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Why should I choose to become a Credible Person?

Let me share with you one of my beliefs which I have found to be quite accurate.

“Your ACTIONS will determine how others perceive who you are and what they can expect from you.”

I asked myself, as I sat at the kitchen table enjoying a much needed day-off, a few poignant questions:

• Is it really important how others perceive me?
• Must I be on guard to always say and do the politically correct things?
• Is it ok to show the other-side of myself?
• How important is it to establish my credibility?

Review the five steps which I have outlined below, then you be the judge.

1. Be Consistent
2. Be Honest
3. Be Believable
4. Develop Trust
5. Become an Expert

Becoming a Credible Person is not something that you are born with.  It is not something that comes with a job title or social position.   Credibility is not something that comes from within, but something which others perceive in response to our actions.

My reputation and character are both intertwined and continue to grow in direct proportion to my established level of credibility.

Step 1 - Be Consistent

If you have ever taken the time to observe the way in which someone you know reacts to a certain situation, you know that they are typically quite predictable.  They have a set of unique beliefs that govern their actions.  As we meet and establish new relationships, we naturally link a persons’ behavioral patterns, thus forming opinions as to their character.  If for example, someone complimented you in private, but criticized you later in front of their friends, would you feel confused or betrayed?  You may not know what to think of them.  In your eyes, they have acted very inconsistently and have undoubtedly lost any credibility which they may had previously established.

Step 2 - Be Honest

Bottom line, No one likes to be lied to.  Make it a point to begin all your relationships, whether they be business or personal, with honesty.  Choosing to propagate any type of deception will only lead to trouble. In secular life it will surely lead to heartbreak and distrust; in business it will eventually lead to lost clients and a bad reputation.  If you want to be perceived as credible, act that way.

Step 3 - Be Believable

Some people or businesses seem to over-sell themselves, to the point of becoming unbelievable.  “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”  Make sure you are able to back-up your claims with some hard facts.  Some testimonials from a reputable source may also work to build your believability-quotient.  If you want to establish credibility, just be the best person or company you can be.  Your friends or clients will soon begin to see you as you are.

Step 4 - Develop Trust

It takes time, but we begin to form a bond with those that are trustworthy.  We begin to build a comfort-level or trust in our relationships.  We can now let down our guard and be assured that the other individual or business has “our best interest at heart.”  They know what to expect from us. Our clients no longer look at us as a salesman, but as a trusted adviser. They now know that we are looking out for their best interests.

Step 5 - Become an Expert

Help me fix a problem.  Help me find the best solution.  Help me start or finish a project.  Where should I turn for advice?  Exactly, ask the Expert.  We want the correct answer the first time, not wasting time on trial and error with a less-than-credible person or business.  Find the expert and begin.  It’s that simple….and if you want to perceived as the go-to-person,  Be the Expert!

Modern Psychology.

Even though Psychology was my chosen major, I fell asleep more than once during this introductory class.

Why?

A list of facts, dates, pioneers on the subject and such a broad spectrum of topics, it made my head spin. Looking back, there were a whole collection of elective classes which impressed me this way.

When would I get to “the meat” of the subject.  What transfer of knowledge was being imparted to me that I could actually use in the real world?

I don’t believe the focus of college education addresses the concrete, down-to-earth material until the student advances to Master or Phd Level of Education……if at all.   This had always confused me; why would not “an institution of higher learning” not include classes to prepare the average university student a foundation for entering the business world?

Why would the class on How to Succeed “Beyond the Diploma” not be part of the requirements to earn a degree from the University?

If the purpose of attending College is to prepare oneself for the future,  then why not teach the student the basics of survival, getting-ahead, and achieving you greatest self?

Theory is great, learning to interact with your fellow classmates even more important, but the most useful knowledge will guide you in making the life-changing decisions, elevate you above the mediocre and empower you will the tools to succeed in business and in life.

Make sure your education includes a class or classes which allows you to practice your skills:

1. An Internship Program
2. A Mentor Program
3. An On-the-Job Training Program
4. A local or internet class which teaches step-by-step business practices.

Secure your future.  Be watchful for the opportunity to acquire knowledge and experience beyond the classroom and  “Beyond the Diploma.”

It came to my recent attention, that successful businesses and business men and women possess a certain quality that emanates in all of their undertakings.

That quality or brand is Caring.

