Recently a young entrepreneur I was having lunch with asked a great question. He is going into the second year of his business and is a little concerned that he is doing all he could and should do to make his business work. He asked me, “What should entrepreneurs be doing right now?” Well, here’s what I told him. There are a lot of things; here are the top 3.

1) Getting out and about. Nothing is accomplished by sitting back and complaining. If you do nothing, nothing will happen, so now’s the time to get to work. I would be calling on clients, visiting them whenever possible and I would be asking them what you can do to improve your business. I would also be looking for new clients as well. They are literally everywhere. Think about what makes up your current clients, what’s common about them. Find others like the ones you have. Take them to lunch, search LinkedIn and Facebook for them and get to any networking event you can where they might be. When you Make Friends, you Make Sales.

2) Planning for the Year Ahead. There is no doubt that things will turn around; we just don’t know when. So, now is the time to be planning for the future. Have 2 plans, one for the best case scenario and one for what most likely will happen. Oh, sure, you can do one for the worst case, but I choose not to think about that right now. I have way too much confidence in myself. After all, you’ve gotten this far, right? Things to think about are as follows: What are gross sales going to be? Profits? What will you spend on marketing?  What are the best measurements to follow and track your success? Revenue per employee is a good one, for example. Spend some time thinking about what you did not do well in the last 2 years and put a plan in place to make improvements. I am amazed at how few people do this. They just wake up every day and go to work and never fix the things that are broken. Businesses are a lot like cars; if you take care of them, repair the broken items, they tend to perform very well for a long period of time.

3) Tell and Show your people you appreciate them. A lot of companies have a team full of scared people. There aren’t many of us who don’t know firsthand the struggles the last 2 years have brought to people. The best thing you can do with your team is to be honest. Tell them the truth. They need to see information. Share your sales with them, at least. If you don’t want to share your profit numbers, then talk about your business in terms that they can understand. Think about what you would want to know if you worked at the company you own and try to do that. I’m amazed at what 100 bucks worth of pizzas do for morale. And I’m equally amazed at what a little 10-minute talk with a teammate can do for them and for you. Just tell them you appreciate them and show it by looking them in the eye and asking them how they are doing. The latter is affordable no matter what your budget is.

While I’ve got you, thanks for allowing me to come into your world for about 3 minutes each week. Might I ask a favor of you? If you like this week’s message, would you please forward it on to 5 of your friends and tell them to sign up for my weekly Great Idea? I’m trying to grow my business and sure could use your help. Also, if you’re on Facebook or LinkedIn, I am too and I’d love to add you to my lists.

See how easy it was to ask for help? Why can’t you do the same to help grow your own business?

Talk to you next week. Don’t forget to sign up for GROW! 2010….it would be silly to miss this event; trust me on that one.

Hello! My Great Idea this week is for you come see me on February 18-20th in Dayton, Ohio, by attending GROW! GROW! 2010 is a very unique, focused learning opportunity for you. We have been confronted with an economy and a business environment similar to nothing most of us have ever seen. You need to have a plan on how to deal with your future. You can’t continue to run by the seat of your pants and just deal with whatever hits you as best as you can.

If you truly believe things can and will get better, then I want to you to spend 3 days with me in Dayton, Ohio, and leave with a sense of purpose and excitement that maybe you have lost. I think it’s easy to be discouraged and sit back and hope things get better. There’s nothing wrong with hoping, as long as you are “doing” in the process. When you sit back and do nothing, nothing is going to happen.

There are all kinds of reasons why you should attend this life-changing event. And I’m sure you have all kinds of reasons why you can’t attend. The world is full of dreamers but there aren’t near as many doers! Be a doer and come see me; we only have room for 100 folks and we do expect to sell this event out in the next 14 days. For around 700 bucks you’ll get a dose of education, inspiration, and motivation that you can’t easily find anywhere else. Remember, I’m an entrepreneur who is living, eating, and breathing this economy right now as I successfully run Grunder Landscaping Company. I know I can help you and I hope you’ll let me. See you in a couple of weeks in warm and sunny Dayton, Ohio. (Okay, so that’s a lie, but the Marriott is warm and toasty and we’ll have plenty of fun.)

