If in your business you meet with your customers on a regular basis, you could bring in a sample of product for them to try. This way you could get feedback on product, and if there are problems with it you can fix it or discontinue it.

What about how you present your product, could packaging be changed, would packaging it with another item make it a better seller. Also, around certain holidays are you letting your customers know that your product would make a great gift. For those of you in service businesses make up some gift certificates that your customers could buy for a friend or family member. Example, One hour consultation with life coach, Karen Smith. Could your customers offer their customers your product as a bonus for something they are selling.

Another option is to take several of your products and put them into a package. For example, we offer several packages that have manuals, books and tapes combined. You could offer your exercise machine with your book on low calories recipes, and your other book on exercising efficiently.

How about offering a discount or price break for a certain number of your products. For example, for orders of 10 or more books we will offer a 35% discount.

On flip side for those of you who sell in quantity why not offer option to buy just one. Of course, price would be higher for just 1 to 2 as opposed to larger quantity.

Remember, you need to do whatever you have to, to keep your existing customers happy.

This last idea is not for all of us, but for those who can, it can really increase your sales. Customization of your items. For example, if you were selling dolls you could put different hats on them, clothes, etc. There is a company that sells teddy bears for all types of occasions and they also have a number of different bears for those occasions. Remember, more you customize your product higher price you can sell it for. I know a guy who makes furniture and offers his customers a choice of decoration on pieces he designs.

Again, I can’t emphasize enough to get feedback on your ideas from your customers. That feedback, plus your sales will give you a good idea on which ideas are helping your business and which aren’t.

Copyright DeFiore Enterprises 2004

Now, Bad News:

The problem is that this "standard approach" does not address your realities of start-ups or small-businesses.

In these situations, President typically fills many positions, including some of company's low-level functions. In this case, your objective is to replace yourself in each position (even presidency, if you wish), beginning at lowest levels and progressing upward.

So, you have two opposing movements:

1. Replacing yourself ("moving upward") and 2. Developing your Position Contracts ("moving downward").

Unfortunately, these movements rarely meet in a convenient location on Org Chart or at a convenient time in your company's growth.

This is annoying because you might want to hire a Payroll Clerk but, according to this "standard approach," you should not employ that Payroll Clerk until your development of Position Contracts has reached that level in Finance Department.

Since this "standard approach" is not consistent with start-up or small business priorities, you may want to abandon it for a more realistic, more effective strategy.

Before developing Position Contracts, you should:

1. Develop your Organizational Strategy and Org Chart. (Only then can you determine which positions have no personnel to fill them.)

2. Develop Position Contract for position you will ultimately occupy.

3. Store all Position Contracts in their associated Operations Manuals.

As I have mentioned before, a Position Contract is very different than a "job description." Why? A job description is NOT a binding contract.

Next week, I will discuss a more effective approach to developing Position Contracts,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." -- Mark Twain ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Until next week...

Quest^ions? Comments? Call me at (800) 637-8182 or send me an email.

Best Regards,

Mike Hayden, Principal/Consultant Your partner in streamlining business.

PS. If you're not on our P V T Roster, sign up (fr#e) at: http://www.SeniorManagementServices.com

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(c) 2005 Mike Hayden, All rights reserved. You may use material from Profitable Venture Tactics eZine in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live website links and email link.