COMMUNICATION is the LUBRICATION of a well run ORGANIZATION

         To establish a strong business relationship effective communication practices must be established. It's nothing worse to be working on a project and not receive an important email, call, or text that plans have changed. No matter how minor or major the lack of communication is poor communication will strain the productivity of the organization. So awareness of this problem needs to be solved immediately. 

Step #1. To achieve success through effective business communication you must learn how to express your ideas, instructions, and directions clearly. This brings to mind a mighty war strategist name Sun Tzu. He said "If instructions are not clear and commands not explicit, it is the fault of the commander". So this sums it up, you have to be clear in your communication.

Step #2. Choose the right communication format for each situation. Email, text, letter or phone call are all different formats. Don't use one of these formats all the time.

Step #3. Establish and maintain good communication with your employees this will increase productivity. 

Step #4. You have to remember it's not what you say it's how you say it. People are tuned in on how you say things and they watch your gestures and read your body language. As long as communication is effective from the top than the employee's will follow as well. By having effective communication among the employee's, it will boost productivity and it will also create respectful relationships.

          So to sum it up I'm going to leave you with four effective styles of communication that will help you to understand people while growing your business. 

#1. Controller- this type of person wants the facts and to get straight to the point. 
#2. Promoter- This type of person loves people and love to talk. They are naturally social butter flies.
#3. Supporter- This type of person is very calm and cool. They are low-keyed people and very patient. 
#4. Analyzer- This type of person is very detailed oriented all they want are the facts and figures.

           So there you have it and always remember that "Your bottom line is our business".


                                                     Ricky Downs ,CEO

Emotions: A Natural Part Of Business

Starting a small business is almost like taking a roller coaster ride. It can become very emotional. We would like to think that in our business lives, we make our decisions with a business head and not a bleeding heart. However, the truth of the matter is that either positive or negative human nature kicks in and emotions plays a part. As you build your business you will go through several emotional phases. I have identified 5 of them in which I went through that I'm going to share with you.

#1. Examination- To examine is to investigate thoroughly. This happens in the beginning when you are gathering as much information as you can about the business that you are looking at to start.

#2. Information- Defined as knowledge obtained from investigation, study or instruction. At this stage you are not only learning about your business but also studying about your competition and obstacles in that field.

#3.- Confirmation- To confirm is to give approval. At this point you have made up your mind and moving forward with your decision. 

#4.- Preparation- Here your working out the details and planning in advance. This is where your business strategy begins.

#5.- Determination- Most important of all of them. At this stage your mind, heart and soul is firm and fixed on achieving your desired goal in other words reaching your destination.

So remember emotions are involved in business like everything else in our lives. When emotions are relevant you should be able to recognize them. Emotions can be an indicator of both opportunities and also dangers. Keeping this in mind also remember that "Your bottom line is our business".         



Ricky Downs , CEO 
www.yourvideoviewer.com 

If You Take Your Business Casual You Will Become A Casualty

Wow, that's a strong but true statement. The definition of casualty is; victim, somebody or something destroyed or suffering as an indirect result of a particular event or circumstances. Yes if your not serious about your business you will become a victim of failure. To many people start businesses and treat them like a hobby not holding themselves accountable for the day to day operations or systematically seeking clients but than wondering why they don't succeed.

As a business owner you have to ask yourself a couple of questions:

#1. Am I willing to give it all I got to make it work?

#2. Am I prepared to go the distance no matter how hard it get's? 

Take the advice of William Barclay "Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory." With this being said you must take your business serious. Start by finding your niche. This will make you become an expert in your field. Don't depend on one traffic source diversify your marketing activities.

Always stay positive and surround yourself with other business owner's. This will protect you from negative influences and last but not least read about other people's success. This will keep you motivated and you can learn from their mistakes and duplicate their success formulas. It all boils down to whatever your business is, you simply must take it seriously if you want to be successful

and remember "Your bottom line is our business".

                                                                       Ricky Downs,CEO

Strategy: The Pathway to Success

The definition of strategy, the result of choices made to maximize long term value. Yes, strategy is the pathway to success. Think of it like this, on a dark night you need light so you can see where you are going to eventually reach your destination. Well, that's what strategy does for your business. It is the light so you can see where you are going to guide your business to it's destination which is SUCCESS! It is so important that you understand this because without strategy you have no road map.

