Are you serious about growing your business? Really serious? Arnon Barnes lays out what it takes to succeed.
Over the years I’ve spent a lot of time with entrepreneurs and business owners from all over the world. In my training and coaching sessions I strive to provide them with food for thought, to trigger ideas that trigger them to expand their own points of view so they can service their business, team and clients better and become more successful. The win-win-win situation.
Recently, I was asked by a person on social media: “What are the most essential tools to grow a successful business?” Wanting to keep it short and simple, I set out to get to the three most important tools for any business. It became a list of six and I want to share it with you as well right here.
1) Education: People who know me, know that I LOVE education. Educating yourself in whatever area or arena you’re focused on is key to any success. Take the courses, join the seminars, read the books.
“Educating yourself is key to your success”
As a leader in your family, in your tribe, in your business, you must always look for ways to better yourself. This way you can get clarity on what your next level is and what actions you need to take mentally emotionally, spiritually, financially, whatever it is to get there. Keep on educating yourself so you can keep on growing as a person and leader.
2) This is a BIG one and it’s also the one most people don’t like. To succeed in business, you have to master the art of selling. Yes, I said it! Lots of people feel that sales is not for them. We all know that pushy, slick version of a car salesperson in the movies that cheats, lies and deceives people to overpay for a broken car. It is important you understand sales does not have to be deceitful and your hesitance doesn’t come from the movies. 99% of the times when business owners hesitate about selling their own product it’s because they lack the confidence and trust in the value of that product.
“To succeed in business, you have to master the art of selling”
You have to be able to sell your product, your services. You have to be able to sell your vision and explain to people why they should choose to buy from you and not your competitors. Write down all your Unique Selling Propositions (USP) of your product or service and next to it what your perfect client’s wants. Please note: I wrote want, not need, as most people will buy what they want before they buy what they need. After you have this list, connect the dots and create your story, based on integrity, truth and 100% confidence in your own product or service.
3) Now that you know how to sell your product it’s time to actually put them out there into the world. Get people’s attention. Which brands come to mind when I ask you what the best car dealership is, or mobile phone or clothing brand? Do you honestly believe that on the entire planet there’s not one other car, phone or suit with the exact same, if not better quality, than the brand that came to your mind? That’s MARKETING my friends. The products or services, the businesses that win the race, are the ones that market themselves or their products most successfully. They build a brand. They get themselves out into the world in front of everybody. They pop up in your social media, on tv, radio and even email. Hire a professional. Get someone on your team today who knows how to get your brand in front of your perfect clients.
4) As an entrepreneur or business owner you can’t be good at everything. Trust me, it’s impossible to be equally good at everything that needs to be done in your business and that’s okay as long as you have one skill. You need to learn how to build a team around you.
“You need to learn how to build a team around you”
It’s not only building a team which is important. Once you have a team, you as the owner, you as the LEADER, must learn how to delegate.
It is so important. One of my clients, based in Norway, had some challenges with his team. He was building a team and they were doing things and he couldn’t understand why. I said to him: First of all, it’s not enough just to know how to build a team, you have got to get comfortable with delegating to these people. You hire other people to do a job in the company, but when you don’t want to let the responsibilities go it will never work out. Stop thinking you have to do everything yourself in order for things to be done right, become comfortable with delegating and giving other people responsibilities. As long as you don’t do that you will forever be a business operator instead of a business owner.
5) Tool number five is: You’ve got to be an excellent money manager. You’ve got to master your money and I’m not talking only from an investment perspective. A lot of people don’t know how to manage their money. So when they send out an invoice they have no idea what their profit is. Or how much taxes they will have to pay. What are the costs of your goods? What is the actual bottom line profitability in percentages? A lot of entrepreneurs and business owners don’t really know how to read a balance sheet.
I used to own about a dozen shops throughout the UK and I sold that business many years ago. One of the key things that we were always conscious of and conscientious of is that if you own a business, you never want your rent to exceed 15% of your balance sheet.
It’s all these small things that are really important. You’ve got to learn to master your money. Remember, it’s not how much you make and it is not how much you spend, but it’s what you do with what you keep that is important. The only way you’ll be able to get clarity in terms of what’s coming in, what you can keep and what you can use is by understanding the concept of money management or money mastery.
6) Learn how to network. You’re probably sitting there reading this and thinking to yourself: “Oh I go to networking events all the time. We have lunches, drinks, gala dinners and all that and I meet lots of new people all the time.” Meeting new people is completely different from what I mean when I tell you to LEARN how to network. What is important and what I challenge you to do this entire year is to network with purpose.
“What is important and what I challenge you to do this entire year is to network with purpose”
When I go to an event, whether I’m teaching or participating, if I am looking for an x, y, or z, I know exactly what that person looks like, I know what that person does and how old that person is. I have a clear avatar in my head based on what I’m looking for when I’m raising millions in capital for my businesses. I know what my investors look like. I know what they sound like. I know how they dress and where they would hang out, I know what food they eat, and so on. And that’s how I always end up meeting the one or two perfect connections to help me grow my business. Learn to network with purpose.
BONUS. For those of you that really want to go to the next level and want to take the ultimate responsibility for your growth there’s one more thing that the great have which most of you don’t.
The one extra essential tool is to get someone on your team that is like a coach or a mentor to you. Someone that is going to help you become a bigger player: mentally, emotionally, spiritually and financially. So many people rely on themselves to hold themselves accountable, but guess what, we tend to believe our own sob stories and we let ourselves get away with way too much nonsense. There’s nothing more powerful than having someone on your team who is supporting you, listens and urges you to make that one extra phone call today or set up the meeting with that one annoying investor or interesting person.
When you want to accelerate your growth, I believe that hiring a coach or a mentor that’s not going to tolerate your bullshit, and is going to support you from a place of love and kindness and care, is the most important thing you do. It’s going to help you grow and I think it’s an essential tool if you want to succeed BIG.
Take these tools to take your business to the next level. Keep on educating yourself. Master the art of selling. Sell your product. Sell your vision. Market your product or service to the world. Tell the world about what you have to give them, what you have to share. What is your gift? What is your superpower? Build your championship team and delegate. Manage. Your. Money. You have got to learn how to master your money. Network only with purpose from now on. So you’ll meet the right people for you. People who will help you climb the ladder. Go to your next level. Whether it’s in a relationship, whether it’s in your happiness, whether it’s in your money, whether it’s in your business, whatever area you want to pursue and grow in your life; network with purpose. And lastly for those of you who are truly committed; hire a coach. Get someone on your team to watch your game so that you can play a bigger one.
Want to meet and work with Arnon Barnes live? Join one of his next upcoming offline or online events. For more information on the events or coaching, contact his office via info@arnonbarnes.com or check out his website www.arnonbarnes.com. To watch his interviews and podcast appearances subscribe to his Instagram and YouTube Channel.
