For the past few posts I’ve shared the topics Bron Levett Coaching discussed at the Victorian Dance Festival Teacher’s PD Day – I had a wonderful time sharing my knowledge with the studio owners and have enjoyed re-capping it for you here, I hope you found them useful!

Here are the links to the posts in this series:

• Ethics in Business
• Office procedures and systems
• How to earn extra income in your business!
• Crisis Management
• First impressions – do they count?

Remember, if you have topics you’d like me to explore, please e-mail bron@thetaxchic.com

Regards

When you meet a person, it takes them just seven seconds to form an opinion of you!

They’ll analyse if you should be approached or avoided, are you friend or foe, are you competent, likable and trustworthy – all in just seven seconds!

If you looked at my photo for seven seconds, what first impression did you make??

I can’t influence your first impression through a photo, but before meeting someone in person, there are a few minor adjustments you can make to bring out your best:

• adjust your attitude to ensure it is pleasant
• straighten your posture and own your space
• allow your eyes to show interest
• practice your handshake
• build rapport (mirroring body language is great for this); and
• SMILE, it’s hard to resist someone with a smile on their face!

So do first impressions count?  Only to your niche or target market – of course you want them to WANT to do business with you and making a great first impression will assist this goal, but I believe that if you’ve chosen your target market based on the real you and what your business is about, you will always attract the right people!

Regards

In part 4 of the Victorian Dance Festival presentation with Bron Levett Coaching we’re discussing “Crisis Management”.

As a small business it’s easy to fall into the trap of “it won’t happen to me” and forget that the term crisis can have a broad definition.

I’m sure we’d all agree that a death or serious illness of a business owner or key employee would be a crisis, as would a fire or significant damage to premises or equipment.  Bad publicity may also be a crisis, and to some having the EFTPOS machine breakdown is a crisis – so it’s important not to judge the definition but respect it and be prepared.

Great steps to take in considering crisis management are:

• define the crisis
• consider the impact
• identify a plan and appoint a spokesperson
• be open and honest with employees, suppliers and customers when appropriate
• update often and early

Once you establish a template for recording your crisis management procedures, it is simply a matter of filling in the blanks!

Regards

Part 3 of the Victorian Dance Festival presentation with Bron Levett Coaching focussed on how to earn extra income in your business, preferably without working too many more hours!

There are some key things you can do to achieve this and it starts with knowing your niche market.  If you know your niche market (sometimes referred to as your target market), then you know who you want to attract to your business and it makes a fabulous starting point for everything that follows.

Always, always think “Marketing”, not whatever it is you do…for example a plumber should think “Marketing” not plumbing, and a baker should think “Marketing” not baking…this comes down to wearing your marketing hat rather than your service provider hat.

Embrace systems and structure to provide a consistent experience to customers and clients and to save time (have you heard the saying ‘time is money’), and embrace automation; this too can save time and money and hence increase your income!

Consider your suite of products.  This doesn’t have to be physical products, it may be webinars, workshops and newsletters, anything to get your business in front of your niche market.

Finally, ask for referrals – there is no shame in this! Encourage them and reward them and everyone will feel good!

Regards