6 Month Tune Up

Half the year is almost gone. Are you happy or sad? Are the results you got in the first part of the year what you expected or wanted?

Do you need your engine tuned up for the rest of the 6 month race to the end of the year? Here are a few simple tips you can use on your engine.

1. Take your employees out for lunch. The cost is inexpensive compared to the excellent uplift it will bring to the moral of your people.

2. Create an advisory board. It can be real or virtual, but connect with experts to help give you guiding advice. They can be anybody, but gathering people who have a stake in the success of your company is probably best or people with knowledge and experience outside your own. Pick people whose business insights you respect and experience fills the holes in your own. An accountant, an attorney, a marketing manager, logistics manager etc. People from different areas can give you perceptions outside of your normal view.

3. Customer visits. Visiting the owners/CEOs of your key accounts might be in order. Find out what they need that you don’t now do or make, but that you could. Push the envelope and make sidewise sales or up sales with people at the top.

4. Take a hard look at your marketing to sales to business development. Has your customer base changed? (Mine has, sort of, or at least our strict focus). Review any new situations and determine what works best for you to pursue within your budget.

5. Add staff judiciously. If you see a person you would die to have and you see the possibility, maybe you need to go for it and open the wallet and hire them, NOW, instead of after, when a competitor might snatch them up. Another thought is to hire “gray hairs” that might have the expertise you need but might be happy to take on a specialty project or work with you part time.

Larson Notes & Satire: So how is your first half of 2010, really? Don’t go fooling yourself what it was good when it wasn’t. I’m happy here at Larson’s. Really, very happy. Not happy with my bulging accounts receivable but at least my AR numbers are growing. I have hit a few stumbling blocks, who hasn’t but still I like what I have been able to achieve in the first half. Now I’m wondering if I would go out and get a loan and make things happen faster or use cash flow to get to where I want to go, more slowly and carefully. Mmmmmmmmmm maybe it’s time for that advisory board. Maybe two, one local and in person and one virtual to take advantage of my more boarder but wiser contacts. I can think of a few good friends. Any volunteers? I’ll make you work your mind.

Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates

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P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.

P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.