Monthly Archive

1.  Anita Campbell of the Small Business Trends blog has a post on one of the coolest voicemail and phone system setups I’ve seen in a while.   The world truly is flat - GoSee

2.  This article at bnet gets to the heart of one of my favorite pricing issues - “Relate Price to Positioning,” something I call value added pricing or billing - GoSee

3.  I had actually already thought about creating this idea of finding things you’ve lost, but I guess I was too late (it probably wouldn’t have been as good anyway) - GoSee

 Thanks, Jason M. Blumer

  You don’t think you have to sell yourself to your employees… just because you’re the boss?

You can try that approach, but effectiveness and followers are awarded to those who sell themselves to their employees.  This can also be thought of as “passing on the vision.”  Visionary people are awarded followers… followers that assist you in achieving your goals.  And they become faithful followers because they know you believe in your vision.  Then they eventually catch on to the vision as well.  But its not just to use them to get what you want - its about giving them the vision they want to latch on to anyway.  Why not go ahead and give them your vision?

But don’t try to sell a cheap or “adhoc” version of the vision - one created on the spot.  It’s got to be your REAL vision.  My firm is changing, and that means we’ll be adding new staff at the turn of the year.  I owe it to my staff to let them know why they work there, why we are the best and what we offer our clients.  To do this, we’ll have a “visionary” meeting the first day we are all together in the new year.  I have big dreams for our firm, and I want my dreams to be their dreams too.  The best way to get them on board is to sell myself to them.  Then they can believe in the person who has the dream!

And once are employees are on the street, and someone asks them what its like to work at our firm, they’ll begin selling the vision.  And selling the vision ultimately produces clients who believe in the vision as well.  And clients then refer new clients… and so on… and so on…  all because we were committed to passing on the vision of our firm.

Let this upcoming year be the year you start selling yourself to your employees… for their joy at work, and the furtherance of your business!

Thanks, Jason M. Blumer

   Is networking valuable?  You bet.  But there are ways to get more out of it than taking the traditional networking road…

As the Manageing Shareholder of a CPA consulting practice, I need a lot of expert advice on how to run the practice, let alone do the consulting.  One way to do this has been to play to my weaknesses.  That’s right… be vulnerable.  Networking is mostly about putting on a facade and asking for business.  Instead, I’ve been open to ask my superiors (in age and in experience) how to do certain things.  What rates do you charge?  How do you justify the value in that rate?  What course of action should I take over the next 5 years?  Or I just ask about a specific tax consulting issue, and let them give me the answer.

Take your contacts to lunch with a real concern about a part of your business that you are having trouble managing.  Ask them how they do it, why and what does and doesn’t work for them.  Strategically play to your weaknesses.

Playing to your weaknesses does three things within seconds:

1. Shows them you are not totally concerned with what you want to say.  You are there to listen - a huge skill that leads to trust (and REFERRALS!!).  And then, believe me, they start talking.

2. Makes them the “expert” in your eyes.  They are apt to offer guidance when they think you think they are the superior.

3. Shows vulnerability on your side and breaks down barriers of competitiveness between the two parties.

I started networking in college.  When outside speakers would come in to speak to our accounting classes, they would always offer to help us anyway they could.  I would always call them and ask them how to get a job or what a perspective employer will be looking for.  I asked them if they actually liked accounting.  I showed my vulnerabilities, and they responded (now, one of those contacts I took to lunch in college consistently refers me big consulting jobs!).

This is a new type of networking, but one that has consistently developed trust in the contacts I network with.  And that trust eventually leads to referrals.  Try it out and let me know what you think.

Thanks, Jason M. Blumer

1.  Check out seven business you can start tomorrow - GoSee

2. Something we’re passionate about at Blumer & Associates, CPAs, PC, this video talks about branding yourself from WITHIN the organization (passing on the vision of who you are to your employees) - GoSee

3. I’ve been hearing talk lately about your website’s landing page.  Normally discussed in web topics such as SEO and analytics, the landing page is simply the portion of your web infrastructure that your potential customers hit when linking from various outside advertising you are participating in.  This is a good “quick and dirty” on the subject - GoSee

Thanks, Jason

  Everyone is interested in branding themselves to their clients (i.e. “touching your client”).  Here are five simple ways to do that:

[I refer to my client-oriented marketing as "touching."  I helps us, as a firm, to remember HOW we are to market to our clients... gently and consistently] 

1. I try to “touch” my clients twice a year.  I always send out a post-tax season letter talking about the firm, how we are growing, and thanking everyone for their business.  It’s kind of like a newsletter, but I don’t spend as much time writing formal articles (I’ll do that on the blog!).  Then, I usually send out another letter toward the end of each year, reminding everyone of our procedures for tax season, and throw in some updated tax information for that year.  This latter touch letter is usually where I talk about the new people we are hiring, and how our firm is growing.  We always receive good responses from this “growth” touch letter.  People seem to be proud to call us “their firm”.  I always want to get in front of the client - consistently!

