You are the face of your business!

Us small business owners need to remember that we are the 'face' of our business.
Sometimes I head to the local service station to fill the car up with fuel and let's say I don't look my best - daggy jeans, crappy old shirt and hair in a scrunchie - all I want to do is slip in and out and grab some petrol or a bottle of milk and then, you can guarantee that there is always someone who says "Hi!!"So excited to come on to your next tour" or "I was following your car last week!!"
Err...were you?
I hope I wasn't singing in the car or feeding my face.
Damn - was I picking my nose? ( nah! I don't do that).

But... I do have to remember that when I am out and about I am visible and therefore should be aware that people will see me and if I forget to be well dressed or my hair isn't perfect I will be judged for that.

I know ....so shallow.
We cannot always be at our best.
Nor do we want to be.
Sometimes its just about taking it easy - we are not at work 24/7.
Yet, if we or our business is easily recognizable (especially if you drive around in a car that advertises your business) you will be noticed even when you least want to be.

Most of all remember that no matter how bad you think you might look - its all about your passion.

Your passion and your conversation and enthusiasm will always shine through.
So dont worry if you look like you just got out of bed - dazzle them with your sensational banter about YOUR BUSINESS!
Have your spiel down pat and before they know it they wont be looking at your torn and crumpled T shirt - they will be walking away googling your facebook page.

Love what you do and it will show above all else.
We cannot all be Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt but we can be the best that we can be.

The Ghost Coach says: Be passionate about your business - be your business!

All I do is keep waiting....

Do you seem to spend lots of time waiting for people to turn up to your events?
Waiting, waiting, waiting.....

Do you also face that daunting task of holding back your real thoughts and words as you send the 10th email requesting payment or getting clients to confirm bookings?

You may be holding a seat in your restaurant for a client that doesnt turn up - you have stayed open for them, you have bought food ready for their order, you have staff to cater to them and you deny another paying customer that spot because someone has told you that they WILL be coming... and then they dont even call to tell you that they wont be there!

You may be running a workshop (and this has been my latest experience) and you have 10 people enthusiastically tell you that they will be attending - they will DEFINITELY be there!!
Yes, they are coming.....

On the night two people turn up!
What happened to the other eight?
Was there something good on TV?


So, does it pay me to do a workshop with two people?
NO!!!!

I am renting space.
I have printed workshop material.
I have prepared a light supper.
I have spent my time.
I have just lost money...


Shit happens - things happen that mean that people cannot come to things that they would really want to - money is tight, family gets sick, the car breaks down.

But all you need to do is CALL!!!!!!
Thats all that needs to happen - just message me!!!!
But I am speaking to the converted...you are the one with the problem - so how do we work this out so we dont feel like strangling people?

It makes us become hard nosed and demanding  - asking for full payments, having to check three times whether people are coming with annoying messages on mobiles or just stopping delivering services all together because we cannot just be bothered.
We lose our sense of TRUST in our clients.

I am in a business that really focuses on good will between myself and those that come on my tours - I dont want to be the tough gal who has to tell people off for being jerks for not considering the consequences of their inaction. I don't want to be 'big brother'...
But I am running out of options and patience.
Being NICE is just not working.

This is so frustrating for small business people who are the FACE of their business - you cannot be the arsehole who is demanding and the good guy as well.
A great business mentor who has been there and done that is worth their weight in gold to pull you into line and to show you the best way to handle this situation.

Remember...nice does not pay the bills.
I still try to give people the benefit of the doubt and in most cases I get bitten by them.

You may lose some customers or clients that always expect freebees, something for nothing or want to get away with blue murder ...you you want them anyway?

If you are currently losing money by catering to those that do not value what you have to offer - it is time to re - evaluate.

The Ghost Coach says - Value what you have to offer - you will never please everyone anyway.

The other person's job always looks better than your own!

Well sometimes it is!

My job is pretty cool - I wouldn't call it a job though.
Its maybe more like an 'over active' hobby that has just gotten out of control.

