Re- Start Your Business! The First Thing You Should Do In 2009

2009.01.05. Posted by under Uncategorized

If you experienced 2008 as business person, then you know that the world has changed, and that we all had better change too if we plan to survive… in business. The bursting of the housing bubble, the collapse of the exotic financing market, the continued emergence of Web 2.0, and the evolution of mobile computing all contributed to significant changes in 2008.

Technology and the internet continue to remain at the core of business change by enabling change to happen faster, and by supporting larger transactions that cause more extreme fluctuations when things don’t go quite right.
Technology and the internet also make it easier for the little guy to compete by making sophisticated tools available to the average business, and thereby leveling the playing field. All of these changes support a shift in the power relationship among businesses, their competitors and their customers. In this article we are going to Introduce you to the tools to re- start your business.

The changes in 2008 taught us 3 very valuable lessons that I think are worth learning and sharing:

There aren’t any real “experts” anymore. There are only people who explain how things work – right now. The significant shifts throughout the global economy have proven that the “experts” don’t know enough to predict what will happen tomorrow. Those that we call experts only tell us things while they are happening or after they have already occurred – not generally very useful. In business, the real experts are your customers. Collectively, they can predict the future because each of them can tell you what he or she plans to do tomorrow. If your business can maintain enough conversations with enough customers and potential customers, then it can acquire some really useful information. Today, businesses are finding new ways to employ the latest technology and have these very useful conversations with their customers.
The basics of business are simple and they never change. People have needs and wants that create demand. Companies convert resources into goods and services, and then supply the demand. Business is a closed system that begins and ends with meeting people’s needs. Companies that realize this start by discovering an unmet need or want within a large enough group of people. Only then do they create and deliver what these potential customers want.
Information and sophisticated tools are no longer controlled by the few. Today, they are readily available to all and shared by all. It is even possible for small businesses to gain access to the same information available to big businesses. They can lease the most stable infrastructure, hire the most talented coders or utilize the most sophisticated software tools. This access effectively levels the playing field. Today, there are far fewer limitations to achieving business success. A savvy person looking to start a business or re-start an existing business can get a significant jump on the competition.

If you are currently running a business or you plan to start a business, then this information is valuable to you only if it improves your business situation in some way and helps you to succeed. To make that happen, you must do something with the information, so we created this list of Actions and Tips that, if implemented can help you re-start your business, and prosper in 2009.

There aren’t any real “experts” anymore - In business, the real experts are your customers.

Create virtual places to engage in conversations with your customers, your real experts

Linked in (www.linkedin.com) - a business oriented networking site with options for direct links with others or memberships to topic oriented groups. A great way to build your network without leaving the office. No fee required to become a member.

Wordpress (www.wordpress.net) - the undeniable best tool to create blogs. The best feature of Wordpress is that it is FREE. The whole open source movement has fully realized its potential through this tool. Essentially, you download the latest version of Wordpress and install it on your server. Installation can be done by most people that consider themselves computer literate. Next, you choose an upload a template called a “Theme” , and then add special features to your blog by adding widgets.

Facebook (www.facebook.com) – a family and friends oriented social networking site that uses interest groups and pictures as the primary source of creating and maintaining social connections. No fee required to become a member.

Slideshare (www.slideshare.com) - a place to post and share Powerpoint slide presentions and movies. See and share what others are posting or post your own, and then use it to drive traffic by linking to it on your website or your Youtube account. A really novel way to get additional mileage from those really great Powerpoints.

The basics of business are simple and they never change - Business is a closed system that begins and ends with meeting people’s needs.

Discover unmet needs and then meet them.

Online Advertising (www.adwords.google.com/select/Login ) – Google Adwords is a great tool that allows you to run your own marketing research department by running tests on what people are searching for. Remember, a growing number of shoppers do their research online. Use Google Adwords to drive some of that traffic to your site to gauge the level of interest in your products/services. Fees are based on a pay per click model.

Keyword Analysis Tool (www.keywordspy.com) – Keyword Spy allows you to identify the top keywords being searched at the moment. It also tells you what your competitors are searching for, and provides you additional competitive information that you can use to sue to more affectively compete. .

Survey Methods (www.surveymethods.com) – an easy to use but comprehensive survey tool. Survey Methods provides the user with the ability to design and electronically send out surveys to clients. Use it to find out what your customers are really think.

Information and sophisticated tools are no longer controlled by the few - Access effectively levels the playing field.

Level the playing field and compete more effectively.

Zoho Tools (www.zoho.com) – Zoho offers a complete set of online tools for collaboration or business productivity. You can get up and running in minutes on a CRM application, or a Human Resources Information System. Free for limited number of users. We use the Zoho Project tool.

Intermedia – (www.intermedia.net) - hosted email so you can run Outlook, Sharepoint and seamlessly integrate your Blackberry or smart phone. Set up takes about 30 minutes, and we did it all without the assistance of an expensive IT department.

Google Docs (Google Docs LInk) – Google Docs gives you access to sophisticated online collaboration with the Word, Excel or Powerpoint. In fact, with Google docs you won’t need to buy the MS Office suite if you don’t want to. Free for limited use.

Got Voice (www.gotvoice.com) – Got voice is the coolest tool! If you loathe checking and listening to voicemail, then you will enjoy using a tool that checks your voicemail, erases your messages, and converts your voicemail to email text with an attached MP3 file of the message. I can’t live without this one.

We hope you enjoy the tips and we look forward to seeing a lot of businesses starting and re-starting in 2009. Let us know what you think of this post and be sure to have a happy and prosperous 2009.

Growth is Good!

Leamon A. Crooms
Guru of Growth

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