www.1001TopWords.com |
Where Can I Get Clients From?
The following tips have come from a wide variety of sources; some from other successful businesses we know, some from our Home-Based and Small Business Support Group meetings and some we've developed by trial and error. Some of the ways to get clients are: contact previous employers; mailing lists; cold call your target market; attend group meetings and seminars for your target market (conventions for doctors, lawyers; computer seminars); attend local Chamber of Commerce meetings; join groups related to your target market; if your target market uses a specific system, for example accountants use the SafeGuard system, contact them and tell them that you are available to teach them how to use the system or you can do it for them. Knock on doors and call others in your line of business for overload work, or clients they have trouble working with. Send surveys to your clients. This will also help you to obtain testimonials. Do a general survey of your target market. This will give you better leads. For example, for my classes, I have a survey I use that contains, what type of equipment is being used, what type of programs they are using, and whether or not they do desk top publishing in-house. This survey gives me the name, address, and phone number of the person to send my class listings to, in addition, to determining whether or not they are a desk top publishing prospect. Copyright DeFiore Enterprises 2000 About The Author Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, it's like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com coaches@homebusinesssolutions.com
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Home Based Franchise Case Study Here is an interesting case study of a company, which franchised mobile car wash units. It started with the humblest of beginnings indeed. I can say that with complete knowledge because this is a company I started at age 12 years old. It was not until I was nearly 32 years old that we franchised my business. This franchise was great in concept but franchisees would not follow the system enough, they deviated from the plan in most cases. The franchisees that stayed with the plan did very well, the ones who did not, did okay, but could have done better. Blowing Your Own Horn ? A Key Marketing Strategy for Small Business -- Building Credibility Through Success Stories -- Low Cost or Highly Funded Start Up Many new ventures are preoccupied with all the money they are going to make, rather than how they are going to the about making it. Set realistic goals by setting realistic steps-discreet 'doable' actions, each of which connects to the next one in some logical progression. Mobile Truck Washing, Case Study Most folks in the pressure washing business are happier to do business cleaning concrete or flat work, because it appears to be easy. Some do both fleet truck washing and concrete, which makes sense. But what some do not understand is once you are totally efficient at truck washing you can surpass the dollars per hour that those in concrete cleaning generally charge. I have been washing fleets of trucks for over 12 years. What I have found is that our car wash guys www.carwashguys.com which is a mobile car wash business ended up being a fleet washing business and not only for car washing. This is because customers needed services and kept calling and we were able to do the work as good as any company could. How to Integrate Yourself in Someone Elses Business When do you need to get more involved with the day to day activities of your business partner? Secrets to Washing Fleets of Trucks from a Nationwide Fleet Washing Service Washing the exterior of a truck. Sounds easy right? Well, it's not really. When you soap a truck, it is very important that you are careful to soap around all the handles, turn signal lights, steps, and wipers. You want to soap all that stuff by hand. Use a one-foot by one foot lamb's wool square-not a mitt, they don't work well. You can use a brush for the rest of the truck, but you have to get in around the handles and stuff by hand. There is no shortcut if you wish to maintain quality. Work is a Four Letter Word I love work, I can watch it all day. Top Ten Tips for Leveraging Conferences for Big SUCCESS! As I am preparing for my attendance to the CoachVille's Third Annual Coaching Conference, I have been considering how I can make the most of my conference attendance. These ten tips will support you in leveraging those conference you will attend in the future and for creating an unforgettable experience! The Joy and Hazards Of Finding Your First Office Q: I have outgrown my home office and need to find office space for me and two part time employees. I am really excited about opening my first official office, but never having rented commercial space before I don't know anything about how this process works. What are some things I should consider before signing a lease? I'm really eager to get started!