But it has it's pitfalls too.
People say - wow wouldnt it be great to do what you do - you are sooooo lucky!
As if I won this job in a raffle or lottery.
No...It took five years of sweat and hard work to get me to this point and I am no where near satisfied yet.
I can still do more.

But I know that if I fail then I have no one else to blame but myself.
Also -
I have a new found respect for small business owners!

Boy don't they all work hard!
And often they don't even take a wage!
Yep they work all week and don't take a wage.
I don't!

Now do you still want to do that job you say is so great?

The thing to remember is that ALL jobs have their good and their bad bits - no matter how good you thing a job may be you only really get to know it when you get to do it.

Maybe its time to change something about your job?
Or your business?
Its never too late in improve what you do and be happy.

As Einstein said:

The Ghost Coach says: Realize when it is time to make the changes you need to move your business forward or to move yourself out of your current situation. Dont waste the opportunity when it presents itself.

Just another promotional video!

I just spent 20 minutes of my life that I wont get back watching a promotional video that promised me the world - for a full 15 minutes....
Promises,
and more promises....and after 15 minutes I was still waiting to hear what in the hell it was going to be that would change my life so dramatically.
In the end I gave up at around 20 minutes...
I still hadnt heard the magic formula - they were too busy trying to hypnotise me with their bull shit.

Really...if you are that sure that you are going to change my life with your product cant you just tell me in 5 minutes?

I dont have time to sit through your long winded rubbish just to get that hard sell in the last few dying seconds of your very expensive promotional selfie that was 20 minutes long with great graphics and impressive stats and lots of angles of YOU just talking in front of a white background...when you could have done it all in under five minutes!

Is this how new age marketing is done?

I must be getting old.


The Ghost Coach says - Create great promotional videos - they are super cool tools to sell your products but make them short and to the point - people dont have time to wade through bull shit any more.

Never knock back the ability to gain some good luck!

The Ghost Coach says: Take every opportunity to grab your portion of "Good Luck" however you can get it!
May the Good Luck Chinese dragons come and sprinkle bucket loads of happy dust on you this Chinese New Year.

Haters gonna hate!

We can turn ourselves inside out trying to be everything for everyone and still not succeed.
You better learn quickly that you just cannot please everyone all the time.

In fact, if you end up pleasing a few people most of the time and yourself 90% of the time consider yourself doing very well.

Some people have an agenda to just not like anything.
They will always have something to complain about.

I did a new tour today for the very first time and so provided feedback forms for my guests to fill out.

I hate feedback forms!

Most replies were pretty good - 
One person did say that in their opinion some people on the tour  'asked too many questions'.
Another said that the tour was 'too long'
While another said it was 'too short'
Etc..etc...
Well I did ask.....

Everyone has an opinion.
Choose to listen to the ones that are constructive.

The Ghost Coach says - Stop trying to please everyone - you will never succeed.

Good Ideas are worth sharing!

Developing contacts are vital for small businesses.
Having a list of people that you can share and work with can grow your reach as you create a new set of followers as new contacts discover what you have to offer.

I have spent to weekend in 'collaborative' efforts that have allowed me to make loads of new contacts which I might have found hard to get on my own.
Collaboration with other local businesses to create events opened my unique business up to so many new people.
But remember!
Good collaborative agreements mean that everyone benefits equally.

There is no point of creating contacts with those you do not trust or you feel may not add anything to your business - remember that you ARE your business and who you choose to work with will have ramifications to your reputation and sometimes even in your personal life.

Sometimes the risk of working with a 'mad scientist' may seem enticing but it can literally blow up in your face.
Mad scientists have whacky ideas that can be fun and can be imaginative but will they be successful?

Check for experience in those you choose to work alongside.
Look at what they are currently doing on facebook and on their webpages.
Speak to people who have had past experiences with them.
Take time to get to know them first.
 Working together with other local small businesses can be such a great area of growth potential.

All relationships, even business ones, require a level of trust so don't do anything unless you are ready and have thought it through.

The Ghost Coach says - there are so many opportunities in small business for great collaborative projects! Don't be scared to work with others.