Out of the blue, I received an email from the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce sooner or later notifying me that we had been nominated for a 2016 Business Excellence award.
Say what?
Once I were given past my shock and disbelief that they must have the incorrect Susan... It commenced to sink in that a person obtainable idea we were worthy sufficient of this nomination. Wow, what an honour!
Part of the nomination procedure consisted of a 30-minute interview in the front of a 3-judge panel. Imagine being forced to simply brag approximately your self for a half an hour! Talk approximately squirming in my seat!
Fast forward to remaining week wherein the awards ceremony befell. Much to my comfort, our category turned into up first so I could relax the relaxation of the nighttime.
To be sincere, I wasn't all that traumatic - I knew the chances of triumphing become handiest 1 in 7 so I waited patiently for the winner's call to be announced, in no way awaiting it to be us.
But it was! We were declared the winner!
Say WHAT???
Shock and disbelief once again got here over me as I took a moment to understand what simply took place. Walking to the level turned into pretty the blur but I controlled to do it with out tripping up the steps to get our award.
In the aftermath of prevailing this exceptional recognition, I contemplated a few greater about that choose's interview and the way they deemed us the winner from the other worth nominees in our class.
With that during thoughts, I wanted to proportion a number of the attributes I feel helped us win this prestigious award. Without in addition ado, here's what it took for me to create an award-triumphing business:
1) Be Passionate About What You Do
We are not the first enterprise I've created; there is been lots others starting from creating craft portions to faux end portray. But regardless of what I did, I became very captivated with it.
Don't waste a while seeking to run a commercial enterprise simply to make money. You're going to tire of it right away and it will be more difficult to make income.
But whilst you're passionate about what you do, others will without delay see that and might be attracted to you want a magnet.
2) Love Working With the People You Serve and Offer Exceptional Customer Service
One of the truest joys I receive is the knowing how lots we are able to assist a brand new business owner get their online presence up and strolling. Being a part of their pleasure at seeing their dream materialize into some thing tangible offers me just as a lot pleasure.
If you avoid answering the cellphone or responding to emails due to the fact you dread having to talk to a patron, you then need to modify your marketing so that you attract the proper humans to work with.
If you don't love who you are operating with, then it is difficult to set up a a success commercial enterprise that wishes to cater for your clients by means of making customer service a #1 priority. And meaning answering the smartphone, responding to emails in a spark off manner, and treating every body as though they have been your best customer. And while you're attracting your perfect perfect customer, then this have to be easy to do.
Make your business about them, not you. Just recollect, in case you had no customers, then you definately'd haven't any enterprise.
3) Know Your Stuff
Before even thinking about beginning an internet development/digital advertising business, I ensured I got the education I wished first. I attended the Vancouver Film School of their Multi-Media software and then later earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a awareness in Computer Information Systems (with an A+ GPA).
Not to say the limitless on-line publications I've taken through the years to ensure my skills are saved updated with this ever converting industry.
Sadly, I see lots of marketers looking to start a commercial enterprise with no longer a lot of capabilities or enjoy underneath their belt and then they marvel why they are suffering.
Reading a book or taking one on-line course might be not enough to reach award-winning repute. But if you're obsessed with building a successful enterprise, you'll discover a way to make certain you emerge as as qualified as needed.
Four) Be Committed
Is working 15 hour days, 6-7 days per week dedicated enough? Yep, that is what Daniel and I do each week. We have to with the intention to fulfil points 2 and three above.
It takes a variety of effort and time to make sure your clients are sorted well. You additionally want a "do whatever it takes" level of commitment.
You might not want to work such long hours as us and agree with me, we are usually working in the direction of lessening that kind of volume but till then, we are willing to do some thing it takes to make sure our commercial enterprise is a success. Are you?
5) Be Consistent
Consistency suggests up in many paperwork when running a a success enterprise. For me, it's being consistent with my message, my brand, my Social Media presence, my newsletters, my group control, and the extent of satisfactory we bring to our clients.
Do I omit every now and then? Absolutely. But being regular in those regions are very critical to me, and I do what wishes to be executed so as to reveal up the fine I can for my group and our customers.
Without consistency, it's hard to create logo ambassadors (such as those who nominate you for an award), loyal crew participants, and a constant waft of customers.
Whatever you've got decided to commit to, be constant at it and you'll be surprised at how things begin to go with the flow your manner.
6) Surround Yourself With a Dedicated and Knowledgeable Team
I commenced off as a one-lady show. Because of my academic heritage, I turned into capable of do the design, build and marketing of a website quite without problems. I'm what you'll call a "generalist", a person who is aware of a number of approximately plenty of things and is a specialist in a few areas.
But my one-female show become now not going to create a a success enterprise. Especially in this technologically-pushed enterprise. It quickly have become apparent my skillset changed into only going to get me so far.
So my first rent turned into a person who may want to offset my largest weak point. Warren become a scholar at UFV and implemented in my opinion time programmer position. He turned into an ideal complement to our employer and the instant he got here on board, I turned into relieved of getting to do all of the website online builds myself. I should then take that point and awareness on constructing the business instead.
