What’s your plan for 2013?

Got a great business-building idea?
Eager to roll it out and bring in the business?
Maybe you had better hold on a minute.
Here’s a story that illustrates what this means.

Robert Skrob is proud of his 13-year-old son.
Robert Jr. is learning to draw plans.
His 8th grade shop teacher shows him how.
He must draw a project from three views.
Overview and two side views.
That shows the teacher he knows what he plans.
Only then can he use wood and a saw.

This is a good lesson in life for all of us.
We need to conceive, see and draw our plans.
They may not be in pictures but in words.
Pictures, of course, help, too.
An executive recruiter friend uses pictures.
He has a photo of a snazzy car he wants to buy.
It is an expensive toy . . . but it motivates him.
He makes one more call every day due to that car.

A sports car may not be your goal.
It may be a dream vacation.
Your child’s education.
A highly profitable business.
A secure retirement.
Whatever it is, you need a picture in your mind.
You need a plan . . . on paper.
Such planning takes time . . . and patience.
Too often we are caught up by our passion.
We want to plunge right in and do it.
We can waste a lot of lumber that way.
Time is money . . . and money is wealth.
Precious resources. Use them wisely.

We started our company 20 years ago.
I could hardly wait for that first edition
I could see it rolling off the press.
I could see holding it in my hands like a new baby.
But my partner restrained me.
We need a business plan, she wisely said.
We spent weeks writing a narrative.
Then more weeks projecting costs and sales.
We hired a business planner to help us.
Crunching numbers is tedious . . . but necessary.

When we finished, we took two more steps.
We shaved 10% off our projected sales figures.
That was just in case we were too optimistic.
Then we added 10% to our costs.
That was for unexpected contingencies,
That swung the projected bottom line 20%.
I’m glad we did it. We reached profitability fast.
And we knew when to expect it.
But it took us 30 days longer than anticipated.
Without the 20% change, it might have taken longer.

Robert warns against being impetuous.
There are big profits in planning.”
It doesn’t sound sexy or much fun.
But planning is a very profitable exercise.
Don’t complain about your accountant’s questions.
Accountants know how to maximize profits.
They’re not just bean counters. Work with them.

A holiday gift idea for you

Would you like autographed copies of my books?
They make great holiday gifts.
We’re raising $10,000 for adult literacy tutoring.
It’s easy to make a donation for these books.
For a $100 donation, I’ll personally autograph them.
One for you and four for those you care about.
You can read about the books at my web site.
www.JerryBellune.biz
Then email me at JerryBellune@yahoo.com
Or call me at 359-7633 to order by credit card.

How to run a profitable business

Ruth King is a tough-minded entrepreneur.
Creative and smart, too.
We’ve worked together on internet TV.
It was a great experience.
I learned a lot.
Maybe she learned a thing or two, as well.
She wrote recently about a harried client.
He was overwhelmed by his business.
He needs to run his business,
His business was running him.
Ruth advised two solutions.

1. Make a list of what you must do today.
Don’t think about it. Write it down.
Get it on to paper where you won’t forget.
Estimate how long it will take to do each one.
Decide to do it - or delegate it.
Prioritize the list. Swallow the big frog first.
2. Reserve an uninterrupted hour in your day.
If you can’t do an hour at first, do 15 minutes.
Shut your office door. Turn off your phone.
Hang a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door.
Your employees will get the message.
It’s amazing how much you can get done.
No interruptions. The phone isn’t ringing.
People don’t run into your office constantly.
Your employees learn to be resourceful.
Ask them to bring solutions, not just problems.
And it can wait - unless the building is on fire.

Get it done. Check it off the list.
You’ll feel better. I learned this long ago.
The business was running me. Night and day.
Even at home I worried about it constantly.
My partner was sleeping blissfully beside me.
Bingo! Even I figured that one out.
She wasn’t worried about our business.
She had faith we were doing the right things.
What a revelation.
I relaxed and went back to sleep.

It’s OK to think about your business.
It's your business. It’s important.
It’s not just your income.
It’s your passion.
But it’s not OK to worry about it all the time.
Keep the faith that inspired your to start with.
Have faith in yourself and your business.

Plan your week a week in advance.
Adjust your plan as opportunities arise.
Other challenges will present themselves.
Take care of the big frogs first. Always.
Big frogs are high payoff projects.
They ring our cash registers.
They fulfill our dreams.
Here’s wishing you a worry-free week.

A holiday gift idea for you
Autographed copies of my books for a donation.
We’re raising $10,000 for adult literacy tutoring.
It’s easy to make a donation for these books.
Just email me at JerryBellune@yahoo.com
You’ll receive details and can order by credit card.

How to change the world

Tough times bring out the best in all of us.
We just have to work at it.
It’s easy to be generous in prosperous times.
It’s much harder when our cash register is silent.
But this forces us to become innovative.
To band with others in the community’s interest.
Here’s a small story that illustrates the point.

Glenforest is a very special school.
It was started to serve a special need.
No school like it served our area.
It is a school for children who learn differently.
They are smart and talented.
But they get lost in a public school classroom.
They thrive in small classes.
They need more individual attention.

Each year our Rotary Club helps Glenforest.
Our Chili Cookoff raises thousands of dollars.
A silent auction and other vendors help, too.
It is a labor of love for all of us.
This is a strategy to change your world.
Weeks of planning and preparation go into it.
It is an all-volunteer effort. No one is paid.
Our payoff is knowing we make a difference.

