ColinRooney

What if you couldn’t FAIL?

2012-02-07T14:13:00.000-08:00

What if you couldn't FAIL?
You get up in the morning with the same excitement you have every day.
You look around the office and with a smug look on you face you say to yourself “I did this”
Now imagine the possibilities without FEAR?
You have great ideas every day, you visualise the potential of where your business COULD go.
And then it hits you like a sledge hammer, what if I F*** it up and it all goes wrong? What if this? what if that? Can I pull it off? What will people think of me?
Now, the little voice in your head is driving you crazy because the little voice is starting to make sense, and the voice in your head is given you the biggest problem we all face…..DOUBT.
My question to you, and a simple question it is at that. WHAT WOULD YOU DIFFERENT IF YOU KNEW YOU COULDN’T FAIL?

Entrepreneur is a word that is used far too often to describe a business owner. Anyone can start a business and anyone can call them self an Entrepreneur, however the real test is how we deal with the FEAR FACTOR.
Do we
A: Give ourselves reasons not to?
B: Not even consider option A
Fear is merely an emotion that can be controlled

How hard can it be to take your own Advice?

2012-02-07T13:55:00.000-08:00

When it comes to giving advice, I love it! In fact its more than that, I get no better feeling than hearing those great words “what would you do Col?”

My advice over the years has become renowned for its brutal honesty; I have always believed that if you ask for my opinion on a specific matter, I will assume that you really wish to know what my opinion is? Surely if you didn’t, you wouldn’t have asked?

Here’s my first piece of advice, if you have a fat arse, please don’t ask me “does my bum look big in this” if you just wanted me to bullshit you into feeling good.

Now, here’s the problem, I can’t take my own advice, even when I know that the advice would really improve a situation. If I could practice what I preach (on many a level) I would be the person I always wanted to become.

Just writing this down and reading it back to myself is making me feel like a hypocritical two faced knob.

Take this for an example; I’m slightly overweight, I repeat SLIGHTLY!! I know that I would just feel great if I shed a couple of pounds. If you came to me with the same predicament, I would have you focus on the end product, “how great would feel if you lost the weight” I’d ask you. I would recommend that you journal your weight loss so you can see the progress, and so on…….

Me, I see this

So, the best piece of advice I could offer anybody including ME is to take your own advice, use what you have inside you and practice what you preach. Your self-belief with rocket into another dimension.

Try it tomorrow, I will.

Franchise your Business part 1

2012-01-26T08:32:00.000-08:00

This is my first “to be continued” blog. I am in the process of growing my empire using a tried and tested route to market…..Franchising.

Now, here's my issue, to date I have been to 3 different “free” franchise showcases, and all of them say the same blurb,

Step One:- We will tell you if you can franchise and in-return you pay us loads of money

Step Two:- We will then tell you what you need to do to get to where you want to go, and in-return you will pay us even more loads of money

Step Three:- We will provide you with lots of already written templates that you can tweak to suite your business, along with some tried and tested but not unique marketing ideas and in-return you will give us loads of money.

Step four: once you have sold a couple of franchises we will take the credit for all the hard work you put in, and should you fail we will take no responsibility what so ever, and you would have just lost loads of money.

I’ll tell you what Mr Fee earning consultant, if you’re as good as you say you are, then you do it for free and I guaranty to double what you would have charged me by paying you commission for each franchise we sell? What do you mean no? are you not as good as you say you are?

I’m now caught between a rock and a hard place; I know that if I do pay the franchise consultant, I will never fully appreciate what they are doing for me. If I don’t use the “expert” and go at it alone, I will find it dam near on impossible to find an investor.

I Have A Dream

2011-12-06T15:00:00.000-08:00

Are you in the early stages of building your empire?

Before you sit down and put pen to paper to write your first business plan then you need to have one thought in mind

THINK BIG!

There are no limits to your business (well apart from the ones that other people put in front of you)

Do you think Martin Luther King had any doubts when he delivered his “I have a Dream” speech?

