Category Archives: Business Strategy

Long range, big picture, macro

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Good Questions Are Your Best Sales Strategy

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Many factors influence a B2B sale, including egos and power struggles, budget allocation and politics, trending industry fads and the success or failure of what’s been done before. But as you know, Freelancer friend, you can only control what you can control.

To obtain some measure of control you need information, because knowledge is power. To determine whether there is a sale here for you, you’ll need clarification of the factors listed below, which are known to influence B2B sales. Knowing if there was a recent attempt to reach the goal or resolve the problem before you were contacted is also useful intel, as is knowing if the prospect is actively considering another solution (that would be provided by someone else).

  • Define the problem or goal and learn if it’s high priority or urgent
  • Understand what the prospect wants you to do and when it must be completed or delivered
  • Is the prospect talking to a competitor?
  • The decision-maker
  • Estimated budget

The most efficient way to get the backstory on your sale and create for yourself a realistic chance of winning is to ask questions that bring out the answers you need. Phrase the questions in words that feel natural for you. I think what’s listed below will both lead you to more sales and quickly eliminate those who present themselves as interested but are just not that into you.

1. What led you to contact me/ respond to our outreach?

2. Is getting this project done/ product installed an immediate priority? When would you like to see it completed/ made available?

3. Have you been using a solution (i. e., a product or service) that isn’t working? What fell short of your needs?

4. What. are three key outcomes you want to occur when the goal is reached/ problem is resolved?

5. What other options are you currently considering?

6. Which department in your company will be the end users of the product/ or who will be my contact as the service is implemented?

7. What kind of support/ training/ post-sale service would your team like to receive as the solution is being implemented or when the product is purchased?

8. Are you the person who decides the budget for this project and has funding been allocated?

9. Based on what you’ve told me, I think my organization can help you achieve your objectives. I’d like to work with you! What is your decision-making process like?

10. Is there anyone else who might appreciate having a conversation about this solution? Anyone else I might speak with?

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Judy Holliday (standing) has a couple of incisive questions for her husband (Tom Ewell) and the other woman (Jean Hagen) in Adam’s Rib (1949, directed by George Kukor and starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn).

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Making Sense of Your Data

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When you think about it for a minute, you might agree that basically every aspect of your business can benefit from relevant and timely information—-i.e., data. However, your potentially helpful data can leave you with a puzzle to put together, unfamiliar terrain to navigate, before you can make sense of the information and understand the picture it’s trying to show you.

The puzzle pieces that contain your data could be expressed in various formats, e.g., columns of numbers, pie charts, bar graphs, or the written opinions of researchers and thought leaders. Furthermore, the data sources often use different benchmarks and measuring standards and make getting a sense of things sort of a wrestling match.

Analyzing data reminds me of buying produce at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. At Trader Joe’s, the bananas are 19 cents each and there are no scales. At Whole Foods, bananas are 49 cents a pound. How can I calculate what I’m paying for the fruit or the other produce that I buy at each market and compare prices?

Data analysts and other experts say that for much of the information we access, tools that cut through the maze and bring focus to the picture, such as identifying patterns and trends for you to consider, are a must. Otherwise, you’ll be unable to fully comprehend the data’s story, unable to make good use of the information and enable it do what you need it to do, which is to support good decision-making. Micrsoft Excel or Power BI, Python, Jupyter and Apache Spark are among the most highly rated data analytics tools.

Among the most common functions that data analysis is called upon to provide insight are:

Marketing teams use data to examine website visits, often by way of Google Analytics and social media stats, by way of services such as BuzzSumo, Sprout Social, or HubSpot. Understanding what’s happening in the company’s marketplace and revealing customer behavior by analyzing Descriptive Analytic data is a typical goal.

Sales teams use data to understand the customer buying journey and learn what motivates a sale, along with revealing customer buying patterns. With access to unlimited online information, prospective customers are better informed about potential purchases than they’ve ever been. B2B sales researchers have documented that prospects are usually 80% of the way through the buying cycle before making contact with a sales team. Customers are in the driver’s seat.

Finance/ Accounting teams have always had access to the reams of data that’s attached to invoices, accounts payable and receivable transactions, sales revenue, inventory counts and other movements of money and resources.

Operations teams are charged with continually reviewing any number of business processes, from how to source or manufacture the products and services that a company sells, to recommending the most optimal methods to connect those products to customers, to ensuring that company offices are equipped with effective HVAC systems. Obtaining data that reveals operational efficiencies and enables business functions to be executed in the easiest, fastest and least costly or risky methods is the eternal goal.


Yet the question has always been, how can anyone—-multinational conglomerate or Freelance solopreneur—-maximize the value of your data?

