How I help business owners.... #76
- Adrian Dionisio - business737 owner
- Aug 30, 2022
- 9 min read
Updated: Jan 28
Take any business with solid fundamentals. That business can experience rapid and sustained growth by implementing simple strategies to increase revenues, leads and profits.
It is very important to understand. You have control. It is in your hands. You can take your business wherever you want it to be.
Clarity is key so let's dig deeper. This article will cover the following:
1. What top Business Universities don’t teach you
2. Bridging the gap
3. It is not difficult
4. Why most 'business gurus' are full of it
5. Ask these 12 question to test the validity of any business advisor
6. Most important things to know
1. What top Business Universities don’t teach you
You learn many things when studying at two of the world’s best business Universities BUT there is something they do not teach.
They do not teach you how to grow your own profitable business. Looking back, I find this very surprising. At the time I didn’t pay much attention to it.
Manchester Business School (formally UMIST) and the University of Illinois Gies Business School are internationally renowned and well respected faculties. I enjoyed my time studying in Manchester however the rain was something I could never get used to. My year studying abroad in Illinois, USA will never be forgotten. Fantastic times. I feel really lucky to have had such opportunities.
I was taught by amazing professors. However, there was little practical learning about how to run your own successful business. Modules were thorough and in depth. Marketing, branding, sales, finance, economics, sociology, business law and much more. It was all covered. However, there was never any hands-on advice how to go it alone.
In hindsight I see how it was really geared to enable students to work for the big corporations and multinationals. Was there is no need to teach how to start from scratch? I guess you could say everything was provided, you just had to join the dots yourself.
Perhaps this is the reason why I failed miserably with many of my early business ventures. I have made most of the mistakes that are to be made. One of my first ventures focused too much on the product, and suffered because of a lack of marketing and sales strategy. How naïve. A subsequent venture focused too much on promotions and product quality suffered as a result. The balance has to be maintained. Other failures were due to lack of customer focus. You must do everything to make your customer happy. This is a fact of business life.
2. Bridging the gap
While my youngest was having her brain surgeries I decided to change the course of my life (read more here). Her brain surgeon Professor Scavarda inspired me. He cured my daughter when all hope was lost. This ordeal made me look at the bigger picture. I decided to dedicate my life to help others. I had the business learning, the theory and also the experience. A business advisor and consultant is the path I had to follow.
I started intense study and research. My main aim was to bridge the gap between theory and successful application to small businesses.
What made the top business in the world so successful? What are the universal foundations that made them flourish? How can these principles be applied to any business, in any industry, anywhere? The study continued over years and years. It has not stopped and will not stop. My wife the other day was talking about retirement and I told her I will never retire because I love what I do. Part of that is constantly learning and growing. It’s part of the game, stay still and you lose.
3. It is not difficult
All business skills are learnable. Please keep this in mind and never forget it. It’s in your hands, your control.
Not only are these skills learnable, they are quite simple and straightforward. Timeless universal principles of business success can be applied by any business owner with outstanding results.
BUT, yes there is a but…..
"How do many entrepreneurs and business owners find the time, energy and correct resources to do this learning?"
The answer;
They don't and this is why 87% of businesses fail
Most people who have already started a business, have without question, the capability to succeed. They’ve already taken the first crucial steps and started out on the journey to shape their life in the way they want. Whether they realise it or not, it’s ultimately up to them where they want to take it. Your destiny is in your own hands.
However, statistics show that 90% of start-ups fail within the first year, 75% by year 2. So why is this? Whilst busy working in their business many people find difficulty in setting aside enough time and resources to work on their business. Unfortunately, this has devastating consequences (read more).
Time is a major issue. Also is the confusion and overwhelm. There is so much bulls### out there, how do you know where to go to improve your business?
4 Why most ‘business gurus’ are full of it
The majority of business coaching programs are a total waste of time. How do I know? It’s because I research my competitors, my market and my industry. You have to know what you’re up against.
Social media in particular is full of business coaches selling snake oil and false promises. It can be overwhelming and daunting for anyone looking for help. The good news is that is it very easy to recognise the bullsh#t once you know what to look for.
Most business coaches and coaching programs are focused on mindsets, motivation and emotions. Ok, this is important, but how can this alone bring you results? If you are not doing the right things, they’ll just be motivating you to do more of the wrong things quicker.
A worthwhile business advisor or consultant should be implementing proven best-practice systems, strategies and action steps that will actually grow a business. Your business should achieve one overall result. Increase profits. The bottom line should increase. This is the only result a viable business coach should achieve.