Therefore the first thing you have to do is create a business strategy. Here are some tips you can follow:

#1. Set a vision statement- This describes a picture of the company's future and the direction it is headed.

#2. Set a mission statement- This describes what business the company is in and the target customer to determine their needs your business will meet.

#3. Set Goals- This is motivating, it gives focus, and yields more satisfaction from the sense of achievement.

Take this in and really think about it.  Michael Porter said "Strategy is about setting yourself apart from the competition. It's not a matter of being better at what you do it's a matter of being different at what you do." So there you have it a well put together strategy is created thru laser like focus and is implemented with the use of tactics and alway's remember "Your bottom line is our business".

                                                                

Ricky Downs, CEO

www.yourvideoviewer.com

People Come And Go But Systems Stay

     People come and go but systems stay, yes a harsh but true statement especially when it comes to business. In order for a business to be successful you need to have systems in place that run smooth, free of any delays and omissions. Systems help to maintain effective control in your day to day administrations and operations. In order to implement a  successful system it has to be well-planned and organized. This will save on time and money. However keeping in mind to stay focused on creating a system that meets your requirements and also the needs of the users who know how to use it.

     John Jantsch said it best "At it's core, a fully functioning business is basically a set of systems and processes". Therefore, by knowing this you can agree the more order you bring to your business the more business you can handle . With this in mind having systems in place will help you as a business owner to identify weak sales growth, low profits, customer dissatisfaction, and daily frustration. You can quickly resolve issues like the ones that were just mentioned having this information as a business owner.

     So to sum it up creating effective systems in your business will allow you to attain results that are consistent, measurable, and ultimately beneficial to your customers and always keep in mind "That your bottom line is our business."

Ricky Downs , CEO

www.yourvideoviewer.com

Promotions And Discounts: The Bait That Catches Your Customers

A fisherman puts bait on his hook in order to attract fish so he can catch them. This method can also be used by having promotions and discounts as bait to attract customers for your business. Any time you tell a customer he can save money your likely to get their attention. Discounts and Promotions will help boost your business as long as you offer it for a limited time. What this does is move a potential customer to make a decision.

You also have to remember to track your promotions. This will help you decide what's working and what's not. Winston Churchhill said " However beautiful the strategy you should occasionally look at the results." Yes by doing this it gives you control of your market.

There are all kinds of ways to entice people to buy your product. Here are 2 ways on how promotions and discounts can grow your business:

 #1. Gift cards- this is a simple and effective way to increase your cash flow.

 #2  Bundles-Pairing items together for a single price can help introduce low-selling items to a broader customer base. 

Yes discounts & promotions work as long as you effectively track them and remember  "your bottom line is our business".

                                                                              

Ricky Downs, CEO

www.yourvideoviewer.com

The Best Kept Secret To Marketing Your Business Is Networking

Yes, networking is one of the most inexpensive yet effective ways to market your business. Keep in mind the definition of networking which is to associate with like minded business people who recognize, create or act upon business opportunities it will lead to great referrals and leads for your business. Here are a few tips in successful networking.

#1. Keep in mind that networking is about being genuine-  In this arena you are building

relationships and trust also seeing how you can help others.

#2. Become a sponsor- this will allow you to participate in the event and in most cases

have a display about your business.

#3.-Always exchange information and have advertisement pieces to give out- This will act as a reminder to potential clients long after the event.

#4. The most important of all, follow up on all leads at this point you have the highest percentage of making them a customer.

The more you network the more your business will benefit but it also takes planning. You need to make networking a part of your business. Devoting time, attending certain events that are targeted to your field and know what you want to achieve. Always be prepared on what you are going to say about your business. Talk about what your business has to offer and why people need it. Never forget to ask others what they do? By doing this you are getting the most out of your networking and it doesn’t become a waste of time.

In conclusion at any networking event talk to everybody because you never know who you might meet and most of all who they know and remember, "Your Bottom Line Is Our Business".

The CEO,

Mr. Ricky Downs

www.yourvideoviewer.com