I
attended two meetings this week where I asked everyone
to write down the first thing that came to mind when
I asked the following questions.
- Fifteen
dollars
- Fifty
dollars
- Five
hundred dollars
- One
thousand dollars
- Ten
thousand dollars
- One
hundred thousand dollars
People
then told the rest of the crowd what things they thought
of when these numbers were mentioned. The number one
answer for fifteen dollars was "a bottle of wine".
The number one answer for fifty dollars was a manicure,
pedicure or massage. As the number got higher, the personal
rewards increased. Only when we reached the hundred
thousand dollar mark did I begin to hear a lot of people
say that they would invest that amount.
Now,
let me diverse just a little. in the last several weeks,
with the scare of a recession, we have had a number
of women call expressing that they were cutting back
and to discontinue their membership for now. At first
I was perplexed. Then I realized that these people did
not see the value in our organization nor were they
serious about their own. So this was my reason for asking
people what they thought of when I mentioned fifteen
dollars. Our membership rates vary from $9.95 to $24.95
month. Included in this monthly fee is Google ranking,
a monthly workshop valued at $24.99. Add to that discounts,
programs, free information, mentorship, referrals and
we offer more value that the monthly fee by far. So
thank you to those of you who encourage me every week
and realize the value of this organization!
So
here are some suggestions for any business and how they
can allocate their money in times of economic uncertainty.
- Get
out and see your clients - let them know you are there
to help
- Network
more often - make sure people know your business is
still open
- Invest
in items that are drastically marked down. Many places
will be trying to clear out stock - watch for those
bargains on things you have been thinking about for
your business.
- Focus
on where you are going, not the bumps in the road.
- Understand
that this is how the markets work. Sometimes things
are up, sometimes they are down. This is normal.
- Take
good care of your clients. We should do this all year
round, but now it is even more important. Give them
the gift of your time!
In
the end, after you have done all these things, know
that you have taken good care of your business. And
when you take good care of your business when times
are tough, it will take care of you later! Ask yourself
what does your business meant to. Is it worth it to
spend $24 a month on? (Of course it is)
Now
that you have taken good care of your business go ahead
and enjoy that bottle of wine!
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