Bad artists copy. Great artists steal.

All too often small business owners fall in love with the idea of creating something that is totally unique.  Something they can lay claim to as original and their own.  Something they can tell the world that they created first.  But that is easier said than done.

Coming up with great ideas is hard enough.  Coming up with great ideas that are new, totally unique and truly innovative is damn near impossible.  The fact is that almost all the “new” content and information we come across on a daily basis is in some way, shape or form recycled.  This is especially true in the world of marketing and business development.

So what do we do?

Start looking at the concept of innovation in a different light.  I say rather than obsess over being the very first to do or create something, be the first to discover a relationship between your area of expertise and what is already known.  The fact that you see a connection that others do not makes your observation unique and allows you to be truly innovative.

Take Richard and Maurice for example.  After running their drive-in restaurant successfully for 11 years (which made them rich) they decided to do the unthinkable… shut it down and start over.  The goal was to make food faster, offer it to their customers at a better price and eliminate their biggest headaches (which were finding new cooks and car hops and replacing broken glassware).  They began by switching to paper cups and plastic wrapping eliminating the losses created by broken glassware.  Then they decided that instead of car hops coming out to take orders and deliver the food they would have customers come up to the window and place their own order directly eliminating the problem and costs associated with finding and training car hops.  Finally, drawing inspiration from Henry Ford’s auto assembly plant, Richard and Maurice completely re-designed the kitchen area to be less like a typical restaurant Kitchen and more like an assembly line.  This allowed then to train new hires to do one simple task over and over again (like cook meat on the grill, dress the burgers or make the fries) which effectively eliminated the need for finding and hiring short order cooks.  It also allowed them to make the food faster and at a lower cost than any other restaurant could.  They called it the “Speedee Service System” and it became the cornerstone of modern day fast food restaurants.

Richard and Maurice McDonald did not create the assembly line.  They did however discover a potential relationship between the assembly line and the restaurant business and they were handsomely rewarded for doing so.  Thanks to the Speedee Service Sytem created by the McDonald brothers and the vision and determination of Ray Kroc, McDonald’s has thousands and thousands of locations across the globe and is among the world’s most recognizable brands. 

Interestingly enough, Henry Ford’s assembly line was a direct result of his visit to a Chicago meat-packing plant where he noticed that the entire process was divided up into specialized tasks.  While this was common place in the meat-packing industry, it was not a part of Henry’s industry.  Henry discovered a potential relationship and applied it to his area of expertise.  He made his dream of putting the average man behind the wheel of an automobile a reality and became extremely wealthy in the process.

There is an endless supply of examples showing the power of discovering new relationships between an area of expertise and what is already known so don’t get hung up on trying to create something totally unique and never seen before.  Don’t be afraid to learn outside of your area of expertise as that is where the truly unique and innovative connections are made.  Most importantly, be aware and alert because you may find that breakthrough connection in the most unlikely place.

My business partner and I have always prided ourselves on being innovative.  We have come up with some pretty unique and creative things over the years.  Sometimes it works and we smash one out of the ballpark and other times we are just too far ahead and the market simply isn’t ready.  Either way we have never been afraid to steal or as I like to say “borrow” the gems from outside industries or experts.  We have been looking to outside industries and experts for inspiration since we started our first business as teenagers and it has always served us well.

Before I get accused of encouraging theft let me be clear.  I’m not suggesting that you take your competitor’s products or information and copy them.  I’m also not suggesting that you take products or information from businesses outside of your industry and copy them.  I do however want you to realize that just about any good idea that you can come up with has most likely been done.  So rather than rack your brain trying to discover something new, look to other industries and try and find a connection.  Borrow concepts, protocols and things that might otherwise be taken for granted in one industry and see how you can shape and bend them to fit your industry.  Follow in the footsteps of giants… discover a relationship between something known and apply it to your area of expertise. 