• We CARE about You.
• YOU are the reason we are in business.
• In our business you are NUMBER 1.

There is nothing magical about excellent service.  We all want to be respected, valued and treated fairly by the people with whom we do business.

I have often heard myself mouthing the word Customer when referring to the people that frequent my place of business.

But what connotation does the term Customer bring to mind.

• Someone spending money with me for a service I provide.
• Just another dollar in the cash register.
• A very impersonal way of ‘dealing with people’

Over the past several years I have come to gravitate toward a new mindset in my business.  I prefer to acknowledge the people who spend their hard earned money with me, as CLIENTS or Guests to my business.

• A Client is defined as “Someone under my direct Care and Wellbeing.”
• I want to do everything humanly possible to ensure my clients are 100% satisfied with my product and service.
• I want to “over-deliver” so as to encourage them to refer others to my business.

I hope these words have caused some to stop, stop and reconsider the way in which they approach those people who make their business possible.

I have.

Sincerely,

Bill     ***Helping you achieve your greatest self***

Where will you be in five years from now?

If you’re enrolled in the University, you will surely have graduated by then.

Consider these questions if you will:

1. Are you going to be living the life of your dreams?
2. Has College given you all the tools you need to succeed?
3. Are you working in a Career, not just a Job?

If you cannot answer with a resounding Y-E-S,  I can only recommend you seek some additional resources to help you to reach your greatest self.  These may include people (a mentor to take you under their tutoring), or additional classes (supplemental materials that your college doesn’t provide.

Regardless of your choices, 2015 will come and go.

B-U-T

Because of your choices, 2015 can be your best year.

When is the best time to begin planning for your post-college profession?

Good question, wouldn’t you say?

Sure, a good majority might say that after your first two college years. Now it’s time to buckle down, start concentrating on choosing a Major and start looking around at the upcoming employment opportunities.

I say, the best time,  ASAP!

Let me assure you, I’m not advocating a life of pressure and a constant feeling of anxiety.  I believe in having fun as much as the next guy, taking time to experience and enjoy the college-life.  You definitely need a well rounded approach to your weeks, months and years on campus.  This is not only healthy for maintaining your emotional balance, but is essential in your development into a well rounded individual.

With that being said, my answer may still seem rather intense.

You should begin planning your post-graduate career even before starting college.

The student who knows what he/she wants to be doing early in the high school years, is well on the way to success.

John knew he wanted to become a dentist long before enrolling in university.  Susie realized she had a flair for organizing her thoughts and a love of math as young as she could remember and naturally gravitated to her career in Accounting.  But what about the rest of us?

I still say starting early is best. I have seen too many people, including myself, procrastinate on making the tough decisions, procrastinated until it was too late.  Should have, and could have days were days wasted.

Procrastination may become your worst enemy.

It could cause you years of unnecessary struggle and thousands of dollars.

So, where are you headed?

Take the necessary time to look inside yourself.  Discover and define how you want to spend your working career.

A tip to consider:

* Realize, we all have talents that are unique to ourselves.  No one else can excel at the exact same things as you or I.   You just need to discover your uniqueness, decide on the path you feel is right for you, and most importantly,  Act! *

My best advice for your career success beyond-the-diploma is twofold:

1. “Become the Best Version of Yourself.”
2. “Do it now.”

Please let me hear from you.  What are your challenges?  Your roadblocks?  What is holding you back on the road to your greatness?

Bill

“Helping you Achieve your Greatest Self”

Don’t underestimate the importance of a college degree.

Third and fourth year students may be second-guessing the real need to finish. They may not have a clear path for their professional career and start doubting their choice of major.

From my perspective, I would recommend staying the course.

Even if the rewards are not immediate, odds are that the graduate will eventually be the one trusted to be a better hiring risk, the one who will succeed in landing the better job, and the one who will most likely achieve the greatest job satisfaction and in realizing their greatest potential.

Trust me, I’ve been there.

Bill
“Helping You Achieve Your Greatest Self”

I have always been interested in helping others succeed. In fact, I have found that my greatest personal successes have always come to me packaged with a bonus, that bonus being, “I helped another manager or one of my staff members to become a greater person in the process.”

With that philosophy in mind, I would like to share with you a young man’s journey into the restaurant business, and how he found his success and how you too may position yourself and your restaurant for success.

