Is your language getting in the way of you achieving the results you’re aiming for this year?

Your language and the words you use most will have a big impact on:

The quality of the  conversations you have with ‘yourself’ and with those around you.

If you’re putting garbage words into your internal and external conversations then there’s a good chance you’re gonna get garbage RESULTS out.

In this post I want to share with you 8 Deadly Words that can dump your goals, aspirations and results into the trash can quickly. And I’d like to challenge you to eliminate these words from your internal and external conversations, by going on the 8 WORD DIET.

Yep, that’s not a weight diet – it’s a word diet…

When you cut these 8 killers from your own self talk and from your conversations with others – you’ll find that you’ll be taking more empowered, congruent actions and that you’ll be communicating to your prospects, team members, family and friends in a much more persuasive and influential manner.

Here’s the 8 deadly words to eliminate:

1.But
2.Try
3.If
4.Might
5.Would of
6.Could of
7.Should of
8. Can’t

Let’s have a look at them one at a time:

BUT:

Your BUT’s are your excuses and they give you access to your limiting beliefs:

I want to work on my business BUT I don’t have the time……

I want to grow my business BUT there’s an economic downturn…………

This little killer negates anything that was just said before it.  Such as, I want to help you BUT…….This really means  – I don’t want to help you.  Another example: Your sales presentation was fine BUT I think you could have……What are you really saying about the persons sales presentation?

Eliminate the word BUT and replace it with the word AND.  Your statement will be much more powerful and meaningful.

‘You did good on your spelling test and I think you could…Using the AND does not negate the first part of the feedback.

So – KICK YOUR BUTS!

TRY:

Your setting yourself up for failure with this one. TRY presupposes failure.  It’s a subtle suggestion to fail at whatever follows it.  Such as, “If you try and get to this training seminar, it will really benefit you”, this really means, I know you probably won’t get to this seminar but (and there’s that word again) if you could, it would be useful to you.

‘No! Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try’ – Yoda Jedi Master

If:

Small word with an empty meaning.  This little killer presupposes that you might not.  Such as, “If you want to pursue my offer further..”  This presupposes that you might not want to pursue the offer further.  This is built by people who have not structured a persuasive message and are using it as a shaky close.

Might :

This word is not that ‘MIGHTY’, it’s somewhere in between maybe yes and maybe no.  There’s nothing concrete about it, no commitment in it.  Be sure that when you’re using it that you’re doing so in a way that does not detract from your communication.

You could move from wavering to I WILL or I WILL NOT.

Would of, Could of, Should of:

These words are all past tense (living in the past) words that tend to lead to whining, justifications and negative thought processing.

You can’t act on the past, you can only act now

What are your shoulds?

I should have done……I should have got…..I should have gone……I should be doing…….

Check in with your shoulds -  because they are usually an indication of:

• how much of someone elses beliefs and perceptions your acting on….

• how present you are - the past is OK for a visit and don’t hang out there to long as you’ll get more of the same!

Use words that move you from the past to the present.

Can’t:

This killer also gives you access to your limiting beliefs:

• I can’t meet my sales targets this month….
• I can’t get my team engaged in my vision for the business…..
  
• I can’t find the time to work on my business……

Your Cant’s render you powerless and they pose serious threats to your business goals and aspirations.

Tell yourself you can’t do something for long enough then guess what?

‘Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t – either way you’re right’ – Henry Ford

When will your 8 deadly word diet start?

You can make a start right now – bring your awareness to your internal self talk and to your communication with others.  Start with kicking your BUTs, then your TRYs  and your CANTs, tune into other peoples communication, your business partners, your teams – listen to the language they use and when you find them using the 8 deadly words gauge the impact of their communication on you, think objectively and you’ll get access to where they are really coming from.

P.S. If you wish you could work on your business but can’t find the time to do it and know that you should be doing it because it might help you grow your business then I’m happy to help you try

As 2011 draws quickly to a close it’s a good time to quickly reflect on the year past and to refocus your energy and intent on business success for the new year ahead.

