Pushing To Business Success

I simply cannot resist black olive and artichoke pizza. I also can-not resist ice cream of any flavor, flannel sheets at 5 a.m. on a frigid winter morning, a good book versus a good walk, and doing just about anything in place of going on a sales call. So this time of year — first quarter goals and resolutions and all — I wrestle with my resolve to be a healthier, more productive, person. None of this is new; I wrangled with the same issues this time last year. But what is new this year is I have George. George is my sales trainer. George and The Sandler Selling System taught me the proper way to set and reach my goals.

In my 30-plus years of life, goal setting and resolutions have fallen into the hokey column. I've arrogantly left them to self-help gurus and those with more serious addictions than mine. I'd dabble in goal setting, making an offhand list the first of the year but always decidedly ended up relying on the “good things happen to good people” theory. Unfortunately this dismissive approach assumed I was a good person and left too much to fate. I couldn't then be too disappointed if I fell off track because I didn't assume any control in the first place. George changed all of that.
Speaking from my converted stance, I graciously acknowledge that there are still those who mentally roll their eyes at the very mention of goal setting. That's perfectly okay. I was there. I was there until one day in class George casually suggested that perhaps I was just fine hanging out in my comfort zone. Me? Comfort zone? No. Doesn't he know that I run a remodeling company? Remodelers and small business owners by their very nature don't live in “comfortable.” We are a breed of explorers, experimenters, risk takers. Fine, our profit sharing has stayed in the same general ballpark for the past few years. I drive the same tiny car. I hate when the phone rings with a prospect at the other end. I'd rather spend the day working on our new ad campaign then making cold calls to architects. I suppose I could concede that George has a point.
I had an assignment: Dream Collage. Hokey, but very, very powerful. I spent an afternoon tearing pictures out of magazines, sketching images, gathering small but meaningful trinkets from around the house and pasting them to a giant poster board. Over the course of a few hours, I created a visual guide of my dreams. Not a list in a private journal — a huge, colorful, splashy, tangible canvas. The following Tuesday I presented it to my class. I gave words to the images cementing the goals in my mind and publically asked to be held accountable. This collage is in my office. I look at it when I am on the phone with a prospect. The prospect, unbeknownst to him, is now an ally. If I sell work to this prospect, I am one step closer to achieving my dreams. Conversely, if the prospect isn't a fit, I have the courage to say so sooner. Why waste time on someone who is an impediment to your dreams?

The second step of this assignment was to make headings based on the images in the collage and list out the specific actions I must take to pull off my dreams. This is the first list of goals I have ever made that has actually stuck. With the combination of the collage and the list, remarkable things have happened. I have actually met and exceeded many of my goals and have had to rewrite and re-collage to update my dreams. I am more purposeful than ever before. And sales have become a lot easier. I have always loosely dreamed of high revenues and good returns, but giving specific and personal meaning to them has put an extra dance in my step. Actually putting my goals and dreams down on paper makes them real; I can't hide from them and I can't leave them to fate. And every other Tuesday in class, George makes certain I stay on track.

Tanya Peel believes in the reincarnation of material things. When she needed shelves for her new store, she searched Craig’s List and found an old, wooden cupboard that someone was going to throw out, which she’s using to shelve her products. Her Woodland Hills, CA store, All Things Green,
has been online since March 2008 and will officially open its doors this March.

The store was designed and operates using as much recycled material as possible. Peel’s approach isn’t too far-fetched. Retailers are beginning to realize that there’s more to designing and maintaining an eco-friendly store than meets the eye, and it’s something that can be done economically, if materials can be re-purposed. Peel’s store has been green since its inception, and one way she maintains it is through packaging. Multiple-sized boxes, envelopes and other packaging that products arrive in are reused to ship items back out to customers. She puts a stamp on each package so customers know her eco-shipping efforts. Shredded paper is also used to pack items like glass and other fragile items, and everything down to the actual products being sold leave a minimal, negative imprint on the environment. Customers can stock up on all re-purposed or eco-friendly products such as bags, bottles, clothing, toys, and even non-toxic cleaning products like those by Eco Discoveries, Atlanta at her store, and they cost the same as well-known brands like Clorox or Tide. “If you just continue consuming without ever thinking about why we consume and what the story is behind the product we are consuming then change can never take place,” said Peel.

There’s another side to being green. Retailers can sell eco products but be wasteful in their practices. Lack of energy efficiency or overuse of papers and plastics for purchases and packaging is one major challenge to becoming green. To save energy, Peel uses a router and plugs everything into it, so there’s one plug to go off when the day is done. Plastic costs and waste will be cut significantly since Peel plans on giving customers a 10 percent discount every time they bring their own bag to her store to shop.

