Small Biz

	Keeping Small Business Informed

DECEMBER 2005 Edition	Click to learn more about Business Resource Systems, Inc.
In This Edition Holiday Shopping Doom or Upbeat? Introduction to Real Estate Classes Do You Fear Your Customers? Update Your Business Plan - Phase 2 TECH Corner Merry Christmas & Support Our Troops Some Smiles

HOLIDAY SHOPPING DOOM OR UPBEAT?

If one believes everything in the papers or on the news the world will come to an end soon. Retail sales are down, black Friday cooled off over the weekend and on and on it goes.

However, if one wishes to seek something more accurate look at more sources of information. Look at the following article for example:

Online holiday spending will exceed $19 billion, comScore forecasts
Consumer spending on U.S. retail web sites will exceed an estimated $19 billion during the November and December holiday season, a 24% year-over-year increase, according to comScore Networks.

This is $19 BILLION that used to be tracked through brick and mortar stores. Internet sales have been increasing at an amazing rate for several years, but reporting this seems to only happen on at the bottom of page 25 in your local paper or as and ending comment on sporadic news casts.

Be careful what you believe when you read or see things "reported".

INTRODUCTION TO REAL ESTATE CLASSES

If a person is thinking about getting into real estate they should take our first class, Introduction to Real Estate. Read what some others say about this class:

"This class gives it to you straight. Very informative. If you take this class there will be no surprises later on if you decide to be an agent."
Jordan Hammond

"They tell you things you just wouldn't even think about. I was pretty surprised to learn just how much it costs to be in real estate. This class is definitely a must take for anyone thinking about getting into it."
Sharon Rusnak, 303-444-5218

This class can save you hundreds and perhaps thousands of dollars so if you are thinking about it, or know someone who is, have them attend this class.

There are follow up classes that that help an agent set up their business correctly, teach new agents how to market affordably and how to actually sell houses with many interactive processes.

do you FEAR your CUSTOMERS?

It is interesting to me how many companies I work with, train or speak to will tell me that most of their business comes from referrals, but many don't have any type of customer development program and I believe there is a fundamental reason for this.

Many companies seem to have a fear of learning what their customers really think of them, they just assume everything is ok because the customers keep buying. This is a dangerous assumption.

YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE YOUR COMPETITORS PROSPECTS!

This is something that must be firmly embedded in your mind at all times. If it is you will develop systems and processes that ensure your customers are appreciated and are a part of your business.

Over the past 25 years we've completed customer surveys for well over 100 companies and most of them are surprised with what is uncovered in an actual customer survey. So many business owners just believe they know what their customers are thinking even though they've never asked them.

DO YOU LIKE FOR PEOPLE TO ASSUME THEY KNOW WHAT
YOU ARE THINKING OR WOULD YOU RATHER THEY ASK YOU?

Most people would rather be asked so doesn't it make sense your customers will think the same way? They feel more important if you ask them what they think. Why do they use your company for the products and services?

Get out and LISTEN to your customers, don't always go out to sell them. If you are not comfortable in doing this let us know and we can do it for you. The objective is to "Get R Done".

update your business plan

If you don't have a business plan started yet - GET ONE STARTED! This applies to not for profit organizations, state agencies, government programs and every little, mid-size and large business.

Take the information you obtained from the October and November work and compile it for use in the updated business plan for 2006.

You have a profile of your profitable customers
You have the facts of why your customers bought from you the first time
You have the facts of why your customers continue to purchase from you

Now what?