Yes, your busy, tired, want a break AND taking just 30 minutes of your time doing this little exercise before you say goodbye to 2011 will pay you and your business dividends.

So lets put the 2 R’s: Reflect and Refocus into play:

1st Lets REFLECT:

Step 1: Schedule 30 minutes with yourself before the end of this year (quiet time: no interruptions or distractions).

Step 2: Go to your appointment with yourself and take a piece of paper/pen or notebook or Ipad etc – whatever you use for taking notes.

Step 3: Answer these questions in the exact order detailed below:

- What where your top 3 wins in 2011?

- What where the biggest challenges you grew through in 2011?

- What did you learn about yourself and your business as you grew through these challenges?

- What’s left unfinished in your business right now?

- What’s still to be done to improve your business?

Now….lets RE-FOCUS:

Step 1: Imagine it’s the end of December 2012 and your feeling really good about your business, your results and about yourself…..What would have had to have happened or have changed in your business in the past 12 months for you to be feeling really good about the progress you have made?

Step 2: Lets look at your business a little more – list 3 answers below each question:

How do you want your leadership to be different next year?

1…..

2…..

3…..

How do you want your team to be different next year?

1…..

2….

3….

How do you want your self management to be different next year?

1….

2….

3….

How do you want your results to be different next year?

1….

2…

3…

Step 3: Congratulate yourself  – you’ve just done some preliminary strategic game planning for 2012!

Save your notes….or put your work somewhere safe – make an appointment with yourself to revisit your fine work as soon as you start back in January – Have a fantastic Christmas knowing that you’ve got something to get your teeth stuck into in the new year!

I’d like to share a simple cost effective idea that makes your loyal customers/clients feel good and will get them making noise about your business to their friends, which may just lead into more business!

Getting new business by referral from existing customers is by far the most cost effective lead generation strategy for growing your business.   And you’re much much more likely to get a ‘referred prospect’ on board with your product or service because they trust the person that referred them to you.

One of your biggest, best and current influencer’s are your happy customers, it’s important that you look after them and make them feel good about doing business with you and it’s fab to have them pro-actively talking about your business and your products/services to their networks.

Here’s what you can do:

Simply send your loyal customer’s a little letter or card that goes something like:

Hi Jenny  (your happy customers name)

You have been a valued customer of ours for (X no.) of (months/years). We really value your ongoing business and support. As a small token of our ongoing appreciation of your business  (I/We) have enclosed 3 cinema tickets for you. Please take yourself and 2 friends out on us and have a great time at the movies!

Warm Regards,

Joe Ninety

How would you feel if you received this from a supplier out of the blue?  Would you be likely to tell your friends where you got the tickets from when you’re inviting them out?

There’s not a huge cost with this idea, implementation is simple and there is not a lot of time involved on your part.

Some Pointers:

Make a list of your grade A customers first.

If you don’t know who they are – then get your ass into gear and find out!

Here’s a few question to help you focus:

1. Which 20% of your customers generate 80% of your revenue?

When you’ve got a final short list:  reflect on each customer individually and ask yourself or ask your team:

2. Are they truly happy with our product/service? If you have doubts here…..call them and make em happy now

3. Do they network/socialise with like minded people that may use and benefit from our products/services?

The 2nd question will bring your awareness to how you’re currently serving your best customers and the 3rd will help you narrow the list even further.

* Sign the letter personally before putting it into the envelope – you can’t beat a personal touch!

* It doesn’t have to be cinema tickets – you could send them bowling, miniature golfing, to a seminar, for a meal – do your best to make it an event where they can get a couple of friends or associates involved.

Test & measure – that means you put the idea into action with a few of those shortlisted GRADE A clients and then measure the results – and at the very least you have rewarded a valued customer for their ongoing loyalty.

Always remember – it’s much more expensive to acquire a new customer than it is to retain an existing one.

