Small Business Talk
The Podcast to Grow your Business Faster
It’s the Little Things
Show Notes
Ever wondered why some people’s businesses flourish while others don’t and often it is not a reflection on the owner’s skill or expertise levels.
“From little things big thing grow” a song by Australian song writer Paul Kelly, which is so true.
It’s the little habits that we have and do regularly that can make such a difference in our businesses.
Taking Care of the Little Things
Cash flow is the life blood of a business and can quite easily be compromised by letting the little things slip.
- Forgetting to pay bills on time so you then get charged late fees or a penalty
- Not cancelling fine print of cancellation periods and having to pay more
What about your business practices?
- Letting your customers have credit terms so they have longer to pay
- Not asking for payment upfront
- Not chasing late payments immediately and having a penalty system in place
Many of these things are only small however, when not taken care of promptly can really add up in lost time and money.
Being Organised
By taking care of the little things, you can often save money but more importantly, save time and often create good will. Paying your bills on time or early for some suppliers means you get a discount. It can also save the embarrassment of having a service cut off and having to spend time getting is reinstated. Continual late payments can also affect your credit rating so be careful.
Planning Ahead
Planning ahead gives you more options and can often create opportunities you may not have realised were there. Setting up a good practices to submit things early, arrive early can make a huge difference. Often deadlines can change and be brought forward so by submitting early, you will not run the risk of missing out.
Networking events are a great example of where being early can really help. Whether it’s meeting the organiser before the majority of people have arrived, sometimes they might need extra help setting up. Of course, don’t be annoying and try to have a D+M while they are busy doing the last preparation. Or meeting others who are early to get in some quality networking. Being late gets you noticed for all the wrong reasons and you have lost the ability to make connections that could lead to bigger things.
Micro Decisions
- Grab the parachute
- Take action – put the parachute on
- Know how to use it
Small Hinges Move Big Doors
This popular saying was originally said by W. Clement Stone who said “big doors swing on small hinges”
W Clement Stone was the founder of The Combined Insurance Company of America and also partnered with Napoleon Hill (of Think and Grow Rich fame) to define the blueprint of Successful Business in America.
Mr. Stone “A small investment in one’s self can result in a breakthrough in growth, wealth or personal development.”
And I will add – when you take action on those learnings.
It’s the Little Things
It’s the little things that make the difference, your daily practices, and the tasks you perform over and over. Elite athletes don’t wake up one day and be great. They train for hours over many years to make it happen. They work on all the little things making minor tweaks to the technique that can make huge differences to their results.
What little things are you going to do?
What practices/habits have you stopped doing?
Remember, too busy is no excuse.
We all have the same amount of time in a day what we choose to prioritise is what will make the difference in your life and for your business.
The little things matter….
Listen to Small Business Talk Episode 086 for the full episode.
Next week, we will be talking with a special guest on Small Business Talk and you will have to tune in to find out who.