Let me help you make 2010 all it could be; let me show you how to do more than survive; let me show you how to thrive!

Click here for more details on GROW!2010

We all could use a compliment. Last week, my mom called me and left me a voice mail telling me about the Kitchen Design store she went to and how several of the people who worked there knew who I was and how they had nice things to say about me. I’m 41; my mom is 71; you’d think my days of getting compliments from my mom would be over. And you’d think that they wouldn’t have much of an impact on me. Well, wrong on both accounts.

I love it when my mom calls me and I have watched her spread her positive words of encouragement to people for years. 41 years, to be exact. There’s a great lesson there. And that lesson is never underestimate the power of a compliment. Make it a good, specific one, but compliment people on what they do well. Don’t use them so often they lose their impact but be a leader who consistently tells people what they did well and you’ll see a difference in your organization, on your team, or even at home! You never know what those little words of appreciation can do for someone.

Gotta run, I’m going to call my wife and tell her thanks for all her help in the past week. Those of you who know me well know my wife is the brains behind the Grunder Family! And I challenge you to do the same for someone who has made a difference in your life right now…..not tomorrow or next week—right now!

Most who receive this weekly Great Idea are either Entrepreneurs or work with Entrepreneurs. This week I want to share a fabulous article from the MIT Sloan Review:

http://sloanreview.mit.edu/business-insight/articles/2009/5/5157/trust-me/

This is one of the better articles I have shared with you in the last year. It is full of all kinds of great points, many very simple, but very practical, which is exactly how I like them.  Let me know your thoughts below.

Talk to you next week.

Hello…this week’s Great Idea is pretty simple. I just want you to read this excellent piece from The New York Times.

I think it has a lot of applicable ideas for every small business owner and leader in our country. What do you think of it? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave me a comment.

PS – Don’t forget, you can still sign up for GROW! 2010 which will be February 18-20, 2010, in Dayton, Ohio.

My great idea for the week is for you to buy my friend Larry Winget’s new book Your Kids Are Your Own Fault. It’s a book every parent in America ought to read. I read it and I loved it. First of all, if you’re thin-skinned, don’t even think of reading it. Larry always tells it like it is. And this book is no different. Larry describes his book pretty well below. But let me say this. I believe that the greatest responsibility we all have as parents is to show our kids right from wrong and instill a sense of purpose in them. There seems to be some great mystery out there about what it takes to be a good parent. And you know what? It’s really not that difficult or hard to understand. I could go on and on about the stories and the common sense that Larry shares in his new book. Whether it’s Larry telling his neighbor who has a “Drive slow, kids at play” sign on the street that he will drive the speed limit on the street but that he needs to not have kids playing in the street. Or it’s Larry telling the story of his young son motivating him when he was broke by telling him what the motivational speaker they just listened to said which was, “You can do anything you want to do.”  I know you will enjoy this book. It’s funny, practical and worth the time to sit and read it.

By all means buy the book for you and any young parent you know. It just might wake them up. Books have changed my life; you need to let them change your life.

“A dollar put into a book and a book mastered might change the whole course of a boy’s life. It might easily be the beginning of the development of leadership that would carry the boy far in service to his fellow men.”
-Henry Ford

“Books can take a person all over the world – a library card will take you farther than a driver’s license.”
-Rueben Martinez

Your Kids Are Your Own Fault:
A Guide For Raising Responsible, Productive Adults

Straight-talking, best selling Pitbull of Parenting Larry Winget says “This is not a fix your kid book. It’s a fix the way you parent book. You owe it to your kids to parent with a plan!”

My other books have all been pretty good books that I am proud of. But this is an IMPORTANT book. It is the best thing I have ever done and I know it can make a real difference in your own family. Our society is in crisis and it is because of bad parenting. Read the quotes and the preface and introduction and see what you think about my approach.

