Have you ever wondered why it is that some people follow through and achieve success with something while others either don’t follow through – e.g. they buy a coaching program or book and never use it – or they follow through but don’t seem to achieve positive results?

I have. Many times. And it’s really frustrating because if someone buys my product I truly want them to use it and to achieve results from it.

I know it’s not just me because I’ve had many discussions about this topic with several colleagues in the last couple of years.

Thankfully, John Reese and Frank Kern, two well-known and highly respected internet business professionals, wanted to know the answer to the very same question. So they asked one man who was sure to be able to explain this … Anthony Robbins. Better still, they recorded this interview so we can all benefit from it.

Click on the link below to watch this recording:

Tony Robbins Interview With John Reese And Frank Kern

Why Do Some People Succeed While Others Fail? is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

What Is Market Research And Why Is It So Important?

These are important questions to answer for any small- and medium-sized business (and indeed large companies as well). Unfortunately, many small business owners disregard the importance of market research or otherwise know little about it. It is not at all uncommon for small business market research to be ignored or not completed fully. This often spells the downfall of small businesses, as they are out of touch with the wants and needs of motivated buyers.

The Danger of Assumptions

Many small business owners assume that they understand what their customers want and what motivates them to buy. But without accurately testing the market you can never be sure. There is a danger involved in assuming that you know what your client-base wants and what motivates them to choose one supplier or provider over another. The danger is in missing your target audience and not connecting with them. That loss of connection means a loss of business or sales, and for many, ultimately business failure.

Rather than assume you know what your core target group wants, be sure! The only way to be sure is to test your market through thorough market research, and find out precisely how to incite them to action and excite them about your business.

What is Market Research?

One of the greatest reasons small businesses fail to effectively complete market research is that they are unsure about what it is.

In simplest terms, market research is finding out what people want and will buy (whether that be services or goods), and how much they will pay for it. Thorough market research consists of testing and evaluating the market through different means to determine the demand, usefulness and likelihood of acceptance of a product across different demographics. It answers very specifically who will purchase a product or service based on characteristics such as:

• age
• gender
• location
• income
• other variable characteristics.

Armed with this data, business owners can very narrowly target their audience and clientele, and thus can commit resources, product development and advertising to connecting with this audience and very specifically serve their needs. Market research helps small businesses plan for every aspect of promotion and sales, including:

• price
• advertising and marketing
• product features and development
• improvements and modifications

Small Business Marketing Research Downfalls

In regards to market research, the downfall of small businesses often comes from nothing more than a lack of it. In other instances, the downfall comes as the result of business owners who become too personally ‘attached’ to their ideas. It is essential to maintain objectivity in marketing matters and use the research to support the most effective strategy.

Understanding market research and its importance is the first step towards taking full advantage of it. The next step is to learn how to perform it effectively and accurately so that you can capitalise on this very important business tool. Know where market research falls into your business strategy, and learn how to make the connections with your core group that will translate into business success.

What Is Market Research And Why Is It Important? is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

Back when I was in my late teens – not all that long ago really – I vividly remember an occasion where I asked a simple question and didn’t get the answer I was expecting.

I was working in a licensing position where we regularly had to forward copies of permits to regional offices throughout the state and we would use post codes in order to determine which office to forward the documents to. It didn’t take long to learn most of the state’s post codes by heart, but whenever we didn’t know the post code for a particular area my co-workers and I would just ask out loud and someone else would surely know.

On this one occasion, I made the mistake of asking our supervisor for a post code. Her reply was a short, sharp, “Do I look like a post code booklet? Look it up!”

I was a little miffed at the time. After all, we were merely being efficient. Why waste an entire minute or so looking it up when someone could just tell you in a few seconds, while you continued working away?

However, miffed as I was, that was an incredibly powerful lesson for me. After that, I made it a policy to rarely ask for help unless I had first attempted to solve the problem myself.

This skill has served me well over the years, particularly when it comes to small business management skills.

There have been countless times when I didn’t know how to do something and could have phoned someone for help or submitted a support ticket. But by first striving to find the answer myself I have saved many, many hours of precious time by not having to submit the question and wait for a reply. More importantly, I have learnt so much more than I would have from just asking up front, not to mention understanding the process more by researching it myself.