Your business plan for 2006 needs to address, in written form, at least the following:

How many customers do you want to add in the year?
What size of customer do you want to add?
How many in each quarter of the year?
How many in each month?
How many prospective customers will you need to contact each month to accomplish the target goal?
How will you contact them?
How much margin do you want to obtain from each customer or type of customer?
How many of each customer type do you need to generate the margin your business model requires?
What is the contact process for each prospective customer?
How will the contact process be measured and monitored?
Remember, "IF YOU CANNOT MEASURE IT YOU CANNOT MANAGE IT"
How many of the prospective customers can come directly from referrals?
Does your new business plan (or the first one) have an entire section addressing customer management?
Who in your organization is the best at developing or enhancing relationships with people? This is frequently not the owner (especially for more technical businesses)

If you develop specific, written and measurable answers to these questions, and then execute on the processes defined your 2006 should be a banner year for you. If you don't do these things your 2006 may be just like your 2005 and your 2004.

Good luck with 2006 and it can be a wonderful year!

SMALL BIZ FINDER - Print Edition

You've seen in the past that we have an online version of the Small Biz Finder and we are now launching Small Biz Finder in print. We are launching this program in January 2006 to support the marketing needs of small business.

For only $150 for three months a small business can have their ad delivered via the web with the online tool and in print as we distribute 500 copies every month to other businesses. FYI - our web site is receiving approximately 15,000 hits per month and is growing every month.

TECH CORNER

Domain Names
Have you checked your domain registration information lately? If you have not you may want to do so. You can go to NetworkSolutions.com or Register.com and type in your domain name in the WHO IS box. A window will come up that shows all the pertinent information about your domain registration.

The most critical piece of information is the Administrator for the domain. Make certain it is YOUR NAME in this section and not the name of your web or hosting company, and the e-mail address is correct for contacting you. If they are correct you are fine. If they are not correct then please edit them so they are. Please be aware that if your name and email address is not correct you do not have control of your domain. The persons whose name and email is correct controls your domain! If you would like some help with this process just give us a call at 303-833-2819.

This is frustrating for us to see, but there are many unscrupulous web companies who will sell you a domain name, but put their name and email in the Admin section so they actually control your domain. We see this all to frequently, at least once a quarter and it only hurts the client.

This is a new section for Small Biz Newz and we would like to thank Barb at TeamBTS for providing the articles each month. To learn more about TeamBTS just visit their web site at www.TeamBTS.com.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & SUPPORT OUR TROOPS

This is the last Small Biz Newz for 2005 and it has been a wonderful year in so many ways. I am a year older, much wiser, healthy, my family is healthy and I continue to enjoy every day I am given to provide value to this life and the people around me. This is a special time of year for me and I would like to simply say MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL, be safe during the holidays, enjoy the New Year celebration and I look forward to communicating with you again in 2006.

Support Our Troops
I spent four years in the Navy during Viet Nam, went overseas three times for six months, seven months and three months and spent weeks and weeks at sea. I was most fortunate because I had a clean and dry bed every night. My ships provided thousands of rounds of inland shell support for our ground troops who did not have a dry bed at night and needed our support. We also provided hundreds of days of aircraft carrier support for the ships that launched and supported the air support that went on all the years we were in the Viet Nam war.

My heart goes out to the women and men who are now supporting the freedoms we enjoy every day here in America. All of our troops who are scattered around the world protecting us who are doing the job they believe in and are committed to give the supreme sacrifice to ensure we continue to enjoy our freedoms. These are Americans who truly believe in their mission and are totally dedicated to executing that mission, just like those of us who served before them did.

Thank you all who continue to carry the torch of freedom.

some smiles

Smackronyms. The new language used by IT professionals so pay attention the next time one of them is in your office on the phone back to their office - listen very carefully.

DKTMOTT-IP Doesn't know the meaning of the term intellectual property
COT-NOW-TGHO Check out the number of windows this guy has open
A.F.R. Apologize, fix & retreat
STITE Self-taught IT expert
DGUTD Don't go under the desk
YIHA Yes, it's him again
WSTST Will share their snack treats
SRB1.0 Still running Basic 1.0
T-G-RSUH-FAAS This guy really shouldn't use his family as a screen saver
KJETBD Knows just enough to be dangerous
HOOM-BCU Has opened own machine before calling us
SET-D Saves everything to desktop
C-FIK Crumb farm in keyboard

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