 “Bad artists copy. Great artists steal.” – Pablo Picasso

The death of the USP

Ok so maybe I’m being a tad over dramatic when I use the term ‘death’.  It’s not that the USP is dead per se, but it certainly is living out it’s final days in some retirement home along side telemarketing and the VCR.  I am sure there are people still finding certain levels of success hawking goods via the phone and of course we will need a device to play all thoseVHS tapes stockpiled in the attic from the mid 90’s but like anything else, evolution kicks in and the human race finds a better way.  While the USP can still serve a purpose to the average small business owner, I think that evolution will once again have it’s way.

As a small business owner you’ve probably come across the term USP a million times.  USP stands for ‘Unique Selling Proposition’ and many believe it should form the backbone of your marketing.  The basic premise is that each and every business should have a unique selling point.  Something that a customer can associate with that specific business and specifically a definitive benefit gained by doing business with that particular business.  The key is that it must be unique and powerful.  It must be something different that sets the business apart from the competition and yet powerful enough to convert new prospects.

Now I am a huge fan of being different especially when it comes to small business.  For me identifying Points of Difference is a crucial exercise that every small business should engage in.  The problem I have with the USP is that the vast majority are merely SP’s as opposed to USP’s.  In many cases the ‘uniqueness’ is no longer present.  What was once a very distinct point of difference or USP is now just par for the course.  Take FedEx for example.  “When your package absolutely, positively has to get there overnight” was a great USP at one point.  Now you would be hard pressed to find a reputable courier company that doesn’t offer some sort of same day or overnight delivery.  Not so unique anymore.

My point is that without the ‘unique’ you basically only have a selling proposition.  With our unprecedented access to information and the huge selection we have thanks to the global economy having a selling proposition will hardly cut it.

For a great article on the evolution of the USP check out Marsico Marketing.  John is a marketing genius and he helps small business owners develop their “DNA” or Distinct Natural Advantage.  Distinct Natural Advantage is a concept coined by John and involves what he calls the Seven P’s…
(1) Purpose (2) People (3) Pain (4) Promise (5) Proof (6) Positioning and (7) Packaging

John is writing a 7 part series on developing your ’Distinct Natural Advantage’ and I highly recommend it to any small business owner looking to take their business to the next level.

Guide to understanding flow charts

I use mind maps to plan projects, map out business plans and even use it for mapping out my goals.  Here’s another clever use I stumbled across.  Enjoy

Why being different will win you more customers

Identifying Points of Difference

For small business, being different is a good thing.  In fact it is probably a great thing.  When it comes to marketing a small business I often like to do an exercise with clients to help identify what are known as ‘Points of Difference’.  It is often an enlightening process for the business owner because all too often I find that business owners are way too focused on making sure they do exactly what their competitors do… only better.

While doing things better than the competition does have it’s merits, I would suggest that doing things differently from what your competition does is a far more effective strategy when it comes to winning over customers.  You see if a customer (or prospect) can’t distinguish you from your competitors than you have a problem.  A very big problem.

What most small business owners don’t realize is that when a customer makes a switch to a new service provider (or even a product for that matter), more that half of the time it has absolutely nothing to do with the level of service they are receiving (or functionality of the current product).  In the majority of cases, customers make the switch simply because the new provider is offering something that is different.

Offering something that is different gives the customer a very specific reason to do business with you.  This is the very essence of marketing.  On the most basic level, marketing comes down to identifying a problem, finding a solution and then formulating an offer that prospects can understand and relate to.  Good Points of Difference are easy for prospects to understand and relate to and will provide that very specific reason for them to do business with you.

When it comes to communicating or marketing your Points of Difference there are two things you want to focus on.  First, you want to differentiate what you do from what your competitors do.  Second, you want to differentiate how you tell people what you do.  Be sure to be as specific as possible because a confused prospect will always say no regardless of how good your marketing or Points of Difference are. 

Take a good look at your own business and try to identify the things that you do (or could do) differently from your competition.  With some effort and a little bit of creativity you will easily find good solid Points of Difference that your prospects can understand and relate to and when you do, more prospects will choose to do business with you instead of your competitors.