  • Put data to work Your data is wasted unless you examine it, interpret it and let it guide your actions and decision-making.
  • Sort and analyze Appropriately grouping, categorizing and analyzing your data makes business intelligence tools necessary when working with large amounts of data. Today, data analysis means Artificial Intelligence. AI-powered systems will in mere seconds collect, sort, analyze and make meaningful recommendations for you and your team to review and evaluate. If that’s not enough, your AI tool will ”learn” from the data you feed it and the recommendations it makes to continually refine and improve the outcomes.
  • Strengths into opportunities Let your data show you where you shine. Maybe it’s your amazing referral rate or customer retention rate. Maybe it’s the memorable customer experience that you create or the loyal followers who’ve turned into brand cheerleaders for your company.
  • Prioritize Get clear and pragmatic about goals and objectives the organization would be wise to pursue over the long and short terms. Your customers and their emerging preferences and priorities are certain to influence the strategies and actions that emerge at the head of the line. Let the marketplace guide you.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Warner Brothers Pictures. Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange (1971), directed by Stanley Kubrick 

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Moving the Needle on B2B Sales Deals

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Selling B2B professional services is no day at the beach, as you’ve probably deduced by now. Getting B2B sales deals across the finish line can be an uphill marathon that leaves you face down on Heartbreak Hill. Unlike your B2C colleagues, you can’t ride the wave of multi-million dollar product launches or other advertising campaigns to convince prospects of the amazing benefits that your product or service delivers.

Moreover, there are no impulse buys in B2B, no equivalent of customers adding candy to their shopping basket while waiting in the check-out line. Your marketing campaigns and sales pitches speak to business goals with a deadline and problems that must be resolved.

On top of that many, if not most, B2B services that Freelancers provide are unlike the various software as a service products that can be easily compared and evaluated, feature by feature. Once a prospect has found you, it’s necessary to pitch your solution in a narrative mix of hard facts and soft skill intangibles that portray you and your capabilities as an effective and trustworthy choice.

In some instances, you may even work to convince a prospect that there actually is a problem to solve, that something can be done in a faster or easier way. As a result, the sales cycle of the typical Freelance consultant is long. So what can you do to keep the pipeline filled and your cash-flow positive now and into 2022? There are some cultural shifts to keep in mind as you consider strategies that you might implement.

The Great Resignation factor

In the early 2000s, I started to notice that important contacts at companies with whom I worked regularly disappeared in about two years. Not good! So much of obtaining repeat business depends on relationships. It costs you money when an ally leaves a prospect’s decision team. You may not know where they’re going next and they usually don’t take you with them by introducing you and your services at their next assignment

This phenomenon is detrimental to the future of your business. The Great Resignation factor (addressed in the September 7, 2021 post) has heightened this trend. Freelancers are advised to include this reality in client pursuit and post-project client retention strategies. You can’t control what will happen, but knowing that a change is brewing gives you the opportunity to ask who will join the project discussions, so you’ll have a chance to begin building a new relationship, starting with an email introduction.

The 2021 LinkedIn Global State of Sales Report, which surveyed 7,500 B2B buyers and sellers in 11 countries, advises sellers to stay current with intel about project decision-makers and stakeholders. The survey found that 25% of decision-makers either change roles or leave the company in a given year. The survey also found that unfortunately, 85% of sellers reported that they lost at least one sales deal, or that a deal was delayed, because a key stakeholder left his/ her job. Of the many advantages acquired by tactfully remaining in touch with the primary decision-maker and influential stakeholders of every potential sales deal is receiving updates regarding who’s on and who’s off the team.

The Work From Home factor

Some companies have at least temporarily continued the work from home protocol for their employees when possible, but many have begun asking staff to work on-site at least 2 – 3 days/week. Still, the practice throws cold water on face2face sales meetings. The 2021 State of Sales Report indicates that B2B virtual selling gives the advantage to buyers, however McKinsey reports that 76% of B2B buyers prefer in-person sales meetings, or at least a telephone meeting. when evaluating a product or service that they’ve not used before. Zoom is convenient but apparently not considered ideal for first time meetings.

When appropriate, McKinsey found that 46% of B2B buyers say they’ll make purchases online online, but only 10% do so. Notably, 46% of B2B buyers feel it’s too difficult to compare the available products online. These buyers also are dissatisfied by the frequently slow responses to their inquiries.

The Digital transformation factor

Warning: 70% of digital transformation initiatives fall short of expectations. McKinsey reported that companies achieve the best results when a combination of human and digital interactions create a hybrid buyer’s journey. Because prospective buyers appreciate fast answers to their basic questions about your products and services, installing a chat bot and adding a FAQ tab to your website will expedite the delivery of information and facilitate a satisfying buyer’s journey that instills trust in your company and its solutions.

If you are tech savvy, explore and evaluate UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) digital tools. The free Adobe XD starter plan lets you design digital features that maximize the impact of touch points along the buyer’s journey, after-sale service experience and other customer service experiences that you’d like to enhance. Think carefully about how much digital interaction your prospects and clients will appreciate and strike a balance between digital and human communication.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Commodities traders at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (founded in 1874)

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Kick-off FY 2022

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Hello July! Fiscal Year 2022 has arrived and happy new year. Calendar year people are greeting the second half of 2021. As businesses throughout the U.S. shake off the shutdown, we can be confident that nearly every business owner and leader is working to decipher what the post-COVID landscape looks like for their enterprise and how to make it profitable. It’s time to double down and make up for revenue losses.

In-person encounters are on the rise. Work from home policies are receding and employees are being asked to return to the office, if only for two or three days a week. To position your organization for a fourth quarter recovery, July and August are the time to put pedal to the metal and revitalize your company.

