Wednesday, September 30, 2009

A Drop of Water Can Wash Your Business Away

Beliefs and convictions are very powerful tools. They are the foundational building blocks of everything in our lives. If you believe that being in physical shape is hard, you will find evidence to back that up. If you believe that business is hard, you will find evidence to back that up. It takes a lot of work to overcome a belief, especially if it is one founded upon poor information.

This spring we started having water in the basement of our river house. We never had such a problem, but it was a pretty damp Spring and we assumed that it would pass. We would suck up the water and dump it out, always waiting for the basement to dry out. I even went as far as building a wooden platform in front of the washer and dryer so we wouldn't be standing in water while doing laundry. I was convinced that we needed to install a sump pump to keep the basement dry.

Due to our busy schedules, we did not have time to complete the installation. I was ready schedule someone to jackhammer the pit in and get the thing done. Saturday I stepped downstairs, planning on sucking up yet another 70 gallons of water when I heard a drip..drip..drip. I grabbed a flashlight and within 10 seconds realized that an 89 cent fitting on a piece of plumbing was a bit loose and was dripping. I fixed the plumbing in less than a minute and cleaned the basement.

Every day since, the basement has been dry. That "false belief" that I had created a set of actions and consequences that would never have solved the problem. Here are a few things to ponder:

1. Is what I believe about my business or my goals true, or based upon a story that I have held onto for a long time?

2. What would have to be true in order for my belief to be true?

3. What are some other possibilities of solving a seemingly impossible problem or situation?

Beware of the beliefs that you hold. It never hurts to look a little deeper into a situation, explore a couple of different remedies, and take a different course. Now, get out of your own way, and better your best!

For more information about booking The Shef for your next event, visit http://www.theshef.com
or call our offices at 1-800-863-2591.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Feed Your Head!

"If you spend as much feeding your mind as you do your body, you will never have to worry about a roof over your head or food for your body."-Albert Einstein.

How true! The old statistic used to be that people were 7 times more likely to have a Blockbuster Video card than they were a library card. Now that Redbox and Netflix have all but put Blockbuster out of business, I don't know how well that would hold today. The interesting thing is that less than 10% of adults will read a non fiction book after they are done with their schooling.

Life can be learned by trial and error which is quite expensive. Or you can learn from other people's mistakes and successes. Many of these experience are chronicled in books and audios. If you don't have the means to purchase the books, hit your local library.

When I first met Les Brown, he told me something that has stuck with me since; "Never stop learning, earning, or yearning." Don't shift your life into neutral. Grow your mind, grow your relationships, grow your business!

Shef
For more information about booking The Shef for your next event, visit http://www.theshef.com
or call our offices at 1-800-863-2591.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Limit Your Options, Limit Your Life

"You are either growing or you are dying." was a phrase that I remember vividly almost two decades after meeting Anthony Robbins at the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN. Obviously as children and teens we are growing physically and mentally. However, many people shift their life learning into neutral when they are completed with their formal education.

Colonial Harlan Sanders (the founder of KFC) went out on a limb and started his business at the young age of 65 to supplement his $105 per month Social Security checks. Grandma Moses didn't start painting until she was 80. Google, Apple, Intel, and many others were started by young people with little more than a dream and an undying desire to succeed.

All of the above people are no different than you or I. They just realized that they needed to expand and grow their possibilities. Maybe you could be the next Taylor Swift, the next Colonial Sanders, the next Rockefeller. You just need to DECIDE to do it. Get out of your own way and make something happen!

Shef!

For more information about booking The Shef for your next event, visit http://www.theshef.com
or call our offices at 1-800-863-2591.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Little Things Lead to Big Dollars

Why is it that some servers in restaurants do very well, yet others starve? Why does a successful businessperson seem to just attract more business while their competition is withering on the vine? Read on...

Shelly and I are proud to have an outgoing, high energy daughter named Molly. She is a server at a local steakhouse. There are many times when she will have a customer who will tip her 30%, 50%, even 100% of the ticket. It absolutely blows us away. When asked about what things contributed to her "big nights" in terms of earnings, she comments on a few things that you may find useful and may want to implement in your business.

1. Look great. She knows that if her nails are looking good, tips go up. When she wears her hair a certain way, her tips go up. Most importantly, she KNOWS that she must exude energy and passion for what she does, and her tips will go up.

2. Communicate. She does not just go to a table to take the guest's order; she engages them in small talk. She understands that building a bridge of rapport will endear the customer to her.

3. Over-deliver. Even if the kitchen is running behind, the place sounds like a madhouse, or the sky falls; she will make sure that the customer's drinks are full, the bread does not run out, and the customer feels like they are kept "in the loop".

4. Take care of those who help out. Molly will tip her food runners and other people. It may seem foolish to some to pull money out of your pocket and give it to someone, but her runners love working with her and the performance shows.

I realize that few of you are in the restaurant industry, but any server at a restaurant is a perfect snapshot of an entrepreneur. They have the wonderful benefit of seeing the results of their actions in a very short time-frame and can adjust actions accordingly. Many businesses will dawdle in one direction and hope for a feedback of customer service months or years down the road.

Recognize the similarities between the food industry and your industry. Find a way to better your best!

Shef

For more information about booking The Shef for your next event, visit http://www.theshef.com
or call our offices at 1-800-863-2591.