How to easily double your productivity

Using a to-do list to double productivity

Given the new year and the bazillions (yes that is a word..I think) of resolutions that will be made today I thought it would be an appropriate time to share some valuable  info on what I consider to be a top five topic (… top five weakness is probably more accurate) for small business owners.  I have read a lot of information on productivity mostly because it was something that I struggled with in a major way.  I still have my fair share of productivity lapses (moments of downright laziness) to this day, but I have implemented something that did wonders for my personal productivity levels and I know it is something that most small business owners will seriously benefit from.

The concept centers around increasing productivity through the use of a to-do list.  I know the whole ‘to-do list’ concept has been beaten to death but try and resist the urge to hit the back button because if you can stick with me on this and actually implement this strategy you will see your productivity skyrocket… I promise.

Almost every small business owner (sbo) I encounter has at one point or another attempted to incorporate a to-do list into their daily or weekly activities.  I will be the first to admit that it does take time and an effort to actually write out your to-do list every day.  For this reason alone, many sbo’s will make the effort for the first few days and then get side tracked, forget or just plain give up because they don’t see immediate results.

The truth is that if done properly and consistently a to-do list can easily double your productivity.  It might sound like a big claim but if you make a real commitment to use a to-do list on a daily basis in the way I will show you I know the results will speak for themselves and you will thank me for it later.

First things first…

• Always write down your to-do list!  Resist the urge to use your computer, smart-phone or hand-held device for 2 critical reasons.  First, they all have built-in rollover features which means any tasks that you do not complete simply get rolled over to the next day.  To illustrate, my very first palm pilot still has some of the original t0-do tasks that I added when I first got it like 8+ years ago!  Rolling tasks over is sometimes necessary however having it happen automatically compounds the second critical reason which is that you aren’t actually writing your to-do list.  There is something magical that happens when you actually go through the physical act of writing something down.  For starters it makes an impression on your sub-concious which is the exact same reason why you should always take the time to physically write out your goals.  If you don’t write down your goals and set a deadline for them then they are not goals they are merely hopes.  Writing your to-do list will also help keep the items on the list top of mind which is super important when you have to manually rollover any tasks that were not completed to the next day.  Re-writing to-do’s that rolled over from the previous day will help you to connect with those un-finished items on a daily basis.
• I recommend that you use a business journal to write out your daily to-do list.  It doesn’t have to be fancy but it should be something that you can carry with you and reference often.

 When to write your to-do list…

• Write your to-do list in your business journal first thing in the morning before you start your business day.  Usually your mind is clear and your body is refreshed from a good night’s sleep and that will help you to focus on what you would like or need to accomplish for the day.  Writing it first thing in the morning will also help set the tone for your day and provide specific purpose which will in itself help increase your productivity by leaps and bounds.
• Don’t be afraid to add to your to-do list as necessary throughout the day and make the necessary adjustments.  Having urgent and un-planned things spring up on you is inevitable but over time and with proper planning you will be able to significantly reduce the number of cases that occur.

How to prioritize your to-do list…

• One of the most crucial elements is prioritizing your to-do list.  Use an alpha-numeric system with “A” through “D” representing the priority level and then assign each task within each priority level a number of “1″ to “10″ based on which items need to be completed first.
• The “A” list are high priority items that MUST be accomplished that day.  The trick with setting priority is to actually prioritize (if that makes sense).  Certain tasks are more important than others and you need to be able to differentiate between the important tasks and the really important tasks.  This will come with experience but as a guideline the “A” list should be no longer than 5-6 items.  The “B” list are also high priority items but they could wait till tomorrow if necessary.  The “C” list are average priority items and the “D” list are low priority items.  The real key is to be able to differentiate between the “A’s” and “B’s” and this will come with time and experience.
• Assigning a numeric value to the tasks within each priority list is not a must however it may help to further streamline your to-do list and keep you on track and organized.