That young man was me.

Except for a couple of summer jobs, my first real taste of responsible employment was about to begin. After four long years of high school, and four years of college, I was ready.

Hold on.

What has that got to do with the price of tomatoes, the hole in my parking lot, or the cashier who just called-off sick?

Follow me, I’ll get to those things in a minute.

For now, allow me to tell you a little story, a story very familiar to me, because this was “my story.”

I had recently graduated from college and was eager to begin my professional career. I had sent dozens of resumes to prospective companies and my hopes were high.
Sales Manager, Director of Human Resources, Account Executive, the newspaper print seemed to be calling my name.

I had already been shopping for a name plate for my office desk.

Funny thing happened though;
days passed, then more, then weeks, and I had not received even one acknowledgment.
What could be wrong?
It was a toss up as to whether disbelief or depression weighed more heavily in my thoughts.

One thing was for sure, phase two needed to be launched asap.

Knocking on doors and visiting businesses was my next and honestly my last resort which I had planned to land the perfect job.

I was shocked to discover just how indifferent employers were to the amount of education I had amassed, and just how much actual job experience was valued.
Sad fact was, I had plenty of the former and as to on the job know-how, I had none.

What could be worse than that?

A few more weeks had passed, and I finally learned the hard facts about the business world:
1. A little specific job knowledge is worth more than a library of unrelated facts. Become the Expert in your field.
2. Don’t wait until an opportunity is staring you in the face, before you start readying yourself to embrace it.
3. People are your most valuable resource.
4. Opportunity lies in your hands, not in the hands of someone else.

Ok, now let’s see how all this relates to the topic at hand. How does a manager/owner position his/her restaurant business for success?

First, let us assume that the basics of quality, service and cleanliness which we all learned in Restaurant Management 101 are firmly in place.

You are the Expert.

Being the manager of your restaurant, you are the person everyone looks to for leadership. I had learned a hard lesson by trying to bypass the foundation. My expectations were built on very weak supports.
I had no idea what was required for the jobs I had applied for, and I had not done my homework at all.

Allow me to tell you another story, within my story. I have had the opportunity to work in rigid corporate structure as well as small start-up franchise restaurant operations.

I have seen quite a diversity.

Fact is, the larger companies have the resources to nurture their management people, thus ensuring a well rounded training experience. However, in smaller and less structured environments, I have witnessed novice owners entrusting their restaurant businesses to relatives, friends and almost complete strangers.

I have worked with accountants, builders, Dave’s nephew Bob, and even an out-of-work truck driver. All of these individuals were convinced that running a quick service restaurant is a piece of cake.

I’ve seen successes and I’ve seen failures and I must admit, the scales were always tipped in favor of the more experienced food operators. They had a backup plan for Susie, who had just called-in sick. They had systems in place to ensure the hole in the parking lot wouldn’t be there six months from now. They had the foresight to check that the correct amount of product had been prepared, before the lunch crowd arrived.

These type of managers are the professionals. They are the experts. They are the ones who will lead your team and restaurant to success.

Be Prepared to Seize the Opportunity

I was unprepared to take advantage of the opportunities right in front of me. I was waiting for someone to hand me the prize. I was chasing a title, with not even a clue as to what the job required.
I had never hired a person in my life, but I had applied to the position of Human Resource Specialist.

Make sure you have a plan for success. Accurate sales projections, scheduling the correct amount of people, proper communication, and constant follow-up will ensure you are moving in the right direction.

To be honest, there are dozens of systems that go hand-in-hand, which move the seconds and minutes of a finely tuned restaurant. Realizing this, the untrained or poorly trained manager will respond to critical situations throughout the day with equally poor decisions or not even know an opportunity or problem existed.

Whether it be a quality issue, a speed of service issue, or a problem with customer satisfaction, the manager must have the knowledge, the experience and the ability to effectively control the outcome.

A successful manager and an operationally excellent restaurant are never fully complete. There is always more to learn and always greater opportunities for improvement.

People, People, People

I couldn’t tell you the name of my Algebra Teacher. I don’t know anything about the person who sat at the right or left side of me in Accounting Class. I never knew the last name of my Chemistry Lab Partner, but I got all A’s in each subject. It just didn’t matter in the grand scheme of my grades.

Guess what?

When you graduate from school and enter the world of business, just the opposite is true.