And let’s face it, generally it can be a pretty good feeling when you’ve figured out how to do something for yourself.

So, what’s my favourite tool for problem solving these days?

Google!

(Or Yahoo or Bing or MSN)

While there are some areas where I probably wouldn’t trust information from the Internet, you can find answers to so much here, especially when it comes to business issues or how to do something with your computer or a specific software application.

Whenever I need to know how to do something now, I simply ‘Google it’.

Now, a handy hint here: it helps to be specific. I will generally type something like, “How do I do xyz in ABC?” In fact, it was by searching on, “How to add a custom header to WordPress Thesis theme” that I found this excellent blog post on how to add a banner image to your Thesis header – a post I’m so glad I found and have since recommended to others many times over.

If your original question brings up too many possible answers, try being more specific with what you search for. Or if you don’t get enough results, be a little broader in your search terms.

If you want something instructional, going direct to YouTube can be a good idea. Again, you can find out how to do so much by searching for it in YouTube.

Sometimes getting the best answers for problem solving comes down to asking the right questions. But then if all else fails … ask someone else for help

How A Valuable Lesson In Life Taught Me The Importance Of Research is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

Here’s a good video by Brian Tracy, where he shares some great tips on some key factors to successful strategic planning. I particularly like the part about taking responsibility.

Whether you manage a small, micro or  home-based business, this video is well worth watching.

Keys To Strategic Planning is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

Are you in business or just passing the time with a hobby that happens to earn you some nice extra cash?

Is there a difference? How can you tell when you’ve crossed the line? Why is it important to know?

It is important to know the difference between a hobby and a business for several reasons. First of all, if you are making money with your hobby you could be doing better by growing it into a full-fledged, dedicated and focused business. You could be doing more of what you like and earning enough money to support yourself.  But there are also more serious issues at hand.

If you think your business is just a hobby but your government disagrees and thinks you are in business, you could be ignoring some very important responsibilities. Let’s take a look at the difference between a hobby and a business and talk about how you can find out more to decide which you are in.

Hobby Or Business?

By definition a hobby is something that you do for pleasure and relaxation, a regular activity that you do because you like it. A business on the other hand is a line of work, or a company or organization. Often people who have a hobby and somehow end up making money with it will think that they are in business. But talent alone does not make a profitable business – a business is much more involved than a hobby.

There are two basic defining lines between businesses and hobbies – legal and organization. And you should be aware that even if you don’t consider what you do to be a business, some authorities and tax agencies might.

Getting It Right Legally

From the perspective of the government, your level of income and/or time in a business is what normally determines which category your activity falls under. For some, there may be more defining terms as well, such as legal partnerships and corporations. In any case, you will need to be clear about what your legal status is so that you know what your legal responsibilities are.

Status and responsibilities will vary depending on where you live and do business. Start off by contacting the taxation agency for your country, or researching on their website. Next, speak with a good business accountant or tax attorney.  They should be able to advise you whether you need to file any legal documents, and/or how to claim income and expenses.

Planning To Succeed

Real businesses are not haphazard, leaving their success to circumstance; they are planned and organized entities. It is true that not all businesses organize themselves well, but if you are thinking about turning a hobby into a business then you need to make some fundamental decisions and plan the business accordingly.

You will have to do more than find time to enjoy your hobby; you will have to make provision for all aspects of running a business, including marketing, legalities, record-keeping, market research, and more.

Success in small business is not only a matter of generating revenue. It is also a matter of planning and researching, along with dedication to developing a sustainable stream of income. To do that, you need to be clear about what your intentions are, as well as what is required of you legally.

When you want to do more than have fun with a hobby, you need to take those extra steps to transform your passion into a sustainable business.

Do You Have A Business Or Is It More Of A Hobby? is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

When something doesn’t work the way it should or things don’t go right in one way or another, it’s easy to immediately play the blame game. We’ve all been there, I’m sure.

• You visit a website and get a ‘page not found error’ so you start blaming the site owner for mucking up their URLs.
• You click on a link within a document or page and a blank page opens, so again, the site owner or whoever put this page together has stuffed up.
• An email or fax you were expecting still hasn’t arrived, so you jump up and down at the unreliable so-and-so who promised they’d send it straight away.