Did Ray Kroc believe that after meeting Dick and Mac McDonald back in 1948 he was thinking small?

These inspirational figures had vision, the kind of vision that is mocked by others, and yes you too will be ridiculed by even the closest people in your life.

The moment YOU stop believing in your dream and accept things for the way they are, that will be the way they stay.

As Winston Churchill once said

Who is your Business Yoda?

2011-12-05T09:12:00.000-08:00

Everyone starting out in business needs help, you don’t always know how to access the answers that believe it or not you probably “already know”.

Allow me to explain:-

I hate business consultants with a passion, But Why?

The reason is not them but me, I would get frustrated that all they seemed to do is take stuff that I “already knew” put it in a report and sell it back to me.

That’s the key, you do “already know” most of the answers, the trouble is that you don’t always believe what you tell yourself!

This is sometimes called a “gut feeling” or “intuition”

What you don’t need to do is spend hundreds of pound that you don’t have paying a fee earning Business Consultant. There is another way; I call them Business Yoda’s (just because its sounds cool).

Where do you find your Yoda?

Well believe it or not they are everywhere, Networking groups, Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn or even in the local pub, you don’t need to crash your X-Wing fighter into a swamp to find yours.

You’re looking for people who understand who you are and what you’re trying to achieve, they don’t need to understand your business, they just need to know how to run one.

Take the softly softly approach with them, find out more about them, join there circles, follow them on social media. Get them to like you and more importantly find out if you like them! if you don't, find another one.

Over time speak about your business and the problems you are facing, if they start to respond and give you sound advice, then guess what , you are on your way to becoming a Jedi Knight as you may have just found your Yoda. There are also no rules on how many Yoda’s you can have.

How Do You Stay Positive

2011-12-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

How Do You Stay Positive

We all know that starting a business from scratch is no easy task. (and if you didn’t you soon will). Business owners often experience stress far beyond the pressures of a normal job.

Often it’s very difficult to continually remain positive, to keep the belief that one day this will all be worth it.

I’d love to get some feedback from other on how YOU stay positive so that other can benefit on what works for you.

I’ll start you off with my favourite:

Stay away from negative people, they will bring you down. You know the type, the ones that complain about everybody else, and the ones that think they could do it better than you but never try!

STAY AWAY from the people who don’t believe in YOU

Please add your advice in the comments box so we can share them with others

Copycat Marketing

2011-06-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

“I’ve done it….yes, I finally work for myself”

Remember that feeling?

You may also remember the feeling of once being the best at what you do?

You were the best hairdresser, electrician, web designer or retail manager. You know you are that’s why you once said those magic oh so life changing words…….

“I could do this better than my boss”

You must have uttered those words once or at least something like it. You are the best at what you do and that’s why you are now doing it for yourself, and hey, so you should.

The problem most start-up businesses realize very early is that you might be the best hairdresser, electrician, web designer or retail manager, but you don’t know diddley squat about marketing!!

This is when it happens; this is when most start-ups make that first critical error,

“Let’s see what everyone else does, and copy them”.

If it works for them surely it will work for you, right?

Let me ask you a question,

When you sat down to write your first business plan whether it was a 10 page manuscript or on the back of a cigarette packet, did you mention that you would strive to be the same as everybody else?

That you would offer the same poor level of service as everyone else? That you would charge the same, look the same or even give yourself the same name?

Of course you didn’t (if you did then close your business today and go get a job).

You started your business because you knew you could do it better than the rest.

We wouldn’t want to be different would we? What if somebody notices!!!

Try to be a bit different but whatever you do, don’t do nothing and bury your head in the sand.

One result I can promise you is that you will always get NOTHING from doing NOTHING.

We don’t need fee earning Business Consultants

2011-05-30T08:44:00.001-07:00

Business Consultants and why we hate them!!

A Business consultant will borrow your watch to tell you the time, then walk off with your watch.
If you’re just starting out in business I have some important advice for you………..
YOU DO NOT NEED A BUSINESS CONSULTANT!!!

