Unique Business Value Proposition

Existing customers and prospects make decisions everyday about how to invest their resources. These decisions are based upon what they feel benefits them. They make trade offs with each purchasing decision. A well defined Unique Business Value Proposition will help you retain your existing customers and direct new customers to your business.

Recently, I wrote a white paper article for Santa Barbara bookkeepers about the importance of having a Unique Business Value Proposition for their business. While this article was directed to bookkeepers, the concept of a Unique Business Value Proposition is universal to all businesses.

Remembering John Wooden

"Winning is a by-product... The score will take care of itself when you take care of the effort that precedes the score."

John Wooden, 1910 - 2010

Head Coach UCLA Basketball

No doubt the success of any organization will always be dependent on its leadership.

John Wooden was an excellent leader, and this is reflected in his success as coach of the UCLA bruins. While he was known as the wizard of Westwood, wizardry had nothing to do with his and the team's achievements. Coach Wooden lived his life by some very basic principles, and he used these principles to lead others.

Read more about Coach Wooden, and study his Pyramid of Success at The Official Site of John Wooden.

Focus

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals." - Unknown

I'm wondering: How many business owners are seeing current economic conditions as an obstacle?

Just The Facts

“All we want are the facts, ma’am.”. That was the request Sergeant Joe Friday
made on a regular basis to keep the witness focused on the task at hand and lend clarity to the situation.

As a business owner, you are constantly being bombarded with excess
information, when all you want are “Just The Facts.”

With that in mind, the firm is offering a special on a “Just The Facts” financial report for your business. For an investment of $750, you will receive a financial analysis of your business information with a one hour debriefing designed to help you focus on the relevant issues and give you clarity for future business planning.

Also available, a complete financial analysis and profit improvement potential calculations with a two hour debriefing and viewing of the First Steps video for an investment of $1,500.

Please share this information with others who might be interested.

Click Here For Flyer

Make the Most of Your Resources

My Friend Ric Payne, CA shared the following information on Facebook this morning:

I read that the source of competitive advantage had shifted from access to natural resources, financial strength & market access to: technology, human capital & organizational capacity to manage change. Little wonder intangibles have gone from being 38% of market cap in 1982 to 85% in 2000! Where will it end? Will tangibles even be relevant in the future?

With this in mind, many small businesses may think they are at a disadvantage due to the limited resources (technology, human capital and organizational capacity) that they have internally. But, this does not have to be the case. Many small businesses over come the lack of internal resources by making the most of the opportunities available through external resources. Such resources include CPAs who are members of the Principa Alliance, their bankers, their attorneys, industry organizations, and fellow business owners (through the Business Boot Camp).

Brenda Richter, CPA is a member of the Principa Alliance.

Customer & Team Loyalty

Robin Sharma’s VLog on customer service reminds me of the work I do with my customers – reminding them that the goal isn’t to satisfy their customers but to dazzle them. We must exceed our customers’ expectations.

The March topic for Business Boot Campers was Team & Customer Loyalty. We went through a case study of a small business just like theirs that incorporated Frederick Reichheld’s Six Common Principles of Team and Customer Loyalty. These principles apply to any business and it starts and finishes with the individual business person, not with complicated software packages, expensive databases or highly energized committees.

Boot Campers had a truly extraordinary experience, and left with the tools they needed to create similar experiences in their business.

Fearless - The True Entrepreneurial Spirit

Rebecca Tervo, CPA shares her entrepreneurial experience.

http://tervofinancialfitness.com/blog/2010/03/fearless-and-in-pursuit-of-my-business-dreams/

If you are looking for a CPA like Rebecca in central and southern California, please contact Brenda Richter, CPA.

One Page Financial Report

Check out a sample of the best one page financial report in the universe.

http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=1800190&da=y

Measure What Matters

The Institute for Management Accountants (IMA) and the Santa Barbara Networking Group are holding a joint meeting in March. Brenda Richter, CPA will be leading a dicsussion called: Measure What Matters - Accounting Outside of QuickBooks.

For more information:
http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/1767844/march-2010-mtg-pdf-february-23-2010-3-57-pm-30k?da=y

Good Question

Kevin Liebl asks businesses an interesting question this week:

Has Your Company or Product 'Jumped the Shark'?

Liebl goes on to explain that "jumping the shark" refers to a company's last ditch effort to save a dying product or service.

I wonder how many business owners are blaming the economy for their lack luster performance, when in fact their main product or service has reached the end of its life cycle.

Do You Believe In Miracles?

