Posts Tagged ‘business coach’

Strategies to Drive Your Business

November 10th, 2011 by stevezog

Business owners must understand  drivers that make their companies grow.

If they don’t, it is a problem, but it is also an opportunity for the business owner to grow their business, provided they understand which of the drivers they are neglecting.

Just a few new tools, or tweaks to an old strategy, can really drive revenues and profits. And when you understand what you are doing, it can take just a couple strategies consistently applied over time to really improve your business’ performance. Here are four strong strategies you can employ to begin moving in the right direction.

1) Accept the business cycle, and learn to profit from it- Just like the seasons, business has its ups and downs. Right now, we are coming out of economic “winter” and slowly heading into economic “spring.” What do you do in spring? Get your soil ready and plant your seeds.

In business terms, this means get a good marketing program in place and start planting “seeds” in your marketplace.

2) Learn the “Lifetime Value” of your customers- Once you realize how much you can earn from a customer over the “life” of your relationship with them, you can create all kinds of added-value propositions to ensure loyalty for that all important component of profit: repeat business.

You can also make better marketing decisions up-front, knowing that the cost of “buying” a new customer will be paid for by extra profits over time.

3) There are only five ways to increase your profits- You can get more leads, convert more leads to customers, get repeat business and more purchases from those customers, increase your price points and increase your profit margins. Just a 10% increase in each of these factors works out to a 61% increase in bottom-line profits. Increase all of them over time and you can exponentially grow your company.

4) Forget branding. Focus on leads- Put your efforts in generating more leads and create a great experience for your customers. When you do this your branding will fall into place. And of course don’t forget to test and measure all of your advertising and marketing efforts, because if you don’t, you are literally throwing money down the drain.

Now is the perfect time to put key strategies in place to get your company ready for the next upswing in the economy.

While no one knows when it will happen, it’s important to remember that  after winter comes spring, and those green shoots are not only showing up in your neighborhood, they are also showing up in businesses everywhere.

Make sure they show up – and continue to grow – in yours.

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Catch Brad Sugars at the 2012 Business Excellence Forum

October 25th, 2011 by stevezog

Brad Sugars will be the featured speaker at each of the 2012 Business Excellence Forums. The first Business Excellence Forum will take place in Memphis, Tennessee, at the Hilton Memphis on January 13-14, 2012 and will be focused on businesses throughout the Americas.

Next, the EMEA (Europe/Middle East/Africa) Business Excellence Forum will take place at the De Vere Wokefield Park, Berkshire, England on January 20-21, 2012. Finally the Asia Pacific Business Excellence Forum will happen at the Sofitel Hotel located on the Gold Coast, in Australia on February 17-18, 2012.

Over the course of his storied professional career, Brad has been spent his life teaching business owners how to be more profitable and find balance in their lives. The Business Excellence Forum is a great way to continue to spread that message.

It is also the first event sponsored by ActionCOACH to be completely open to the public, which means even more people will be able to hear Brad deliver important strategies and tactics regarding challenges that businesses all over the world face.

“The business people and entrepreneurs that attend the Business Excellence Forum are focused on creating strong and profitable businesses. They are motivated and eager to learn, which makes speaking to them a lot of fun. When the audience is excited and ready to listen, a strong presentation can make a huge impact,” Sugars said.

The Business Excellence Forum is a great way for business owners and entrepreneurs to connect with other business owners from a given region in a fun, entertaining and educational setting.

No matter which venue, the 2012 Business Excellence Forum features outstanding speakers with dedicated expertise in the world of business, as well as networking events, workshops seminars and breakout sessions.

So don’t wait, spots are going fast. Just click on the link and guarantee your spot in the front row to catch Brad Sugars at the 2012 Business Excellence Forum.

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ActionCOACH Wins People’s Choice Award

September 28th, 2011 by stevezog

ActionCOACH took its place among some of the top companies in the world this September as it was voted the favorite Business Services organization in the first People’s Choice Stevie® Awards for Favorite Companies.

The worldwide public vote was conducted as part of the 8th Annual International Business Awards, the only global, all-encompassing business awards program honoring great performances in business.