First thing, if you haven’t done so already, is to determine how much revenue was lost during the shutdown. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but that information will greatly support your recovery plans. When you know about how much revenue was lost, you’ll know how much revenue you’ll need to generate to get back on your feet and you can start to think realistically about how you might be able to do that. Use your 2019 year- end P & L figures as the 2Q 2020 – 2Q 2021 benchmark.

Focusing on the marketing and operations functions of your company will be useful as you develop rebooting strategies. The typical Freelance consultant is familiar with marketing and may even dabble in it, at least in the social media realm. However, operations is often outside of our B2B knowledge economy comfort zone. It shouldn’t be.

Operations encompasses whatever it takes to acquire or produce your product or service, get it into the clients’ hands and do so efficiently, with a goal of maximizing productivity and minimizing costs. If your clients have made adjustments in how they do business, how they serve their clients, you may have to change along with them. Changes in how you provide your products and services is an operational issue.

Pivoting to videoconferencing from in-person meetings when clients opted to work from home was an operational change for all involved. The response to that change entailed not only a change in communication but also technology and skill set upgrades (or the meeting tech was outsourced, at a price).

You’ll continue to work the operations angle as you consider the financial, technical, educational and even networking resources and activities you may need to launch your recovery, as well as the timeline. You may need to confront the reality that while some clients were able to adjust to the pandemic restrictions and bounce forward, with some having resumed working with you at some level, others may be gone forever. In other words, assess the size and likely revenue potential of your client list.

Operations will look different in every business but in your B2B service venture, be aware of operational processes, which also include invoicing and getting paid. Use the post-pandemic reopening process to rethink what you do, how you do it and for whom you can do it now that maybe a couple of big clients aren’t working with you anymore. Do you need to revamp your business model and reevaluate your value proposition? How will you you reach out to clients now?

Ramp up marketing with content and PR. Increase the name recognition and visibility, credibility, trust and perceived expertise of your business venture (and you) with text, audio, or video content that reaches out to current and prospective clients to educate, inform and engage with them. Content is still king but distribution is now queen. You must create content that persuades prospective clients to follow-up with your organization in some way—-listen to your webinar or podcast appearance, read a case study, request a free 30 minute consultation.

Include distribution in your your PR/content strategy. Not every prospect will find your content through your website or social media and that is why sending a press release to print or digital publications that are trusted by those who could potentially buy from you is important.

Work on finding good speaking engagements and use them to create a compelling PR roll-out. In-person events are being restarted. Let that inspire you to pick up the thread and reach out to organizations where you’ve appeared before, or contact those on your wish list. You could be a keynote speaker or moderate a panel. Podcasts and webinars are still a thing. Just get yourself in front of a good audience, so you’ll generate buzz in the right circles.

Your PR strategy might consist of first, confirming that the host organization will do a PR campaign to publicize your appearance. On your end, you’ll post the notice for your talk on Alignable, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. Post your event in the local Patch if the location where you’ll speak is part of that community and also send a press release to local community newspaper. Be advised that if the editor chooses to include your story, many community newspapers will simply publish your press release so make sure that your story is concise and compelling.

As your name and your company’s appear in various online media, there will be positive impact on search engines. Google favors companies that EAT—expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness—and that’s who gets the highest page rankings.

An online presence makes your company more prominent and brings those looking for your category of products or services to your website and social media pages. That is precisely what you want, whether or not you’re rebuilding your business, because leadgen is always a priority. As you attract new potential clients, your updated operations will greet them with a seamless and pleasant experience, that may result in referrals.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Photograph: © Associated Press 1996 created by Lynne Sladky. Carl Lewis qualifies for the long jump finals at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, GA (USA).

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Go Agile

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Life brings change and it seems as if change occurs at a much faster pace these days. Then again, the same observation was probably made in the Middle Ages or even when the pharaohs ruled. The world continues to turn and every day is new and brings a unique set of circumstances. How we respond to fluctuating conditions has a big impact on our fortunes in life.

The ability to move quickly, whether to take advantage of goodies that unexpectedly appear or dodge something unpleasant, is a skill known as agility and it is worth cultivating. In business, the ability to incorporate agility into strategy, management and culture enables company leaders and team members to facilitate smart decisions that enable beneficial changes that can be instituted quickly and efficiently. This capability delivers a number of advantages, often making a business more competitive, sustainable and ultimately, more profitable. During periods of generally adverse business conditions, agility often makes the difference between keeping a business viable or presiding over its failure.

Benefits of an agile business 

  • Responding to new market conditions or competitors. Every business will at some point encounter a wily competitor or challenging market conditions. When agile practices are baked into your organization, the leadership team will be better prepared to adjust to evolving conditions. You expect change—you monitor the Key Performance Indicators, you pay attention to the competitive scene, you follow industry developments that help you anticipate what might impact your organization, for good or ill. You are accustomed to making decisions and changes to accommodate new realities. The agile business is resilient.
  • Solving and responding to problems. The pandemic shutdown has been Problem #1 for most of us. Hollowed out industries, disappearing clients, supply chain delays and difficulties in finding help thanks to the stimulus payments that have made staying home more profitable than working for some. These and other disruptions can prevent you from efficiently serving your customers. But leaders of agile businesses have been training like a prize fighter, giving the entity quick reflexes, effective offense and defense strategies and stamina to weather the storm. You’re able to recognize what may become a problem and proactively institute alternatives that will soften the blows and limit damage. The agile organization is prepared to defend itself and prevail. 