What if you couldn't fail?

2011-05-30T08:36:00.001-07:00

What if you couldn’t FAIL?
Just imagine, you get up in the morning with the same excitement you have every day.
You look around the office and with a smug look on you face you say to yourself “I did this”
Now imagine the possibilities without FEAR?
You have great ideas every day, you visualise the possibilities of where your business COULD go.
And then it hits you like a sledge hammer, what if I F*** it up and it all goes wrong? What if this? what if that? Can I pull it off? What will people think of me?
Now, the little voice in your head is driving you crazy because the little voice is starting to make sense, and the voice in your head is given you the biggest problem we all face…..DOUBT.
My question to you, and a simple question it is at that. WHAT WOULD YOU DIFFERENT IF YOU KNEW YOU COULDN’T FAIL?
Entrepreneur is a word that is used far too often to describe a business owner. Anyone can start a business and anyone can call them self an Entrepreneur, however the real test is how we deal with the FEAR FACTOR.
Do we
A: Give ourselves reasons not to?
B: Not even consider option A
Fear is merely an emotion that can be controlled

Bad News – you have a bucket list!!

2011-05-30T08:35:00.001-07:00

The creation of a Bucket List is an admission that you failed yourself in your life.
You spend your life wanting more, wishing you had e done more and then, bad news knocks on the door. Your life expectancy stopwatch is drawing to its climax and you panic and start to have regrets.
Why wait for the Grim Reaper to give you a wakeup call, why wait, why wait, why wait.
If you are remotely like me, and you believe that you only have one chance at life, then why would you spend half of it wishing you could have done more?
Do something NOW
Before you decide to throw caution to the wind and grab your life savings, leave your significant other and abandon your kids, STOP. You lost the chance to do things rash a long time ago.
Now you have more commitments in life you’ll need to do things slightly different!
We need to have a plan.
I know………. that all sounds a bit business consultancy like, but believe me my previous
Blog on “We don’t need fee earning Business Consultants” may explain what I think of them!!. All I mean by planning is, have a beginning, middle and the most importantly an END.
DON’T Justify the Bucket List when the time comes.

Do All Web Designers LIE?

2011-05-30T07:21:00.001-07:00

All I seem to hear these days is SEO this and SEO that.
You need to be on the first page of Google.
Ok, I not going to tell that being first on Google isn’t important because it is.
However, this is only the beginning.
After the Web Designers have bamboozled you with the importance of great SEO they will then move onto the “Design”. This will change depending on what new trick they have learned that week.
They will show you lots of flashing moving things and “deal of the week banners” and all this to grab the attention of your potential new customers, because apparently we only have a nano-second to keep them.
Guess what? I have already clicked on your site, you already have my attention.
Now you need to engage with me? Yes I need to know whether you site has all the answers I’m looking for but more importantly I would love your website to tell me something I didn’t think to ask!
PLEASE PLEASE remember most web designers are what they say on the tin, they are not marketing experts and will never fully understand your business. There is only one person who understands your business the most……..you. Make sure you have most of the input on your web design, you just need the designer to put it together.
Part of my research was assisted by Mr David Meerman Scott