Here in the life of successful restaurant management, People are Everything.

Everything you do or hope to do depends on people. Even though you may wish you could, you can’t do everything yourself.

So what kind of people will you employ to help you with your business?
What will they need to know?
Who will train them?
How will you keep them motivated and moving in the right direction?

I could go on-and-on, but the most important thing to remember is that the most valuable asset in any business is your people.

Train your people properly, they will build your brand.
Treat you people fairly, they will watch out for your bottom line.
Take every opportunity to praise your people when they deserve it, they will follow you anywhere.

You won’t have to worry about your quality, service, cleanliness or profitability, your People will do it for you!

Your Success Lies Squarely in Your Hands

I waited for the phone call, the letter of intent, the offer too good to be true.

I had the finest education, the degree on the paper, the cum laude next to my name.

But,

But I had neglected to build my relations on the outside of the classroom. I had no idea how to apply the knowledge I had acquired. I had no contacts in the business world and no plan for the future.

I felt like I was a jack of all trades, but a master of none.

The same principles, I believe, hold true for your business. You need to decide on your brand and stick to it. You can’t be everything for everybody. If you want to be known for ‘the best burger in the business,’ you don’t expand your menu by adding hot dogs and a specialty pizza. You specialize in what you know and then focus on being number one.

There is a lot of buzz about the importance of social networking. Anybody who is anybody is highly visible on computer search engines, is ranked high by Google, tweets regularly on Twitter, and has a multitude of followers on Facebook.

I am still not totally convinced about all that, but the fact remains; good quality food, excellent service and a pleasant dining atmosphere, will get people talking, satisfy people’s cravings, and keep people returning again and again to your establishment.

I hope this has given you some insight into positioning your people, positioning your managers, and positioning your restaurant for success.

I wish for you the greatest success, today and in the future,

Bill Baumgartner
General Manager

It’s hard to admit,
but this picture kind of resembles the roadmap that I used to decide on the life-path
of which I would eventually follow.

It was filled with trial and error. I was often confused as to where to make my next connection.
I had even shocked my parents with some of my decisions and I, on occasion, seemed to overload the whole system, to others who knew me.

Looking back, it wasn’t what I would recommend.
I didn’t have much of a plan for my future.
I guess I was fortunate to find my way at all.
I will say, it was a lot more painful than it had to be.

Now, I shake my head at some of the stupid decisions I made.
The real questions that I should have been asking myself:
“Why not ask someone who has walked this path before?”
“If the shoe doesn’t fit, why wear it?”
“If you’re lost, don’t you think it wise to ask for directions?”
“How do you expect to fly like an eagle, if you haven’t even learned to fly?”

Now, many years later, the answers come so easily.

If you want to be the best person that you can become,
If you want to make a difference in your life and the lives of others,
If you want to have lived a fulfilled life,
you have to discover your unique talents.

You are the only person who can do what you were
meant to do.

You will most probably need some guidance along the way.
You should have role models along the way.
If it doesn’t feel right for you, it probably isn’t.
Neither be afraid nor too proud to ask for help along the way.
There are people who would gladly help, if only you would give them the chance.

These 3 steps are key:
1. Determine your life purpose.
2. Develop a clarity of mind, a plan, as to how you intend to get there?
3. Act on your intentions?

Bill

Helping you discover your life purpose,
live your life purpose, and
achieve your greatest self.

You have got to check out this 8 minute interview by Michael Stelzner with Jason Falls.

I now have a new understanding of effective social dialogue and what one might call “the art of social media.”
Jason has uncovered so many nuggets of useful information in such a concise and compact
presentation.

To be honest, I never seriously looked at social media from the perspective of the other person or persons.

It’s not just broadcasting a sales pitch.

Effective social media is building relationships, sharing information and bringing the online discussion to the offline community.

25 Common Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs
Do you have what it takes to get through the recession? Here are the traits that get home based business owners through the hard times.
By James Stephenson | March 13, 2009

This article has been excerpted from the Ultimate Home Based Business Handbook, by James Stephenson, available from Entrepreneur Press.

Regardless of your definition of success, there are, oddly enough, a great number of common characteristics that are shared by successful businesspeople. You can place a check beside each characteristic that you feel that you possess. This way, you can see how you stack up. Even if you don’t have all of these characteristics, don’t fret. Most can be learned with practice and by developing a winning attitude, especially if you set goals and apply yourself, through strategic planning, to reach those goals in incremental and measurable stages.