Tools of an agile business

  • A Robust data streams. Agility won’t help you unless your decisions and actions are based on 1.) objective data and 2.) you measure what it makes sense to measure. Accordingly, your first goal should be establishing credible and relevant streams of data for key aspects of your business. You should consistently measure your performance in every department, and across the entire business. Analyzing and interpreting the data will help you figure out which actions to take next.
  • Fast decision-making. Agile businesses are capable of making important decisions quickly. That capability requires both preparation and courage. If a problem arises, a quick decision can mitigate its impact. If a competitor emerges, your agile business may be able to pivot in a matter of weeks, instead of months. This usually means avoiding the development of slow, bureaucratic systems in favor of those that support decisiveness and action. Good data, especially in the form of well-chosen KPIs, is essential, as is the willingness to act on it.
  • Flexible systems. Flexibility is crucial for agility. If your technology infrastructure and operational workflows can’t accommodate rapid-fire changes or expansion, they’re not going to support agility.
  • Innovation. Your organization also needs a mechanism and encouragement for innovation. For agility to be effective, it needs to foster and support novel ideas, including ideas for new products and services.

Practices of an agile business

  • Encourage entrepreneurial thinking. If you’ve built a good team, you’ll be able to extend to them a degree of autonomy. Empower your employee in to develop a sense of ownership and behave as if a steward, a stakeholder, of the enterprise. Encourage them to solve their own problems and allow them to make their own decisions whenever possible. The more autonomy your employees have, the faster they’ll make decisions (and the more agile your business will become).
  • Foster clusters of small teams. Big, hierarchical organizations have some advantages, but they’re inherently unagile. Instead, it’s better to work closely together in small teams. Try to avoid becoming overly bureaucratized.
  • Avoid becoming too accustomed to anything. Don’t get too attached to anything in your business, including people, software, workflows and even the company culture. You need to remain flexible and willing to incorporate new ideas.
  • Cut whatever isn’t working. Whether it’s a new tactic or a strategy with a long history of producing results that at one time pushed the company forward, you need to be willing to cancel whatever isn’t working. If it doesn’t provide an objective benefit to your organization, get rid of the dead weight.
  • Check in regularly. You should have reliable metrics to inform you of your progress and check in with them regularly. While you’re at it, ask for feedback from your employees and ask how they think the organization could be made even more agile in the future.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Olga Korbut, superstar gymnast from Minsk, Belarus (formerly USSR) at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, (West) Germany. Korbut won four gold and two silver medals at the Games.

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Crash-Proof Your Business

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If there’s anything Freelancers and other business owners and leaders have learned over the past year is that positioning your company to survive adversity is high priority. Baking in stewardship policies that include risk management strategies designed to shield the company from the effects of marketplace instability (or maybe just a tough competitor) is a must-do.

Maintain the business in the way you maintain your home—painting the deck, caulking bathroom tiles, checking the foundation for cracks, putting a sealant on the driveway. When the inevitable blizzards and hurricanes arrive, you’ll weather the storms (earthquakes and tornadoes are something else again, of course).

There is no precise formula for the process. I recommend that business owners and leaders focus on the reliable benefits derived from this short list of basic resources: human capital, operational capabilities, a healthy culture and cash reserves.

Whether a solopreneur Freelancer or leader of a team of 100 or more, know that good leadership yields the best business results, in good times and bad. Those at the top of the organizational pyramid are the responsible party and have great influence on whether the venture finds success or failure. Creating a sustainable business model and obtaining sufficient start-up and working capital are how a good business is born. But there is more.

Company culture

Creating a healthy company culture is a business-sustaining strategy. Business owners and leaders should understand that when top-down and bottom- up communication is the norm, when leaders model a strong work ethic, when transparency and best practices are followed both internally and externally in customer relationships and when respect, coupled with a degree of autonomy, is given to employees at every level, a winning strategy, expressed through a healthy company culture, takes hold. Good company culture results in employees who are happy, productive and loyal to the organization.

Human capital

Providing skills-building training and coaching is an investment that also encourages employee loyalty and enables company leaders to maximize their productivity. Such policies and practices nurture company loyalty and come as close as possible to ensuring that when the going gets rough, the company will have a team dedicated to the organization and willing to work hard and smart to support a turnaround. This strategy also gives companies a reputation as a good place to work and acts as a magnet for top talent.

Strategy

The most effective business strategies are uncomplicated. Learn to distill yours down to one page. When speaking to your banker or potential investors, potential strategic partners, or high-level talent you’d like to hire, the ability to articulate a readily understandable and relatable business strategy will build confidence in you and the company you lead. Start clarifying and simplifying the strategy that guides your venture:

Vision for the future

Big picture goals (short-term, mid-range and long-term)

Key Performance Indicators and the department responsible for each

Top line revenue and market share, two metrics that indicate the quality of the business strategy.

Execution

Strategy is nothing without execution. An effective leader gets the plane into the air and flying at cruising altitude. To achieve that aim, properly trained staff, effective and intuitive workflow protocols, IT hardware and software that create operational efficiencies, quality control and an end-to-end positive customer experience are required. Errors, confusion and duplication of work undermine productivity, erode employee morale and result in weakened revenue and profit.