My top 6 Suggestions to run your own Business

2011-05-30T07:20:00.001-07:00

Commitment: - Yes…..!! I know this may sound a bit lame and obvious but without it you will fail. Along with commitment comes patience, there will be many occasions when the phone doesn’t ring and you email inbox becomes a ghost town. I started my first business in October 2008, the news was dominated by the credit crunch and I wasn’t even convinced my phone even had a ring tone as it never made a noise until February 2009.
Have a Plan: - No not a business plan, a business plan is fiction transcript that you write to keep the bank happy. What I mean by a plan is a vision of the future, have a picture in your mind of what your business will look like in a year from now. You need to visualize what it looks like to make it tangible, you need to have a direction at the start of your journey. To put this into laymen terms, you never get in your car and just drive to see where you end up, you’ll have a destination in your mind before you leave, sometimes you may have to change direction but eventually you will complete your journey.
Never have an opinion: - The only opinion that matters is the ones your customers or clients have. Your customers and clients are always right even when you believe they are wrong.
Self-educate:- What you don’t know now….learn. Take the time to learn new skills. Since we started in October 2008 we have learned to build our own websites and studied professional marketing, saving us £.000′s on out-sourcing.
Belief and faith: - This for me is the most important discipline; there is only one thing in life that you have total control over, your own thoughts. If you don’t believe in your business how can you expect anybody else too?
Diversity: - be prepared to change direction, if things aren’t working just working harder isn’t enough, you’ll just get nowhere quicker. To achieve a different outcome you will need to change the way you do things

Networking Nerves?

2011-05-30T07:17:00.003-07:00

You’re sat on your chair, you can see other people standing up and one by one delivering what seems like the best 60 second pitch you have ever heard.
They then sit down one by one getting ever closer to you; your heart is now beating so hard you look at the person next to you in the hope they can’t hear it, you smile awkwardly trying to hide the nerves. Another quick swig of water, your mouth is so dry you feel like your chewing sand!. Then, the person next to you arises from their chair,
“OMG it’s my turn next!”
It gets worse, everybody is in ore at the inspiring 60 second "Mr networking" is delivering.
You hope for a power cut!
Perhaps you could fake a heart attack!
No such luck, its time, it’s your time.
“Hi my name is Colin and my company is ……………” OMG what’s my company name, what do we do?
60 seconds seems like a life time, and your pitch, seems the worst ever.
You forget how sit down, your 60 seconds is finished but you nervously carry on talking complete crap, hoping for some sort of acknowledgement from people in the room.
Finally you sit down, you reach for another sip of water, your hands still shaking from the nerves and adrenalin but thank god it’s over.
Sound familiar?
You are not alone; I can guarantee to you that 80% of the room feel just like you.
Now the bad news, experts will tell you that they can cure this.
There is no quick fix.
You need to use the same formula that works on everything else you do, PRACTISE MAKES PERFECT.
Sorry if that’s sound dull and boring but its the reality.
I have stood up more times than I can remember, to the newbies in the room I probably sound like an expert. I still haven’t cured my nerves and my hands still shake every time, however I no longer hate doing it and each time it gets easier.
And it will for you.

Networking, The Rules of Engagement

2011-05-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

So firstly, why do we network?
Simple answer: - to gain more business, not leads, leads are for dogs!!
I’m talking about real business, you know, that part that makes us money.
For SME’s networking is the best form of marketing bar none.

It’s cost next to nothing (if you go to the right ones)
You the owner gets to speak about what you know better than anybody, Your Business
Your business gets known locally
You get free advice from other business owners

Ok, all that sound too easy. Well it is. However there is a catch
TIME!!
No, not time out of your day, if there isn’t enough time in your day then you probably don’t need the extra business. For now anyway!
Time in the networking world comes in the form of patience, and boy do you need to be patient.
Ok, the rules of engagement.
DON’T TRY TO SELL YOUR BUSINESS.
There are lots of sales techniques and trends that come and go,
However, one rule remains number 1, top of list. People buy from people, even more so now more than ever.
So engage with fellow networkers, they don’t care about your business, they only care about theirs.
Let them speak, ask them what they do and you won’t shut them up. Be interested (really) don’t fake you’re interest.
Remember who you’re talking to, these people are the same as you and will see straight through your bullshit.
DON’T learn a sales pitch for your business, it sounds just like what it is, a sales pitch. Give them a relaxed short insight of what you do. If they want to know more they will ask. If they don’t ask, then they don’t want to know.
Worry not; you WILL get another chance another time.
Always ask new people “what sort of people are you looking for?” or “how can I help you?”
Remember for now, your just making friends. The business WILL follow.
Remember names (I am crap at this) I try to relate people to film stars to remember names, or give them nicknames. This did shoot me in the arse once when I called the person by their nickname!!
Forgetting somebody’s name who remembers yours in unforgivable!!
DON’T LIE. The Internet has given us nowhere to hide, you will get found out.
Follow up after the event on all the business cards you have been handed. Again DON’T send a big long email about what you do, they already know or didn’t want to know. A quick email

