Initiative aims to take owners to the next level

Q: My small business has gotten off to a good start. I've proved my concept, and there is ample unfilled demand for my service. Now I need to get prepared to grow my business substantially. How can I make that happen?

A: You need the expert training and mentoring that is required to make that leap forward to compete at a higher level. Fortunately, there's a successful program just getting started in Houston that can prepare you for the challenges you face.

The Small Business Administration's Emerging Leaders Initiative is a federal training program conducted in 48 communities since 2008. It specifically focuses on executives of businesses poised for growth, providing them with the organizational framework, resource network, and motivation required to build sustainable businesses and promote the economic development within urban communities.

Over the course of seven months, participants are given the opportunity to work with experienced mentors, attend specialized workshops and develop connections with their peers, city leaders, and the financial community. The initiative incorporates a research-based curriculum specifically designed to stimulate and support the expansion of your business. It enables participating businesses to engage in focused development and expansion strategies, including options for accessing new capital and securing government contracts.

The Emerging Leaders Initiative is for established business owners, not start-ups. The series is open to owners and executives of small businesses that have annual revenue of at least $400,000; have been in business for at least three years; and have at least one employee other than the owner or executive. There are no restrictions on the types of businesses that can participate.

At the conclusion of the training, entrepreneurs produce a three-year strategic growth action plan with benchmarks and performance targets that will help them access the necessary support and resources to move forward. The executive education prepares and encourages small businesses to move to the next level on their growth trajectory and helps them emerge as self-sustaining businesses that create jobs and build communities.

Participation is free. The only cost is your time and commitment to complete the curriculum over the course of seven months. All other costs are covered by the Small Business Administration and cosponsors SCORE and the Women's Business Center.

Business executives interested in participating should register before March 1 at www.interise.org/sbaemergingleaders. Classes begin in April. For information, contact Steve Curry at Stephen.Curry@sba.gov or 713-773-6542.

 

How to get repeat business

Q: Before I started I expected more customers to be returning for more service. What should I do to grow more repeat business?

A: The businesses that personalize customer service gain customers who come back. Your competition may have a product or service that is similar to yours, but with personalized customer service, you can distinguish your company.  Here are suggestions on how to go about it. 

Never let your clients forget who you are. Use every method possible to keep yourself in the front of their minds.

Write thank-you notes once a job is done—and handwritten notes stand out from the crowd. Just letting them know you appreciate their business is good etiquette that can pay off. Make it your business to find out your customers’ special occasions and send a card or flowers to let them know that you remember and value them.

Send them news clips that you think might be of interest to them, even if you don’t currently have a contract with that customer. The next time they need some work, they might call you. 

To get your customers back in the door, try giving them more than they paid for or that little extra that they didn’t expect. Customers should perceive that your product or service has greater value than those offered by your nearest competitor.

It’s not enough to meet your customer’s needs... you have to anticipate them. Look at your business like a customer would. What could you be doing better and what is your competition doing better? Think ahead to what the market is going to be demanding next year and determine what you can do better a year from now.  

Be sure to ask your customers as well. Send them postage-paid response cards or make a questionnaire available in your place of business.   

When a customer stops doing business with you, consider it unacceptable. Find out why it happened and then work to prevent it from happening again. 

Deliver what you promise. Too many people offer hype and then don’t deliver. Delivering a product or service that disappoints is the fastest way to lose your customers.

Remember to listen. Too many businesses advertise the next big thing without considering whether their customers want a next big thing. Your customers will tell you what they really want—if you really listen.  

Customer service doesn’t have to be elaborate to make an impression. Customers will remember the small things.

Anticipate Trends to Capture New Business

Q: My small business has been relatively successful so far. What’s the key to remaining successful?

A: Owners of new and growing small businesses today know one thing for sure: conditions on the business playing field can change rapidly. The technology that seemed cutting edge last year is now outdated; or worse, obsolete. Buyer moods can swing dramatically, and marketing strategies are in constant flux.

Anticipating trends can be extremely valuable in keeping you current on everything from sales strategies and customer desires to technology tools and the general economy. As your business grows, change will be inevitable and small business owners should constantly look ahead and seek out ways to shake things up.  You need the attitude that whatever is done today can always be done better.

But how can you tell the difference between a fleeting fad and a true trend? Louis Patler, a market research guru for companies such as American Express and Dell, has spent decades tracking emerging trends and studying their impact on business. He says the key to successfully piloting a business in the years ahead will be embracing new ways of thinking.