Defining the intended outcomes, practicing good communication, establishing efficient workflow organization, the required technology and the appropriate staffing level and expertise will likely repair obstacles to proper execution. Action plans, complete with departmental responsibility and due dates that the team consents to, ensure accountability and optimal results.

Cash

Small to mid-size companies would be wise to hold in reserve three to six months of projected operating expenses. That sum is meant to carry your company through a difficult time or allow you to take advantage of a business opportunity.

Bear in mind that every business is different. The amount of your company’s cash reserve will depend on where the company is. Start-up, new product launch, capital improvements campaign, or growth-expansion-scaling periods are not the time to build the reserve because available cash must be used to support those important initiatives. Discuss with your accountant about when it will make sense to start a capital reserve fund and how much it should hold.

It is also possible to use financing to build your company’s cash reserve and now may be the time to act. The SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan on March 30 was extended until May 31, 2021. The PPP Loan can be forgiven and essentially become a grant, but not every loan recipient is able to fulfill the qualifiers. Worse case scenario, the PPP must be repaid within two years at a 1% interest rate.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: The Indy 500

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Grow, Expand, or Scale?

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Business owners, including my clients, are known to start bandying about the term scale once they’ve been in business for a couple of years and they are bringing in a few customers. They are in search of a few more customers, so that they can make more money.

So the prospect is referred to me by way of a mutual colleague, makes contact and shares his/her agenda with me. “I want to grow and expand my business. I’m ready to scale. Can you help me?” “Yes, I’ll be happy to help you with that,” I reply. “Please tell me a little more about your company and we can set up a time to talk.”

To be honest, until recently I’d never given the terms much thought, other than they all mean growth—-more customers, more revenue and more profit (ideally) for the company. However I’ve come to realize that there are real differences between them and that they should not be considered interchangeable.

While basically all ventures can grow and growth is a perennial goal, not every enterprise can achieve growth through either expansion or scale. It all depends on the business and what the owner(s) would like to do.

Growing the business

When a business owner or management team decides to grow the company, the strategy is to add certain resources—money, technology, training and staffing, say—-to produce more sales and therefore, revenue. But essentially, not much changes in the way business is done.

If the business hires two new employees and also buys new computers plus a software program that speeds up order processing and keeps track of inventory, for a total investment of perhaps $125,000 (staff salaries are ongoing at $120,000 / year total), the expectation may be that in one year the investment would be covered by the additional revenue that the upgrades make possible and that by year two, sales revenue will increase by 15%/ year for the next 3 years and then continue to more modestly trend upward, producing growth in the high single digits until market conditions change.

If the business leaders want more growth, more money must be invested. The resources needed might be too costly relative to the desired results.

Expansion

Growing the business through expansion is, as noted, another strategy. The business owners or leaders may open more locations if demographic and other marketing research indicates that a significant number of current and potential customers live in certain zip codes and would spend more money if stores could be more convenient to visit.

Likewise, introducing new products or services to the marketplace is capable of expanding the customer base and revenue generated. Entering a niche market is another potentially successful expansion, i.e., growth, strategy.

Like traditional business growth, the costs associated with business expansion can be significant and in fact the costs can be much more significant if opening new locations is involved. As well, a new product launch is potentially a costly undertaking. Entering new markets is usually less costly, but a special marketing campaign may need to be developed and rolled out to reach the new demographic.

But not every business can expand. There may be no additional markets that can successfully be entered. Opening additional locations may be neither affordable nor beneficial. Developing and launching a new product or service that fits with the organization’s mission and current line may not be possible or practical.

Scaling the business

The idea of scaling a business to promote significant growth gets all the publicity these days. When business leaders create a strategy to scale a venture, sales revenue is meant to be generated at a much lower cost per unit sold relative to the scale- up investment made because the production process becomes much more efficient. Automation of one or more key functions is the usual method used to keep overhead costs low (few employees and little office space, for example). A successful scale enables the number of customers reached and served and corresponding revenue generated to grow exponentially. The more efficient the means of mass production and delivery of a company’s products or services, the more scalable the company will be.

Drop the price of producing the widgets from $2 each to 80 cents each and sell them at the original price, but sell 10 times as many as you used to. That’s scale. Hire a new employee or two and buy a new piece of equipment so that you can produce more and manage a moderate drop in production price along the way, so the widgets that once cost $2 each at wholesale now can be bought at $1.25 each because you’re buying more of them and a discount kicks in. That’s growth. Open up a new location, launch a new product or service, or enter a new market, bringing in new customers or give your usual customers new reasons to shop with you and that’s expansion.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Photograph: Snow drops in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston scale their operation.

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2021: The Comeback

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It’s a New Year and now is the time to engineer a fresh start for you and your business. Take a few deep cleansing breaths to clear your mind and allow the big picture of your business, competencies, clients and relationships to come into view. Now you’ll be able to pull up the strategic insights and resourcefulness you’ve honed over the years and brainstorm how you can reposition your company to outwit the COVID-created obstacles that have hemmed all of us in over the past nine months. If the virus can adapt and retrench, so can you!

