What’s in Your Business Tool Box?
What more could any small business ask for than a perfectly constructed road map to a successful business. In today’s marketplace, the road is littered with detours and speed bumps that slow profits, referrals, and sales. Fortunately, Brian Buffini and Joe Niego have assembled just the right tools for business owners in their book Taking’ Care of Business-The Big Idea for Small Business. This short but valuable read will change the way we do business and change it for the better.
Every chapter of this noteworthy book begins with a memorable quote. Chapter One begins with a quote from Harold S. Geneen who says, “In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first, the cash will come later.” Subsequent chapters discuss such topics as “Takin’ Care of Marketing, Sales, Money, and Customers.” Buffini and Niego discuss relevant issues for all business minded individuals to include Why Customers Refer, Doing the Unexpected Extras, and Daily Disciplines for The Big Idea. The final chapter, Chapter Eleven, begins with a quote from Henry Ford, “The world was built to develop character. And we must learn that setbacks which we endure help us keep marching forward.”
Whenever business owners gather, the conversation always revolves around marketing. This is such a highly debated topic with numerous ideas for success that one can get lost in all the verbiage. In Chapter Three, Buffini and Niego discuss finding the right marketing strategy for the small business owner. Under this heading, three strategies are discussed—transactional marketing, relational marketing, and target marketing. All business owners are familiar with transactional marketing and target marketing, but the term of relational marketing may be new to some. Relational Marketing is based on business owners maintaining a consistent level of contact with their clients and customers. Building relationships with clients provides the business owners with high quality leads and creates an environment of trust. The age-old adage, “People do business with people they know, like, and trust, is an important aspect of relational marketing.
Chapter Five offers a plan for structuring the business day through daily disciplines. The “Win-the-Day” Formula” keeps you accountable for your lead generation activities each day of the year. The formula includes daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly business activities. “When you execute your daily disciplines, potential customers will become abundant,” according to Buffini and Niego.
I am huge a fan of going the extra mile for clients, so I was thrilled when I read Chapter Eight “Doing the Unexpected Extras.” There are five different way to apply The Unexpected Extras in your business. Number one is to go above and beyond, number two is . . .
For this information and more, you will want to read the entire book, Taking Care of Business-The Big Ideas for Small Business.
Sharon Lagina / Lagina Marketing / 734 558-7776 / [email protected]