6 Tips For A Successful Business by Eric Pemper
Eric Pemper has been a successful business owner for many years now and has shared some of his steps to running a business successfully.
1. Focus on the numbers. And by number Eric Pemper means money. Your business might be your passion, it might be your art, you might cherish it like a child, but never forget that it’s a business. Sometimes it is easy to lose sight of your goal, to make a profit. If you are not bringing money into the business, then all you have is just an expensive hobby. You might be really good at what you do, whether it is the hands on part of creating the product or delivering the service to the client, but do not forget to also become good at the bookkeeping. If you simply do not have time to keep up with the accounting, hire someone trustworthy. Make sure that your accountant knows your bottom line and that he alerts you when you’re not hitting your goals. Eric Pemper always says, “If there’s not revenue, there’s no business.”
2. Electronic organization is key. Eric Pemper is a stickler for organization and attention to detail. He credits most of his success to the fact that he writes everything down, twice, and always delivers, because he knows his deadlines. If you are not writing stuff down, you are probably forgetting to do many things. Eric recommends using an agenda, more importantly, an electronic one that is synchronized with your email. There are a lot of applications and websites that offer task management software, for FREE! Take the time to learn how to use new technology in order to get your business organized. If you are using these tools and training your employees on how to use them, then everyone will be on the same page. Eric says that he relies on task management and contact management systems day in and day out.
3. Do not bite the hand that feeds you. Make sure that you prioritize to your top paying clients. Eric even says that it is ok to be selective with clients. Do not just pick up any client just because they are waving money in your face. Evaluate which clients you want to take on and how you will feel when working for them. It is so much better when you are working on something you really like doing and not just because you need to pay the bills. Eric also reminds us to pay attention to detail: remember birthdays, business anniversaries, send a card on major holidays, etc. These little things can make a big difference in their decision to continue paying you or going with a new guy. Always remember that it is these clients that are keeping your business dreams alive.
4. Work your butt off, sometimes for free. If you had the opportunity to offer your business to a fortune 500 company, but it meant that you had to work at a discount, and maybe, even for free, would you do it? If your answer is no, then you must be ok financially. Eric Pemper reminds us that you must work with passion and remain humble at all times. If you have the opportunity to work for a big firm do not let the opportunity slip away. As an entrepreneur you must understand that working with companies that are where you want to be is essential to business.
5. Learn about FREE sources for advertising. Eric Pemper knows how it is to start a business on a shoestring. He advises to seek free advertising and marketing sources. Before spending your hard earned money and/or borrowed money, make sure to exhaust all forms of free advertising and marketing. Take advantage of free online channels that will get you in front of potential clients. Social networking sites are a giant resource. Billions of people use social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. This day-in-age if you do not have your business on these social media sites, you’re not being recognized, talked about, and/or shared. It’s simple, get on social media. Once you have exhausted all free online and offline avenues of advertising make sure to spend your money wisely. Eric Pemper suggests to learn about online marketing and advertising. There are many businesses spending pennies and turning over dollars with savvy online marketing strategies. Learn about Google Adwords, Facebook ads, guest blog posting, press release submissions, etc.
Eric has been an entrepreneur for many years now and he is very adamant about advising us to not pay thousands of dollars for coaching. There are many books and resources, there is not an easy way out, you cannot pay your way to being a good boss, businessperson, entrepreneur. There are dues to be paid. If you love sleeping in on weekends, then you are probably not cut out for the crazy world of entrepreneurship.
If you want to learn how to be a great business owner then surround yourself by great business owners. How do you do this? Well, for example, Eric loves to play sports on community teams, he loves to volunteer and go to charity events. Many successful people do the same. From successful business owners like Bill Gates to famous movie stars like Will Smith, all successful people like to do these things. So go out and find your own mentor. If you bust your backside working and learning you will come across your own mentor, you do not need to pay thousands of dollars for this.
6. What are your habits? Successful business owners have great habits. What are great habits? Habits are everything, from what you eat to what you watch on T.V. Oh, and if you are still wasting time looking at the boob tube then you need to get more serious and donate that thing to charity. There is nothing on T.V. that you need to be watching. Watching the news is not an excuse, you can get better news and more up-to-date information online.
Sleep is very important, but don’t over do it. If you are not waking up early, feeling motivated to start the day, then maybe you should reconsider your business. Organization is key, get in the habit of writing things down and making lists. Reading is also very important. What are you reading? Are you learning about your business? Are you working on bettering your business? Even the most savvy of business owners read to stay on top of their game.
Eric Pemper is a success because of his determination and hard work. His never-give-up attitude is what makes him such an inspiration. If you adhere to these 6 tips that Eric Pemper gives then there’s no reason why you too can’t be a success.