Your civic club may have its own fund-raisers.
These are important to every community.
We can raise money none of us could do alone.

One lesson I want you to take away is this:
Together we are stronger than any of us alone.
Banding together, we can make a difference.
We help the homeless, the sick, those in need.
We don’t need the government to do it for us.

Lesson #2: Generosity is good for us.
It positions us a responsible business owners.
It connects us with other community leaders.
It makes us more hopeful in tough times.
It makes us feel good about our community.
It makes our clients feel good about us.
Make a difference and it will make one in you.

Holiday gift idea for my readers
Autographed copies of my books for a donation.
We’re raising $10,000 for adult literacy tutoring.
It’s easy to make a donation for these books.
Just email me at JerryBellune@yahoo.com
You’ll receive details and can order by credit card.

Pursue your own dreams

Today we’ll discuss a subject close to my heart.
As an entrepreneur, it should be close to yours, too.
All of us share these dreams in one way or another.

Most of us have five.

1. Belong to our own loving family.
Joanne Woodward (right) said it well.
Her goal was to raise three happy, well-adjusted children.
That means, be a non-dysfunctional family.
Joanne knew. Her parents were divorced.
She and Paul Newman were married 50 years until his death in 2008.

2. Own your own home.
It may be in the best neighborhood in town.
It may be the one where you live right now.
It may be on a lake. In the mountains. At the shore.
The Spanish have a word for it: Querencia.
It means the place where you belong.
A place where you are safe and serene.

3. Be your own boss.
No more catering to tyrants and bullies.
Independent and free to pursue opportunities.
For most, that means owning our own business.
Owning our own successful business.
A business with loyal clients and associates.
A profitable business to support your family.

4. Own your own income-producing assets.
That may mean your business locations.
It may mean rental property.
It may mean safe, cash-flowing investments.
A guaranteed cash flow for life.
No worries about running out of money.

5. Prepare for an enjoyable retirement.
Without the first four, No. 5 is hard to imagine.
But we all grow older and need to let go.
Let the next generation run with the ball.
The height of wisdom is knowing who to give it to.

All of this may seem obvious and it should.
But how can we apply it to our lives today?
Zig Ziglar made a keen observation:
Give enough people what they want . . .
. . . and they will give you what you want.

We should know what our loved ones want.
We should know what our ideal clients want.
We should know what our associates want.
We should know what our partners want.
Armed with knowledge, we can help them get it.
Help enough of them and we get what we want.

This week’s Success Challenge
Find our what each of these groups want.
How do you do that? Simple. Ask them.
Determine which wants you can help them with.
Listen, plan and take action.
Sounds simple . . . but it isn’t.
You must be willing to listen, plan and act.

Holiday gift idea for my readers
Autographed copies of my books for a donation.
We’re raising $10,000 for adult literacy tutoring.
It’s easy to donate and receive these books.
Just email me at JerryBellune@yahoo.com

Exploit your competitive advantages

Life isn’t fair.
Neither is competition.
You can compete ethically . . . or in some other way.
You'll sleep better.
I recommend ethically . . . but ask no quarter.
Believe me, your competition will give you none.

Here’s an example of what I mean.
A friend of ours is an early riser.
She’s usually at the gym early every morning.
Seven days a week, 350 or more days a year.
It is a habit that took time to develop.
Now she enjoys it. Feels guilty if she misses a day.
She smiles throughout her workout.
That releases endorphins into her blood stream.
The endorphins give her a “runner’s high”.
Smile at whatever you do and feel the same high.

The other morning she stopped at a grocer's.
The store doesn’t open until 7 a.m.
She was unwilling to wait 35 minutes.
She drove to a nearby competing grocer.
This one didn’t open until 7 either.
They were satisfied with opening at 7.
They both lost her business that day.
She shopped for what she needed near her office.

This reminded me of a story.
The only dry cleaner in town opened at 8 a.m.
A young entrepreneur spotted an opportunity.
He parked outside the dry cleaner one morning.
By 8 a.m. a dozen people stopped but left.
They had clothes to be cleaned. No luck.
That evening, the cleaner closed at 5:30.
The entrepreneur parked outside to watch.
More than a dozen people stopped to make a pickup.
They went home without their cleaning.
The entrepreneur rented space across the street.
He opened at 6:30 and closed at 6:30.
Guess how uch business he picked up?
He exploited a competitive advantage.

This week’s Strategic Challenge
What needs or wants does your competition ignore?
How could you take care of those needs or wants?
Is it worth the effort to exploit them?
Not all needs and wants can be satisfied.
And not all of them can be profitable.
But I’ll bet there are some that are.
Think what this could do for your bottom line.
Talk it over with your team at work.
Your colleagues may see things that you missed.This is one way you can ethically compete.

Special offer for my readers
We’re raising money for literacy tutoring.
Our immediate goal is a modest $10,000.
Our local tutoring program needs it badly.
Proceeds from sales of my books goes to this cause.
Here’s an irresistible (I hope) offer:
Autographed copies of business books at $20 each.
• “Lead People, Manage Things” on leadership.
• “Your Life’s Great Purpose” on pursuing yours.
• “Killer Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs”.
You’ll learn 22 entrepreneurs success secrets.
All three for a $50 donation ($80 value).
Just email me at this address. Thanks.