Strengthening SMEs to fulfill their Ambitions

We all know of a successful restaurant that starts a second restaurant in another location, and then fails. There are others which go on to become a nationwide chain. What is the difference?

Every business starts small. Most are able to grow and some make it to Rs 10 crores. Some become Rs 100 crore businesses and a smaller number cross Rs 1,000 crore. What allows some to grow faster than others? One of the key areas is the ability to scale.

When a business is small most of the important information resides in the CEO's head. As it grows bigger, there is a need for automation, but mostly that is solved by a basic spreadsheet. At the next stage of growth the company invests in financial services software. Unfortunately, for many organisations this is where the journey stops.

This impacts the ability of the organisation to scale and replicate. Today, even a moderate size business can have over 1,000 transactions per day. It is important to be able to capture this information and retain it, in order to be able to learn from it. Are they repeat customers? Can we give them an incentive to return? There is so much of knowledge buried in the transaction data. In the absence of a data-centric strategy, it is likely to remain a buried treasure. Mr J C Jha, VP Manufacturing, National Engineering Industries comments that "In today's age of competition it is impossible for our business to run without SAP."

So, why do enterprises hesitate to make the leap? In the past, in order to have automation or CRM software implied a large investment in hardware. The software also required a fixed outlay. More than the investment, many smaller enterprises, more so those outside the metros, were hampered by the lack of skilled technical resources. All of this conspired to keep businesses from unlocking their true potential.

To quote Mr K L Jain, Secretary General, Rajasthan Chamber of Commerce, "With SAP solutions, Rajasthan state will surely benefit and will also help in further expansion of SMEs."

What's changed? What makes it possible for firms to now cross the IT barrier to grow their revenues 10x? One is that the cost and complexity of hardware has dropped dramatically. The second is the advent of hosted (cloud) solutions. This allows the software to be hosted remotely and also managed easily. These options cut time to go-live and also reduce costs considerably. And added advantage is that cloud solutions are built on a gold-standard process, so just by adopting them you can get a leap ahead in quality of process too.

Of course, accessibility may still be a concern, which is why efforts such as SAP's Innovation Express that is completing a tour of 12 cities across 4 states is a great initiative. To quote Mr Arun Kumar Bagaria, Executive Director of Mayur Unicoaters, "We were extremely amazed to see the bus. It really helps to understand the solutions first hand and in such quick time."

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10 Thing Sales People Need to Know About C-Level Decision Makers

Selling to high-level decision makers is challenging at the best of times. However, it can be easier if you understand a few business principles. 

C-level decision makers are paid to improve their business results. Regardless of how the media portrays these executives, their primary concern is to improve their business. This includes increasing sales, market share, customer loyalty; reducing costs, errors, or employee turnover; improving productivity, employee engagement, customer service, etc. 

How does your product, service or solution address one of these issues? 

C-level decision makers deal with changing priorities. Improving customer engagement may be a top priority today but tomorrow that executive may be faced with cutting $250,000 in expenses. That means they sometimes go cold after expressing initial interest in your solution. 

Do you have a strategy in place to keep your solution current? 

C-level decision makersare extremely busy. The average executive arrives early in the morning and stays late into the evening. They get dozens of calls every day, receive too many emails, and attend too many meetings. This means that you need to maximize every minute you have when you connect with them. This applies to telephone conversations and face-to-face meetings. 

Do you know EXACTLY what to say when you connect with these individuals? 

C-level decision makersrely on others. Contrary to popular belief, these high-ranking big-wigs seldom make decisions on their own. They often defer to other people on their team and ask for feedback from peers and/or subordinates. This means you need to involve these people in your conversations and include them in the decision making process. 

Do you have the ability to finesse this? 

C-level decision makers don�t like to make mistakes. A major mistake can affect an executive�s reputation in their company. This affects the decision-making process which means you need to uncover their risk factor during your conversations. 

How will you reduce your prospect�s risk factor? 

C-level decision makers have big egos. Most executives have a healthy ego which is one of the things that helped them achieve their status in the company. This means that you need to be very confident in your own abilities when selling to these individuals. Don�t back down when you�re challenged. In fact, doing so could cost you the business because C-level execs want to deal with people who believe in what they do. 