Predictions for the viability of several once thriving industries is less than optimistic, I’m sorry to say, but some Freelancers and business owners will be buoyed by other industries that flourished during the pandemic and can be expected to continue to do so. Among those fortunate few are:

All aspects of healthcare, from Freelance grant writers who work to obtain funding for life sciences research, which includes the development of vaccines, to start-up entrepreneurs who seek to patent and sell medical devices, to owners of medical billing services.

All aspects of technology, from Bitcoin entrepreneurs, to experts in cloud computing solutions, including digital data storage, to those who provide Artificial Intelligence solutions.

Prepared meals, available for curbside pick-up or delivery, were already trending upward and sales have skyrocketed since the advent of pandemic quarantining. While some who got an early start in the marketplace are succeeding by offering meat-potatoes-and gravy American standard menus, recent successful home meal caterers seem to be following the advice of 1930s burlesque queen Gypsy Rose Lee—-you’ve gotta have a gimmick. The popularity of Keto, vegan, organic, vegetarian, gluten-free and Paleo menus are claiming an increased market share.

Because so many of us are at home all day, unemployed, underemployed, working from home, overseeing children’s online schooling and unable to access our usual social outlets and networks, the cocktail hour has taken on a renewed luster. In other words, business is brisk at wine and liquor stores.

If you’re not a good cook, not a techie, you’re not an engineer who can develop a product, you have no interest in writing grants and could never raise the start-up capital needed to open a liquor store, all is not lost. The second-oldest Freelance career, real estate, is still going strong, particularly in the residential sector.

Condominium and co-op sales at the 8-figure top of the market in big cities have been softening for about two years now, but sales in sun belt states and suburban communities are doing very well. COVID has caused all of us to spend much more time at home and families require more living space now that the adults are often working from home and both need a home office. Children need not just a playroom, but also an in-home classroom for virtual school.

Furthermore, many who now work from home are looking to get out of small and expensive city apartments and move to the suburbs. Now that there is no more commute to the office or access to the entertainment, culture and networking opportunities that once justified the price of urban life, why continue to feed your greedy landlord?

Freelancers who have at least mid-level sales skills and are curious about entering the real estate field should first explore the trends in their locale. Finding a friend who is a licensed agent to tutor you in the ins & outs of the business would be a useful step two. Next, obtain a real estate license and try your luck with rental property to start. Maybe your real estate mentor will recommend you to a company who’ll bring you in as an agent.

Expect and prepare for change

Have you noticed that those who so cavalierly lecture others to welcome and embrace change are nearly always untouched by the change they tell the rest of us to welcome? Change may be inevitable but it is nevertheless unsettling and is sometimes destructive. We have good reason to fear change because the outcome can be ruinous. That said, life is all about managing risk, avoiding or overcoming obstacles and recognizing and pursuing opportunities.

We must all prepare for change, whether we see it approaching or get blind-sided by its sudden impact. Create your ongoing risk management strategy by keeping up with professional development. Regularly read up on developments in your industry so that you’re not caught unawares by policy or customer preference changes. Investigate technologies that will make your company more appealing and responsive to clients and make doing business with your organization more efficient. Always, look for ways to conserve cash.

Stay abreast of customer priorities

Understanding the needs and emerging priorities of clients enables you to recognize future business opportunities for your company and that information will be a crucial component of your nimble response to change and crafting a successful comeback. Including a short customer survey with an invoice will give clients a chance to voice how they feel about your products and services, tell you how your organization can improve and might even give you early warning on the next big thing.

Talk to your clients and learn what you can, politely and over time, to learn what keeps them awake at night and what they’re prioritizing now, or may prioritize in the near term.

Expand your client list, even if you’ve been lucky enough to work with an organization that has prospered during the pandemic and is giving you generous billable hours or sales. As we know, things can change. Back up, back up, back up.

Work smart

I don’t care what anyone says, I still feel that good luck, good timing and knowing influential people are the determining factors in building a successful business enterprise. Hard work matters, too, but billions of people on planet earth work hard every day and starve as they do. Working smart is the better choice, even if your luck and timing aren’t so great and no one’s looking out for you.

Meeting the right people is helpful, but it’s always been random and is difficult to do by way of videoconference, a method of communication that is not conducive to bonding with new colleagues and friends. It’s probably best to look for ways to refresh relationships with strategically placed friends and colleagues who you feel may be inclined to help you. You should also consider ways that you might help them as well and make that known, to get the reciprocity rolling.

Be ready for whatever good luck or timing might come your way by being visible and looking viable. Participate in virtual business or social events so that you’ll see and be seen. Use the chat function to message colleagues and privately say hello and potentially suggest a socially distanced coffee or drinks meet-up.

There are no guarantees but taking steps to package and present yourself and your company as prepared, proactive, nimble and viable is the surest route to your successful comeback.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Sylvester Stallone (L) and Burgess Meredith in the Academy Award winning movie Rocky (Best Picture, 1977)

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You Can Scale During a Pandemic

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Unlikely as it may seem, it is possible to scale a business during the COVID era or any difficult economic times, including war. Some businesses enjoyed unexpected increases in market share and sales revenue as a direct or indirect consequence of the shutdown and there were no lay-offs. Virtual communications platforms, liquor stores, grocery stores chief and delivery services have prospered.