In all, more than 35,000 people cast their votes and ActionCOACH was the clear winner in the Business Services category.

If there’s one reason ActionCOACH won this award it is quite simply, results.

A recent U.S. study in South Florida showed that, despite the recession, companies that worked with an ActionCOACH Business Coach had grown revenues by more than $12 million. That study also showed coached businesses saw a return on investment (ROI) of $7.50 for every $1 invested in coaching.

In the United Kingdom, another study found 74% of ActionCOACH coached businesses increased sales last year compared to only 43% of non-coached businesses and while 53% of ActionCOACH coached businesses increased profits last year, while only 35% of non-coached businesses increased profits.

Every day the need for business coaching grows and the industry becomes more and more integral to the success of conventional businesses. And when it comes to being the People’s Choice, it’s the results we get that separates ActionCOACH from the competition.

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Business Coaching Can Restore the Confidence the Economy Needs to Grow

September 1st, 2011 by stevezog

There are certain truths we just can’t escape.

The economy is stalled in the United States and the United Kingdom, and neither government seems to understand what needs to be done to grow the recovery.

The key to growing the economies of both nations is the growth of small business, but the needs of small business owners seem to be forgotten by the “powers that be” creating an environment in which small business owners are uncertain and confused and therefore prone to sit tight and not risk what may prove to be unprofitable actions.

Uncertainty means not bringing on new employees, which means unemployment remains high, while those that do have jobs are cautious in their spending just in case they might not have a job a few months down the road.

It’s a vicious cycle with little light at the end of the tunnel… or is it?

Recent independent studies have shown that small businesses that work with an ActionCOACH Business Coach are not only growing their profits and revenues, but also have the confidence to grow their staffs in the face of this unprecedented economic winter.

A study conducted by the UK-based Cogent Research has provided some interesting data about the overall impact of business coaching and its effect on business.

The study found that in the UK:

•    74% of ActionCOACH coached businesses increased sales last year compared to only 43% of non-coached businesses

•    53% of ActionCOACH coached businesses increased profits last year compared to only 35% of non-coached businesses

•    77% of ActionCOACH coached businesses forecast growth in profit in next 12 months

•    30% of ActionCOACH coached businesses increased their profits in the last 12 months by more than £50,000

•    97% of coached businesses would recommend coaching to other SME’s (small and medium enterprises)

And, maybe most importantly,

•    56% of ActionCOACH coached businesses increased their workforce compared to only 14% of non-coached businesses.

This study comes soon after U.S. research in South Florida that showed coached businesses saw a return on investment of 7.5-to-1, or $7.50 in return for every $1 invested in coaching.

Understanding how something works leads to greater confidence in any endeavor.

If you really understand how to grow your business, you’d have more confidence to actually grow it and hire others to help you along the way.

Business Coaching can offer a solution no politician or government can, namely a proven system for growing any business, including yours.

Simply put, working with an ActionCOACH provides the business re-education, resources and confidence that small and medium sized businesses need to grow.

While the governments are unable to solve the economic issues that plague us, there are resources that can and one of them is business coaching.

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ActionCOACH Celebrates 18 Years Providing Small Business Help

August 23rd, 2011 by stevezog

I am proud to announce that ActionCOACH is celebrating our 18th birthday at this year’s Global Conference at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami, Florida with the largest gathering of business coaches anywhere in the world in 2011.

As we approach nearly three decades of helping businesses, it is also a great time to officially announce that ActionCOACH is now in 39 countries, including our latest territory, Germany.

Here is the complete list of countries in which we are helping businesses:

1.      Australia

2.      Barbados

3.      Belgium

4.      Brazil

5.      Canada

6.      Chile

7.      China

8.      Colombia

9.      Costa Rica

10.  Curacao

11.  Dominica

12.  Dominican Republic

13.  Ecuador

14.  England

15.  France

16.  Germany

17.  Hungary

18.  India

19.  Indonesia

20.  Ireland

21.  Jamaica

22.  Kenya

23.  Malaysia

24.  Martinique

25.  Mexico

26.  Namibia

27.  New Zealand

28.  Nicaragua

29.  Nigeria

30.  Northern Ireland

31.  Portugal

32.  Scotland

33.  Singapore

34.  South Africa

35.  Spain

36.  Suriname

37.  USA

38.  Venezuela

39.  Wales

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The Pros and Cons of Business Ownership

August 5th, 2011 by stevezog

There is something special about owning your own business. It can be a dream come true for most people. It is right at the top of the wish list for many along with owning your own home. Owning a business means a great deal of responsibility as well as a great deal of pride and joy.