Are you confident enough to deal directly with C-level executives? 

C-level decision makers spend the bulk of their day in meetings.The next time you�re in the office, watch an executive. Chances are you will see them dashing from meeting to meeting. Your prospects are in the same position. They aren�t sitting at their desk waiting for you to call them. 

Are you persistent in your efforts to connect with these individuals? 

C-level decision makers have at least 40 hours of work on their desk at any given time. Several executives I know have expressed these sentiment, �I will never get caught up� or �Just when I think I can�t get busier, I do� or �I never call a sales person back because I already have too much on my plate.� you need to give these individual�s an extremely good reason to meet with you or take your call. 

Is your approach effective? 

C-level decision makers receive upwards of 150 emails every day. Many sales people use email as their major form of correspondence and it can be ineffective because most C-level decision makers simply don�t have time to respond to every email. A Managing Director once told me that he prefers telephone correspondence because he simply can�t get to every email, even when he wants to. 

Do you use a variety of strategies to connect with C-level decision makers? 

C-level decision makers think big picture.Stop focusing on your product or your company and start looking at the big picture of your prospect�s business. Most C-level execs don�t get bogged down in the little details of their business�they pay others to take care of the details. I once met with the President of a $125 million company and made the mistake of asking her questions about front-line execution instead of top-level strategic issues. 

Can you see and discuss the big picture? 

Think about your responses to each question and adapt your approach accordingly. 

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You'll Never Hear Successful People Say These 15 Phrases

If you want to become more successful as an entrepreneur or in your career, you can start by making a habit of talking and thinking more like the people you know or read about who are already successful.

Here are some phrases you’ll never hear a successful person say:

1. "We can't do that."
2. "I don't know how."
3. "I don’t know what that is."
4. "I did everything on my own."
5. "That's too early."
6. "That’s too late."
7. "It's too bad we couldn't work together."
8. "Let's catch up sometime."
9. "I'm sorry, I'm too busy."
10. "That was all my idea."
11. "I never read books."
12. "I'm not good enough."
13. "It's OK." (over and over)
14. "If our competitors don't have it, then we don't need it."
15. "Time off is for suckers."

One thing that makes people and companies successful is the ability to make solving their customers’ problems and demands their main priority. If a need arises repeatedly, the most successful people learn how to solve it as quickly as they can.

Instead of automatically shutting down solution-finding, successful people learn what they can in order to succeed in a project or in their career. For example, you would never see a truly successful international business consultant who travels to Italy multiple times per year refusing to learn Italian.

Pleading ignorance doesn’t make the problem go away. It just makes the asker find someone who is able to work with them to solve the problem. While’s it’s always good to be honest with those you interact with, finishing this phrase with “but I’ll find out” is a surefire way to become more successful.

The best people know to surround themselves with others who are smart, savvy and as dedicated as they are. What makes this work is always giving credit where it’s due, as due credit to you will always come back in hand. Recognize those that have helped you or made an impact and you’ll continue to earn success and recognition yourself.

You would never hear Benjamin Franklin or someone such as Steve Jobs say, “that is too early for me to be there.” If there is a networking meeting, project launch or interview opportunity at the very beginning of the day, the most successful people do what it takes to be there. Part of being successful is being at the right place at the right time, no matter if you’re a morning bird or night owl.

Along the same lines, if you’re asked to a 9 p.m. dinner by a potential business partner, and you can make it, definitely go. You may be tired the next day, but the connections you will make during a small dinner or after-hours meeting can make all the difference when it comes to your career or next project.

Truly hitting it off with someone can be a rare occurrence, but if you truly connect with someone and want to work with them, find a way to make it work. Finding people that you really enjoy communicating with don’t come along too often, so whether it’s a case study or a new business, successful people know that working with those who truly align with your personality and interests are the path to true success.

Many times, this phrase is said as filler, without any true follow up. Successful people know that if they really want to catch up with someone, they follow up to make it happen. This also builds on the idea that the most successful people have worked hard to build genuine connections and relationships within their network, without any hidden agenda. Nurturing your network means being thoughtful of others, while keeping your relationships with them on top of your mind.