* It is Christmas and it’s always a good idea to be giving loyal customers a special gift at this time of year – So…..I’d I recommend that the above idea is over and above customer Christmas pressies – maybe you could test it in February next year, or run it a few times throughout next year as part of your marketing strategy.

This little post is inspired by John Lennon’s quote below.  A friend kindly shared this on my facebook page and when I reflect on it, the meaning for me is nothing really matters more than being happy and being at peace within oneself – You can have all the success and wealth in the world and if you’re not happy then no matter what you’ve got it’s not that much fun, is it? I believe happiness is a choice, it’s not a pursuit and it’s not a place to get to.  We can choose to be happy at any time by thinking about something that made us laugh, a loved one, a special day, past success…these memories are all stored in our brains and the good emotions attached to them are re-triggered in our bodies and when we bring our awareness to them, we can have happiness on tap.

Another way to experience more happiness, more abundance and more success on tap is to be grateful, grateful for what you do have, grateful for your current challenges, obstacles and opportunities, grateful for the future that you want (as if it’s happening  now).

A simple way to be more grateful and to express gratitude is to ask yourself  a few questions each morning. Below I’ve shared 7 that I use.  YES you have to form the habit of asking yourself these questions AND your WORTH IT!  My challenge to you is to give it a go, do it for 10 days straight, each morning when you get up!  Then come back and comment on this post and share your thoughts – you’ve nothing to lose and a lot to gain!

The 7 Questions:

1. What am I happy about today?

2. What am I most grateful for today?

3. What do I love more about myself today than I did yesterday?

4. What more do I love about my (partners name) today than I did yesterday?

5. What more do I love about my (kid’s name) today than I did yesterday?

6. What’s 1 thing that’s absolutely perfect in my business right now?

7. Knowing that my goals are already a reality – What 3 actions am I taking today to manifest them into my life?

Also consider checking out The Gratitude Log

I had a conversation with a close family member a few days ago and about 80% of the conversation was spent listening to her worrying about things that may not happen, never happen or could happen, not just to her or for her, also for other family members around her.

I love this lady dearly and she’s a constant worrier, worrying about everything and anything, if there was nothing to worry about then she would be ‘worrying’  because she wasn’t worrying!  When I finished and reflected on the call I had questions in my head like…Where was she just then? Where did she take me?  Was she really present with me on the phone?

This loved one has perfected the art of worrying and I’m sure like me, you know lots of people who have mastered this skill and are experts at it, worry flows from them consistently and naturally.    I’m too close to this person to coach around the issue, I’ve tried before and it’s backfired.

Still, the conversation and reflection on my own ‘current worries’ inspired me to read, learn and write this little blog on Worry!

So all fired up and ‘worried’ about writing a good blog I set out with the following questions in mind:

Why is that we tend to worry so much about future events that have not happened?

Why is it that our brains have a tendency to focus on the most negative potential outcome that we can imagine?

When the worry monster takes over…..how can we shift it?

What is Worry?

The mental action of ‘worrying’  is our brains attempt to control and influence an event that you cannot control and influence in the present.

Note: Do not confuse worrying with planning, planning is about developing your action steps and mapping the effects of those actions….

Why do we worry?

Our ‘worry’ conditioning is part of our default survival programming, our ‘fight’ or ‘flight’ response program, this security programming kept our distant ancestor the caveman alive, he had to BE anxious to survive in such a hostile environment, he had to BE constantly on guard, worrying about his next move and the next big threat at his cave door….

Our worry ‘training’ starts in our childhood from a young age, we’re told…Don’t do that!!  Be Careful!!  If you do that…….your going to get hurt!!  Watch yourself…If you do that then I will………or you’ll get…!!

Underneath all the ‘worrying’ at the deepest level is FEAR, fear of losing out, fear of not surviving, fear of losing control, fear of change, fear of damage to self image…….these fears fuel the worry monster.

