You may try to avoid one but you’ll not escape the reaper – tough but true.
So, why is it still so hard to make a sustainably profitable business by helping people to write a will? This was the problem facing Mark Underwood of Integrity Legal Services when he sought advice from intime PROFIT.
The first of what was to become a series of One-to-One business development meetings was free. Despite this Mark, like many, found it difficult to pick up the phone, dial 08456 437 497 and admit he’d appreciate a little help. It wasn’t as though business was bad, but Mark felt there could be so much more to make of it and to take from it.
On the premise that ‘two heads are better than one’, Integrity opened its doors to intime PROFIT.
A recent Daily Tickler from intime offered two words attributed to an African Proverb: GO FAR, and went on – “if you want to go fast, go alone but if you want to go far, go together.” Mark Underwood certainly wanted to take his business further than he was able to on his own.
When you sit across the table on your first One-to-One meeting, it’s your chance to unload some of the burden of running a business alone by sharing, discussing and solving some of the problems associated with business leadership.
It’s not a psychiatrist’s chair type babbling download of lonely fears and heartache though – intime PROFIT offer a structured series of analytical stages to help formulate the way forward. You are introduced to the intime 3 STEP PROCESS – Review, Plan, Action. It is this structure that then shapes an accountable plan tailored to each business we meet.
Working together rather than alone is often the first reality check. Mark himself admitted that: “…whilst I love being my own boss, making yourself accountable to someone else is a powerful tool.”
The process identifies business as well as personal strengths and weaknesses. It sets goals and a time line across which these goals might pragmatically be met. And it details the actions needed to achieve the goals.
Each time you then meet your intime PARTNER, you begin the session by reviewing the targets set previously and discussing the effectiveness of the actions taken. “Procrastination has always held me back from achieving my full potential,” said Mark (and put your hands up if you can honestly say you’re not the same). “Working with intime has given me the clarity and structure that will help me exceed my expectations.”
Obviously, the details of intime PROFIT’s relationship with Integrity are and remain confidential but the process undertaken follows similar principles whatever the business. When you are working hard within your business, it is difficult to make time to stand back to take a constructive look at the business.
Use your One-to-One to STOP the tumbling doms !
For two hours, once a fortnight over three or four months (whatever suits best), Mark borrowed an extra pair of experienced eyes, sat on the other side of the proverbial desk and looked hard at both the problem areas and the successes too.
Problems such as commercial errors or marketing weaknesses are quickly identified and their domino effect can be stopped. These are usually common mistakes that affect cost or devalue ROI by employing an inappropriate ‘I’.
Reducing costs without undermining service has an immediate impact on profit.
With more commercial control, attention can confidently be given to the flip side of the profit dynamics – sales.
intime PROFIT have two proactive tools to help drive sales. One is the 7 Step Marketing Plan and the other (another 7) the 7 Step Profit Multiplier. The One-to-One meetings concentrate initially on the Marketing Plan, structuring a series of tools to help increase leads, conversions and net order value.
“Marketing my business often slips to the bottom of my to-do list,” said Mark Underwood – “Intime have come up with some innovative approaches that will bring this activity into my top two 'must-dos'.”
The methods are proven and pragmatic – there’s no point introducing unachievable goals and unmanageable techniques. We don’t teach Rocket Science … because it’s not.
For your FREE first One-to-One meeting with an intime PROFIT Partner, don’t prevaricate, pick up your phone and dial 08456 437 497 – now.
To reserve your FREE One-to-One, please
e-mail intime@intimeprofit.com
or call 08456 437 497
very soon.