Congratulations to the 2010 US Olympic Hockey Team on their 5-3 victory over the Canadian team. This allows the team to advance to the quarterfinals. Just one day shy of the 30th anniversary of the historic USA win over the Soviet team in 1980, some are calling this win a second Miracle On Ice.

Today marks the 30the anniversary of the original Miracle On Ice. This has always been my number one favorite sports moment.

In the book Finish Strong, (published by Simple Truths) the author Dan Green recounts the events that led to the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team's gold medal. The story demonstrates the winning effects of combining strong leadership with a strong team. And, of course, how "belief" contributes to one's ability to Finish Strong.

As I've suggested earlier, I would like to recommend that businesses hold a special session with their team and watch the movie version of this story as an inspiration on how the business can Finish Strong.

Brenda Richter, CPA and other members of the Principa Alliance can enhance your team building activities with Team Advisory Boards (TAB) and Towards Awesome Service (TAS) training.

Who Are You Putting First?

Congratulations to Alexandre Bilodeau for winning the Olympic gold medal in men’s moguls. This was not only a great honor for Bilodeau personally, but also for Canada. By winning the moguls gold medal, he ended what some have called an Olympic curse. No Canadian has won a gold medal in the two previous Olympics hosted in Canada.

Bilodeau started his athletic career as a young boy on the ice. And while he showed much promise, he changed to skiing since it provided greater access for his older brother Frederic who has cerebral palsy. This single unselfish decision has led to success for Bilodeau that most would only dream of or consider unimaginable.

Truly awesome.

What about your business? What type of success could you achieve if you put someone else first?

Your customer.

With a single unselfish decision to make your customer the primary focus of your business, you too can have an awesome business and achieve unimaginable success. Think about your product/service mix, the design of your products/services, the delivery process, your pricing structure, your guarantees, and any other customer service issue for your business.

CPAs who are members of the Principa Alliance are not your average advisory firms. Far from it. They do so much more than just “keep the score.” These firms will work with businesses to identify areas in the business that are not realizing their full potential and help improve them to build a stronger and more profitable future. A firm’s membership in the Principa Alliance means that customers have access to the collective knowledge and expertise of an international network made up of hundreds of professionals who specialize in consulting to small and medium-sized businesses by providing services such as the Team Advisory Board (TAB). Everyday team members are on the front line of customer service. The TAB workshop is a facilitated interactive session designed to tap into a team’s collective experience and develop a business strategy to put the customer first. Other services include Customer Advisory Boards (CAB). This is a facilitated meeting of your top customers to discover what they truly value about doing business with you.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Brenda Richter, CPA who was featured as a guest blogger on America's Best Business Practices.

http://bestbizpractices.org/2010/02/08/tips-for-small-business-2009-income-tax/

Drew Brees and The Saints Finish Strong

The Team at Simple Truths is thrilled about the Super Bowl. Back in the Spring of 2009, Drew Brees, quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, picked up a copy of their book
Finish Strong. He felt so motivated by it that he got copies for his entire team to use as their season theme.

When I first saw the Finish Strong book and video featured on the Simple Truths web site, I was awe struck. I immediately saw that this should be the theme for business in 2009. My New Year message to my customers and business associates was to FINISH STRONG! And, like Drew, I purchased copies of the Finish Strong book for my customers and some of my associates. Through out the year, I sent on going messages to these same people to remind them of the commitment to Finish Strong!

In approximately six months, Drew Brees used Finish Strong to take the Saints to a winning season, to the NFL play-offs, to the Super Bowl, and won the Super Bowl. Most of you have had the Finish Strong message for over a year now. What did you do with it?

Brenda Richter, CPA continues to be available to help your business with these concepts. The firms can work with you to identify areas in your business that are not realizing their full potential and help you improve them to build a stronger, more profitable future. This is a step-by-step process that includes creating a strategic plan, plan implementation, systems development, customer service and team training, and ongoing monitoring and management advice.

How to Ensure Your Entrepreneurial Venture Will Fail

"How good could your business plan be if it doesn't even contemplate the cost of having to keep records and prepare income tax? Can you really say that you have adequately identified your capital needs if professional fees for accounting and income taxes haven't been included in your cash flow projections?"

Read more from Alex Vuchnich.

Three Little Entrepreneurial Pigs

For well over a year now, we have been experiencing an economy that includes an enhanced feeling of financial uncertainty that is having an impact on business and consumer activity.

This does not have to be bad news. Uncertain economic times create opportunities.