Other bag options on the market include those made of non-woven polypropylene, which are sturdy, affordable and reusable, according to Peter Shore, president of Gift Box Corporation, a Carlstadt, NJ-based vendor of gift packaging materials. And bags made of PET or crushed water bottles can provide better colors and allow better registration of prints for unique designs. “Retailers need to promote the whole concept of reuse as opposed to throwing away,” said Shore.
While eco-friendly practices are just as important as the products being sold in a green store, store design is another important factor.
Turning Green

When customers look into the storefront, they should see the green imprint. It’s their window — literally — into an eco-conscious store. Everything from VOC paints to LED lighting can make the difference. One energy tip that sticks for Kathy Walsh, owner of Homeward Bound of New Milford, CT, is lighting. She’s tested different compact fluorescent lights, but they make her displayed merchandise look “washed out.” Instead, she opted for a combination of incandescent and halogen bulbs, which save one-third electricity and last longer. “This seems to us the area in which new technology could most fruitfully be applied,” said Walsh.

When working on the design of a store, the less is more approach works best when starting out. “If you’re going to remodel a store, make sure you are not remodeling just to go green and you’re actually remodeling for a purpose,” said Kara Walker, lead designer, LEED approved professional at JGA, Southfield, MI. “It’s one thing to repaint, but if you say we should take out this carpet for more environmentally friendly carpeting, then you’re just creating extra waste that you don’t really need. It’s more than just in your store. It’s been manufactured, transferred and now it has this life cycle and end-of-life cycle. That’s the bigger picture.”

JGA recently helped outdoors retailers like Timberland and North Face, which both used recycled materials in store renovations and exhibits. At North Face’s Boise, ID, store, both the building owner and retailer had a goal of acquiring Gold Level LEED Certification, an accreditation given to buildings that are proven to be environmentally responsible through their efforts to save water and energy, and reduce harmful greenhouse emissions and other wastes.

The site of an old department store, the three-story building was going to be demolished, so all materials that could be recycled were salvaged for the new store, including the original brick walls, cast iron rivets, metal beams and the columns around the store’s perimeter.
For those that are just jumping into green, Tim Wersell, senior draftsman and LEED-AP at JGA, said two words: start small.

Simply turning the lights off in rooms that are not in use or installing motion light switches that turn them off automatically is a good option for starters. Recycling programs are also a great way to get started. Figure out the store’s mission in going green next. “[Store owners] need to find out what is important to them,” said Walker. “Is it being energy efficient? Is it about reducing toxins, reducing the carbon footprint on the world? Are they sourcing products locally? Do they have a say with packaging?” She added that even if product is not being transported locally, retailers can control how the product leaves the store, which goes back to the bags, tissues or lack of bags being used or the box it’s shipped in. Secondary, or recycled packaging, is the better option.

“Secondary packaging is important because it’s the first thing the customer sees,” said Dennis Salazar, Salazar Packaging, Plainfield, IL, “especially if you are dealing over the Internet and have a green business; the first real contact your customer has with you is the package arriving by UPS, FedEx or USPS.”
Repacking

Salazar and his wife Lenora started the company, which offers secondary packaging to All Things Green and dozens of other retailers around the country, after more than 40 combined years working in shipping and distribution. They offer “stuff that everyone takes for granted” when shipping, according Salazar — from recycled boxes and envelopes to eco-friendly pastes, paper mailers and labels.

He thinks retailers are still behind in their packaging and shipping practices. Misconceptions that green packaging is expensive and has a long lead time are to blame. In reality, the opposite is true, Salazar notes. “You can buy minimum quantities at about the same price you pay for normal packaging,” he said. “You can afford to do this and should do this for eco consistency.”
As the misconceptions subside, going green will be more than a trend and more a way of business for most, but more retailers still need to commit. “I don’t necessarily think it’s a trend that’s ever going to die,” said Peel. “It’s the new future that we will all start to embrace.”

It’s Easy Being GREEN

Don’t know where to start? Here are some everyday tips that can turn your store green:
Bag It

Offer biodegradable or recyclable bags to customers, and tell them to bring the bag back when they return to shop for a discount or gift with purchase.
Box It

Have cardboard boxes lying around? All Things Green’s Peel uses empty boxes to stock magazines or papers for shredding.

Lights Off

Shut lights down where unnecessary and use compact fluorescent, LED light bulbs, incandescent or halogen bulbs that use less energy and showcase your merchandise in the best light possible.

Craig’s List

Know someone getting rid of a bookcase? One person’s trash is another’s treasure. Take it and use it to stock books or small items in your store. Repurpose. Repurpose. Repurpose.

Green Energy

Check to see what alternative energy options are offered in your city then sign up! Using greener power can cut coal emissions by using more wind and solar power.
Mug Shots

Bring in a mug. Use it instead of paper cups for your daily joe or other beverages.