2. Take every opportunity you have to show your clients your logo, tag lines, promotional products, signage, print collateral, etc.  You can’t do this enough.  These collateral items say “we’re a big firm” or “we are in business for the long haul” or “we’re big enough to spend money on nice looking things like this bottle opener”.  Needless to say, I send my letters from point #1 on letterhead with cards.  Touch your clients with your logo - you spent money on it so you might as well use it in the “touching” process.

3. “Guard the door.”  No one will ever guard what leaves my firm but me.  That will always be a rule in our organization.  I guard the door (a.k.a. what the client sees) because perception is everything.  Perception, unfortunately NOT reality, normally determines what your clients think of you as a company.  That being said, what clients see must be pristine, clean, nice-looking, tactful, delivered with a smile, in order, accurate and precise, etc.  If my employees know they are doing something that clients will see (and then make a quick judgement about our company), then they know I want to look at it first.  Guarding the door ensures that your client “touch” will be received with happy feelings!

4. Develop a nice looking website.  Smaller CPA firms are notorious for signing up for templates made especially for CPAs.  And guess what they look like?  THE FREAKIN’ SAME.  As a firm, we don’t want to be the same, and neither does your company (let me know what you think about our firm’s web site).  You can touch your clients and customers (and other potential clients) best when you can send them to your web site and they can tell that you spent some time developing and creating your site.  This probably means you have to use professionals (like AMG, the company I own with other partners). 

5. As the head leader and marketer in the company, I spend a lot of time actually really touching my clients and potential clients (in a healthy way, of course).  I shake their hand, take them to lunch, give them gifts, send them thank you cards, hand-deliver a lot of our work, talk about personal things, pray for their kids, etc.  This is simply called customer service.  And if you do it right, then you will probably have to do it off the clock a lot of time (that is, not charge them for it).  This can be costly NOW, but the rewards will be felt later when the referrals come flooding in.  Of course, you have to weigh these types of touches with those who never seem to shut up.  Be careful, but don’t let any bad past experiences keep you from really touching your clients - they need tender loving care!

Thanks, Jason

1. I’ve been looking for a good definition of “Marketing” and “Branding”.  From the Duct Tape Marketing blog.  Here they are! - GoSee

2. November is Adoption month, and my wife is highlighting some adoption stories on her blog (it’s near and dear to our hearts since we adopted Betsie from China in 2006) - GoSee

3. A blog I read (Jeff Cornwall from Belmont University) posted this on his site - I thought you might be interested in the top 100 at-home businesses - GoSee

Thanks, Jason

    Did you know you have to change your mind if you are a business owner or entrepreneur?

Inevitably, there comes a point in a business owner’s mind, when there needs to be a change.  The change I’m referring to will allow for (1) future growth in your business, (2) an enhanced ability to manage employees, (3) a more rewarding sense of business success, and (4) a means to take you out of the details of your company while you look to the future (one of the hallmarks of Thriveal theory), and so many more!

A business owner or entrepreneur must change their mindset from a worker to an owner.  Many of my clients continue to harbor a worker mentality, while their businesses struggle.  They want their business to grow, but they are often the hindrance to the growth.  The landscaper has to eventually give up digging holes; the plumber has to go to a chamber of commerce event eventually; the graphic/web designer has to allow someone else to think a new thought and design; the contractor has to put his hammer down and sit in front a computer sometime; the professional (lawyer, dentist, chiropractor, CPA, engineer, etc.) has to go out and network with other professionals, etc.  That is, if you want to stand out among the crowd… the crowd that is always going to be destined to working for the man.

And where do these business owners need to start to make their business successful?  In their minds!  Making the mental shift is sooooooooo hard for so many that love what they do (landscaping, accounting, designing, etc.) - but the mental shift from a worker to an ownerMUST happen to ensure your business’s success.

So, is your company growing?  Are you hiring employees to do what you used to do?  Then go ahead and make the mental shift.  Change Your Mind from a worker to an owner.  You’ll be glad you did.