Assign a time limit for each task on your to-do list…

• This is one thing very few people do when writing a to-do list but the impact can be huge so I highly recommend it.  It is especially important for “A” list items as you should never spend more than half of your work day completing all of your “A” list tasks.  If you spend more than 5 hours of a 10 hour work day completing “A” list tasks than you either have really bad time management skills or (more likely) you need to break down the tasks into smaller sub-sets.
• Don’t spend too much time trying to calculate the exact time required for each task.  An estimation of the time required and a strong focus on “A” and “B” items will suffice. 

Tackle your to-do list…

• Start by working on your “A” list items.  I highly recommend tackling the “A” list item with the lowest estimated time required to complete.  Completing this task in a timely matter (and early in your work day) will give you a significant morale boost and help keep you motivated for subsequent tasks.  This is why assigning a time limit is such an important step and can have a huge impact.  Not only will it help keep you organized and focused, but it will also help you to numerically prioritize the items in your “A” and “B” lists. 
• Continue working through your “A” list items but be sure to take a 3-5 minute break after completing each task.  If you were sitting throughout the task then use the short break to stand, stretch and walk around.  If you were standing throughout the task than use the time to sit and relax your muscles.  Either way the break should help to clear your mind but be sure to keep it short and resist the temptation to get side tracked by individuals or tasks not on your list.  Once you have completed all of your “A” list items, take a full 30 minute break (this should be separate from your scheduled lunch break) to fully recharge your mind and body.  Consider it a reward for successfully completing all of your “A” list items for the day and be sure to use the time to do something relaxing or something that you enjoy.  Getting some fresh air at the same time is also highly recommended and will do wonders for the mind and body.
• The 30 minute recharge will ensure that you are ready to tackle the remaining items on your list.  Move on to the “B” list items and continue in the same manner until your work day is complete.  Be sure to take short breaks after completing each task however the 30 minute break should only be reserved for the completion of all “A” list tasks.

The morning after…

• The next morning you will start the process again.  Any uncompleted tasks should be rolled over and re-prioritized for the new day.  You will find that certain tasks will move ‘up the ladder’ so a “C” list task may become an “A” or “B” list task.  With practice and experience you will be able to whip up your to-do list in a flash but as a general guideline it should never take you more than 15 minutes to complete your to-do list each day.

Doing a daily to-do list may seem like a daunting task at first and it does take effort and some time getting used to but consider it an investment in yourself and your business.  The rewards will begin to become evident with each passing day as all of your most important tasks get completed.  Within 2 weeks you will notice a huge jump in your productivity levels and within a month you will begin to wonder how you ever got anything done without it.

Steve

P.S. Refresh Media Group would like to wish you and your business a happy and super successful 2009!

What is your time worth?

How to calculate the value of an hour of your time

With 2009 just around the corner many people inevitably begin to think about their New Year’s Resolutions and goal setting for the year.  If you’re anything like me, setting financial goals is probably at or near the top of your list.  In particular, I always like to set a yearly earnings goal for myself.

Setting your yearly earnings goal is the first step to making it a reality.  Be sure to right it down and keep it in a place where you will see it every single day, that way it will serve as a reminder and work on a sub-conscious level.  To help keep you even more focused on your yearly earnings goal try this simple exercise.

Take the yearly figure and divide it by 1000.  Then take that number and divide it by 2.  The number you are left with is the approximate value of one hour of your time.  Now write that figure down alongside your yearly earnings goal and remember to take that into consideration whenever you are faced with a business task.  That way, you can make an intelligent decision as to whether that particular task should be outsourced or done by you.

Remember your time is extremely valuable and should only be spent doing the most important things in your business (i.e. things that generate revenues for your business).  Know what your time is worth and value it because if you don’t, you can’t expect anyone else to either.

Have a safe and happy New Year!

RefreshMediaGroup.com goes live!

After 3 weeks of ‘coming soon’ on our home page, we are proud to announce the launch of RefreshMediaGroup.com!

While the content is limited right now, we will be working hard through the Christmas holidays and well into the New Year to put up some valuable (or at least mildly entertaining) content.

Check back often for new and exciting ways to refresh your marketing and small business systems!