When you manage a business and have other family, community and social commitments you often find yourself rushing to do things. But when something doesn’t work and your first thought is to immediately phone or email the person or company concerned, who has obviously stuffed up somehow, take a moment to stop to think about whether the problem actually lies with you (shock, gasp!)

Or perhaps not necessarily you, but maybe your computer, software, fax line, email program.

For example, in the case of a web page that doesn’t exist, are you sure you entered the web site address correctly? If you clicked on a link, did your email program break the link? If so, you should be able to access the web page by copying and pasting the entire address into your Internet browser’s address bar.

When you’re having trouble connecting to a particular web site it’s a good idea to check some other sites to determine if it’s just this site you can’t connect to or all sites, which may indicate a problem with your own Internet or modem.

If you clicked on a link within a web page and the new page or document didn’t open or opened as a blank page, perhaps there’s a setting within your Internet or security settings that is preventing it from opening. Or it may be that your firewall or anti-virus software is blocking it for some reason. Could it be that the document that should open was created with a program that you don’t have on your computer? Or maybe you need to get the latest updates for one of your programs, such as Flash or Java.

My examples here are predominantly focused with technology, but other factors can also be the cause of things not going the way they should. That’s okay … the point I want to stress here is that sometimes the ‘obvious culprit’ isn’t actually the cause of your frustrations.

So before you start blaming others (and perhaps embarrass yourself in the process) take a few moments to look at the entire situation in order to solve the problem. Then, if you can’t find a solution, contact the person or company concerned and – rather than telling them they need to get their act together – politely let them know that you’re having trouble accessing abc or you still haven’t received the email/fax/phone call/payment, and do they have any suggestions as to how you can resolve this.

Before You Start Playing The Blame Game… is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

In September 2009 the Australian government established the Small Business Support Line to offer guidance to small business owners, or those considering setting up a small business.

Since then the service has reportedly received more than 10,000 calls!

With access to a range of State and Commonwealth departments and services across the country, the Small Business Support Line staff are available to advise on all manner of small business questions, including:

• how to set up a business
• cash flow management
• funding
• grants
• licensing
• workplace health and safety
• employing staff
• marketing
• and much more

If you operate a small business in Australia or are thinking about starting your own business you can contact the Australian Small Business Support Line on 1800 777 275.

Australian Small Business Support Line A Hit is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

No matter how long you’ve been in business you’ve no doubt heard sayings such as, “The customer is always right.” And perhaps you have bent over backwards to keep some customers happy, no matter what.

But can you go too far? Absolutely!

Providing excellent customer service is extremely important for a successful business, there’s no doubt about that, and it can often be something that sets you apart from your competitors. But at some point you’ve probably had a particular customer or client whom you wish would shop elsewhere. You know the ones … no matter what you do they will find something to complain about. Or they love your work (or product or service) and praise you openly, but then pressure you to give them extra or to do the work faster to meet their urgent deadline and may become quite unreasonable when you explain why you can’t accommodate their requests.

So many small business owners are keen to keep all customers and prospective customers happy that they sometimes forget to set their own boundaries and policies. While keeping your customers happy, it should not be to the detriment of other customers or yourself, your family or staff members.

I recall a few years ago when myself and a colleague made a similar request to a third party. We both had our requests denied on what seemed to be reasonable grounds. However my colleague jumped up and down and would abuse them and call them all sorts of names on the phone until eventually the third party gave in and gave them what they asked for. When I explained my disappointment and asked why they gave in to my colleague but denied me the same request the reply I received was, “I’m very sorry. I don’t think it’s fair at all but sadly, sometimes you have to give the best oil to the squeakiest wheel to keep them quiet.”

Needless to say I was very upset by this situation and although it was 16 years ago, it’s stayed with me all these years. But I use it now as a reminder that I don’t want to be like that company. I don’t agree that those who cause the most trouble should be rewarded with services, products or prices that your best customers can’t have. Doesn’t it make more sense to reward the good customers rather than those who cause trouble?

Of course, if the complaints are justified then that’s different. If you’ve made a mistake or provided an unsatisfactory product or service then you should make amends and go above and beyond to apologise for the mistake.