The Home Business Musts
Like any activity you pursue, there are certain musts that are required to be successful in a chosen activity. To legally operate a vehicle on public roadways, one must have a driver’s license; to excel in sports, one must train and practice; to retire comfortably, one must become an informed investor and actively invest for retirement. If your goal is success in business, then the formula is no different. There are certain musts that have to be fully developed, implemented and managed for your business to succeed. There are many business musts, but this article contains I believe to be some of the more important musts that are required to start, operate and grow a profitable home business.

1. Do what you enjoy.
What you get out of your business in the form of personal satisfaction, financial gain, stability and enjoyment will be the sum of what you put into your business. So if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, in all likelihood it’s safe to assume that will be reflected in the success of your business–or subsequent lack of success. In fact, if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, chances are you won’t succeed.

2. Take what you do seriously.
You cannot expect to be effective and successful in business unless you truly believe in your business and in the goods and services that you sell. Far too many home business owners fail to take their own businesses seriously enough, getting easily sidetracked and not staying motivated and keeping their noses to the grindstone. They also fall prey to naysayers who don’t take them seriously because they don’t work from an office building, office park, storefront, or factory. Little do these skeptics, who rain on the home business owner’s parade, know is that the number of people working from home, and making very good annual incomes, has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years.

3. Plan everything.
Planning every aspect of your home business is not only a must, but also builds habits that every home business owner should develop, implement, and maintain. The act of business planning is so important because it requires you to analyze each business situation, research and compile data, and make conclusions based mainly on the facts as revealed through the research. Business planning also serves a second function, which is having your goals and how you will achieve them, on paper. You can use the plan that you create both as map to take you from point A to Z and as a yardstick to measure the success of each individual plan or segment within the plan.

4. Manage money wisely.
The lifeblood of any business enterprise is cash flow. You need it to buy inventory, pay for services, promote and market your business, repair and replace tools and equipment, and pay yourself so that you can continue to work. Therefore, all home business owners must become wise money managers to ensure that the cash keeps flowing and the bills get paid. There are two aspects to wise money management.

1. The money you receive from clients in exchange for your goods and services you provide (income)
2. The money you spend on inventory, supplies, wages and other items required to keep your business operating. (expenses)

5. Ask for the sale.
A home business entrepreneur must always remember that marketing, advertising, or promotional activities are completely worthless, regardless of how clever, expensive, or perfectly targeted they are, unless one simple thing is accomplished–ask for the sale. This is not to say that being a great salesperson, advertising copywriting whiz or a public relations specialist isn’t a tremendous asset to your business. However, all of these skills will be for naught if you do not actively ask people to buy what you are selling.

6. Remember it’s all about the customer.
Your home business is not about the products or services that you sell. Your home business is not about the prices that you charge for your goods and services. Your home business is not about your competition and how to beat them. Your business is all about your customers, or clients, period. After all, your customers are the people that will ultimately decide if your business goes boom or bust. Everything you do in business must be customer focused, including your policies, warranties, payment options, operating hours, presentations, advertising and promotional campaigns and website. In addition, you must know who your customers are inside out and upside down.

7. Become a shameless self-promoter (without becoming obnoxious).
One of the greatest myths about personal or business success is that eventually your business, personal abilities, products or services will get discovered and be embraced by the masses that will beat a path to your door to buy what you are selling. But how can this happen if no one knows who you are, what you sell and why they should be buying?

Self-promotion is one of the most beneficial, yet most underutilized, marketing tools that the majority of home business owners have at their immediate disposal.

8. Project a positive business image.
You have but a passing moment to make a positive and memorable impression on people with whom you intend to do business. Home business owners must go out of their way and make a conscious effort to always project the most professional business image possible. The majority of home business owners do not have the advantage of elaborate offices or elegant storefronts and showrooms to wow prospects and impress customers. Instead, they must rely on imagination, creativity and attention to the smallest detail when creating and maintaining a professional image for their home business.

9. Get to know your customers.
One of the biggest features and often the most significant competitive edge the home based entrepreneur has over the larger competitors is the he can offer personalized attention. Call it high-tech backlash if you will, but customers are sick and tired of hearing that their information is somewhere in the computer and must be retrieved, or told to push a dozen digits to finally get to the right department only to end up with voice mail–from which they never receive a return phone call.