If an opportunity comes their way, successful people do what it takes to make it happen. Sure, this might mean longer hours occasionally, but if you want something to work, that is what it takes. After all, according to Lao-Tzu: "Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to.’”

Again, as mentioned in number four, the most successful people spread the wealth when it comes to doling out praise from a successful project. No idea is truly one’s own -- it’s a sum of their experiences from interacting and building off of collaborative ideas with a team. Doling out praise and encouragement is a crucial part of building a successful company and culture.

Tom Corley of Rich Habits found that rich people read (and listen to) books at a much higher rate than poor people: “63 percent of wealthy parents make their children read two or more non-fiction books a month vs. 3 percent of poor.” Also, “63 percent of wealthy listen to audio books during commute to work vs. 5 percent of poor people.” Reading non-fiction (as well as fiction) can help reduce stress, enhance creativity and boost your memory.

Part of being successful is having a high sense of self-worth. Being yourself is one trait that promises success in business and your personal life. Follow your true interests. What you would do in your life if you didn’t need money?

Successful people know when to walk away and stop taking excuses from others. If there is a bottleneck and something (or someone) is preventing you from completing a project on time, build up your business, or move you forward in your goals, then it’s time to set boundaries and decide to limit your involvement.

Copying competitors is one of the many possible deaths for most companies. True innovation comes from the flip side: figuring out what competitors aren’tdoing and fill that niche to answer a need in the industry.

True success should be seen as a well-rounded approach, one with vacations, weekends with friends and family and hours of downtime on the weekdays. While workload varies for everyone at times, taking vacation can make you better at your job.

Sometimes to get to where you want to be, the best and easiest thing to do is to simply follow the examples that others set for you.

What phrases are you going to eliminate from your day-to-day conversations and thinking?

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How Old Is Too Old to Start a Business?

Yes, Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook at 19. But Charles Flint launched IBM at 61.

While Hollywood may love the story of the college kid who starts a billion-dollar business out of his dorm room, that’s only one story. For many, life as an entrepreneur begins much later.

Consider: Legendary wedding-dress designer Vera Wang didn’t start designing clothes until she was 39. Home decorating goddess and business czar Martha Stewart didn’t get into home decorating until she was 35. And San Francisco-based angel investor and founder of business incubator 500 Startups Dave McClure didn’t invest in a single startup until he was 40. That’s all according to a pair of infographics, embedded below, created by the information designer, Anna Vital, at startup organization Funders and Founders.  

When it comes to launching a business, what a person may lack in youthful energy comes back multiplied in experience. Reid Hoffman started the ultra-popular career networking site LinkedIn when he was 36; Sam Walton started Wal-Mart when he was 44; and Joseph Campbell started Campbell Soup when he was 52.

Have a look at the two infographics below. Be inspired. And stop counting the grey hairs on your head.   

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Warning Signs a Startup Is a Bad Investment

A company that’s not growing is dying. This is an unpleasant reality that comes with the capitalist system, and it’s especially harsh for smaller or newer companies. Between concerns over debt, resource acquisition and client maintenance, plenty can go horrifically wrong. It’s no wonder that 80% of small businesses fail.

The prudent investor must watch must watch for these five warning signs.

1. Lackluster products. A common challenge for any new business is separating themselves from the crowd. A company unable to provide a quality or niche product will likely get steam rolled by others already established in their field.

Look through their product catalog to determine if the company has carved out a spot in their niche. If nothing stands out as unique to either the area or the market in general, rest assured someone else is already providing it. You should avoid investing in companies like that because, more often than not, you are disappointed in the end.

2. Lack of vision. To survive, a company needs a solid business plan stating the targeted markets, as well as a vision statement stating how the market will be penetrated.

One of the major issues small companies encounter is their inability to reach out, grasp the public’s attention and convince them to utilize their services or products. Ask to see the company’s planning documents. If they don’t have a one, that is your sign to pass.

3. Lack of growth. A young company needs rapid, yet scalable growth to survive. The reason  is simple. There is no guarantee their faithful customers will be there tomorrow. It’s vital to find new ones as often as possible.

