easy task at best.

Top Web entrepreneurs will use their brain, and their experience in a given field of interest, to analyze what they find.

Their imagination gave them a business idea. They will carefully validate it, plan for it, and time their move into implementation.

They are like top competition surfers. They know what signs to look for, and they have the acquired a sense of timing to take advantage of a “building” wave. They are in there even as the wave is beginning to form (below the surface and most everyone’s radar). Sometimes, like Top traders, they reach the “zone”, totally concentrated. They are already stalking – and preparing for – the next profitable wave (trend), in the right spot, at the right time, before the coveted event even begins to form!

To get there, Top Web entrepreneurs use sophisticated, flexible Web searching tools to mine the Web for information. These tools exist, and are mostly free to use. However, they are scattered, uncoordinated, about the Web. Sometimes, they only exist as “beta” applications that only a few enthusiasts know about.

To give you an idea of what “trend stalking” might mean on the Web, have a look at the “Google Alerts”, and “Google Trends”. Many Web entrepreneurs use them, as general purpose tools, in an attempt to identify the “trend” they are looking for.

There are dozens of much more specialized and powerful tools for Web research and analysis available. You just have to try them until you find the ones that best fit your requirements, and personality.

When The Signs Are There

When it begins to look like their idea is being confirmed by enough verifiable signs (note the word verifiable), Top Web Entrepreneurs will immediately start planning it’s implementation carefully. They will give it a structure that will later house what they will be offering their targeted clientele. They will also have identified the latter through thorough research.

Their Web business is taking shape offline, at that stage. No risks involved. I hope you get my drift! They make sure their idea will work, before they commit themselves! That’s what planning is all about.

The First Small Step

If the idea looks viable, they start small. Very small! Just to give you an idea, I never bet more than one percent – yes, you have read correctly, never more than 1% of my total equity on any given trade idea. That’s how small a step I am willing to take at any given time. That should give you a measure of how careful, patient and disciplined successful trading is. After a while, if my trade idea works, I will add to my position progressively. If all the conditions of my trading system continue to be met, I continue to execute my trading plan in a very disciplined way.

When Top Web Entrepreneurs have thoroughly researched and tested their business idea – offline – they will create the home page of their Web site, and publish it online.

They will slowly add to their position, from there. Meanwhile, they keep up their research effort. They watch for signs of their idea drifting away from the trend they have identified, and chosen to follow.

In fact, they go wherever their traffic leads them. They will patiently, and dutifully follow that trend to destination and success.

They will publish one – well researched, keyword focused – Web page at a time. They will slowly furnish the structure they planned in the first stages of preparation and thus progressively increase their “tailor made” offer to their target clientele.

A New Web Business Is Born!

As you can see, it did not happen suddenly. Nor, was it due to a stroke of luck.

Top Web Entrepreneurs innovate and follow trends.

That’s the “apparent” paradox.

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Claude Jollet is a former planning advisor to major industrial and commercial clients. He specialized in weather related operational planning issues. He holds a B.Sc.A. in business process analysis and automation. His Web site http://www.top-web-entrepreneurs-plan-it.com is devoted to planning .

Are you guilty of not putting all of your knowledge, skills and abilities to the best use possible? Even more important, are you putting them to any use at all?

This is the equivalent to being provided a map to the ocean of success, having all of the necessary equipment lain by your feet, then remaining on shore watching the waves crashing in, making no effort to get your feet wet or sand between your toes.

In a similar vein, are there books on your shelves filled with information and resources that if translated to action would make a world of difference in your life and your business?

How many books have you read that left you thinking, “This is remarkable. I can do this”?

You put the book on your desk with the good intention of starting a new game plan the next day.

The next day comes and goes and the book sits untouched. An unexpected phone call distracted you from your plan.

Several days go by as you get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life. Eventually, the book is getting in the way so you move it to the bookshelf. You’ll get to it when you can.

A month or two goes by and you discover another wonderful book that promises to give you everything you need to know to create a wonderful life, build a hugely successful business and have people seeking you out for your expertise and guidance.

Again, the book is good. It gives you scripts and plans and all of the “feel good” ingredients you need to get excited about the possibilities.

You put it on your desk with the full intention of putting those words of wisdom to use, then repeat the process of procrastination and distraction. The book eventually makes its way to your ever-growing book pile.

How much information do you have sitting on your bookshelf at this very moment that, if translated into planned, focused action would create an entirely new (improved) life for yourself?

What is the ‘real’ reason you have chosen not to act on it?

Sometimes it’s fear of the unknown. Sometimes it’s lack of confidence. Sometimes it’s just plain easier to continue doing what is comfortable and familiar.

You may have as much knowledge and ability as the next person, yet what she is doing differently that has her where you want to be, is putting that knowledge to use.

You can’t turn around these days without having access to some type of book or resource that is filled with valuable information, insights and connect-the-dot instructions on how to carry out a plan that will help you create a desired outcome.

Others who have done it ‘the hard way’ are sharing their experience for your benefit. You don’t have to struggle, suffer or give up things that are important any more in order to create a better life.

The only thing stopping you is the absence of “action.”

Look through your bookshelves today and pull out one of those books you intended to put to good use. As you sift through the pages, think about what you could create if you started applying the knowledge into action.

Where could you be in one year, two years … ten years?

Close your eyes and imagine you took the appropriate action and created your desired reality. What does your life look like? What are your relationships like? Are you in a new home? How do you spend your time? How do you spend your money?

Imagine it is real, this moment. How does it feel?

You can translate the knowledge that surrounds you into the lifestyle you desire by taking action.

If procrastination and lack of focus are a problem, partner with a professional coach or join a mastermind group to support and multiply your efforts.

Success is accelerated when your efforts are leveraged through the power of other minds. Going it alone is the slow, hard and lonely way. Opportunities are missed and actions although intended, often remain as that, never to materialize.

The information is at your fingertips and there are others who are willing to support and guide you through the process. Take that information, reach out for assistance, and commit to making “it” happen for you.

If something is getting in the way of you putting information to use, partner with a coach to explore the reasons behind the inactivity. Sometimes the answer can reveal itself rather quickly when seen through the lens of an objective partner.

2006 Laurie Hayes – The HBB Source

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Laurie Hayes, creator of “The HBB Confidential” a free bi-weekly ezine, helps home-based entrepreneurs build successful businesses without losing their minds or their shirts. For FREE resources, visit http://www.thehbbsource.com.