Growth and Success: 5 Essential Points to Know About Your Firm

I must admit to a well-intentioned, but bad habit. I’ve been dealing with it for a very long time and haven’t really found a solution. I am a bit paranoid about breaking the habit and losing exceptional ideas and information. Notes and little scraps of paper with gems of wisdom only come around every once in a while. I can’t control the growth and success of my company – or my clients’ either, for that matter – if I don’t put those ideas to work.

I am in the midst of efforts to declutter my life. The older we get, the more we realize we have just too much stuff. Over the years, we amass too many new things without getting rid of some of the other, older stuff. Sooner or later, it all catches up with us. The thought of leaving these piles, bags and boxes with objects and items of questionable value for someone else to deal with throws major guilt issues my way. In my office, I am working through those piles and have incorporated some organizational apps like Evernote and Trello. Here are some others you might try on either your desktop computer or mobile phone.

Where Ideas for Growth and Success Come From

My routine for participating in a seminar or webinar is to take copious notes. Then, when I need a fresh page of my legal pad or notebook, I tear off the notes and add them to ‘The Pile’ in my office. The idea is I will get back to them, decipher my scribbling and hopefully re-read them in a calm, quiet setting. Doesn’t always happen that way, or quickly, but I’ve captured some valuable ideas.

Important Concepts for Small Business Growth and Success

I want to share some important concepts every small business owner should understand about themself and/or their firm. I have saved the following five statements since who-knows-when. Where they came from is long forgotten. The notes sheet these were on finally rose to the top layers of ‘The Pile’.

Take a few minutes over coffee – or a glass of wine – to mull over your answers to these statements. The process is excellent for identifying ideal customers and clients for the products or services you offer. The results will be critical in helping you through the journey of growth and success for both yourself and your firm.

I see myself as a partner in my clients’ _________________________________________.
There is no greater joy for me than to see a client ________________________________.
When people are given ___________ they can ________________ and the results for their organization are ___________________________________________________________.
The First Step is to help people see ____________________________________________.
I often see this happen after I’ve worked with someone for a while __________________.

Maybe you already know your answers to these statements. Or, perhaps you never even thought about this type of concept. Two important outcomes to discover from the process of determining who your ideal customers are:

Know and understand yourself and the focus of your firm.
Know and understand as much as possible about which customers will best fit the self-definition reached from the five statements above.

Value of Self-Definition in the Growth and Success Process

Self-definition builds awareness about you and your firm. It helps you better understand your brand. Remember, a brand defines: Who you are, what you do, and why people should do business with you (your value). Ask yourself, after answering the five statements above:

Am I the person (or firm) described in my answers?
Is this truly what I provide for my customers/clients?
If I am not ‘there’, how do I achieve what I claim in my answers?

How to Become the Specialist You Hoped to Be

If you aren’t aware of the elements critical to successful small business branding and identifying ideal customers, review them here. Maybe you offer a product that no one else has, or you have the best version on the market. Why keep it a secret? You need to find the customers who are looking for just what you offer.

Before tucking these five basic questions away to a safe and retrievable location, I took time to answer them again. Here are my latest responses:

I see myself as a partner in my clients’ preparation and growth journey toward success.
There is no greater joy for me than to see a client succeed – even with tiny steps in a focused direction.
When people are given the right tools they can create a strong foundation for growth and the results for their organization can be wild, crazy success.
The First Step is to help people see their ability to achieve success is as greater than anyone else.
I often see this happen after I’ve worked with someone for a while: They gain the confidence needed to reclaim control over their business. The new confidence and control helps them refocus and redirect the firm toward the success they always dreamed of.

Growth is Crucial for Success. Make Time for This Exercise

Don’t just say ‘Hmmmm. Interesting’ to yourself and move on to the next message in your Inbox. Click the ‘star’ to remember this email is important. Then, go to your calendar and block off half an hour to answer the five statements. Go somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed. See if your answers equate to the way you really deal with clients and customers. Are your answers are contrary to the daily operation of your small business? Sounds like it’s time to do some deep digging and focused planning.