Archive for Small Business
Have you ever forgotten the obvious – Duct Tape Marketing
Posted by: | CommentsHave you ever forgotten the obvious? I do not believe that I have ever featured Duct Tape Marketing: (The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide
) Book on my blog. It has sold over 50,000 copies in hardback, paperback and Kindle editions and has been translated into Croat, Indonesian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish and never once appeared in the Business901 blog. Since this writing, John Jantsch has been at the forefront of Social Media and Referral Marketing. His new book on Referral Marketing is due out in the spring of 2010.
In the Duct Tape Marketing book, John Jantsch, the author has really focused on three areas that I feel are the most important: Simple, Effective and Affordable strategies for the Small Business Owner. John effectively followed these terms throughout the book. Take a look at the excerpt and see if you agree: Google Books.
Duct Tape Marketing recognizes Lean Six Sigma Marketing Coach with Certification
Posted by: | CommentsI was one of a group of eleven Duct Tape Marketing™ Coaches to be certified recently in the Duct Tape Marketing program. This award was presented at the annual gathering in Boulder, Co. this October.
John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing and founder of the Duct Tape Marketing organization developed this initiative and established levels of Duct Tape Marketing Coaching accreditation in an effort to place heavy emphasis on the success factors of the Duct Tape Marketing system and reward those who establish pre-defined levels of success using the Duct Tape Marketing approach, tools and point of view. To obtain this advanced level, there were twelve additional requirements above and beyond the initial level. At this time, it is the highest achievable level within the organization.
It is a honor to be recognized with such an outstanding group and would like to thank John Jantsch, the Duct Tape Marketing organization and recognize the other ten coaches that achieved this level; Jeff Bishop, Troy Braithwaite, Scott Campbell, Joe Costantino, Bill Doerr, Fiona Friesen, Adrianne Machina, Cidnee Stephen, Michael Thompson, Liz Walker. I firmly believe in the Duct Tape Marketing Process and to use an old cliché, I not only talk the talk but walk the walk. As you may know there are few people that believe in a marketing system as much as I do.
The Duct Tape Marketing system allows business owners to create and build their very own marketing system complimented by a coaching system that has proven effective with small businesses for over 20 years. The system is perfect for those who already own a business, but want to make it soar. It’s also designed for those who want to start a business but don’t know how to get it off the ground.” This system will help entrepreneurs build the perfect business establishing a proven marketing system to their growing company. “Why reinvent the wheel? Take a proven process, a package of tools, a trained coach and run with it.
Related Post: I believe in a Marketing System
Business Turnaround – Do it with Lean
Posted by: | CommentsIs anything working? Are you in trouble yet? Is it you, or is it the economy? In a past blog post, I went over this issue and the fact of the matter is, IT’S YOU! Why? You are the one that has to survive, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. Without change, things will stay the same, so how do you go about initiating change?
On an upcoming Business901 podcast, I discussed with CEO Bob Wiener, how PAS Technologies climber from near the bottom of industry rankings to the top. What significant change did he make to leapfrog the competition? He invested the 1st week of his leadership in Lean training. An old saying that I use repeatedly: How many good ideas get wasted because of a poor plan? I think Bob reinforced that adage once again.
Most professionals today have not been involved in a turnaround. They do not realize that turnarounds require a different set of skills and management techniques. My methods do not work for all and are just one way of doing it. You must decide on your course of action. I have been involved in several and failed at one of them, the results that I had were all different. I broke companies apart, sold some and worked through some. They were all different, with different goals and different results. And bottom line is I lived to write about them.
Now, with my experience what would I do if I was involved with one today? Though PAS did not create the model, they executed it which is a much greater feat. My model may look a little different than how PAS did it, but it is similar in the respect that I would walk in and create a Lean System.
Most people don’t respect the fact that you have to document what you are doing, precisely. It really is like starting on a journey without knowing where you are at. If you would try to get directions from Google and typed Indiana in instead of Indianapolis, you may be only 1-hour or 4-hours away.
Your metrics play such an important part. How are you going to measure success? What in the short term will allow you to survive and in the long term build a business? Measuring simply by results is just not enough in today’s world. Using Lean Metrics measured by drivers are at the heart of making your plan effective.
Lean is a system focused on and driven by customers. Optimizing the value stream from their eyes and in an efficient process takes your processes to a level not experienced before. Review your past sales and processes that are performing well. Determine why and what may be different about them. This may help you identify a value stream much more quickly.
Mapping the Future State is where we start seeing it all come together. This is the step everyone typically wants to jump to immediately. As a result, it can be easily abused and a lot of waste can be left in the process. We make plans and instead of having a sound basis, we use instincts and tools that are not directed and often based on what I call “Tribal Knowledge.”
Kaizan is the Japanese word for continuous improvement. It is all about idea submission, not acceptance. Kaizan has three steps. First, create a standard. Second, follow it. Third, find a better way. Create Kaizan events on a weekly basis to improve on a particular area or metric.
A great learning tool is to start with a task that is working well, has little waste and just walks through the process. After you see how the process works, take one that has what you perceive a lot of low-hanging fruit. Walk through that process. The secret I believe to successfully implementation is trying to do too much at once. It is a journey made up of multiple events or Kaizans.
Related Post: Are an Ideal Customer for a Turnaround