5. Ask these 12 questions to test the validity of any business advisor
Here are a series of questions for you to ask anyone who claims they can help grow your business. Avoid costly mistakes and do not take risks
1. What makes you different from everyone else who says they can do the same?
2. Why are you a business coach?
3. What are your key values?
4. How can you help me?
5. How many people have you seen have the same problem as I'm experiencing?
6. What's your experience in my specific industry?
7. How many businesses have you helped create?
8. How do you define success?
9. What is your preferred method of communication?
10. How Would You Handle Telling Me I'm Wrong?'
For a reference point this is what you get with Business737
1. What makes you different from everyone else who says they can do the same
I studied business for 3 years at University in UK and 1 year in USA. I have over 20 years experience as a business owner. I develop proven and guaranteed step by step system to increase leads, revenues and profits for any business owner, in any industry anywhere.
2. Why are you a business coach
When my daughter was going through her brain surgeries everything changed (read here). I made a vow to dedicate my life helping others. Business is what I have studied and involved in for over 25 years.
3. What are your key values
To make learning as simple as possible, without confusion or overwhelm. To be easily and readily accessible to anyone and everyone. Most importantly to bring business owners the results that matter most: more income, less stress and more free time
4. How can you help me
We start off by solving the biggest problems within your business. We get quick wins on the board. At the same time we implement strategies so you increase leads, revenues and profits. Conceptual first principle learning that will stay with you for your lifetime. We achieve your business goals, increase the bottom line and empower you to be in full control.
5. How many people have you seen have the same problem as I'm experiencing?
As business owners we commonly face the same issues. How to get more attention, how to increase sales, how to deal with staff issues, how to make money and how to grow and become more profitable. We tackle all these problems and make any business grow with accelerated profit.
6. What's your experience in my specific industry?
Clients from a wide range of business backgrounds and industries have achieved success with Business 737: Accountants, Bookkeepers, Dentists, Lawyers, Ecommerce owners, construction, restaurant and manufacturing owners have all have spectacularly increased profitability.
Ask the right questions first and then you can find the right answers. Know what you are looking for, where you need to go and exactly how to get there. The principles of successful business apply across all industries. Timeless universal principles of business success can be applied by any business owner with outstanding results.
7. How Many Businesses Have You Helped Create?'
Personally I have been involved with my own businesses over the past 20 years. These include ecommerce, manufacturing, distribution, logistics, customer service and interior décor.
8. How Do You Define Success?
Gradual progression to achieving a worthy goal. Each of us has our own definition of success. It depends on our values, beliefs and what we hold important. Success comes down to reaching own individual goal and accomplishing something that we have set out to achieve.
As business owners most of us start because we want to be our own boss, be in control of our own life and generate enough income to support our families and live our best life. Achieving our personal goals is our win, our success. From my perspective as your business advisor, the only success will be significantly growing your business so that it is consistently profitable and scalable.
9. What it your process?
It all starts with understanding your customer and your market. Know and define them, their problems, needs, wants and desires. From this starting point you then develop your product / service and create more value. Next is all about letting your customer know through marketing, advertising and communications. The next step is to turn this interest into a paying customer. The sale process is another vital step. Finally making the customer happy will determine the long term success of your business. These 5 steps are being constantly enhanced by discovery and opportunity filters that accelerates your business growth.
10. How do you evaluate progress
Progress equals happiness. This is the first metric. If you feel good and confident about what is happening that is progress. Secondly and even more importantly is the bottom line. Are you making more money, are you becoming more profitable?
Yes it is important to feel good but you need to be growing and increasing profits. It is good if you are getting more attention, getting notice, generating more leads, but it only maters if you are generating more profits. Likewise, it is fantastic if you are increasing sales, but what is the use if you are selling at a loss or at a tiny profit margin?
Increasing profits is the only way for a true business advisor to evaluate their progress with a client.
11. What is your preferred method of communication?
You choose. Email, phone, zoom, whatsapp, telegram or even the socials
12. How Would You Handle Telling Me I'm Wrong?
There is no subjective wrong or right. Testing and measurement is crucial. There are facts only.
Is a strategy working or not? All we have to do is test, measure and look at the results. Is your business growing, are you becoming more profitable? Look at your business scoreboard and your numbers will tell you the true story. Test and measure. Discover. Filter out what is not working, discovery new opportunities and filter it into your business. It is easy and simple.
6. Most important things to know
Making plans and strategies for your business forces you to think long term and slowly. Coupled with goal setting and defining objectives you are almost forced down the road to success. Of course you will still have to do the hard miles and put in the work, but it becomes so much easier when know your are on the right path and can see the prize on the horizon.
A simple lifehack is to see what they best people do and use that as a blueprint to get to where they are. This is why I did so much research and intense study on the best businesses in the world.
My passion is to give people the appropriate structure for their business it will make them more productive and everyone will have an opportunity to achieve their real potential. It all starts and ends with your customer. They are the alpha and omega. Be obsessed with quality and customer happiness. Reflect that all throughout your business. This will provide you with an unbeatable foundation. You have power. You have control. Be as modest or ambitious as you want, achieve your personal goals and dreams.
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