Don't Sprint Through Life

People who know me know I enjoy my running.  Long distance running at that.  10km runs are like a casual stroll, and half marathons are when it starts to get serious.  City 2 Surf is a nice 14km hit out.  And I've just started my program to tackle Canberra Marathon (again) in early April 2012.

Please, however, don't mistake me for some great athlete.  For me it is a challenge of my body and to my mind.  There is nothing like overcoming that last 8 or so km through the mind convincing the body it doesn't hurt that much.

One of the aspects of distance running that works for me is being able to clear my head and relax whilst just putting one foot after the other. It lets me take in my surrounds and appreciate my family, where I live, who I get to do with business with, and all the other benefits that come with life in Australia.  I can plan and ponder; postulate and premeditate; practise and pontificate.  And its amazing how many people I see that then make a point of telling me they saw me out running.

It makes me realise that I don't want to make life a sprint; I don't want to miss out on the scenery and flowers that I pass.  There are heaps of chances and opportunities to engage that I'd miss if I just went whizzing past.  As much as the training is to achieve a goal, the journey matters too.

As we close off 2011 and move into 2012, have a real hard think about where you're heading, what you want to achieve and who you're going to do all that with.

Remember the journey.  It'll make arriving at the destination sweeter.

Is Technology Your Friend or Foe?

Technology, whether you like it or not, infiltrates and impacts every aspect of our lives.
Smartphones allow us to have the world at our fingertips and to be accessible wherever we are, even at the most inappropriate and inconvenient times.  But that doesn't make it a bad thing.

It's said that if you're in business you need to have a Facebook page, Twitter feed, LinkedIn profile, YouTube channel, an active blog and a website that acts as a repository for all your knowledge and information.  And that if you don't have this multi-pronged internet presence you are in fact invisible.  But it isn't just enough to have these, they have to be actively updated regularly.

There was a time when I thought this was all effort that was unnecessary and took up time I couldn't afford.  But seriously, I couldn't have been more wrong if I tried.  These days people don't reach into their desk drawer for the yellow pages; they "Google it".  And if they can't find you in the Google search they'll click through to a result on the page that meets their criteria.  So your page needs to be search bot friendly.

At Cliftons we've embraced technology - our website has plenty of info and ranks well with the search engines, we keep our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages updated and blog regularly, and even produce YouTube clips (my apology's to those who've seen Kurt and I).  We can access our system from anywhere, use ipad's to facilitate what we do, and can check emails no matter where we are.
But despite this it wasn't until a conversation (on Skype) with our technology guru Graeme Campbell (www.rubratec.com.au) that I realised we didn't have but need a mobile version of our website.  So that has been actioned.

Reality is technology advances and cloud-based applications are going ahead in leaps and bounds.  If you're not prepared to change and move with it then playing catch up will prove difficult.

Where have you set aside time this week (I'm writing this on Monday morning) to review (or engage someone to review) your technology and world wide presence?

Budgeting?? Include Some Generosity

I don't think I'm the only one who as a kid thought it would be great to earn a million dollars a year, to be a millionaire, and dreamed of what I'd do with it.  Looking back now though the problem was that every dream was self-centered and me focused.  Cars, big boys toys, house, holidays and the like.  I never really gave any thought to what impact I could have on the lives of others.

Fast forward now to when I'm in a very fortunate position.  I have a beautiful family, great friends, outrageously good business and solid income.
And do you know what gives me joy?  No, not just being able to take my family on holidays, and not just having a nice house.
I love being able to give to others.
Be it family, friends, church, charity or strangers there is something exceptionally fulfilling about being able to give away what we've worked hard to get.  And we model this to our girls.

So what's the point of this post?

Well, I encourage people to budget to be generous.  Take money off the top to tithe, give away and donate.  When you're revising or creating a will, include a gift that will last beyond your mortality in the form of a gift or bequest from your estate to a church or charity.

I'm yet to meet the person who has too much money, yet we in Australia still live better than some 98% of people in the world.
Am I on my soapbox a bit?  Sure, but imagine the difference you can make, where your little can mean a lot.

There's no time like now to start putting into place the old saying of "charity begins at home".  Every little bit counts, so what are you going to do with your little bit??

Who's On Your Bus?

A few years ago now a rather astute client told me about his business being a bus.  I looked at him with a quizzical expression, so he elaborated.  What did he mean?  Well, let me tell you.

A business is like a bus with various seats.  The owner and entrepreneur is the driver.  They decide where the bus is going, what route it will take to get there and how fast it'll travel.  They also decide who to let on, will sometimes kick people off and may let the bus stop at different points.

I see the key as making sure that you not only have the right people on the bus to take it where you want to, but just as importantly you need to have them sitting in the right seats.  It is no point having people on the bus who don't agree with where it is going, or have no idea where it is going.
Make sure everyone on the bus understands where it is going, what direction it is going and that there may be a change of direction at some time.  If they're not "on board" with this then they shouldn't be on board the bus.

Importantly, ensure the passengers know the driver is in control.  And don't be afraid to change which bum is on which seat or to replace seat warmers with people of action.

Remember that if its YOUR BUSINESS its YOUR BUS.  You want the ride to be smooth and enjoyable.  So is your bus going the right way with the right people in the right seats?

Spring Time = Spring Clean

Well spring has sprung here on the South Coast of NSW.  The days are beautiful and warm, weekends are great for swimming and relaxing outside, and all the lawns and flowers are perking up.

 image credit to suphakit73

So the usual thing to do is start and have that clean up and clean out of your house, garage and shed, getting rid of the accumulated "stuff" that you really don't need.  And with the warmer weather many people are starting to get rid of the extra layer that has accumulated around their middle over the cooler months.

While we're concentrating on our homes and storage and bodies, what about our businesses?

Maybe its time to get rid of some stuff that is cluttering up your business.  And I'm not just talking about boxes here and there either.

Do you need to replace or update some furniture?

Is your bank being unreasonable and making it difficult to progress forward?

Should you sack that time-sucking client or customer?

Is the team you have right for the future?

What about your business partner/s?

It's your business and it's your call.  So when are you going to spring into action?

All In The Family

I love the idea of a family business. Parents and children working together in building a business that passes through the generations. A business that supports all the family members as well as the families of the team that works together.

A great example is a business I know which was started in the shed of the parents some 15 years ago. It built steadily over the years with the business moving into premises and then the 3 children coming into operations. The business now has a significant turnover with a dozen staff and the whole family involved. It's really heartwarming.

Now comes the but.

But there is a potential problem brewing. Who is going to take over? Is it the right of the eldest? But what happens if the eldest is a good "doer" but not an entrepreneur or manager?

This highlights the need to have an open and frank family discussion whilst everyone is able to. There is likely to be someone upset out of the process, and there can be an element of division. But at least the wishes of the parents who established all this and gave the kids what they now have and will have is understood by all. It gives everyone the chance to have their say and get it resolved rather than becoming a huge legal fight at a time when emotions are running high.

People underestimate the value of agreements especially when all involved are family members
So have the discussion sooner rather than later to go over the wills and wishes of the parents, and ensure that the situation is understood.

When is your family meeting going to be?

The Value of Service

Over the last few months I have gone through the process of putting in a pool at home.  Well, it actually started back in January when we decided to go ahead.  And it is here my story starts ...

It has amazed me no end that there I was with my plans for what I wanted, pen ready for a contract and money in hand yet it seemed there was little interest in the pool companies even returning my call.  I even could list off what I wanted in detail, the site access and all but only 2 came back with quotes and only one followed up.  Guess who got the job (Narellan Pools, thanks Gordon and Anne), despite being more expensive??

From here the management of the council DA and filing process was excellent.  The job was started when it should have been and completed with little or no fuss.  When I called Gordon with any issues, even on Saturday or Sunday afternoon, he didn't fob me off and got to it straight away on the Monday.  And I was more than happy to pay every penny as soon as I got the progress claims.

Now to the bad part.

I had to arrange to get an enclosure built around the pumps and filters, and getting someone to come and measure up was no problem.  However getting the actual quote was like pulling teeth and then the job being done was unfathomably piecemeal and lacking in any professionalism at all.

Try this for size;
Friday - 2 guys turn up, they put two posts in the ground and leave.  I call them, they are coming Monday to finish.
Monday - no show, no call.  I call, they are coming Tuesday.
Tuesday - no show, no call.  Happens to run into my wife and says they will be back Thursday.
Thursday - no show, no call.  I call, they will come Friday and finish, and even work Saturday if need be.
Friday - no show, no call.
Saturday - no show, no call.

This goes on over a period of 3 weeks, with pretty much nothing happening until I call and give this turkey a rocket.  He then pretty much finishes except for 3 small pieces.  That was 3 weeks ago.  I haven't seen or heard from him.  And lucky for him he hasn't had the gall to bill me.

So, guess which contractors people hear about more?  The fantastic Gordon and Anne at Narellan Pools, or the clown doing the enclosure?  I think you know the answer, with us telling 3 times as many people of a bad experience then we do of a good one.

What this shows it the power and value of service.  Communication is a cornerstone.  Service should be your primary goal, and then a sale will come.
Are you valuing service to your customers as highly as you should?

Growing or Groaning?

I heard a funny story from my friend Rob Nixon.  It went like this ...

He took the kids to a movie. On the way out 2 of the 3 kids were mucking around in this tiny school bus.
In the usual Rob way he said ‘give me a go’ and when he go into it he realised…well – you get the idea – he had grown to big for the school bus.  What was funnier was the picture of Rob squished into the bus.



Anyway ...

We all grow by physical size but are you growing your intellect, your language, your attitude?
I am a big believer in personal and business development growth.  I have been since my school and university days. The people I associate with are growing and developing.  Our clients are growing and developing.  The most successful people on the planet are growing and developing.

Early on in my learning career I heard the saying “in the future, you will become the same person you are today other than the material you absorb and the people you associate with”.
Some things you hear you have heard before.  If it is still a good idea and it has not yet been implemented then it is still new. And the only thing stopping you from implementing is you (and that bit of stuff between your ears).
In the words of Michael Sheargold “The power of an idea is in its implementation”.

Are you growing and developing or you groaning and moaning – its your choice!