Find out more by clicking:
http://www.larrywinget.com/yourkids.html

Again, here is the information on the book:

Larry Winget
Your Kids Are Your Own Fault: A Guide For Raising Responsible, Productive Adults came out December 24th. To find out more and read the preface and introduction go to http://yourkidsareyourownfault.com/.

Yes….Happy New Year to all of you. It’s that time of year that we all try to make improvements and make promises to do better in the next year. I do often wonder why we must wait until the start of a new year to improve.  Anyway, let’s see if we can help you this week.

Here are some interesting statistics about New Year’s Resolutions and the actions people take in the month of January to try and improve:

1 million – Boxes of smoking cessation gum, lozenges and patches sold in January 2008

99% – Jump in web visits to Weight Watchers in January

12% – Percentage of gym memberships sold in January (the most of any month)

42% – Jump in traffic on career sites in January

1 in 10 – Number of New Year’s resolvers who actually quit smoking

50% – Number of Americans who make New Year’s resolutions

25% – Percentage of people who fail after one week

Source: Entrepreneur, December 2009 issue

Interesting, isn’t it? I think the reason we do things is rooted in the personal motivation one has to do something. Or the benefits you will get from sticking to your resolution. Here are some suggestions I have used to get things done:

Get an Accountability Partner. If you want to lose weight, tell the people who can help you that you want to lose weight and ask them to partake in the endeavor with you. They can help push you and hold you accountable. Like many things in life, when you try to do things all by yourself, it’s not usually very successful; we all need a little help. This also works in business; I have two groups of contractors that are part of my ACE groups. ACE standing for Accountability Creates Excellence. I have seen the power of accountability at work with these contractors. We push one another and we help each other and we make sure we all do what we said we would do. So, what are you waiting for?  Get an Accountability Partner.

Think about what might happen if you don’t do something. For me personally this works really well and when I’ve taught it to others, it’s helped them too. If you don’t work out and stay in good shape, what might happen to you? You might have trouble later in life with your back and legs. You might not live long; as we all know, or should know, exercise does increase your chances for living longer. If you don’t save your money, you might have to work till you’re in your 70s or 80s. If you smoke, you are taking days off your life. If you don’t, you are adding days to your life. If you do some business planning for 2010, you have increased your chances for success, if you don’t, you might, I say might, go out of business. I think you get the idea. Think about what might happen if you don’t do something.

Do the Tombstone Test. At your funeral, what would you want people to say about you? I know, it’s hard to think about this, but I want you to. Remember, I’m in the job of helping people get better and be all they can be. To do this, I have to make my clients feel uncomfortable. Think about what you’d want your loved ones to say about you during your eulogy. I would assume that you would want them to say you were kind, honest, a winner, someone who always tried to be the best they could be and so on. I would think you’d want them to look at you as someone they admired and tried to emulate. So, if this is the case, what are you waiting for? Take some steps today to become the person you want to be remembered as.  Do the Tombstone Test.

It’s a new year; it’s time for all of us to try and improve. What is your motivation to improve? Who’s counting on you? What would you do if you knew you would not fail? Our world needs you, especially right now. Positive people trying to get better is unarguably the most influential thing we have in our world right now. I hope you agree and are ready to make 2010 a year in which you make permanent changes in your life.

Hello! For the past 51 weeks you’ve heard from me (or Matt Caruso). We’ve talked mostly about business, a little bit about health, wealth and, of course, family. This Holiday Season may I be one of the many to thank you for being a part of a successful organization and/or running a business and employing people. Let there be no doubt that you do make a difference and that your small business will play a major role in our country’s recovery.

Take some time yet this year to rejoice and be glad for what you have and get ready to make 2010 a year in which progress and stability take front and center. I know I’ll be celebrating a year gone by and looking forward to a new year. My Great Idea this week is to tell you to celebrate this holiday season! I’m giving you special permission to do so.

