Small Business Revitalization Blog

When in need of inspiration, I often randomly open books.  Today two ideas arrived within seconds of each other.  Seth Godin suggests we need to Raise The Bar – as that is where great progress occurs.  Jason Fried from Rework is adamant we need to Do Less.

Putting these two ideas together sounds incongruous, until we see that in doing less, we create the space for seeing where exactly we should raise the bar (and how high!) if we really want to create profitable change in our business.

When I look at my project list for my businesses, I can see the two or three projects that totally raise the bar.  That make everything else I do look, well, not so important.  I can see the 30 or so projects that would be nice to do, if I had the time, resources or inclination… and I can see the 10 projects that need to be taken off the list right now because I already know that they won’t deliver the world-changing impact I require when I invest my full energy into a project!

What could you do less of that would allow you to have more impact?  You don’t need to spread yourself thinner, you just need to make the hard choices that allow you to be phenomenal!  We get caught up in being nice and saying yes when really we mean no.  What if you saying no gives that opportunity to someone else who does have the energy to invest – would that allow them to raise the bar in their own unique way?  Could the world be a better place for that?

This is one simple tool for looking at everything you have in front of you and seeing what is truly important.  What will make the biggest difference?  What raises the bar and makes your business more enticing and more enchanting for the people you serve?  Choose that one thing.  And do it with everything you’ve got!  

Less is More.  LEAP forward, don’t crawl!

Simon Sinek wrote a great book called 'Start with Why'.  If you want to sell more, attract better staff, have more buy-in for your projects or build a brand people love, start here!



When you stop pursuing money for the sake of it and start pursuing your dreams because they are so awesome,  magic shows up!!

People buy why you do it, not what you do!!

If you are tired of throwing out your strategies time after time (or you need to throw out the ones you've got and revitalise your business!), the phenomenally useful book “Rework”, written by the founders of 37Signals, offers some of the best advice on business strategy I have seen in a long time…  consider these five little gems (and there's more Rework inspiration at www.onstartups.com) :

“Great businesses have a point of view, not just a product or service.”  If you ever wondered where to find your twenty of so points of difference to your competitors, this is a fantastic place to start!

“You have the most information when you’re doing something, not before you've done it.”  The best way to answer your strategy questions is to put your toe in the water and get real customer feedback.  Don’t just imagine… test and measure!!

“Saying yes when you should say no leaves no bandwidth available for the great rather than the merely good.”  What’s NOT in your strategic plan matters more than what is in some ways!!

“The longer it takes to develop, the less likely it is to launch.”  Quick wins… quick wins… quick wins are the key to getting traction and profits quickly. I launched a product for BlissTribe before I had a website… I was testing the BlissTribe concept and playing with ideas… now I know it has great legs and is worth putting lots of time into!!

“A business without a path to profit is a hobby.”  This is my favourite… I see this happening every day with new businesses… the funny thing is an hour or two spent on developing your business model (ie the plan of where your profits come from) will solve it!!

If you want some different perspectives on Accelerating Your Business strategically, the next Revive Playshop is for you.  21 June 2010 in Brisbane, Australia – miss it and you’ll miss out on insights that will make your business more profitable than you can imagine!!

There's more Rework inspiration at www.onstartups.com too - what's your best strategic business advice?  Share it below...

I work from the philosophy that it's faster, easier and cheaper to learn from the mistakes and insights of others rather than learning everything the hard way by myself!  As a result I read around a book a week! Here's my top picks from 2008.... in no particular order!

Make it Big!  - Frank McKinney
Simple, straightforward roadmap for achieving what you really want in your life - read it and become more productive, more vision focused and more truly yourself.

Prosperity Consciousness - Chutisa & Steven Bowman
A new perspective on prosperity - forget the recession and immerse yourself in this groundbreaking book instead.

The 4 Hour Work Week - Timothy Ferriss
Look at your work from a completely new point of view!  Your vision may take a little more than 4 hours a week to achieve, but if you save a few hours, you'll get closer to your vision faster.

The Artist Within - Julia Cameron
It wasn't written as a business book, but if you are feeling overworked, overwhelmed or lacking in creative ideas, then this book will save your life and your business! Probably my #1 favourite for the year...

Ready, Fire, Aim - Michael Masterson
One of the best 'business basics' books I've ever read - it focuses on the essentials of how to make money, as fast as you want! No matter what level your business is at, this book will help you take it to the next level.

Made to Stick - Chip & Dan Heath
These guys are the 'idea gurus' - if you want to delve into viral marketing, word of mouth marketing or any activity that relies on a really amazing idea, then this book will give you the anatomy of sticky ideas!

Awakening the Entrepreneur Within - Michael Gerber
Great if you are still developing your grand vision!

Enjoy your holiday reading!  Speaking of which, Revive Coaching will be closed between 22 December and 2 January.  I hope you have a lovely summer break!

cheers
Lisa