-- Jay P. Mobile Pressure Washing and City Contracts Many mobile pressure-washing companies turn to government contacts to make money. It is very easy to acquire such municipal contracts for cleaning, as the government needs some cleaning up. The cities generally have a fiscal year starting in June, so you want to check on the available contracts around the end of March to see what is coming up, which departments will have budget monies available and also go and visit the local department heads to see what is needed. Believe me even local cities waste money and you may as well get some. If this bothers you, then make the money and donate some to a candidate who promises to trim some of the fat next year. How to Successfully Avoid Becoming One of The 80% of Small Businesses That Will FAIL It's a commonly quoted statistic: 80% of all small businesses will fail within the first five years of running. In fact, in Internet marketing, this figure can be as high as 95%. Yes, it's a commonly quoted statistic but for some reason, people are not very good at saying exactly why this happens. And it happens to what seems like nearly all newborn businesses. Small Business Opportunities Magazine Business A Small Business Opportunities Magazine is one of the new small business opportunities opening up everyday. More and more companies are looking to outsource for basic services, cutting their budgets in the process and increasing profits. With this happening globally, the small business opportunities available are increasing. This process will only benefit the company's bottom line, but will also open the door for more employees to own their own businesses and take control of their lives. Small Business - Is The Accounting Profession Ripping Them Off? My 16 year-old daughter said, "Gee Dad! You look just like an accountant" And she wasn't being complimentary. Accountants are perceived to be boring, stodgy and conservative.Over the years we've been the butt of many jokes. I've heard them all.Why did the accountant cross the road? Because he looked up the file and that's what they did last year! Ha Ha!What do accountants use as a contraceptive? Their personality! Ha Ha!"Why do accountants become accountants? They don't have the charisma to be undertakers! Ha Ha!What do they call an accountant at the bottom of the sea? A bloody good start! Ha Ha!I think I am the exception.That's why I've begun to call myself a business strategist and counselor. "You're still an accountant," says teenage daughter. I am still an accountant and I'm still as passionate about it as the day I started. Because accountants have an impact on people's lives. The advice we give changes people's businesses which in turn changes their lives. I'm excited in my role of accountant.Accounting is not stodgy. Accounting is exciting. Accounting is cool! My ambition is to become the "cool dude of accounting". (do they still say "dude", do they still say "cool". Remember that song: When I say, "cool, man, cool, I don't mean cool, man, cool, I mean you leave me cold, Jack")We were throwing some ideas around with some of our clients as we do from time to time, looking for that unique benefit that our firm gives to our clients. That unique something that distinguishes us from other accounting practices.One said, "You have helped me to improve my business. Not only am I making more profits and have more to spend, but I also have more time to spend away from the business. The more time I spend at home with my family the happier my life is. And the happier I am the happier my wife and children seem to be. When my wife is happy all sorts of good things happen ? even our sex life improves. That's it! You can advertise that using Kelvyn Peters CPA and Associates improves your sex life"I don't think so! Sorry, we haven't accepted his idea. You're completely on your own in that department, but we can help you improve your business and consequently your life. And your goal might not be extra profit but extra time for living! We know we can because we are doing it for others.We repeat ourselves so often because the truth is the truth and there is only a limited number of ways to tell it. You've heard this before. If you are spending every waking moment in a hassle about your business, there must be a better way. There is! Accountants have been ripping off their clients for yearsIn 1973 I attended a workshop for accountants at the Finance Management Research Center then headed by Dr Keith Cleland. The workshop was intended to drag participants into the 20th century."Accountants have been ripping off their clients for years", he told us. The 25 participants were shocked. These represented vibrant accounting firms from all around Australia, both large firms and small. They were at the cutting edge of the industry. Otherwise they would not have been at this kind of workshop.To a person they resented that comment and one fellow wanted to punch him on the nose. (It wasn't me, but I would have held his coat).By the week's end we discovered how we were charging high fees for things that our clients couldn't understand, couldn't use and didn't need. At the same time we were neglecting the information that they did need to increase their profits and safeguard their businesses. 