The home business owner can actually answer phone calls, get to know customers, provide personal attention and win over repeat business by doing so. It’s a researched fact that most business (80 percent) will come from repeat customers rather than new customers. Therefore, along with trying to draw newcomers, the more you can do to woo your regular customers, the better off you will be in the long run and personalized attention is very much appreciated and remembered in the modern high tech world.

10. Level the playing field with technology.
You should avoid getting overly caught up in the high-tech world, but you should also know how to take advantage of using it. One of the most amazing aspects of the internet is that a one or two person business operating from a basement can have a superior website to a $50 million company, and nobody knows the difference. Make sure you’re keeping up with the high-tech world as it suits your needs.. The best technology is that which helps you, not that which impresses your neighbors.

11. Build a top-notch business team.
No one person can build a successful business alone. It’s a task that requires a team that is as committed as you to the business and its success. Your business team may include family members, friends, suppliers, business alliances, employees, sub-contractors, industry and business associations, local government and the community. Of course the most important team members will be your customers or clients. Any or all may have a say in how your business will function and a stake in your business future.

12. Become known as an expert.
When you have a problem that needs to be solved, do you seek just anyone’s advice or do you seek an expert in the field to help solve your particular problem? Obviously, you want the most accurate information and assistance that you can get. You naturally seek an expert to help solve your problem. You call a plumber when the hot water tank leaks, a real estate agent when it’s time to sell your home or a dentist when you have a toothache. Therefore, it only stands to reason that the more you become known for your expertise in your business, the more people will seek you out to tap into your expertise, creating more selling and referral opportunities. In effect, becoming known as an expert is another style of prospecting for new business, just in reverse. Instead of finding new and qualified people to sell to, these people seek you out for your expertise.

13. Create a competitive advantage.
A home business must have a clearly defined unique selling proposition. This is nothing more than a fancy way of asking the vital question, “Why will people choose to do business with you or purchase your product or service instead of doing business with a competitor and buying his product or service?” In other words, what one aspect or combination of aspects is going to separate your business from your competition? Will it be better service, a longer warranty, better selection, longer business hours, more flexible payment options, lowest price, personalized service, better customer service, better return and exchange policies or a combination of several of these?

14. Invest in yourself.
Top entrepreneurs buy and read business and marketing books, magazines, reports, journals, newsletters, websites and industry publications, knowing that these resources will improve their understanding of business and marketing functions and skills. They join business associations and clubs, and they network with other skilled business people to learn their secrets of success and help define their own goals and objectives. Top entrepreneurs attend business and marketing seminars, workshops and training courses, even if they have already mastered the subject matter of the event. They do this because they know that education is an ongoing process. There are usually ways to do things better, in less time, with less effort. In short, top entrepreneurs never stop investing in the most powerful, effective and best business and marketing tool at their immediate disposal–themselves.

15. Be accessible.
We’re living in a time when we all expect our fast food lunch at the drive-thru window to be ready in mere minutes, our dry cleaning to be ready for pick-up on the same day, our money to be available at the cash machine and our pizza delivered in 30 minutes or it’s free. You see the pattern developing–you must make it as easy as you can for people to do business with you, regardless of the home business you operate.

You must remain cognizant of the fact that few people will work hard, go out of their way, or be inconvenienced just for the privilege of giving you their hard-earned money. The shoe is always on the other foot. Making it easy for people to do business with you means that you must be accessible and knowledgeable about your products and services. You must be able to provide customers with what they want, when they want it.

16. Build a rock-solid reputation.
A good reputation is unquestionably one of the home business owner’s most tangible and marketable assets. You can’t simply buy a good reputation; it’s something that you earn by honoring your promises. If you promise to have the merchandise in the customer’s hands by Wednesday, you have no excuse not to have it there. If you offer to repair something, you need to make good on your offer. Consistency in what you offer is the other key factor. If you cannot come through with the same level of service (and products) for clients on a regular basis, they have no reason to trust you . . . and without trust, you won’t have a good reputation.