Both the greatest joy and the greatest challenge are one in the same – freedom.

But the freedom of owning your own business is a two-edged sword.

While the freedom of being your own boss and driving your own destiny is a great feeling, whenever you first start a business you must give up a certain amount of freedom to get that business off the ground.

The sacrifice may be in the beginning of the process, but the joy comes further down the road when you experience the freedom of owning your business and having someone else run it for you.

That will come after much hard work and commitment on your part and the part of the team you put together.
What are the “pros” of owning your own business? It is a way of turning your dreams into reality. For many people, it is a life-long goal they have achieved. Their business is the tangible evidence, the fruits of their labor right before their eyes.

It is also the sense of personal fulfillment and professional accomplishment. It is a sense of purpose and vision and the opportunity for a creation of wealth and prosperity.

And it all starts and ends with you and your dream and commitment to seeing that dream come true.

Owning a business that provides a product or service that helps people is a real thrill for the business owner. Making a profit is even more of a thrill.

So what are the “cons”?

When you own a business, there will be days your employees will not show up and you will have to multi-task and fill in for them. You will have to sacrifice time with your family which oftentimes creates stress within itself.

Another con of owning a business is taking your work home with you – literally and figuratively.

Owning a new business is stressful enough but taking it home with you is absolutely unhealthy for you and your family.

There are always mountains and valleys – ups and downs – to owning any business. But valleys are important, because they help us learn and grow, and they make the mountain tops all that much more enjoyable.

When you own a business all the responsibilities are on your shoulders. You are responsible for a team, and you have to put the right team together and work together for a common goal.

There will be growing pains without a doubt, but that only means that you are growing.

In the end, there are few challenges that are more rewarding than owning a successful and profitable business. And now is one of the best times to start.

Are you “on the fence” about starting your new enterprise? Step up to the challenge and go for it. It may be one of the best decisions you have ever made.

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ActionCOACH Named Finalist for People’s Choice Stevie Awards

July 28th, 2011 by stevezog

When your business is helping other businesses become profitable, you better be sure that what you’re doing works.

In the nearly two decades since I founded ActionCOACH, we have developed systems that have made tremendously positive impacts on the clients we work with.

In fact, recent studies have shown that businesses that are coached by an ActionCOACH Business Coach enjoy a return of $7.50 for every dollar spent, and 74 percent of ActionCOACH coached businesses increased sales over the last year compared to only 43% of non-coached businesses.

From these numbers alone it is easy to understand why ActionCOACH is the world’s largest business coaching company as, every week, 15,000 businesses around the world are coached by an ActionCOACH Business Coach.

When so many people around the world work with an organization, that organization is sure to make a huge impact. And because of the positive impact we’ve made on businesses around the world, ActionCOACH has been named a Finalist for this year’s People’s Choice Stevie Award for Favorite Companies in the Business Services category.

We are very proud of this accomplishment!

As you know, there isn’t a business in the world that can survive, let alone thrive, without a group of “Raving Fans” as customers and there is little question that we have our “Raving Fans” to thank for this nomination.

But of course the nomination was just the first step.

Now it’s up to you to help us win this coveted award.

To vote for ActionCOACH, just visit the “People’s Choice Awards” page and click on “Business Services.”

Winners of the “People’s Choice” Stevie Award will be announced the week of 12 September and presented their awards at the International Business Awards event in Abu Dhabi on 11 October.

So click on the link provided and vote for the entire ActionCOACH team today!

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Do You Know What Really Works For Your Business?