Hi (name)
It was great to meet you today at (place), your business sounds great and I hope I catch you at the next event.
In the meantime if I meet somebody who could use your help then I will definitely pass on your details.
Best regards

YOU

Remember if you’re thought their business was rubbish and they were a KNOB, then don’t follow-up
It’s still ok to not like everybody, there are some complete idiots out there.
If you find you don’t like anybody! then I suggest you don’t go anymore and close your business!!
Networking takes time, after about 6 months, 50% of my new business comes from networking.
Great ROI
If you’re worried about walking up to people, then take comfort in the fact that so are most of the people in the room.
YOU’RE NOT ALONE
Any suggestions for my next post?

Here lies...........

2011-05-30T06:44:00.001-07:00

I read something recently that I revert to when I’m struggling with my business or I do something I’m not proud of. Or, I just need to give myself kick up the backside. I would like to share it with you.
Apologies to those who have read it somewhere before, but still, it may just give you a kick up the backside
I’d Like you to imagine you are about to attend one of the most important occasions of your life.
It will be held in a room sufficiently large enough to seat all of your friends, your family, your business associates, anyone and everyone to whom you are important and who is important to you.
Can you see it?
The walls are draped with deep golden tapestries.
The lighting is subdued, soft, casting a warm glow on the faces of your expectant guests. Their chairs are handsomely upholstered in a golden fabric that matches the tapestries. The golden carpeting is deeply piled.
At the front of the room is a dais, and on the dais a large, beautifully decorated table, with candles burning at either end.
On the table, in the centre, is the object of everyone’s attention. A large, shining, ornate box. And in the box is………..YOU! Stiff as the proverbial board.
Do you see yourself lying in the box, not a dry eye in the room?
Now, listen.
From the four corners of the room comes a tape recording of your voice. Can you here it? lying in the box, not a dry eye in the room?
Now, listen.
From the four corners of the room comes a tape recording of your voice. Can you here it? Your addressing your guests. You’re telling them the story of your life.
How would you like that story to go?
That’s your primary aim.
What would you like to be able to say about your life after it’s too late to do anything about it?
That’s your primary aim.
If you were to write a script for the tape to played for the mourners at your funeral, how would you like it to read?
That’s your primary aim.
And once you’ve created the script, all you need to do is make it come true.
Taken form the book the E myth

Dont Take It So Personally

2011-05-30T06:22:00.001-07:00

Are you married to your business?
Do you work every hour that’s available?
Does nobody else understand your pain?
Well, the good news is, you’re not alone.
The Bad news, this has a major impact on your decision making.
As business owner we don’t like negative comments from other when it comes to “our” company. However, some of these negative comments could assist in taking your little empire to the next level.

Mini Case study
It’s 1am your eyes are getting heavy, but you don’t care as you have just spent the last 5 hours on a great new piece of marketing material. This was all your idea, you even taught
yourself how the software works to design it, you pat yourself on the back and smile sweetly because you….love it!
7 am you jump out of bed ready to start the day again; you give yourself a little smile in the mirror because you know “marketing”
You can’t wait to show your friends, family and staff you new idea.
Now the exciting part, you wait, you wait a bit longer, anytime now these guys are going to tell me how great I am?........but they don’t.
In fact it’s worse; they don’t like it and have even the audacity to “criticise” it.
“What do they know”, “what gives them the right to criticise me” “they didn’t sit up till 1am in the morning creating this”

STOP.

This is not “criticism”, this is what the clever ones call “feedback” or in the business world it’s sometime known as “market research”!
Don’t run your business autocratically, let it go and let people share their voice and more importantly……..
DON’T TAKE IS PERSONALY