It’s a photo of my 2002 Toyota Sequoia hitting the 200,000-mile mark. It’s significant for two reasons. Number one, it’s been an excellent truck, still looks great and rides great and it’s paid for. (Dave Ramsey, eat your heart out.) Number two, it’s a lesson in leadership, I think. Let me explain.

I would love to have a brand new truck; to be honest who wouldn’t. New stuff is great, but after a while the newness wears off and it’s just transportation, right? But in a business environment where I have made cuts and my whole team at Grunder Landscaping Company is trying to save money and make sacrifices while we wait for the economy to turn around, does it really make sense for the owner, the leader of our company, to get a new truck? I don’t think it does.

I firmly believe a leader shows what’s important to them by what they do more so than by what they say. You know me, I’m a professional speaker; I speak to my people all the time.

Most of what I talk to them about revolves around our Vision Statement: Our Vision is … To be recognized by our clients, our team members, and experts in our industry as the best landscaping company in our market area.

And our Mission Statement: Our Mission is … To enhance the beauty and value of every client’s property while exceeding their expectations every step of the way.

And our 4 Core Values: The Grunder Landscaping Company is guided by four core values which create a framework for decision making.

1. Quality.  We must do everything the best possible way. We are completely committed to high standards in all aspects of our business. We will:

• Use the best materials and continually enhance our offerings.
• Hire the best team and develop new leaders through mentoring and training.
• Provide the best service and continually look for opportunities to improve.
• Commit to the safest work environment with no compromises and continual vigilance.

2. Leadership. We are a leader in our industry and our community and therefore dedicated to being the best in all that we do. As a leader we will:

• Deliver high standards in quality and service.
• Be good environmental stewards.
• Act with integrity and professionalism with our employees, clients, vendors and peers.
• Maintain an image that supports our mission.

3. Teamwork. We strive to work together with our clients, vendors, team members, and the entire community by:

• Showing respect to all.
• Supporting cooperation.
• Adapting to the ever changing work environment.
• Providing effective communication to all.

4. Profitability. The efficient use of labor and materials results in a profitable company.  Being profitable enables us to:

• Reinvest in new equipment, processes, facilities, and people to help us grow
• Provide for growth and opportunities for our team
• Help our team provide for themselves and their families
• Give back to the community

We talk to our people weekly about where we are going and what we are trying to do. We try hard to reinforce the behaviors that are consistent with these beliefs and stop the behaviors that don’t.  The above words aren’t just words, they are who we are and what we do; they serve as our compass.  So, if that’s the case, should the leader, me, Marty Grunder, eat, drink, and sleep them too?

My favorite quote that hangs in our office is this one: “Whatever you allow, you encourage.” My right-hand man, Paul Stoll, found that. I love it. And I think that is some great advice.

How I can ask my team for help but then pull up in a brand new truck? Doesn’t that send the wrong message? For now, my truck is just fine and I hope in a small way I’m teaching a lesson and showing that I too am making some sacrifices. I got a new radio put in it and I’m getting it detailed and it’s become a game to see if I can get the machine to 250,000 miles. Maybe one of you who gets my weekly Great Idea works for Toyota or knows someone who does; if you do, I can be hired as a spokesperson rather cheaply.

Many of you run small businesses just as I do. And we are all working very hard right now. The economy has taken its toll on a lot of us. My landscaping company continues to do pretty well. No, we’re not going to have a record year, but we’re going to be okay. And, quite frankly, I am excited about the future. My job right now is to keep my people motivated and engaged as best I can. We’re going to experience a turnaround in the future and I am going to need all of them to make my business work the way I want it to work. I suggest all of you look for ways to keep your people happy and show them you appreciate them. We do a cookout about once a month on a non-payday Friday. On a Friday during the summer, we brought in an ice cream trolley to go with the burgers and it was a huge hit. Here’s a photo of one of our team leaders enjoying the ice cream.

This week, plan something simple like this to show your team you appreciate them. Your competition isn’t thinking about this. It’s important to watch our pennies, but it is also smart business to spend some money on things that matter most. And in any economic environment, your people are your most valuable asset. Don’t just tell them, show them!