Ripple effect revenue has accrued to tech specialists who set up and manage virtual conferences. Real estate agents who handle choice suburban and even rural locations are selling more properties, the result of affluent professionals who now work searching for residences that are spacious enough to accommodate his-and-her home offices and children’s schooling and play rooms. Teachers who administer private lessons to small groups of children have created pod learning environments. Elegant picnics are the new pivot for caterers, who provide food, wine, flowers, candles, stylish ground coverings and cushions to create al fresco dining experiences for those who shy away from restaurants.

If sales are increasing at your organization, celebrate the good fortune by maximizing the opportunity. Seize the day, plan your strategy and scale.

Operational efficiencies

When an organization grows, everything gets more complicated. How can the company deliver its products and services to twice as many customers? Building in operational efficiencies is an essential component of preparing a company to scale successfully. Business owners or leaders must ensure that the processes of acquiring or manufacturing company products and providing services are seamless and meet consistency and quality control expectations. E-commerce functions, the shipping method, invoicing or other payment system and customer service protocols must be secure, dependable and user-friendly.

An HR workforce specialist and/or operations/process improvement expert can guide company owner/ leaders to identify additional job functions that will be needed to support the scale, as well as the ideal employee qualifications for those positions and what to include in the job specs.

Upgrade marketing strategies and campaigns

So the company is generating more revenue and that has given you the confidence to scale—great! How about pinpointing who these new customers are and learning how and why they discovered your business? Are certain products or services suddenly more popular and if so, what’s driving the phenomenon? Or did a customer make a referral to someone with a big budget?

A more sophisticated and comprehensive marketing strategy is another key component of a successful scale. Update the company marketing strategy and campaign tactics to attract and welcome more of the new customer demographic. A website refresh or an entirely new site may be in order. The usefulness of content marketing, perhaps in the form of case studies, a monthly blog or newsletter or white papers that are posted to the website and selected social media platforms may become apparent. Include a short survey on the website (and also on certain social media platforms) to pose questions that reveal why customers choose to do business with your company and what might encourage them to continue doing so.

Revisit the company brand story and promotion strategy and incorporate language that builds trust, conveys expertise and encourages a sense of community and shared values with customers. Values are a growing priority and customers are inclined to patronize companies that support what they themselves support. Sponsoring local events may be a good way to communicate company values (and sending press releases that announce company participation to select media outlets may result in beneficial publicity).

Monitor the results of the marketing tactics used to learn what customers, both the new and the loyal friends, respond favorably to. The goal is to constantly fill the sales pipeline with good prospects. Make marketing personal by inviting customers to fill out profiles that provide name, email address, physical address and birthday, so that they can receive notice of new merchandise, special sales, birthday wishes and holiday greetings.

Ensure customer service

In fact as the company scales, owners and leaders should take on the perspective of both a curious prospect and a repeat customer, to gain insight into how to create a satisfyingly memorable customer experience. Good word of mouth is the best advertisement and often results in referrals. Positive reviews on Yelp, Angie’s List, or other online rating sites are effective marketing tools that bring in customers.

Remember that data security is also an important facet of good customer service. If an e-commerce feature is part of product or service distribution, hire a web designer to add an SSL certificate to the website, to obtain encryption that protects credit card and other personal data (and as a bonus benefit, gives the company a boost in search engine rankings). While speaking with the web designer, make sure that the page lay-out is intuitive and easily navigable. Consider adding a chat bot so that visitors can ask (anticipated) questions and receive answers ASAP, which saves time.

Finally, make product returns and exchanges efficient and painless. Have adequate staff to answer phone calls and emails, so that customers will not become frustrated. Use Facebook and/or Twitter to further support customer service and have adequate staff to update information, monitor activity and address and resolve problems and questions.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Photograph: Kim Clark. A lift helps workers scale and work at the Christian Science Mother Church in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood.

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Passive Income? Well…

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Ah, passive income. It has become the romanticized ideal of how to make money, the American dream redefined. “I can be on the golf course or sailing on my 38 foot boat because I don’t sweat to be rich. I’ve created a lucrative passive income stream. I am smarter and richer than you.” Sigh…

I’m not here to criticize the aspiration of creating a passive income stream. I wish I had one (or two)! My goal today is to tell the passive income backstory because in reality, creating a passive income stream is not as easy as it may look. Furthermore, a passive income stream usually will not make it possible to quit your day job and retire early. Most of all, be aware that creating a passive income stream is an active process. To make it happen, you may have to work harder, smarter and maybe for a longer period of time than you might have imagined.

Even if you’re able to create a passive income stream (and that is not guaranteed), the ROI might be underwhelming. The passive income stream that you have the wherewithal to create may only be enough to pay your cell phone and Wi-Fi bills, not a mortgage and car note. Still, even a modest passive income stream is nothing to sneeze at. It’s just that everyone daydreams of it being so much more.

Passive income defined

Before diving in, let’s clarify the term. Passive income is a reliable, long-term revenue stream that you receive but do not work full-time to generate. Passive income is sort of like a no-show job—work 8 hours and get paid for 40 (or work 20 hours; more about that later).