Traditionally slow economic times are when the weak get sorted out and the complacent get pushed aside. They are therefore times of great opportunity for companies that see and seek the opportunity to break away and experience unprecedented growth. When times are good, virtually anybody can make a profit. But, in tough times true strengths and weaknesses are revealed.

Join us to learn about three businesses that took three different approaches to dealing with uncertain times in business.

The Santa Barbara Networking Group presents The Three Little Entrepreneurial Pigs - A Story of Doing Business in Good Times and Bad. Thursday, February 18, 2010 7:30 am at Marmalade Cafe.

To register: Flyer & Registration Form

2010- Get Ready Message # 1

The third quarter of 2008 marked a total upheaval of our economy that included large decreases in the stock market, the failure of many businesses, several quarters of economic decline, and an increase in unemployment rates. Yet just one year later the third quarter of 2009 showed economic growth of 2.8% and a gains of 40% - 50% in major stock markets from their March 2009 lows. All indications are that when results are published later this month that the fourth quarter of 2009 will have growth greater than the previous quarter. In December when announcing no change in interest rates “the fed” indicated that while our current economy is still quite fragile, growth was expected to into 2010 and beyond.

Assuming no major catastrophes, 2010 stands to be poised as one of the most opportune times for businesses in quite some time. Is your business ready for the opportunities ahead?

GET READY!

This is the perfect time to commit to getting ready. You can start by joining a Business Boot Camp and setting your 2010 goals.

Call me, and let’s talk about how your business can Get Ready.

Recommended reading for goal setting: GOALS—The 10 Rules for Achieving Success by Gary Ryan Blair, published by Simple Truths.

Also, let me know if you know anyone who could use help Getting Ready in their business. I will be happy to send them more information or meet with them to get them started.

Remembering Glen Bell

Glen Bell Jr. studied McDonald's before opening his Bell's Drive-In in San Bernardino, Calif., in 1948. Three years later he added 19-cent tacos to the menu, but it took another decade before he opened his first Taco Bell using $4,000 scraped together from family and friends. Bell, who died Sunday at age 86, sold his company for $130 million after introducing millions of Americans to their first taco.

Veiw: Taco Bell's Message

Calling All Hands On Deck

In the old sailing ship days, the captain’s cry of “all hands on deck” spurred every man on board into action, whether or not it was his watch. The welfare of the ship and all who sailed on her depended on it. The command is still used on naval ships and as a general call to action.

Mike Cough, serial entrepreneur and SCORE business consultant, recently issued the command “Calling all hands on deck” to the American small business owner. His opinion is that the needed economic turn around is dependent on small business. He then asks business owners to issue the “all hands” command to their team.

Clough goes on to point out that change will only happen when people take action.

I would like to take Clough’s idea one step further. Not only should business owners call on their team, they should also issue the command to their fellow business owners.

I have created the Business Boot Camps to bring business owners together and give them the opportunity and place to develop their “all hands on deck” strategy.

Read: Clough’s All Hands On Deck Blog

The Impossible Dream

“The annals of American business are filled with ‘impossible dreams’ that have come true. I believe in those dreams, and most importantly, I believed in my dream.”

Mary Kay Ash, The Mary Kay Way

Every business owner has a dream for their business.

When was the last time you thought about the dream you have for your business.

This is why I created the Business Boot Camps. The Business Boot Camps are designed to give small business owners the opportunity and place to think about their dreams and do the learning and strategic planning necessary to make those dreams come true.

Get together with a group of fellow entrepreneurs to enhance your CEO skills and become a more effective business owner. Start to think about your dreams, believe in your dreams, and make your dreams come true.

Get Ready To Be Exceptional

"Nobody can prevent you from

choosing to be exceptional."

Mark Sanborn

The Fred Factor

Studies have shown that the most successful entrepreneurs are those who are in a constant state of learning, and will take chances on attempting the impossible. Read about the Stanford Graduate School of Business research.

The results of studies like these are exactly why I created the Business Boot Camps. The Business Boot Camps are designed to give small business owners the opportunity and place to do the learning and strategic planning to do the impossible.

It's Always Nice to Get Feedback

I received the following note from one of my students:

I would like to thank you for a wonderful class. I truly enjoyed learning because of your enthusiasm and sense of humor. I also appreciated your patience with each of us. I have never taken a college class where the instructor has involved everyone in the class. It was very refreshing and made the class interesting. I will definitely recommend your class to anyone wanting to take an accounting course.

Happy New Year

GET READY