Thanks, Jason

1. Cool, you can put your Outlook calendar (including, inbox, contacts, tasks, etc.) on your desktop - GoSee 

2. Worried about inflation?  If you are a small business, you should be, according to Jeff Cornwall of Belmont University (and included are some ways you can turn the tide of inflation and protect yourself). - GoSee

3. With a new Identity Theft bill pending in the Senate, seeking “criminal restitution” from the identity thief may be an option - GoSee

 Thanks, Jason

1 Entrepreneurs are rich.  When we assist new clients with the purchase of a business, we tell them that you are buying a job.  And hopefully you’ll get a paycheck.  Everything else is considered gravy.  Does that discourage them?  Sometimes, but frankly, that is what they need (come back down to earth!).  The rich entrepreneurs you read about are the ones in the headline news, but it is not the norm.  But don’t despair, working for yourself is one of the most fulfilling experiences you will ever go through.  Being the boss is the bomb!

2 Entrepreneurs are reckless with risk.  Maybe broke entrepreneurs are risk-reckless, but successful entrepreneurs weigh their risk heavily.  And they do it over time.  I tell my clients to give their ideas six months to let the idea bake, do some analysis (to see if the door-to-door air filter sales idea will work) and know your market.

3 Entrepreneurs don’t have to work long hours and get to control their day.  Wow.  That’s funny.  I wish someone had told me that when I had to go get a paperroute to cover my income while building my business.  At least I didn’t have to clean the toilets (my Mom did that because I worked out of my parent’s home for a while).  Four and a half years later, and exponential growth, I still have to work three or four nights at home. 

It’s hard on the family - but we still say the benefits are better than “working for the man.”  We’re happier too.  And I always tell my kids that I have to obey people just like they do - my customers!  They control my time.

Thanks, Jason

It’s a shame that advertising is often spent “on a whim.”  If you’ve spent money lately on a new logo, new print designs, hot-looking collateral, new web site designs, or new banners for you store front, you can see why spending money in this area is so tempting.  It just looks… cool.

In fact, my CPA firm has a new logo (seen here), in celebration of 10 years of consutling.  Though this was created by my business partner at Atkins Media Group, Inc., I have to be careful how much money I initially put into print, letterhead and business card redesign.  It gets pretty freakin’ expensive.  But it’s so… cool.

But consider these four insights before spending your hard-earned dough on “cool” advertising:
1 What additional revenue will be DIRECTLY generated from the new advertising expenditure? (can’t track that with a yellow page ad, can you?)
2 Always spend toward your NICHE, not the general public (do you even know you niche?)
3 You have to be able to TRACK what the advertising dollars did for you (did the audience you just spent money on actual return and generate revenue?)
4 You have to RECOVER your advertising expenditure before you can even consider it successful (after all, you aren’t making any new money until you pay for the advertising first).

These all point toward KNOWING YOUR CUSTOMER! If you are spending money on advertising blindly, then you don’t really know your customer. And your customer is not necessarily who you customer is now - it may need to be who you WANT your customer to be in the near future (are you spending money on yearbook advertising at a local high school, but consider rich women over the age of 50 your best customer? - huh?).

And if you don’t know your customer, please do some research, analyze that area and figure out that important part of your business. You will be making long-term investments in your business.

Thanks, Jason

In consulting, I see many businesses fail to make investments in their Systems.  What are Systems?

 Your systems are little engines that invisibly run your business like clockwork.  Once installed properly, the Company’s Systems don’t require heavy input from the owner or top management.  The System almost runs without you doing anything to make it work - eventually.

The antithesis to Your Systems is chaos.  Is your business in chaos?  If I interviewed your employees, would they be able to tell me what they do, or what is expected of them?  Do you know what area or division your employees fit into and the purpose behind that division?  Your Systems help define these key management elements behind your company.

Your Company’s Systems:
1 Must be installed
2 Take initial time investments from the owner to implement properly
3 Eliminate inefficiency
4 Must have resources commited to them to operate properly
5 Operate on the foundation of a “flow of information” framework in the company
6 Must be trusted, tested and monitored
7 Must be designed effectively to take on new and explosive growth
8 Require initial visionary thinking from top management
9 Must be flexible enough to be changed
10 Should be created at the most opportune time in your company’s history to eliminate future failure

More on these Systems topics later, and “Why Don’t Company’s Implement Systems?” and “How Do You Know When It’s Time To Formally Implement Systems?”

Thanks, Jason

1. How to get your first business loan - GoSee

2. American Express is ready to help your business grow through coaching (I’m wary of AMEX helping my business grow; grow debt maybe, he he) - GoSee

3. And the world’s worst product? - GoSee

Thanks, Jason