What are the negative effects of ‘Worrying’:

Lack of sleep, sweats in the middle of the night, stress, anxiety, anger, frustration and a whole range of nasty negatives that effects your mindset and your reality…as what you focus on and think about most…tends to turn up for you.

And don’t forget that your body also has to work extra hard to get rid of the chemicals released by your brains ‘worrying’.

So…How can you get rid of the Worry Monster when it’s grabbed hold of you?

Step 1: Awareness – you need to become aware that you’re worrying a lot or that you’ve become an expert @ worrying – reflect on your current actions, behaviors, emotions and thoughts – asking some friends or family for feedback will raise your awareness.

Step 2: Decide – Make the decision that you’re sick of worrying or sick of worrying yourself sick and that you want to start living a bit more instead.

Step 3: Create a space where you can be alone, grab a piece of paper, pen or pencil and answer:

What am I worrying about?

Step 4: Now answer: What can I do about it?

Step 5: Now answer: Here is what I am going to do about it?

(your answers to step 4 will guide you)

Step 6: Now answer: When am I going to start doing it?

Step 7: Commit to the action and do it….if you have a problem committing then ask a friend, family member or associate to hold you accountable to the action.

Step 8: Integration – Keep repeating this process until it becomes a habit of mind!

* Resources that helped me in my quest to understand the ‘Worry Monster’ – Dale Carnegie’s fantastic book ‘How to Stop Worrying and Start Living’ and ‘You Can’t Afford the Luxury Of A Negative Thought’ by Peter McWilliams

Just imagine for a moment that you are a ‘saw’ or an ‘axe’ constantly ‘cutting & doing work’ ……

What happens if you keep ‘doing the work’ and you don’t stop to re-sharpen the blade (you) ??

Can you cut with the same effectiveness ??

Does it require even more ‘effort’ to keep ‘cutting/doing’  at the same rate ??

If you keep ‘cutting’ and don’t resharpen – where will the additional force come from to ‘continue cutting’ ??

If you don’t stop cutting to ‘re-sharpen’…..could the instrument (you) become in-effective & break ??

As success driven business owners, we’re a bit like a precision cutting instrument, wearing many hats and doing many things associated with those hats and the real danger for us is that we just continue to cut and don’t stop every now and then to re-sharpen ourselves, becoming blunt (not as effective) and at worst we can burn out with excessive stress.  Ultimately, this impacts the performance of our business and the results that we want to achieve.  In a way – we ‘self sabotage’ ourselves and the results that we want by the ‘constant doing’.

If you’re finding that you’re not cutting effectively and that your becoming a bit blunt, stressed, unfocused & that you’re not cutting through your usual load then it’s a good time to step back from the ‘doing’ and re-sharpen that blade (you).

Here’s some ideas on the how:

• 1st accept that there will always be work to be done and you can never get everything done!!
• Delegate task to others – Don’t abdicate DELEGATE.
• Schedule time off, take it off and switch off – you don’t have to go on vacation, you could just stay at home and veg out.
• Take regular breaks @ work – you could go for a walk around the block – maybe listen to some music during the walk AND on these breaks divert your phone to your answering service or to the secretary – remember:  if it’s really important the person trying to get you will leave a message AND you can still go for a walk if you’re on the road or out on site.
• Exercise regularly – cycle, run, go to the gym, join a yoga class – whatever spins your wheels – great for stress & clearing the head AND your health.
• Meditate – by following a meditation / relaxation exercise or use a guided meditation technology like holosync.
• Laugh – watch a funny video on youtube during your day or catch up with a friend that makes you laugh (don’t talk about work).
• Read a book for 15 – 30 minutes during the day, it does not have to be a business book -it could be a joke book, a sci-fi novel etc.
• Schedule and spend some time with someone you love, someone that’s really important to you, be present with them and don’t talk about work.
• Power nap during the day – find a quite area and lie down for 15 minutes, close your eyes, focus on your breathing and just relax – it does not have to be a ‘deep sleep’ – set an alarm on your phone or have someone wake you.

There’s many things that you could do, the above ideas are just a few, the important thing to ‘get’ is that you’ve got to find an outlet that enables you to re-sharpen yourself, so that your cutting is as effortless and enjoyable as possible!

P.S. The ‘sharpening the saw’ analogy comes from Stephen R Covey’s work.

A real simple way to ‘work on’ and improve your business is to identify the weakest link and before you think about that, let me ask you a question:

What determines the strength of a bicycle chain?

Is it:

A) The material the chain is made from?

or B) The load it’s under?

or C) The length of the chain?

or D) The weakest link?

I am sure you answered ‘D’ – the weakest link will always determine the strength of a chain, because the weakest link will be the first to break and if it breaks as you know the ‘whole’ chain is useless.  You you can’t cycle anywhere and you can’t achieve your goal of going for a nice ride on your bike.

Now, if we wanted to make the chain stronger, there would be no point adding more material to each of the strong links, or by making the chain lighter. If we make the chain lighter by cutting its weight this will have little impact on the strong links and a huge impact on the weakest link.

If we want to make the chain stronger we need to identify the weakest link and strengthen it to gain an overall improvement in the strength of the chain.

Your business is just like a chain, with several links, all coming together and working together to achieve a specific goal or outcome and just like the chain on the bicycle one link will be the weakest and just like on a bicycle this one link will be determining the overall strength of your ‘organisational chain’.

Think about your business/organisation and it’s ‘links’ right now and draw your chain on a piece of paper and label each of the links.  You may come up with the following labels:

• Administration
• Sales
• Marketing
• Manufacturing/Service delivery
• Research and Development
• Human Resources (your team)
• Customer service
• Logistics and
• Distribution etc.

Now, looking at your chain you want to identify the weakest link, you can do this by asking questions like:

• What link (area) is holding us back from achieving more of our goal?
• In what area are we constantly experiencing the most problems?
• What area is really limiting our ability to improve?

When you identify your weakest link (and it’s great to do this with your team) drill down into the ’causes’ of the problems in this specific area.  When you have identified the ‘core causes’, brainstorm options to solve and strengthen the problem and then take the necessary actions.

When you think about it, is there much gain in focusing your efforts in marketing to generate more leads if your customer service is shabby?

View your organisation as a chain, identify the weakest link and focus your efforts on strengthening it for overall improvement.

P.S Once you have made a weak link strong……guess what?  Another link in your organisational chain will now be the ‘weakest’.  Identify it and follow the same questioning process, keep doing this often and you will dramatically improve your business.

If you want me to explain the above process with you further, or if you want to know more about how a business coach can help your business,  book a complimentary On-Target coaching session with me at a time that suits you and I will answer all your questions.

Say Goodbye to your weakest link!

You build a better business by working on it, but finding the time to work on building a better business is a major challenge faced by most small to medium enterprise owners.

When you’ve just clocked a 50-60hr week working ‘in your’ business, delivering the product/service, fire fighting, dealing with staff issues and whatever else comes up – finding the time, motivation & energy to improve your business can be a challenge.

Other obstacles that can arise are lack of direction and focus: ‘I know I should be working on it – but how do I actually do that? and ‘What issues and problems do I tackle first ? Nagging questions like these can cause a feeling of overwhelm that can lead to procrastination and shelving ‘the working on it’ for another week.  Unfortunately the less time you spend working on it, the more time you’ll spend working in it, continually experiencing the same frustrations and barriers to growth.

Understanding the difference between working ‘in your’ business and ‘on your’ business is the first step to building an even better business.

‘Working on the business’ does NOT mean scheduling work, processing the accounts, submitting a quote or helping your employees do a job, these tasks are important and they’re just ‘business as usual tasks’.

‘Working ON the business’ involves thinking about the future, planning, reviewing & improving current processes and systems and asking questions like how can we do X,Y,Z better here? What would be a simpler way to do X,Y,Z? If I suddenly got sick for a month and couldn’t do what I usually do, where would things fall down first?

Working on your business is a shift in mindset and taking it on board fully will mean forming some new habits and disciplines:

Here are some tips to help you start ‘working on it’

1. Set aside a block of time to work on your business every week.  Buy yourself a good note book and pen. Tell your staff, friends & family that you do not want to be interrupted (unless it’s an emergency) and go to a library or a quiet coffee shop, somewhere where there is minimal distraction, then get out your new notebook & pen.
2. Reflect on your current frustrations with the business; what areas of the business are most problematic – Ask: Why does this problem exist? Then drill further again until you get to the root cause of the problem.  Clarity on the root cause will empower you to develop solutions that work.  Also consider….What determines the strength of a chain? The answer is the weakest link.  Identify the weakest link in the business and focus your efforts there.  There is no point investing money in a new website to generate sales if your customer service is shabby!
3. Decide where your business is going. What will it be like in 2, 3, or 5 years time? How much money will it make, how many people will you employee, what will you be doing in it then? What will you not be doing then?  What products and services will you be offering then? Use this as a guide for strategic planning and identifying changes required to move in the new direction.
4. Visualise – spend some time just thinking about your ultimate business, just visualising and thinking about your ultimate business will generate new ideas, the process will get you inspired and motivated into action.
5. Become a big sponge – Read, listen, watch, research and use outside help.  There’s heaps of free resources on the web, you can find lots of ideas and answers for free, tune into the experience of other business owners and learn from it.  There are free government resources, business incubators and programmes for you to leverage and utilise.  Business coaches and mentors can help you with objectivity, guidance, support, accountability & feedback all aimed at helping your business and you grow.  I have some great free tools available on my Free Resources page.

If you are wanting to grow your business more effectively and you are finding it a challenge; then book your complimentary On Target Session today!

I am pleased to have some expert commentary for this post from Tony Yarrall, Director of The Cash Flow Company in Nelson.

I’ve known Tony for almost 4 years and he’s passionate about helping small business owners enhance, protect and preserve their cash flow.  Tony is also a Regional Director for BNI New Zealand and he helps business owners in the top of the beautiful south island grow their business by referral.  A business owner himself, Tony knows all about the challenges of starting and growing businesses.  In this blog Tony shares some valuable insights, tips and information on how to protect your cash and keep it flowing.

Thanks Tony!

Enjoy!

Cash flow is the lifeblood of your business. Like the flow of water through a plumbing system, we want smooth continuous flow with no leaks or restrictions.  Good cash flow eases stress, maintains your supplier relationships, smooths operations and facilitates better decision making.

As business owners, we know this, yet cash flow remains one of our biggest challenges.  Too often we can get bogged down working in the business and not on it.  The typical owner/operator may be managing, organising, planning, coordinating, selling and doing the ‘physical work’ too.  Paperwork piles up and invoicing often gets left to the last minute – while current economic conditions are stretching cash flow in many companies.

Much stress can be alleviated with a good cash flow control system.  A simple system improves flow and will help identify any bottlenecks, this enables you to proactively reduce the negative impact of poor cash flow on your operations and decreases the dependence on external finance which often carries significant interest charges.

If cash flow is a challenge for your business, then key areas to focus on are:

1.Debtor Control & Management:

Addressing some policy and control issues in this area can have a massive impact on cash flow – and these issues can often be resolved immediately.

A good mindset to have with debtors is “I am not in business to give clients/customers interest free loans”.

Make sure you check the financial standing of any new customers before extending any credit – if you don’t – How do you know if the customer is safe bet or a disaster waiting to happen?

If your customer’s business fails, can you take action against the company directors personally? Or are you up the creek without a paddle?

Always ensure your Terms of Trade are clearly communicated and visible on all quotations, price lists, invoices and statements.

It’s vital that your customers know what your terms are up front – do your current terms of trade cut the mustard?