June 16th, 2011 by stevezog

Testing and measuring is the most important thing you can do for your small business. Every aspect of your business, no matter if it’s a marketing campaign or the nuts and bolts of selling your products or services, must be tested and measured to ensure your business is running at its peak.

If you don’t test and measure, you’ll never know what really works and what doesn’t.

You’ll always be guessing and guessing in the world of business is a recipe for disaster.

That’s why I’m always surprised when I hear about people who use social media but fail to test and measure the effectiveness of what they do.

Like any marketing campaign, any work that you do in social media to grow your customer base should be tested and measured. Many businesses just assume because they are using social media, it must be effective, but they couldn’t be more wrong.

One major difference between traditional marketing and social media marketing is social media marketing shouldn’t cost you a lot of money, so it is far easier to have an effective campaign. At the same time, because you don’t have to invest a number of resources, you may not be as focused on the return you get from social media as you would the return from a campaign of radio commercials you had to spend an arm and a leg for.

Whether it’s traditional media or social media, you don’t want to waste time on campaigns that aren’t as affective as others and the only way to know what works best is by testing and measuring.

How do you start?

It’s simple. Just keep every lead you get from your social marketing campaign separate from your other leads.

If you have multiple pages and sites, keep each separate as well. This way you can figure out why some do better than others, instead of throwing away your time and effort on what doesn’t work.

It may be that the message isn’t uniform or maybe one ad or website has a better offer or better copy.

Whatever the answer is, without testing and measuring you’ll never know.

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A Tasty Way to Grow Your Business

May 5th, 2011 by stevezog

Who doesn’t love a nice grilled cheese sandwich?

The ultimate comfort food for many, a grilled cheese sandwich is easy to make, cheap and delicious… and now it is the subject of an event glorifying it, the Grilled Cheese Invitational, which attracts fans eager to display their own unique take on the ultimate American comfort food.

The Invitational was started about eight years ago by Tim Walker.

Walker started the Invitational on a lark with friends, but his event has showcased the power of contests and business awards as a way to build publicity for any brand or item. Incredibly, after 8 years the contest has grown to include 221 participants and about 8000 spectators (who pay $12 a piece to attend) in its latest edition.

For business owners, the story isn’t about the grilled cheese competition itself, it’s about the way this contest has generated incredible buzz around something as simple and common as a grilled cheese sandwich.

Imagine if your business could take something it does and turn it into a contest the business could host that would create loads of publicity. Don’t you think that could pay big dividends for your business?

The idea of creating contests to grow your business while presenting contestants with awards is a natural for restaurants. For instance, some restaurants hold eating contests and places that have specific themes could hold contests directly related to what they serve, like an oyster shucking contests in a seafood restaurant.

But it isn’t just restaurants that can use this tactic. Any business that provides a service can turn that service into a contest to promote the business with just a little thought.

So if you are you looking for a way to grow your business, but aren’t sure what to do, why not hold a contest that customers and potential customers alike can take part in?

A contest centered around your business, complete with awards you can give to the winners can be a very powerful tool and if you don’t believe it, just ask one of those 8000 people that spent $12 to attend the last Grilled Cheese Invitational.

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Why Do Franchises Do So Well on Wall Street?

February 16th, 2011 by stevezog

Consistency, systems and profitability are three major factors Wall Street investors look at when deciding where to put their money.

Investors want companies with a proven history of growth and profitability year after year. They want stability and the resources to continue moving forward, despite challenges individual stores may face.

Does that sound like the description of a particular industry to you?

It sounds like the franchise industry to me.

The University of New Hampshire Rosenberg Center Franchise 50 Index, which tracks a representative set of 50 publicly traded franchising companies in the United States, grew by 11.5 percent toward the end of 2010.
The index was up 15.8 percent over the year, compared to an increase of 2.3 percent for the S&P 500. Since its inception in 2000, the index is up 89.23 percent, compared to a drop of 18.2 percent for the S&P 500 over the same period.

What’s even more interesting is that since the 2nd quarter of 2001, the Franchise 50 has outperformed the S&P 500 by percentage every quarter.

So does franchising sound like a good investment? What do you think about the growth of franchisors?

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