These sneaky critters are the biggest waste of time and money in your business.

Today I’m going to reveal why so many business owners who think they are doing everything right, still can’t manage to break out from the pack. You’ll see how you can skip over the wannabe entrepreneurs, and actually “Get Results”.

So instead of generating an income from your business, you create a lifestyle.

Ok, now you’re getting ready for a big year in 2012.

– You have a goal.

– You’ve created a plan to achieve that goal.

– And you’re determined with laser-beam focus, to make it a reality in your life.

But, if you are really going to have a wildly successful new year in 2012, then you have to make sure you squeeze every bit of value from every minute, and every dollar you spend building your business.

This is absolutely necessary if you are going to be able to build a great business on your terms.

Meaning as your business grows, so does your quality of life. And you don’t end up a mad “Stress-Head” who lets your business run you, instead of the other way around.

Ok, here are the little critters that cause most business to fail. And they are so sneaky and so subtle that they often control your every action and decision without you being any the wiser.

ASSUMPTIONS

“Assumptions are an overlooked evil for the entrepreneur and business owner.”

Ideas and ways “things get done” are often so ingrained in an industry, business or just the entrepreneurs mind that no one ever dares to question their effectiveness or the potential cost.

I’m sure if you sat down and really thought about it, you could come up with a list of at least 10 assumptions that guide your every action in the planning and day-to-day operation of your business.

Here’s a few common questions in business that people “assume” they know the answer to. Please have a quick think about how you came up with answers to these questions in your business.

– What you actually sell ( I mean what benefit does your customer get from buying from you.)
– Who is your real target market.
– What exactly do they want.
– Why they choose to do business with you.
– How you advertise.
– Where you advertise.

And the list really could go on and on. But you get the idea.

The thing is, when you really become aware of assumptions, you can control them. And instead of making assumptions, you get the facts.

You do the research. You test the results, and you optimize your business the way you want.

Just for a minute, think about it like this.

A “mad-man” with a fully automatic machine-gun, in battle.

He knows what general direction his enemy is in from his “intelligence”. So he runs into the battle blazing, fires of a thousand rounds and expects to hit his target.

After he’s wasted all his bullets and made a hell of a racket “looking busy” . His enemy come out of their hiding spots without a scratch on them.

Then we have a highly skilled sniper sitting up in the bell tower.

He comes into the battle with same information as the “mad man”, but instead of just taking the information he is give as fact. He does his research. He sits up in the tower and identifies exactly where the enemy are.

And with pinpoint accuracy and spectacular efficiency he ends the battle one shot at a time.

Look I’m a peaceful man. But the analogy just seemed to fit, so bear with me.

This is exactly the way it works in a lot of businesses.

You have an idea. You have a product. And you have a fairly good picture of who will buy it and why.

So now instead of just going in guns blazing with that information, dig deeper.

Find out exactly the kind of person that will by your product. Get on the phone and interview them, and ask what are the biggest reasons why they buy your product. Why did they choose you over the competition?

If you are a start up and don’t have any current customers you can call, there are ways. Jump online. Join discussion groups where your target market hangs out. Read publications they read. Run surveys offering a bribe for giving you the information your need.

And trust me you DO need it.

Once armed with this information every aspect of your business can become like the sniper in the bell tower.

You can direct every ounce of time, effort and money where it will bring you the biggest returns. That’s how you succeed in any highly competitive market. Because you can get your leads and customers cheaper than your competition by offering them exactly what they are looking for, where they are looking for it.

Armed with this information you have a facts to base every desicion that will determine the success or failure of your business on. So I hope you choose wisely.

Ok well I’m done for the year and it’s been a cracker, thanks for sharing it with me.( Here in Australia the new years approaching soon, so I think a few celebratory beers are in order). I hope you have a great new years eve and I’ll be back next week.

If you have any questions on this post or any marketing or copywriting related matters, just drop me an email.

Also share this link so we can get some more discussions going on various subjects. The “Mastermind” philosophy has worked time and time again, so let’s help each other succeed.

“Happy new year, see ya in 2012”

James Brine