A small home business was my goal. Something I could do and stay at home with the kids. It had to be something we believed in, something our family could enjoy and something we could all participate in. We came up with a small family farm, but since we only have 5 acres, we opted for getting some fruit started and growing a big produce garden.

My Mother used to say that a thrifty wife can earn her keep just by staying at home, growing a big garden, canning or freezing everything you can and cooking from scratch. We decided to take this one step further and grow enough to share with friends and relatives and earn a little at the same time.

At the first of the year, tax time, I was feeling a bit down because I could see by the numbers we just weren't making it on my husband's salary, but what was getting us by was the extra projects we were doing. We started doing some homework and began to learn a little about investing. What we came up with is that if I could do something at home even if it only made a dollar a day and then invest that for our future it would be worth it to us.

I started taking that attitude to the store, and found by buying the store brand instead of a name brand and by not buying something or leaving off a personal item here and there, I could also save my dollar a day. It was an empowering feeling to me, that even though I stay at home I can still make a difference in our financial future.

My first goal was to make $4.00 a day, one dollar for each member of our family. If we invest a dollar each a day in retirement accounts and a dollar a day in Custodial Accounts for the kids, the money can be in an FDIC account, invested securely (like in bonds), and it can earn 5-7%. If invested in mutual funds, stock, or something less secure it can make between 0-14%. You have to decide what kind of risk you are willing to take.

By budgeting in other areas of your life, as well, you will be amazed what you can earn and save by doing things the old-fashioned, slow-paced-lifestyle way. For instance, I make some of our kid's clothes, mend and refashion clothes. We take hand-me-downs and appreciate having them.

Another way to save is to avoid using credit cards. Avoiding paying interest on the things you buy will help you save money. Or, if you do use credit cards for travel etc, only use them if the money is already in your account. Then pay them off as soon as you receive the bill. That way you do not pay any interest or service charges. Choose a credit card that does not have service charges and don't bother with the extra insurance, you are still covered if the card is stolen or lost. Beware of cards that advertise low interest rates but then break the billing cycle into 2 cycles each month but only bill once a month. With these you can still accrue interest even if you pay the whole bill on time.

Carefully go over your mortgage, sometimes it is to your advantage to refinance if you can get a percent lower interest rate. Also, if you refinance and get a lower payment, but continue to pay the same amount, you will pay your loan off faster than if you didn't refinance. One of the best investments you can make is paying extra on your mortgage.

For example, if you have an $80,000 mortgage at 7.25% for 30 years and pay an extra $1,000 on it you will knock a whole year off the loan. That's an estimated savings of $7,200! What investments are there that can earn you this kind of money?! It is not always financially sound to pay off your mortgage but certainly paying it down where it is more manageable is a big help.

Don't take someone else's word for it, do your own homework on your financial situation and you will be amazed at what you can do for yourself and how easy it can be to save money. Call it budget, if you like, but I sure like the old adage, "a penny saved is a penny earned." In my way of thinking, a dollar saved is a dollar earned and can make the difference of having a secure future or not.

Pricing is probably one of the toughest problems you will face. There is no pat solution when you are trying to price your goods or services.

Price = product + service + profit + image

Price will need to include:

1. the cost of producing your product
2. the cost of providing any needed services that may accompany the product.
3. the amount of profit that you need to make in order to stay in business.
4. you can play "image" into your price - are you trying to portray the best quality or the lowest price. This may also depend on your branding strategy.

Before you consider your image, take a look at your competition. What are they charging? If your USP (unique selling proposition) has nothing to do with your price, then you will want your price to be comparable to your competition. If your USP has everything to do with your price for instance.

LOWEST PRICE IN TOWN or BEST QUALITY IN THE NATION

then you will need to adjust your prices accordingly.

Price can be a direct reflection of quality or even perceived quality.

When we started our business, we talked about price a lot. First, we determined we would charge everything by the hour. Second, we had to determine what to charge by the hour. We didn't have a lot of experience in certain areas when we started, but we needed to get clients and we needed to get experience. So, we checked on rates of our competitors, they were charging around $50 - $100 per hour. So we charged $25 an hour. We were cheap, that was part of our branding. We got a few projects under our belt, read a lot, learned a lot, and kept up with technology. Within one year we determined to increase our rates. We doubled them. We've stayed at $50 an hour for the last 2 years. This did not deter clients from giving us repeat business.

Balance Sheet of Life are:

• Our Birth is our Opening Balance
• Our Death is our Closing Balance
• Our Prejudiced Views are our Liabilities
• Our Creative Ideas are our Assets
• Heart is our Current Asset
• Soul is our Fixed Asset