It's hard to try to do everything your self on the subject of running a commercial enterprise. Sure, there are fees concerned in hiring but if you lease smart, hold a watch on your backside line, and recognize when to permit pass of those that aren't serving you first-rate, your enterprise will enhance far faster than if you try and warfare with the whole lot your self.
This topic is worthy of an entire article itself so I encourage you to study How to Take a Solo-Entrepreneurship to the Next Level for extra.
7) Have Honesty, Authenticity and Gratitude be a Part of Your Daily Life
It's unhappy I even want to listing this as an characteristic but I've been in enterprise long enough to understand now not all and sundry adheres to these ideas.
To me, that is a no-brainer - I'm not sure I should stay every other manner?
But judging from the testimonies I listen from new clients approximately how they were treated via their preceding net developer, it seems like many human beings need to be reminded of this.
No commercial enterprise will thrive without honesty and integrity. And a touch mystery: gratitude will now not simplest make your commercial enterprise thrive, but your complete life too. Give it a try and see what I mean.
Eight) Persevere
Every commercial enterprise, consisting of ours, has its u.S.A.And downs. The key to achievement is to now not permit those "downs" triumph over your enthusiasm. Pick your self lower back up, analyze from something lesson there has been to be discovered, and hold transferring forward.
If we had end whilst we best had $20 credit left on our credit score playing cards at Christmas time only a handful of years in the past, we would not be award winners now!
Nine) Invest in Your Business
Building the organization has been one funding after another. It by no means ends truly.
There's always something that desires to be worked on. Here's a brief listing of my hints on in which you want to put money into your business:
a.Branding & Website
b.Marketing
c.Education
d.Building a Team
10) Understand You're Running a Business, Not a Hobby.
I assume this is an crucial difference to make and one many marketers are not differentiating.
I've usually looked at our business enterprise as a commercial enterprise and that's frequently due to my business mind and having a enterprise degree.
But for people who genuinely are obsessed on some thing and feature a dream to make cash off of it, it's tough to understand exactly HOW to show that dream into a commercial enterprise.
They grow to be blindly doing what they suppose they need to be doing, all via themselves, so that you can keep cash (or now not spend money they do not have) and hope for the pleasant.
If this sounds familiar, I'm adding any other commercial enterprise funding to do not forget as your top precedence: A enterprise train or mentor. ASAP. Otherwise, you'll likely emerge as just walking a interest.
Eleven) Set up a Systemized Business Structure
I've worked with a whole lot of clients through the years. Some amaze me at how prepared and systemized they're. And others, properly, now not so much.
Having a systemized commercial enterprise structure in vicinity is the only motive I haven't long past insane with my daily workload.
Here's the tools we use to be more organized, efficient and much less careworn.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education
12) Get Comfortable With Sales
Sales. It's a grimy phrase for plenty entrepreneurs and enterprise proprietors alike. Me too. I hate to think about myself as a "sales man or woman" but on the stop of the day, if we are not selling our wares, we don't have a business.
Now it really is not to say you need to end up a pushy, in-your-face predator. Far from it.
Remember characteristic #1 about being passionate? That's what you want. People will agree with your passion and will reply to it. But be cautious, every so often passion can be too intense and will turn people away.
Find your sweet spot as to what resonates with your ideal customers and hold working at it. But do embrace the reality you're selling your wares and examine a few strategies that suit together with your persona and luxury level in order to work.
13) Give Back
Giving lower back is an imperative attribute to have whilst constructing a a hit enterprise. We supply returned in numerous methods, here's some thoughts to do not forget that we do:
-Offer discounted expenses for non-profits
-Volunteer your offerings to community groups
-Send cash donations to worth charities you believe in
-Make purchases that assist worth causes
-Donate door prizes and/or silent public sale objects for fund raising activities
-And aid your own clients on every occasion you may
14) Be Accessible
When new customers technique me due to being disenchanted with their current net developer or marketer, the most customarily complaint I listen is they can by no means get a hold of the individual. Either they take all the time to reply to an e-mail or never solution their smartphone.
I assume I'm going to jot down a e-book on how NOT to run a successful business primarily based in this alone. It boggles my mind when I continually pay attention stories like this. How are those human beings maintaining a enterprise going with such negative service and accessibility?
I even have a policy to answer emails inside an afternoon of receipt. I regularly exceed that policy but occasionally the quantity is an excessive amount of and I get delayed in responding. Same component with the telephone. If we're available to answer, we do so. If we're not, we're going to call the character lower back right away.
Being on hand affords peace of mind to our customers; they recognize we care enough approximately them to attend to their wishes in a well timed way. 'nuff said.
There you have got it. My sincere tackle what created the employer to be an award-triumphing business. Maybe I need to put in writing a e-book about this due to the fact, truely, I could have added more but, it's entering the fifteenth hour on this Sunday night time of working so I'll go away it at that.
What about you? What could you add to the list? Please go away a remark under, I'd love to hear from you!
Susan Friesen is the founder of eVision Media, a boutique net improvement and Digital Marketing firm of over 15 years that makes a speciality of designing, building and advertising expert, unique web sites for marketers, businesses and organ
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