What a fantastic time Henry and I had in Melbourne last month!

We were there to attend a presentation and speaking skills workshop but made the most of our time there by checking out some Melbourne sights, shops and restaurants.  It's great to be in a different environment every once in a while.  Even when we had to do some "work", it still felt like a holiday!

The wonderful Dr Joanna Martin held a transformational seminar on presentation and speaking skills and, on top of that, we met lots of amazing and inspiring people.  And it's good to know we'll be crossing paths again with them as we continue on our journey to helping couples start up and run successful and fulfilling businesses.

Having spent three days not only with Joanna but with her team and other attendees who were such inspiring, action-oriented people, it really brings home to us the importance of investing in our own education and development.

In these economic times when competition is fierce and businesses are looking for ways to reduce their costs, we can understand why some business owners choose to cut down on, or eliminate altogether, the cost of their own education and development.

But what do we think of this?  Check out our blog post on the top left hand side of this webpage entitled "Are You Backing Yourselves?".

Enjoy the rest of this month's newsletter and grow in love and profits! 

Selling - Are You Ripping Them Off?

From the desk of Marissa Carlos, business and personal success coach

Selling.  A quite unpopular activity for a lot of business owners, especially start ups who have not yet found their “comfortable selling spot”.

How many of us business owners have put up our barriers within a millisecond the moment we perceive we are being sold to?  Who has switched off, looking for the exit sign or preparing to say “thanks, but no thanks” even before the salesperson has finished their spiel?

Consciously or unconsciously, we think that people will be reacting the same way towards us when we sell, and hence, our dislike for having to sell.  We’d prefer to just give out information about our services or products, and let the clients decide.  We think we’re “respecting” their decision.

This is a big issue for a lot of start up business owners.  While there are natural “salespeople” – those who love doing this sort of stuff naturally and are getting remarkable results because of their talent - there are a lot more who freeze, get mental blocks and cringe internally even at the thought of having to “sell”.  

Well, I’m not natural salesperson.  Selling was something that stressed me out.  But the fact that I have a business that I would love to grow pushed me to confront this part of me.  

So I would like to share with you some Words of Wisdom from my mentors that helped me learn to change my perception on selling, along with my personal insights.  They just might help you too.

1.    Paraphrasing my great teacher and mentor, Dr. John Demartini:  “Do not mistake selling for manipulation.  Selling is caring”. 

With these words, I learnt to be a bit comfortable with the word “selling”.  I do care about my clients and the people I have the opportunity to serve.

So when I changed my perception that what I’m doing is caring for my clients and future clients, I didn’t mind selling so much.  I also learnt that caring is listening and finding out their needs and wants, and providing a solution to those needs and wants.  It is not simply blabbing about what I do and what I can offer them when I haven’t yet taken the time to find out what it is they are truly looking for and whether what I’m offering is something that can plug that need.

2.    “We cannot fail if we focus on the mission.  We can only fail if we focus only on ourselves”. 

Again, words of wisdom from Dr. Demartini.  When I first heard this, I thought “yes, right”, but it took me a while to really get it.  Intellectually, it made sense to me, but practically, I didn’t have a clue what it really meant.

Then one day, bang!  It hit me when I became totally honest about exactly what service I want to give. 

When we are truly ourselves, there is no competition.  No one else can be better at being us than us!

When I re-aligned back to my authenticity and mission in life, I felt an inspiration and motivation to market and sell that I’ve never felt before.  It was no longer about me, it was about the service I feel called to do and the people waiting to get that service.

3.    My other great coach and mentor Dr Joanna Martin said “you are ripping them off” if you do not offer further services that can make a difference in their lives.

I realised that to only offer one session or one product, and feel guilty about selling further services or products, is not really helping them make the change or difference in their lives they are looking for.  When I know that I can help them get to where they’re going a lot faster through additional services or products from me, and I don’t offer it because I have a negative perception on selling, then I’m not really caring about them, I’m only caring about me.

Yes, there are people out there who sell without integrity and they are the people that clients and customers want to avoid.

So, let your integrity stand out, let the quality of your products and services shine, and sell, sell, sell!

Problems With Accessing Credit From The Banks For Your Small Business?  Call the Government.

From the desk of Henry Chow, CPA accountant

In this time of global financial crisis, most banks and financial institutions are tightening their credit policy and loan approvals.

For small business owners who need credit to continue operating and growing their business, this could be a major problem especially when, in business, cash flow is king.

However, there could be some assistance from the Australian Federal Government for Australian small business owners who are finding it difficult to borrow money to fund their business during this time of credit crunch.

After a roundtable discussion with banks and business groups, the Federal Minister for Small Business, Mr Craig Emerson, said that the government will be assisting small businesses that have been refused finance from banks to gain access to credit

If you are a small business owner and you are finding it difficult to borrow money from banks and other financial institutions, you will be able to appeal to Dr Emerson’s department for assistance.

“If they have been knocked back by the local branch manager then at least they can come to us, set out their case”, said Mr Emerson.
The Government will then liaise with the Australian Bankers Association and will follow up each case it passed on to the association to ensure that credit continues to flow to small businesses.

If you need assistance with your business plan or proposal for funding, contact your accountant or call Henry Chow on 02 9412 2111 or email him at henry@successuncoveredclub.com.

This success tip comes from Amy Lyden.

Amy is the Managing Director of Bow Wow Meow, which today is a leading producer of fun and functional pet tags. Its products are distributed through more than 1,500 pet shops sold throughout the world via the internet.

What advice would you give to an aspiring entrepreneur who wants to get started in a business of their own?

First things first, put together a great support team of other people in business that you meet with regularly and help each other out. Surround yourself with people whom you admire or can learn from. Create your own personal cheerleading squad - people who only want the best for you and who are prepared to help you shine and be the best you can be. 

Next, consider what you are going to do. Try to think of things that makes people's lives easier.  Life is getting more and more complicated, how can you make it easier? Also, as a consumer, what are some of the products and services that you want that others might too? This is how I got the idea for my business.

Then, start researching. One of the key areas that I find people need to do extra research in is understanding the financials. This is absolutely essential. Often, new business owners underestimate or don't understand cash flow. I highly recommend a course called 'Beyond Survival'. It's a two-day course put on by the Westpac bank. It is a highly practical, hands-on course designed to help business owners understand a profit and loss statement, balance sheet and the key ratios that determine the health of a business. Numbers do not lie, and if one doesn't understand what they mean it can be a serious disadvantage.

Many people block themselves in this area by saying, 'Numbers aren't my thing' or 'I was never good at maths'. This is very damaging talk. It is critical to understand the financial aspects of your business - this is one area that should not be abdicated to the bookkeeper or accountant.

The bottom line is that no one knows your business better than you, even a CPA. I'm not suggesting that you micro-manage the financials, but you should at least understand the financial statements and cash flow of your business.

This website contains even more great tips from Amy Lyden.

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