Have you ever had the feeling that you are running at full speed but nit getting anywhere?
The past year I have been in this situation, and the solution just hit me.
Get over the "Business ADD".
Slow down
Focus on one task at a time
Stay on point until your task is completed.
Measure the result against the expectations.
Wash rinse and repeat.
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." — Ferris
http://www.farmersagent.com/jwales
Monday, April 15, 2013
Friday, April 27, 2012
simply, an entrepreneur
I wish I could say that this was because I am overly busy. I may be busy, but this would still be a lousy excuse.
Over the past several months I have created an insurance agency, completely maxed out my funding availability on my leasing company while I am working on a popcorn franchise at the Victoria gardens mall in Southern California.
The truth is I cut back on my postings because I felt that my life was beginning to become way too complicated and I felt that I needed to slow down so that I could explain my own life in a simple fashion.
Up until November, this was easily accomplished. I financed trucks.
Since then I am not only financing trucks I am selling insurance and entering the retail market.
How do you sum this up in a concise statement?
I am going from being a person who is single and purpose to someone who is multitasking in every sense of the word. Even though this is exhilarating, it is also exhausting. I am enjoying myself and I am joining living in the entrepreneurial spirit.
Now I just need to build a sales force. A sales force that knows how to sell and execute, so that I am able to focus on my business adventures and not focusing in on the sales efforts.
So I guess my current concise statement is that I am an entrepreneur.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Small businesses need to stick together
Is it my imagination, or does it seem like corruption is becoming more prevalent as large corporations get larger and our government is increasing in size and pandering to this segment of business in order to try and stabilize the economy?
It is my personal belief that it is through the expansion of the small business community and not the expansion of the larger corporate environment that will lead to a more stable and prosperous economic condition.
I may be completely way off base, but based on what I am seeing in the current economy and in the larger corporate environment ( think Goldman Sachs), that this thought is pretty right on.
Last week I had the opportunity of spending time training for my new popcorn franchise. This room was full of people who are spending their life savings in order to support their families during this economic downturn. Most of us have been laid off from corporate jobs or have been downsized in government positions.
But we all had one thing in common. The entrepreneurial spirit.
It is this entrepreneurial spirit that will correct the economy not pandering to larger corporations.
It is my personal belief that it is through the expansion of the small business community and not the expansion of the larger corporate environment that will lead to a more stable and prosperous economic condition.
I may be completely way off base, but based on what I am seeing in the current economy and in the larger corporate environment ( think Goldman Sachs), that this thought is pretty right on.
Last week I had the opportunity of spending time training for my new popcorn franchise. This room was full of people who are spending their life savings in order to support their families during this economic downturn. Most of us have been laid off from corporate jobs or have been downsized in government positions.
But we all had one thing in common. The entrepreneurial spirit.
It is this entrepreneurial spirit that will correct the economy not pandering to larger corporations.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Excuses
I have not had the chance to blog in a while because I have been working on three separate business ventures. A small leasing company, an insurance agency, and a Doc Popcorn franchise.
I also have not had the opportunity to keep up with my calorie count or diet.
I hope I have not gained any weight
All of these reasons seem valid for not writing a blog, but are they really?
We all face challenges in our daily businesses, it is possible that I have taken on too much responsibility and I may need to focus on one or two of these projects. It is also possible that I may have gotten slightly lazy.
How often do we see challenges that lay before us, and try to rationalize a different plan of action in order to avoid this challenge?
I see it happening in business every day and I see it happening in my own businesses as well.
I need to decide which business is a better fit for me and my family.
This is my ultimate challenge
I love transportation leasing, it is served me well in the past and I am extremely good at it.
I like the insurance industry, or at least the functional part of it. I still suck at sales.
I really enjoy the atmosphere of DocPopcorn. An opportunity to open a retail business that is enjoyable and spreads that joy to others, is a very fulfilling prospect. ( even though it is very expensive)
Ultimately I need to choose which path that I want to run on and rid myself of any excuses.
How often do we all need to make these choices?
I also have not had the opportunity to keep up with my calorie count or diet.
I hope I have not gained any weight
All of these reasons seem valid for not writing a blog, but are they really?
We all face challenges in our daily businesses, it is possible that I have taken on too much responsibility and I may need to focus on one or two of these projects. It is also possible that I may have gotten slightly lazy.
How often do we see challenges that lay before us, and try to rationalize a different plan of action in order to avoid this challenge?
I see it happening in business every day and I see it happening in my own businesses as well.
I need to decide which business is a better fit for me and my family.
This is my ultimate challenge
I love transportation leasing, it is served me well in the past and I am extremely good at it.
I like the insurance industry, or at least the functional part of it. I still suck at sales.
I really enjoy the atmosphere of DocPopcorn. An opportunity to open a retail business that is enjoyable and spreads that joy to others, is a very fulfilling prospect. ( even though it is very expensive)
Ultimately I need to choose which path that I want to run on and rid myself of any excuses.
How often do we all need to make these choices?
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Back in the saddle and a change into a weekly blog
As many of you know, I am in the process of starting several businesses. Some of this requires promotional materials, and I am always in the quest for better pricing and higher quality. In this quest this morning, I was driving down the street and saw many flags advertising various lines of business. One of them being, promotional items. I followed these flags only to hit a seemingly dead-end. All these flags and signs were pointing towards a shot that listed blueprinting services. This store listed hundred and one different ways to process blueprints.
That did not seem to make sense so, on a whim, I went inside.
Sure enough, the store was selling promotional items however there was no way I could have known this by looking at any of the signage actually at their location.
How many times do we lead our customers on a similar goose chase?
How many times do we promise the ability to do something, but lack of the ability to follow through?
How many times have we not truly advertised our product?
As business people, we tend to view our operations within a fishbowl. We often forget that our customers are generally outside of our sphere of influence.
I bring this up because one of the dealerships that I occasionally consult for, is advertising that they have 2008 newer model vehicles and they list some very reasonable prices, however when I stopped by to visit they had older trucks, with higher miles selling for the same prices that they advertised the 2008 for.
From the customer point of view this is clearly a bait and switch.
From the dealership's point of view, they were temporarily out of that type of inventory and just had not changed their signage.
For those of you familiar with the Sandler sales technique, the glory of the upfront sales contract is that you set the expectations early and you outline the process.
Shouldn't this extend beyond our fishbowl?
That did not seem to make sense so, on a whim, I went inside.
Sure enough, the store was selling promotional items however there was no way I could have known this by looking at any of the signage actually at their location.
How many times do we lead our customers on a similar goose chase?
How many times do we promise the ability to do something, but lack of the ability to follow through?
How many times have we not truly advertised our product?
As business people, we tend to view our operations within a fishbowl. We often forget that our customers are generally outside of our sphere of influence.
I bring this up because one of the dealerships that I occasionally consult for, is advertising that they have 2008 newer model vehicles and they list some very reasonable prices, however when I stopped by to visit they had older trucks, with higher miles selling for the same prices that they advertised the 2008 for.
From the customer point of view this is clearly a bait and switch.
From the dealership's point of view, they were temporarily out of that type of inventory and just had not changed their signage.
For those of you familiar with the Sandler sales technique, the glory of the upfront sales contract is that you set the expectations early and you outline the process.
Shouldn't this extend beyond our fishbowl?
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