It’s also quite reasonable for you to go above and beyond for customers, over-delivering and doing or giving ‘a little bit more’.

But in the general sense, it’s important to have clear boundaries and policies around how you work, what you provide and how much you charge and stick to them. If someone is making unreasonable demands upon you, don’t give in and provide something that you wouldn’t offer to every other customer. Perhaps they are not actually the right customer for you … perhaps there are other businesses that can provide what they’re looking for as a standard service, in which case it’s better for them to go to that store or service provider.

Next time a customer is placing unreasonable demands upon you, before giving in stop and ask yourself if you’re rewarding their bad behaviour.

How Far Do You Go To Keep Your Customers Happy? is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

As a business owner, you owe a duty of care to keep all people involved in your business safe to the most reasonable extent possible. Failure to make your business safe could result in injury, liability, or lawsuits, which could damage you more than financially. Even if you work from home, knowing what you need to be aware of should be part of your overall business management strategy.

Success In Small Business Means Safety For All

When business owners talk about safety in the workplace, the first thought is often for workers or employees. But in reality, small business safety is about keeping everyone safe – everyone from you to your clients and customers, and even to the delivery person. Your level of care and responsibility will directly impact your success in small business, as any injury or accident could easily put you out of business or at the very least impact the rates and fees you pay on insurance and settlements.

When you think about safety in the workplace, think about it from all perspectives. Consider all the individuals, including children and adults, who might come into contact with your place of business, and who might require you to think outside the box a little to keep them safe.

Small Business Safety – Things Big, Things Small

Big, glaring safety hazards may be obvious corrections to make, but it is often the little things that are overlooked that cause trouble and safety issues. Look at every aspect of your business and infrastructure to ensure safety.

• Look at large units like heating, air conditioning, and electrical systems and equipment, and hire licensed professionals for maintenance and repairs

• Look at small hazards like sharp objects, loosened fixtures, uncovered wall plugs, and peeling paint (especially if it is old)

• Take care with chemicals that are used – store away from the public and train staff to use responsibly and safely

• Check and maintain guards and safety mechanisms on mechanical equipment; be sure all equipment is regularly inspected and in good working order

• Properly store flammable liquids and gases and use responsibly

• Be sure poisons and acids are properly used and kept strictly away from the public

• Train staff in their jobs, proper handling, and emergency procedures

• Be sure that emergency equipment such as washes and fire extinguishers are always readily available, and always in working order

• Prepare emergency and evacuation plans

• Provide a safe, healthy work environment

• Pay strict attention to hygiene of the workspace and of staff, particularly where food is involved

• Repair all disrepairs

• Maintain property in the event of storms and weather that increase likelihood of falls and so forth

• Remember that confidentiality and information safety is of equal importance, and always maintain security protocols

This is a general list of considerations for businesses, but local regulations and governmental or trade safety requirements will always trump a general list. Be sure to contact the appropriate authorities and follow their guidelines for safety, and also for liability and insurance requirements.

People working from home are not immune to issues of workplace safety. Any business where people may come onto the property, even if just for a casual meeting, owes a debt of responsibility to clientele and employees, and confidentiality and information security are issues even for the most remote and physically detached businesses.

There is a lot to consider when it comes to small business safety – it’s something that can never be overdone. Make sure that your business is safe and secure in every way so that you protect both yourself and those who do business with you.

Safety In Your Workplace … Even If You Work From Home is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

Have you ever seen people who appear to be perhaps not as skilled as you, not as experienced as you, not as bright as you, maybe not even as popular as you … yet they are more successful than you by your own definition of success?

I’ve lost count of the number of people who have come to me for business mentoring who have said this exact thing. They can’t understand why others start a business and it thrives from day 1, yet they themselves have struggled to make a profit.

Certainly skills, abilities, contacts and business sense make a difference, but beyond that, you need to look deeper. You need to look at your entrepreneurial mindset. This includes the way you think, the way you act and what you believe.

This video by the legendary late Jim Rohn – an amazing man and a true role model for me – is essential for anyone who wants to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. In this, Jim speaks candidly about some of the concepts and statements that changed his life for the better.

Remember … “Success Is Something You Attract By The Person You Become,” Jim Rohn.

The Importance Of Developing An Entrepreneurial Mindset is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins