You only have so much time in a day right?
So wouldn't it make sense to focus as much of your time as possible on the things that produce the highest payoff.
I don't know about you but most small business owners are do-it-yourself types and get sucked into doing the littlest silly work faster than you can say "Oh look, the copier is jammed again."
If you want to achieve any of your goals and finally start making what you are worth then you've got to stop doing $5/hr work. Period.
As you might have guessed by now, I believe that every business owner's highest payoff work, or best use of time, is any amount of time spent creating effective marketing.
Here's a little math quiz that I suggest you play with to help drive home this point. Figure out how much money you make annually or, better yet, how much you want or need to make annually to achieve your dreams and goals.
Now, divide that number by 2080. (That's the number you get if you work 40 hours a week for 52 weeks a year - I know, I know, you work 80 hours a week but just work with me here.)
The answer you get is what I call your "PAY" or Personal Average Yield. (I should probably trademark that it's so clever) The idea here is to pin down what you are worth an hour and realize that if you can hire someone to do any of the things you currently spend your time on for less than that number, you can't afford to do it yourself - did I mention that you could use the spare time to do some marketing.
So let's run some numbers. Let's say that you want to make $150,000 per year. Well, using our little formula, that means that you need to be doing work that is worth a little over $72/hr - 8 hours a day.
But guess what...we haven't even factored in any overhead or costs of doing business. That number might really get big if you've got those as well.
This is the point at which many people finally come to understand that they are undercharging for their services?but that's another issue all together.
So I ask you. Is fiddling with the copier, chatting with the mailman, running to the office supply store, making deliveries, or returning meaningless email paying you $72/hr? For that matter, doesn't mowing your own grass, washing your own car, picking up your dry cleaning, and getting your oil changed take you away from marketing your business? I know, now I'm asking you to consider giving up most of the fun things you like to do everyday but hey, if you can get the neighbor kid to mow your grass for anything less than $100/hr, therefore giving you 3 hours to write a killer sales letter - it's probably a steal
Figure out your PAY number, paint it on the wall in your office, and then go about setting up your business in a way that allows you to focus on the only things that can really pay that kind of money: marketing, innovation, and customer service ? cause everything else is just a cost.
Copyright 2004 John Jantsch
About The Author
John Jantsch is a marketing consultant based in Kansas City, Mo. He writes frequently on real world small business marketing tactics and is the creator of "Duct Tape Marketing" a turn-key small business marketing system. Check out his blog at http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/weblog.php - get these kinds of killer tips weekly by sending an email to http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/weblog.php
maide service in Lincolnshire ..Q: After years of dreaming about starting my own business,... Read More
$elling $elling $ellingWhat makes a great sales person? Well, the... Read More
If you're starting your own business or currently work for... Read More
As a Boat Detailing Specialist, you may want to offer... Read More
Am I the only one that does not have an... Read More
Pet Transportation Services are needed as the number of pets... Read More
Under the Securities Act of 1933, any offer to sell... Read More
What could Seinfeld possibly have to do with marketing a... Read More
Do you like animals? Would you like to work for... Read More
Many years ago, I had warned the carwash industry of... Read More
You see it often in large shopping complexes. Customers seem... Read More
The Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) is a program that... Read More
In these days of insecurity and uncertain futures, the tendency... Read More
Nothing can drive a business down faster than customers who... Read More
If you own a mobile car washing, pressure washing or... Read More
If you are in the professional car care business you... Read More
How many hours do you work a week? When was... Read More
You can provide affordable health care plans to your employees.... Read More
Some of the very qualities that attract people to the... Read More
This year, some 700,000 American businesses will be sold. Most... Read More
While there are few career paths that some would call... Read More
The Federal Trade Commission decided to sit down and revamp... Read More
New Franchisors and Entrepreneurs need to watch out as they... Read More
Many experienced auto detailing professionals who have started out using... Read More
At first glance, this topic may seem a little repetitive,... Read More
cleaning lady near Deerfield ..Ok, so next to the taxman, your company payroll department... Read More
In the book Women and Small Business author gives all... Read More
In today's marketplace the words 'job security' have become an... Read More
If I had $1.00 every time I heard someone say... Read More
Someone new to business ownership recently told me, "Before I... Read More
It is imperative to have your business legally prepared. How... Read More
If you are a non-operator owner of many work trucks,... Read More
Buyers want both online and local information about where to... Read More
KEEPING INTEREST HIGH: Supervision is key to the success of... Read More
One overlooked individual in the process of taking a company... Read More
CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOUR INTERN: Specify the number of hours the... Read More
Part of the power plan is making sure you have... Read More
If you are in the pressure washing business and are... Read More
Treat your business as a serious, full-time business and be... Read More
You're pretty proud of yourself! After all, only four months... Read More
I recently met with a very successful magazine publisher who... Read More
Your business account comes with an ATM, Debit card. Pick... Read More
An observation while returning home from a seminar: Getting away... Read More
You make the decision to go into business and for... Read More
How often have you thumbed through a business opportunity magazine,... Read More
How often has someone thought of starting a business based... Read More
When we speak of branding most of the time people... Read More
Under the Securities Act of 1933, any offer to sell... Read More
If you really want to earn more money with your... Read More
Home based travel businesses are no longer the wave of... Read More
Small Business |