20 Years Later what's Changed? I attended a week long seminar hosted by CPA Australia in 1993 which was to train us in "client based accounting".Dr Cleland presented the initial module. He did not openly criticize accountants this time, after all, it was the CPA's hosting it, but he gave almost the same speech (same jokes, too) as he had 20 years before."These things aren't taught in Universities", he said, "so the accounting profession has mostly ignored them. They have let small business down but things are changing".Know-it-all, Kelvyn Peters had to jump to his feet and say that the doctor had said exactly the same thing 20 years ago. Where were the signs of change? Universities were still not teaching accountants how to help their clients."This seminar with CPA Australia and the suggestion they might make client based accounting a speciality is a good sign", he replied.10 Years Later?Nothing has changed. Our hopes have withered on the vine and small business must look elsewhere for help. Recently I was called in to assist an ailing restaurant. We were happy to work with their existing accountant. We'd rather do the fun stuff and let the accountant do the boring tax returns and compliance work. In this case the client insisted we take over the whole of the accounting function.The accountant was most unhappy. "They are difficult clients", he said, "I have kept the fee lower than it should be and I have done extra to help them".Indeed, he had! The financial statements were beautiful to behold with colored graphs and key ratios compared against industry average. (most accountants still don't do that.I had advised that both wages costs and cost of foodstuffs were too high. Our focus was to form tactics to reduce them."But I had already told them that", said the Accountant, "what do they need you for?'I told him that the client knew the kitchen wages were too high and what he wanted was for someone to show them how to reduce the wages in the kitchen."I can't do that", he said, "I'm an accountant". I would have to camp down there in the restaurant to see what's going on. And they wouldn't pay the fee".Yes they would. They were going to pay me.Most accountants see their role as being the provider of financial statements, cash-flow projections and tax returns, and there's the rub. Each of these is a tool not an end in itself. It's like giving the client a hammer and saw and telling him to go build a house. He needs more than the tools, he needs to be shown how to use them.Of course the client will complain about fees whatever the level if all he receives are not useful to him. Accountants generally are flat out preparing financial statements and tax returns. Meeting dead-lines. They haven't the time to 'smell the roses'. Anything that doesn't help meet a dead-line has to wait until later. Often its too late.I may still look like an accountant, even the cool dude of accounting, but there is nothing I like more than talking with a business owner about his business. There's nothing a business owner likes more than discussing his business and planning to make more money. It's great fun and he loves to pay me for it. Small Business Survival In today's economic climate, the first priority for the small business entrepreneur is survival. A glance at newspapers, business journals, or cable news channels reveals a succession of corporations striving to stay on top of their game, and often failing, to slow the growth of outsourcing or to show real growth within their market space. In such times, knowing how to achieve long-term success is more critical than ever. Routine Maintenance of High Pressure Hot Water Motors If you run a pressure washer business you need complete uptime on your equipment, break downs can be costly if your billing rates are $100 to $150.00 per hour. If you are bidding by the job there are times when it is absolutely a great profession to be in. That is if your equipment is working properly. Here are some preventative maintenance for your high-pressure hot water skid unit. Going Public: Now that You Have Successfully Made the Transition, What Do You Do? Ok, you have successfully accomplished your dream of being the CEO of a public company. The stock of your company has a symbol and you are continually going to the computer to check the price, you tell all your relatives and friends and you even tried to encourage them to buy the stock. How to Profit from a Concrete Roof Tile Business Concrete Roof Tile Business:During the 2004 summer season, storms plagued the United States. Damages from the Hurricanes in Florida alone sent resources in the southern states scrambling. The shortage of qualified roofing professionals and supplies were felt immediately. Roofers from all over the United States began hunting down supplies and heading south. There were also many people who saw a roofing business opportunity and invested in roof tile businesses. 5 GREAT WAYS to Gain New Contacts What are the 5 best ways to gain new contacts? Marketing Your Small Business - The Top 10 Brilliant Ideas A Brilliant Marketing Idea... sounds great but what is it? Is it the idea that results in the mailman ringing your doorbell, signaling in a caravan of postal workers with mounds of letters (all in response to your latest advertisement)? Is it the idea that brings a 20% response rate on your direct mail campaign? 7 Tips to Improving Your Cash Flow Cash is King... That is what everyone tells us and it is true! You cannot function successfully in any business without proper cash flow. So if this Cash Principle is so well known, then why is it that so many businesses struggle? Sometimes the obvious is not always so obvious when you are entrenched in running the day-to-day aspects of your business. Here are 7 Tips to Improve Your Cash Flow! |
© Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |