Today’s Tip Sheet is all about a handful of tools that I think will be helpful for you in a variety of business situations.
Consider this the Swiss Army Knife of lists.
As an entrepreneur, you are pulled in many
different directions in a given day. You
are constantly bombarded with decisions that
have to be made and many times you need to
make them with more information than just
a quick “gut check” can provide.
There are tons of experts out there that
say you need to ultimately follow your gut
with business decisions, but there are many
occasions where you need more information.
Here is a list of tools that you can use
to help you solve problems, grab some
creativity, and get help when you need it:
1. Idea mapping- This is a POWERFUL tool
that you can use when you are trying to remember
concepts, map out a new business idea or product,
and even take notes on an ENTIRE BOOK, right on
one page.
My absolute favorite book on idea mapping/brain
mapping is “Idea Mapping” by Jamie Nast. Her
methods generally require you to write everything
down on paper, but if you want mapping software,
there is a ton of freeware out there with a simple
Google search.
2. A 7-sentence marketing plan- originally coined
by Guerilla Marketing expert Jay Conrad Levinson,
this is a one-page document that outlines the
complete marketing plan for your entire business.
You can go back to this each time you need to make
a marketing decision, or you are looking some guidance
on the proper direction to take. I get into this
in much more depth in my new soon-to-be-released
Underdog Marketing 101 book.
Just answer these 7 questions:
1. Explain the purpose of your marketing.
2. Spell out how you will achieve your purpose
by describing the benefits you provide to clients.
3. Specify your target market.
4. Describe your niche in that market.
5. Outline the marketing weapons you will use.
6. Focus on the identity of your business.
7. Establish your marketing budget.
3. Learn to close your eyes for 2 minutes-
When you are faced with a difficult decision
or you need to develop and answer to a problem
this simple technique of looking inward on the
problem and being free of outside distraction
can sometimes bring you to some amazing results.
Just close your eyes for 2 minutes and think
about nothing by the decision at hand. There are
no more rules than that.
4. Get an elevator pitch for your business-
Let’s face it, you never know who you are
going to run into, and when you might run
into them.
You can stumble across some amazing business
opportunities on a daily basis without even
planning on it. An elevator pitch is a
description of your business in about 30 seconds
or the time it takes to ride an elevator.
An elevator pitch is a rendition of your
Unique Selling Proposition. One good way
to figure out your own is to phrase is this
way: “Do you know how…? Well, what we do is…”
Just fill in the blanks, showing how you solve
a niche problem with your business.
5. Join or create a network- last but not least,
no business owner can do this alone. You have
to have some help.
Joining a network puts the problem-solving and
brain power together for many small business
owners in one place, and you can get free advice,
free leads, free product ideas, all worth their
weight in gold.
If you want to find out how to become a networking
superstar read about it more at:
http://www.how-to-business-network.com
Until Tomorrow,
Joshua Black
http://www.how-to-business-network.com
P.S. Let’s make a NUMBER 6! What is one entrepreneurial tool that you would like to share with everyone else on the Underdog Millionaire? Enter it in the comment section.
Click the image to get the FREE Underdog Millionaire wealth Pack!
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{ 10 comments }
An awesome product or service – is a useful tool too!
Nice tips to help a struggling entrepreneur get back on track! Love the elevator pitch item – don’t make it complex, ID aproblen people can relate to and then tell how you help people get results and fix that problem… a 15 second sales page!
Nice Blog
Stop by ours sometime
Glenn
http://www.BeASuccessfulEntrepreneur.com
Hey Joshua,
I only have the first one of these covered, so thanks for the reminder. It is clear that I need to get the last four going, and soon. Actually, I really like the 7 sentence idea (had not heard that before) + the concentration idea too.
Perhaps an entrepreneur needs the ability to provide customer service, especially to customers who have not purchased anything yet.
@Mark- Yes, customer service is key, but you also need a product that people want. You can have the greatest customer service in the world, but if you are selling something that no one wants, then your business will be in trouble.
-Josh
I have to admit, Joshua – I suck at all of them, but the last one.
I am not a planner, I am a doer; great most of the times, but not always. Sometimes it’s much more productive to plan ahead than having to redo something for lack of planning:).
Great tips – enjoyed your blog.
Ana Hoffman
Hey Josh,
Hey, I like how your blog/site is morphing. Looking great. I also just read up on your “About Page”…so…you are one of the undercover guys also, eh? That’s funny. It was interesting reading about your background.
Regarding this post…I really like your 7 Sentence Marketing Plan. We have to know where we’re going, right?
Brandon
@Brandon- Yep, the marketing plan is really important to get down on paper when you are starting out. You may never follow it exactly, but if you don’t thnk about all of the parts, you are really hurting oyur business.
-Josh
I would say to be open to try new things in every aspect of your business. Instead of just going with old methods that have been around forever, try things which people scoff at, be ready to accept the risk vs reward.
I guess it would be an open mind.
@Murlu,
Yes, open-mindedness is a huge factor in the success of a growing small business. The mom and pop shops that keep doing the same things for year without being willing to change are the ones that get run out of business by up-and-comers
-Joshua Black
I have learned the Keep-Still-Eyes-Shut technique to regain focus during a seminar while I was still in school. Its has since help me persevere through a lot of personal & business problems.
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