For example, Patler says that truisms like “stick to what your business does best” are outmoded. If you want your business to grow, consider that past business traditions and processes might only hold you back. Trying new approaches is vital.

Not all customers are created equal. Some are more valuable and loyal than others, and those are the ones you should lavish the most attention on with special savings and service offers.

Advances in technology will continue to radically change how small companies do business. You will need to keep up. Small business owners who know how to acquire and manage information will achieve the most success. Capturing and analyzing data about customer needs, wants, behavior and how they use your product or service will become increasingly critical.

And just as your customers will put pressure on you, you should challenge your suppliers to find ways to reduce their prices, improve their delivery times, or evolve their materials or services to better meet your changing requirements.

To get ideas about new products, services or markets talk to your customers and suppliers, attend trade association meetings, and read trade journals and other materials. Anticipating trends in the business environment is not easy but is essential in remaining successful over the long term.

Plans need frequent evaluation

June 13, 2009, 3:23AM

Q:In your most recent column you provided advice on where to find resources to prepare a good business plan. Now that I have one and have started up, what do I do with the plan?

A:You’ve put a lot of time and effort into your business plan. Think of it as a living document, and refer to it and review it often. Use your business plan as a tracking and evaluation tool, so that you can determine if your business is heading in the right direction or if it has wandered off course.

Schedule periodic checkups of your business. Many factors that affect your business are tied to an annual cycle. To ensure that your business plan continues to serve you well, make it a habit to update it annually. Set aside a block of time near the beginning of the calendar year, fiscal year or whenever is convenient.

Make this review a priority activity. Often small-business owners allow their time to get absorbed on the more urgent operational tasks and don’t allow time for vitally important management and planning activities.

Validate the assumptions used in your plan. Our business environment is always changing, so ensure that the basesused for your plan are still appropriate.

Assess your performance by reviewing the data in your plan. Compare your expected results against your actual results. Because your plan sets forth marketing, operational and financial milestones, you should carefully analyze actual operating results against the goals and objectives.

Fine-tune your plan. Parts of your business plan may feel very tight and others may still need some work. Look for ways to improve what you’ve done so far. Incorporate the experience you’ve gained as a business owner into your business plan. Anticipate future events — good and bad — that may affect your business. Take appropriate action if goals outlined in your plan haven’t been met.

Get help from others. After you change and update your business plan, share it with your advisers. SCORE, Counselors to America’s Small Business, is experienced in helping entrepreneurs create and revise business plans.

Strive to operate your business according to your plan. Your business plan will work for you if you use it to remind yourself and your team where you are going and how you will get there.

Whether you’re updating your business plan for the first time or the 20th, treating your business plan as a document that evolves over time proves that you understand your business and you know what is required to make it grow and prosper.

Chambers give a range of help to small businesses

Feb. 27, 2009, 11:50PM

Q. I read your recent article on networking and how to interact with potential business contacts. Are chambers of commerce good places to network and worthwhile to join?

A. Chambers offer companies a range of resources to support, develop and grow their businesses as well as the local economy. From regulatory and legislative issues to enhancement of the business environment of your community, the chambers of our region are quite often at the forefront of positive change.

With chamber membership, a small investment in time and dollars can help contribute to your marketing, public relations, networking and team-building efforts.

Chamber membership expands your information and networking resources dramatically. Networking with other businesspeople gives chamber members the opportunity to meet and exchange information with each other.

“Contributing to chamber of commerce community activities brings visibility to your business as a good corporate citizen,” says Ann Hodge, CEO of the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce.

The chambers’ involvement in local charities, community cleanups, crime prevention programs and more give your business an opportunity to participate in positive changes in your community, often at minimal cost.

Powerful endorsements

“Area chambers are proud to recognize and reward this activity,” Hodge said. A company’s efforts are often lauded for months by other businesses, the community and elected officials. These accolades and respect from other local businesses serve as powerful endorsements and publicity for any company.

Are you concerned about the regulatory climate in your area and want to assume a role toward effective change? Your local chamber is the voice of business in a myriad of issues.

The chambers work to influence the agendas of city, state and national elected officials, keeping the interests of our local businesses in front of decision makers.

In addition to numerous networking events and other resources, most chambers offer educational and business counseling services to help their members resolve issues and improve their businesses.

For instance, SCORE provides free and confidential counseling as members of the Katy Area, Houston Northwest and Houston West chambers of commerce.