Make sure you implement and communicate a clear-cut credit policy, document it and make it visible to all.

Right now…..Do your employees completely understand and communicate your policy? Right now…..Do your current customers know what your credit policy is?

Make sure your customers know that if payment is not received on your agreed terms, you will charge interest and that they will be responsible for any debt recovery costs.

2. Systems:

Develop an efficient system with your bookwork to encourage prompt and easy payment.  Send out invoices immediately after goods are dispatched or when work is completed or for larger/longer jobs, consider requiring an initial deposit or progress payments.

Also be proactive in dispatching monthly statements by implementing a timetable and sticking to it.  If your business is large enough, delegate the task of supervising credit and ensuring prompt collection of monies due to one person.  Smaller operations could consider outsourcing this vital function to a reputable company,  this way your time is freed up to work ‘on your’ business and on revenue generation activities.

To encourage customers to pay earlier, there are simple improvements such as putting your payment details on your statements and invoices to make it easier for them to pay.  Another approach is to consider incentives to encourage earlier payments.

Finally, make sure you develop positive customer relationships in this process by being politely firm in your collection routine – it’s your money!

3. Instant Cash Injection:

If your business needs an instant injection of cash and you don’t want to visit the bank – consider invoice financing as another option. A company like Fifo Capital offers an effective solution that requires no change to your current financing arrangements and unlike bank debtor financing, there is no requirement for a registered charge over your company’s assets.   Invoice financing can provide a flexible source of working capital that is linked to your company’s current receivables rather than the value of your fixed assets or the strength of your balance sheet.

4. Fixed Assets:

Considerable capital can be unnecessarily tied up in fixed assets.   It’s advisable to do an assessment of your fixed assets by firstly asking yourself if you have any cash that is tied up in this way.  Secondly, consider whether the business has any cash tied up in assets that represent a greater than necessary investment, could this asset be replaced by something more modest? There may also be an opportunity to capitalize on fixed assets.  For instance, cash tied up in necessary assets may be liquidated by leasing instead.  Take advice from your accountant before taking any action.

5. Raw materials:

Logically, it may seem to make sense to purchase in bulk for discounts. However, this may not always be the case.

The cost of holding stocks that might not be used immediately may actually outweigh the advantages of buying in bulk.  Factors such as storage costs, risk of shrinkage/ contamination and no longer having access to that cash are all factors that can impact on the supposed benefits of bulk purchasing.

The cheaper option may be to consider a ‘Just in Time’ ordering process for acquiring raw materials.

6. Saleable Stocks:

An accurate stock control system is vital; stock consumes large amounts of cash. The sales and marketing cry ‘you have got to have it before you sell it’ has a legitimate ring.  So, consider what’s on your shelf with a focus on stock that has faster turnover, and higher margins. Your supplier may be able to despatch to you more quickly and without a significant cost increase – if so why carry three months supply?  If cash flow is an issue then do your best to get stock on consignment.

The key with all of this is being proactive, taking ownership and implementing a system that delivers predictable results.

If you’re currently experiencing problems with slow payers, bad debts and poor cash flow then don’t leave it until it’s too late, speak to a reputable company that specializes in cash flow management and that understands how business works.

By Tony Yarrall – The Cashflow Company, Nelson – Your Key to Cash Flow Success!

The Cash Flow Company in Nelson, is New Zealand owned and operated by Tony Yarrall and Craig Lawson. 

The company provides tailored cash flow solutions for business owners in the top of the South Island all aimed at enhancing, protecting and preserving your cash flow.   Tony and Craig are also regional Directors for BNI a worldwide business by referral organization.

Contact Tony or Craig today for a free consultation or a complimentary Terms of Trade appraisal and if you’re hungry for more referral business they’ll be happy to tell you all about BNI.

There’s so much going on in our heads, in our lives, in our businesses and there’s so much stuff happening around us that sometimes it can be a real challenge to remain present and focused in the present moment or on the task at hand or engaged in the conversation that’s happening in the ‘here and right now’.