Ask to see the company’s purchasing history and compare it with their list of clients. The company probably doesn’t have a very bright future if they only have one or two major clients and no active plans for expansion. Save your money for a brand that understands the importance of a diverse client base.

4. Crowded marketplace. A market with dozens, if not hundreds, of competitors will prove much more difficult for a new company with limited resources for marketing itself and its services.

Look for companies that start in smaller areas, or have a niche product patented or trademarked. If in doubt, check to see if the company has spread. A startup is much more likely to succeed if it exists in more than one market, especially when competition already exists.

5. No research and development budget. Markets change frequently, thanks to the changes in public demand and the pace of technological innovation. To succeed, a company will need to nimbly recognize changes as they come, adapt and take advantage ahead of their competition. 

Check the company’s financial report. Back away from any firm that does not dedicate a decent chunk of their profits towards preparing for the future. A hefty research and development budget is vital.

VC investing offers no guarantee you’ll make a profit or even get your money back, so pay attention to the warning signs of predictable startup failure. Obtain the necessary documents and consult with a financial analyst if you have the time. Otherwise, stick with more established companies and avoid the 80% failure rate.

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Things Remarkable Startups Have In Common

Why do some startups succeed and others don't? Here's a hint: It doesn't have to do with if an idea is good or bad. Indeed, the successful entrepreneurs are able to run with amazing concepts and pivot otherw when needing. There are a few more tried and true principles that can contribute to the success of your new company.

Among other things, these are four things remarkable startups have in common.

1. Founders are insanely passionate about the idea. Don't start a business without passion. You won't be able to see it through if you are not really into your idea. Founders of most successful startups started searching for solutions to a problem they cared about and made it their focus.  

"You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you're not passionate enough from the start, you'll never stick it out," Steve Jobs has said.

Founders with great passion tend to inspire others to greater success, and they look out for those traits in new hires. According to best-selling authors and workplace strategists Kevin and Jackie Freiberg, passion enables innovation and creativity and makes employees want to stay in their jobs and contribute, even when they’re not feeling their best.

2. They don't try to do too much at once. Laser focus is immensely crucial for the success of every new business. What is the one thing your startup is known for?  Your startup should be focusing on the one thing that makes you stand out. All the successful and well-known startups you know today are doing the one thing that makes them stand out.

For instance, Snapchat knows a picture is worth a million words and have allowed users to send photos and videos that disappear a few moments. Dropbox wants to be the go-to solution for uploading and sharing files in the world.. Most great startups start out to provide simple services or products, but as they grow customers and users tend to demand more, the company needs to improve and make solutions even better.

"The most important things for startups to do is to focus. Because there's so many things you could be doing. One of them is the most important. You should be doing that. And not any of the others." says founding partner of Y Combinator Paul Graham.

3. They value their customers and take great care of them. Does your startup know how to design and deliver great customer service? Successful startups are constantly seeking to satisfy their customers. The importance of reinforcing awesome customer service should be made clear among your employees. Design your products with the customer in mind. Remarkable startups listen and respond to their customers' evolving needs and expectations.

Strive to make your customers feel that signing up with you was one of the best decisions they ever made, and you will likely have their business for a very long time. As your product changess, the best opportunity you have at delivering the best service is a close relationship with your customers that value their feedback and user experience. Your customers are the people that support you, trust you and most importantly, rely on you for the service or product you offer. They could have chosen your competitors, but they chose you. Make them a part of your evolving development process. Startups that grow with their customers ultimately win.

4. Entrepreneurs don't forget the importance of culture. Successful startups establish and maintain some the best company cultures that promotes and motivates employees. The team behind a product or service is one of the most important factors for a successful business. The first people you hire for your startup are critical to your startup's success. And cultural fit is as equally important as competence when hiring your best people.

People with the right skills and personality are more likely to influence your small team to greater heights than just competent hires. Culture takes time and effort to build, but as long as you don't lose sight of it, you are on a journey to building a great company. It is well known that Google has a unique culture and some of the company's success can be attributed to this culture. 

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