The ultimate passive income stream is a trust fund. To become a beneficiary, the only work that must be done is arrange to be born into the right family and after that, you’re golden. Heck, you might be able to live off the interest (the ne plus ultra). But alas, not all trust funds are generous; most pay in the low five figures annually. Still, even a trust fund that pays $1000/ month provides a nifty little cushion that no one would refuse, not even Bezos.

Dividend-paying stocks, bonds, or mutual funds are another source of passive income. Selling advertising space on a blog or newsletter is yet another method of generating passive income. Rent received from an investment in commercial or residential property is the most popular form of passive income because it is the most profitable.

Passive income starts with active work

If generating a passive income stream is the goal, accept the fact that time, effort, a particular skill set and (often) start-up capital will be required. Those who are now collecting a reliable passive income stream had to work for it, unless they are lucky trustafarians.

A fair amount of research, the ability to interpret and apply the data, plus good luck, good timing and good investment advice are needed to reliably earn quarterly dividends on Wall Street investments that will make even a modest positive impact. Following your investments and getting a sense of when to put in a buy or sell order, or having the courage to hold when your fund is down for the third week in a row, takes a strong stomach. Even if you have a better-than-average proficiency in investing, you’ll be very lucky to regularly earn $500/ quarter in dividends and in fact, most people lose money in the stock market. Earning an extra $2000/ year is nice but does not make much difference, especially when balanced against the work required to generate it. But then again, maybe you like the adrenaline rush?

Rental property brings in a much better ROI, but getting into the game is expensive. A two-family house in many areas will cost north of $500,000 and a 10 % down payment plus closing and other costs push the price of entry beyond the reach of many. Couples and other partner groups make the business more approachable and while profits (and expenses and losses) must be split in proportion to one’s investment stake, group buying power allows for more properties to be purchased and the potential to generate a more sizeable revenue stream.

Most rental income investors start by purchasing a multi-unit building and moving into one of the apartments as they collect rents from the others. The rent received is expected to fund the property’s mortgage, taxes and estimated building maintenance budget and that is usually possible. Aspiring owners must research the rental occupancy rate and average rental price of similar buildings in their locale and balance that figure against projected expenses.

Bloggers and newsletter writers must be highly knowledgeable in their selected subject and have boots-on-the-ground experience that gives credibility and earns the trust and respect of readers. Skillful writing that informs and entertains readers is another primary must-do.

Mommy bloggers must be mothers. Food bloggers must be excellent cooks, or at least imaginative and entertaining cooks or alternatively, have the funds to regularly dine in high-end or very trendy restaurants (getting comped may be possible but to maintain credibility, it’s best to pay).

Having expertise in a topic that has better-than-average potential to draw the six-figure audience that advertisers demand makes the climb much easier. Mommy blogs, foodie blogs, travel and fashion blogs are among the most popular in the writing sector. Publishers of business blogs or newsletters trail far behind that flashy crew, I’m sorry to say. Writing a popular business book, usually in conjunction with a VIP client list, a regular column in The Wall Street Journal or some other lofty publication, or a TED Talk, gives much-needed traction.

Travel blogs are not quite a thing in the COVID era but when they were hot, the capital to fund trips to destinations that are either lavish or modest is necessary. Available time to travel is another requirement. Unless one is a flight attendant, who can take a vacation every month?

Fashion blogs require a big wardrobe investment in addition to taking a deep dive into the collections of numerous designers who are based on three continents. In the pre-pandemic era, having the connections or savvy to sneak into the season shows in New York, Paris, Tokyo, or Milan is a big plus for readership and acquiring ads.

Passive income, active maintenance

Time, effort, or money will likewise be required to sustain a passive income stream once it’s launched. Continuing to sell ad space on a blog or newsletter is predicated on maintaining, if not expanding, a big readership or ads will be pulled and passive income lost. Compelling topics must continually be presented. Three or more audience-grabbing social media accounts that are designed and continually tested for maximum audience appeal must be maintained, to promote the publication and deliver the readers to advertisers.

Investors must study the mutual funds, bonds, precious metals, commodities, or stocks that have historically produced results that beat the market (such as Index Funds). Researching companies to learn about potentially market rocking products and services that are due to be released and can be expected to have a positive impact on the company stock price is an ongoing responsibility of successful investors. At least weekly monitoring the performance of one’s portfolio goes without saying.

Rental income, while it usually produces a very good ROI, can be a real headache because one must deal with people, the tenants. Their lives and problems can become your drama. The pandemic affiliated job losses have caused millions of Americans to be unable to pay their rent on time and in full. This outcome has put thousands of small investor property owners in jeopardy regarding the big mortgage they may owe on their recently purchased property. If that weren’t enough, taxes are only going up and maintenance costs are never-ending. The real estate market, while still lucrative and reliable, is more risky of late.

Going forward

If you have a certain skill set, time and capital resources to create a passive income stream by way of a potentially lucrative activity or business proposition, do yourself a favor and develop a comprehensive strategy, in fact a business plan, to improve your chance of success. Identifying, launching and sustaining a reliable passive income stream is essentially starting a business. Considerable up-front effort and capital may be required and there are no guarantees, only management of risks.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Photograph: Kim Clark. At the Prudential Mall in the Back Bay of Boston, someone who might be working on creating a passive income empire.