Some research suggests that we lose conscious focus every 5-6 seconds…. throw social media networking and smartphones into the mix and the challenge of being more present and more focused gets even bigger.

Last week I was mountain biking, making my way up a hill near home.  I do my cycle ride in the mornings and it’s part of my morning routine.  During the ride I’ll ask myself some empowering morning questions to get the day off to a good start, I’ll also think about my vision, goals and actions for the day ahead.   At the start of my climb last Tuesday I was asking myself the question….What am I truly grateful for today?…..And a few minutes later……and a bit further up the hill I found myself dwelling on a conversation that I’d had with my father on holiday, my mind had wondered and I had to consciously pull myself back to the task of answering the question I had asked myself.

Can you relate to your brain wondering and taking you off in tangents??

We spend a lot of our time thinking about the past and what could have been, we also spend our time imagining our desired future and we also worry and wonder about what might happen to us, to our business, to our family, friends, the planet, the list can be endless…..

This past/future pacing in our minds can cause us to miss out on so much, it can leave us feeling unfulfilled on many levels and it can greatly effect our clarity and focus.

The problem is that if we are always caught up in thinking about the past or about the future then we are never really fully present in the present moment, the here and right now.  When you think about it, that’s all there really is, the present moment, that’s all we can really live in, have influence over and control.

To become more focused and more present we can bring our conscious awareness back to the here and right now.

There are some real ‘mental’ and ‘physical health’ benefits in being more present:

A sense of calmness and connectivity: You feel more centered, relaxed and whatever you do it’s done with more ease; too much stress on the system can cause failure!

Positivity: As you’re not caught up in past experiences or caught up in worrying about the future and what it holds, you’ll find that there is less fear, anxiety and negative emotions;

Improved Clarity and Focus: When you’re in the present moment you have much better focus and the flow of your actions is more natural.  This can be beneficial in meetings, in the office or on the golf course.

Sounds fantastic right?

So…How can you step away from that really active brain that always wants to take you off on tangents into your past experiences, memories and into your future desires and worries?

How do you bring yourself back to the present moment?

Here are 3 simple exercises that I use and I hope that you may find them as beneficial as I do:

1.Bring your focus to your surroundings:

Look around you. Look at what’s right in front of you and focus on it.  You could look at a tree, it’s shape, it’s colour, look at it’s leaves and how they move in the wind.  You could look at a nice picture in your office, focus on the colours, the objects you see in it, the detail in those objects.

Or you can use your senses and listen to the sounds around you – any birds within hearing distance? You could bring your awareness to feeling the warmth of the sunlight on your skin.  If you can get out of the office for a walk: focus on your steps, focus on your feet and how they feel as they connect with the ground.

2. Bring your awareness to your breathing:

Take a couple of deep breaths and bring your awareness to how you’re breathing-in and breathing out.  This will help you get in touch with your inner body, you’ll become more aware of your heart beating and if your breathing is currently shallow.

I breath in for 5 seconds through my nose, hold the breath for 7 seconds and then breath out for 5 seconds and then repeat the cycle, I find that this is a great way to become more relaxed, calm, collected and in-touch with the ‘right now’.

You could set an alarm on that lovely SMARTPHONE and do this breathing exercise for 2 minutes every hour, you’ll notice a significant difference in your state.

Or you could be even SMARTER and set an alarm to go off  on your phone every hour to prompt you to take just a few minutes of your precious time to ‘get present’.

3. No Pain, No Gain – the elastic band trick:

Get an elastic band and put it around your wrist, when you become aware that you have lost focus, pull the elastic band and let it go, focus on the sensation of the band hitting your wrist, this will get you in touch with your body and will bring you back to the present.

Enjoy!

P.S. Remember you’ve got to practice and use these exercises to get the benefit – just because you’ve bought a gym membership does not mean you’ll get fit!