Journal :: How to improve your business

Published: July 21, 2004
Author: Paul Cadde
Category: Marketing
Permalink: How to improve your business

Are you satisfied with the level and quality of business you are writing? Or do you think it is possible to make some improvements? Even those of us who are doing very well can always make improvements if we look hard enough at what we are doing and how we are doing it.

The trick, of course, is to know how to approach making those improvements. There are two apparently opposite principles to bear in mind, and both are not only true but also very important to follow.

The first is the well-known saying that ?if you keep on doing the same old thing, you will keep on getting the same old result?. You are most unlikely to make radical improvements in your business if you simply keep doing things the way you have always done them.

The second is the opposite of a very common attitude in our industry which goes something like this: ?Well, I got great results from that last mailing campaign! Now, what shall I do next?? Silly? Yes! But an unusual situation? In my experience, no! I guess the principle to follow here is ?if it ain?t broke, don?t fix it!?

If you look carefully at both principles though, they are really saying the same thing. You have to make changes to get a better result, but don?t change what is working well.

How do you work on your business using both principles at once? Well the answer, of course, is to identify those elements that are working well, but in parallel try one or two new ideas as well. Keeping doing what works, but try some new ideas too. Many of the new ideas will fail, but that won?t hurt you too much as you are continuing to do the things that are the ?bread and butter? of your business. And in the meantime, some of the new ideas will prove successful and will add to your profits and improve the quality of your business.

Keep applying this concept to your business and you will notice a gradual but very positive change in its direction.

And if you want more ideas that you could try, why not come along to one of my free workshops and see if, like so many of your colleagues have already done, you can take away something of real value which will help you make major improvements in your business.

Found this article helpful?

Why not sign up for our Journal to have articles like these emailed to you regularly so you can stay ahead of the game. Alternatively, continue reading our Journal Archive.

About Paul Cadde

Note: We do not accept liability for the content of this journal or for the consequences of any actions taken or not taken by yourself or any third party on the basis of the information provided.

Share This Article

About the Adviser Breakthrough Journal

Adviser Breakthrough Solutions provides the IFA community with a FREE and easy way to keep ahead of the game. Subscription to this journal is FREE. To sign up simply enter your name and email address below.

View Journal Archive

Journal Categories

Back Office (10)

The Back Office Tip of the Month is your opportunity to find out what is working well for other advisers, and save having to reinvent the wheel yourself. It will cover the broad spectrum of the ways in which successful practices organise themselves, as well as some of the industry specific processes which help make our jobs easier.

Client Care (7)

We all want to ensure we continue to give the very best service to our clients.

In the Client Care Tip of the Month we will share ideas other advisers have found help them to maintain excellence in the ways they look after their clients.

Marketing (16)

Any business that wants to survive has to get its marketing right. In the midst of an economic boom, plenty of businesses go bust; and in the midst of a recession, plenty of businesses grow from strength to strength. The difference between the two types of business is almost invariably linked to their marketing.

In the Marketing Tip of the Month we will share with you some marketing ideas successful advisers are using right now to ensure their practices not only survive, but thrive.

Money Making (6)

As a financial adviser you are not here to practise an interesting hobby. Your practice is a business. A business which should provide you with the income you want.

The Money Making Tip of the Month recognises this, and will provide you with ideas which you can adapt to ensure you really get the income you want out of your practice.

Motivational (3)

It is a fact of life that the more motivated we are, the more we can achieve. But it also seems to be a fact in our industry that wherever we turn we see news and gossip that demotivates rather than motivates us.

The Motivational Tip of the Month is intended to reverse that negative trend. It will be a reminder of just why we joined our profession in the first place and is designed to inspire you to achieve the great things of which you really are capable.

Tax (76)

Most clients recognise the value of proper tax planning. They may rarely act on the tax advice you give them, but they appreciate the fact that you gave it to them anyway. It probably puts you head and shoulders above any other financial advisers they may have met, and reinforces the fact that you are a professional who is there to help them.

Each month we will give you a tax tip you may wish to slip into your conversations with your clients, or even include in your newsletter to them.

Time Management (3)

Whoever your hero in life may be, whether it is Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Leonardo Da Vinci, or Mother Teresa, that person had exactly the same number of hours in their day as you when they achieved greatness. The big difference is how they used those hours.

The Time Management Tip of the Month will share ideas you can put into practice to squeeze more value out of your day.