Situation Room:
Revenues nearly doubled in one year to more than $14 million. Profits hardly moved from the previous year which and those profits barely broke $0. When I reviewed this information with the founder of the business, he looked me directly and sternly in the eye and said “That’s Not Good!” We then went onto discuss the changes being implemented to posture the company for making money.
Today
Are those changes working? Too early to tell because I know from experience many companies never continue following what they are taught. They revert to the “way they have done business in the past.”
I am a business development consultant. I am not a permanent fixture in companies I help. I have a long list of companies that are successful. I have a shorter list of companies that are not. What is the difference?
Commitment!! If I show you “How To Increase Profits by 30% or More In 90 Days or Less” and that happens, you are happy. When I tell you what we just did must continue each day, week and month, you begin to think about what you have to do to make that happen and some people conclude they do not want to do that work. They would rather settle for mediocrity.
The Solution
It is harder to continue losing money than it is to make money. Think about it. When you are losing money, you not only have the work to do but you also have the draining worries associated with losing money. How do you think I know that? The solution is to make up your mind to be prosperous.
Now assuming you are losing money or not making the money you want, how do you change that? The companies I work with follow a proven program for success. How do I know? It has taken quite a bit of time and experience to identify the fundamentals of running a business that everyone can follow each day. Part of the experience was finding the people who run successful companies.
If you are using the Internet as part of your marketing strategy, who are you following. Right up front: don’t follow me except when it comes to blogs then read my Blogging for Profit Series – it will help you. So who should you follow? I pay attention to people who are obviously successful. When I met John Reese and had my picture taken with him outside his Lamborghini I knew he had achieved a measure of success and was delighted to have that opportunity of meeting him. He was gracious is very focused on sharing what works for him. John understands there are not limits to the amount of money in the world and if John Reese makes $20 or $200 or $2000 million, there are still millions and even more you can make. I highly recommend John’s material.
In 1990. I was in Aspen Colorado at a three day summit for people running companies owned by an investment firm. The hosts of that meeting were two brothers whose net worth was at least multiple billions of dollars (yes that is a B). The learning curve for me at that time was fast and furious. I learned very successful people have a very clear definition of their business, the direction of their business and profit goals are clearly defined and the support structure necessary to achieve their business goals is soundly in place.
To The Point
Today at the start of every consulting project I reach agreement with the owners and management team on the definition of their business and the near term revenue and profit goals. We then move onto growth rates and setting the procedures and processes in place for achieving those goals.
This process is provided to everyone interested in the complimentary mini-course How To Increase Profits by 30% or More In 90 Days or Less (Register Here). This course is as relevant for internet marketers as it is for billion dollar companies.
It all starts with a clear definition of what you want and what you are prepared to do. Once you decide, follow a proven roadmap. Do you think it is coincidence this blog is named “Roadmap To Extraordinary Profits”? By the way, over time certain of the tools and techniques used in achieving extraordinary profits are refined. Like you I pay close attention to the tools and techniques developed by experts to help your business. I frequently mention the people who continue to help me with their training. The experts on my list are there because they help me based on my interests and my intent on using what I learn for myself and clients.
For those who say their business is Internet marketing I say your business has to be more clearly defined. Ed Dale is applying “the buy em and flip em model” for web sites and has evolved from a number of business models. I think Ed has a clear definition of his business but I can’t define it. Brad Fallon has a very traditional business model with search engine optimization as the engine. Frank Kern who may be an idiot savant, has a clear business model of monetizing small niche markets. Dan Kennedy is a copywriter and direct response marketing guru. Bill Glazer is an information marketer. Dan and Bill also run the college of direct response marketing through their newsletters, seminars and information products. Ken McCarthy is an educator. His System Seminar teaches people. Ken spends some of his time and resources on non-direct teaching but he loves to teach and does a great job doing so. I could go on but you get the point. Look at any person that you view as success and generally what business they are in is clear. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Have a clear definition of your business and a clear measurable goal for your business. Then measure the progress frequently.
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of measuring progress frequently . I develop a key factors report for every company I work with that tracks progress. For example in a retail business we track sales and gross margin trends. In the contracting industry we track flow of requests to bid and make sure bids submitted and ultimately the work completed tracks with the gross margin goals. In those industries and all others where I do work we always have an annual plan of revenue, margin and profit. Again this is detailed in the currently free course How To Increase Profits by 30% or More in 90 Days or Less
Avoid thinking tools are your business. The Internet, SEO, direct response marketing, copywriting, niche marketing, video, podcasts, autoresponders co-registration, infomercials, and more are tools. Recognize these are tools and continually ask yourself what are the tools that will really help your business the most. Then as others point out so well, what are the activities that need your skills and which ones should be outsourced.
Allot of times I write for my own benefit meaning it crystallizes my own thinking and in order to write about a topic you need to have a level of experience with the subject matter. This article for example originated because I have not personally focused on a clear definition of my own business and I have not completed a clear financial plan with action steps for myself. I am now doing this and I am optimistic this will be my best year ever (and I have had some really good years.)
I wish you prosperous health, happiness and abundance
Steve Pohlit
Business Development Consulting
Steve Pohlit has more than 20 years experience running very large and medium sized companies. Steve now designs and implements processes with large and small companies that will deliver improved business performance for the long term. The latest successful on line and off line marketing techniques are part of the processes that are implemented. Most projects are self-funding within 90 days. The business then experiences a very high return on investment. Learn more about the process of Increasing Profits by 30% or More In 90 Days or Less by visiting http://www.stevepohlit.com or you can call 727-587-7871 and speak with Steve directly. Have a question? Click Here To Visit Ask The Consultant If you want to learn how to use a blog to build your business then register for the the free mini-course “Blogging for Profits” at Steve Reports.