17. Sell benefits.
Pushing product features is for inexperienced or wannabe entrepreneurs. Selling the benefits associated with owning and using the products and services you carry is what sales professionals worldwide focus on to create buying excitement and to sell, sell more, and sell more frequently to their customers. Your advertising, sales presentations, printed marketing materials, product packaging, website, newsletters, trade show exhibit and signage are vital. Every time and every medium used to communicate with your target audience must always be selling the benefits associated with owning your product or using your service.

18. Get involved.
Always go out of your way to get involved in the community that supports your business. You can do this in many ways, such as pitching in to help local charities or the food bank, becoming involved in organizing community events, and getting involved in local politics. You can join associations and clubs that concentrate on programs and policies designed to improve the local community. It’s a fact that people like to do business with people they know, like and respect, and with people who do things to help them as members of the community.

19. Grab attention.
Small-business owners cannot waste time, money and energy on promotional activities aimed at building awareness solely through long-term, repeated exposure. If you do, chances are you will go broke long before this goal is accomplished. Instead, every promotional activity you engage in, must put money back in your pocket so that you can continue to grab more attention and grow your business.

20. Master the art of negotiations.
The ability to negotiate effectively is unquestionably a skill that every home business owner must make every effort to master. It’s perhaps second in importance only to asking for the sale in terms of home business musts. In business, negotiation skills are used daily. Always remember that mastering the art of negotiation means that your skills are so finely tuned that you can always orchestrate a win-win situation. These win-win arrangements mean that everyone involved feels they have won, which is really the basis for building long-term and profitable business relationships.

21. Design Your workspace for success.
Carefully plan and design your home office workspace to ensure maximum personal performance and productivity and, if necessary, to project professionalism for visiting clients. If at all possible, resist the temptation to turn a corner of the living room or your bedroom into your office. Ideally, you’ll want a separate room with a door that closes to keep business activities in and family members out, at least during prime business and revenue generating hours of the day. A den, spare bedroom, basement or converted garage are all ideal candidates for your new home office. If this is not possible, you’ll have to find a means of converting a room with a partition or simply find hours to do the bulk of your work when nobody else is home.

22. Get and stay organized.
The key to staying organized is not about which type of file you have or whether you keep a stack or two of papers on your desk, but it’s about managing your business. It’s about having systems in place to do things. Therefore, you wan to establish a routine by which you can accomplish as much as possible in a given workday, whether that’s three hours for a part-time business or seven or nine hours as a full-timer. In fact, you should develop systems and routines for just about every single business activity. Small things such as creating a to-do list at the end of each business day, or for the week, will help keep you on top of important tasks to tackle. Creating a single calendar to work from, not multiple sets for individual tasks or jobs, will also ensure that jobs are completed on schedule and appointments kept. Incorporating family and personal activities into your work calendar is also critical so that you work and plan from a single calendar.

23. Take time off.
The temptation to work around the clock is very real for some home business owners. After all, you don’t have a manager telling you it’s time to go home because they can’t afford the overtime pay. Every person working from home must take time to establish a regular work schedule that includes time to stretch your legs and take lunch breaks, plus some days off and scheduled vacations. Create the schedule as soon as you have made the commitment to start a home business. Of course, your schedule will have to be flexible. You should, therefore, not fill every possible hour in the day. Give yourself a backup hour or two. All work and no play makes you burn out very fast and grumpy customer service is not what people want.

24. Limit the number of hats you wear.
It’s difficult for most business owners not to take a hands-on approach. They try to do as much as possible and tackle as many tasks as possible in their business. The ability to multitask, in fact, is a common trait shared by successful entrepreneurs. However, once in a while you have to stand back and look beyond today to determine what’s in the best interest of your business and yourself over the long run. Most highly successful entrepreneurs will tell you that from the time they started out, they knew what they were good at and what tasks to delegate to others.

25. Follow-up constantly.
Constant contact, follow-up, and follow-through with customers, prospects, and business alliances should be the mantra of every home business owner, new or established. Constant and consistent follow-up enables you to turn prospects into customers, increase the value of each sale and buying frequency from existing customers, and build stronger business relationships with suppliers and your core business team. Follow-up is especially important with your existing customer base, as the real work begins after the sale. It’s easy to sell one product or service, but it takes work to retain customers and keep them coming back.

James Stephenson is an experienced home based consultant with more than 15 years of business and marketing experience. He is the author of several popular books, including Entrepreneur magazine’s Ultimate Startup Directory and Ultimate Small Business Marketing Guide, both available from Entrepreneur Press.