You should know when to quit
Knowing when to quit is so important and still some people do not even contemplate the option.
Whatever you do in life, whether in business or not, it is essential not to give up on your dreams. To pursue that great job you want, to try and reach financial freedom, to buy that dream house you always wanted.
As an entrepreneur it works the same way, you need to be stronger than the rest and not be afraid of failure. Get up the next morning and keep on going with the same passion as the first day.
All that is true and necessary, but don’t be blinded by it and learn when to quit!
I personally started various online projects, some with more success than others, but I have always pulled the plug when I feel I cannot pay the attention necessary to the business or I simple realise it is not going to happen. It is not a nice feeling after investing your money and time, however I prefer to cut the losses and focus on something else.
This subject has come up during a conversation I had with my wife last night. We were actually commenting on a couple we see every summer. They have a printing business and every time it is the same story, things are not going well, the economy is bad, etc. May it all be true, but you cannot go through all that for 3/4 years and not realise that something is wrong with your business. Maybe you are not capable of finding new clients or there is simply too much competition, but…
Don’t you think you should just quit the business and do something else?
I understand its not easy, you have been doing it for years and you have the skills. However the point is that it is not working any more. Even worse, both of them work in the same business. So basically all the family income depends on it. It is a shame.
The best advice you can give: quit, cut your losses and find a new path.
image source: Google images
Ask never fear to ask
Ask you lose nothing
Ask don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice, you will be surprised what you may get. At the end of the day, you lose nothing.
Listen what happened to me the other day. I was searching for a movie at the local video club when the owner asked me something. Before we go any further, you have to be aware of what the Owner knows about me, he knows my name and he knows I am Spanish, thats it.
So the guy asks me “Adan do you know any shipowners in Spain?” what are the chances right? That I know these people, quite small…
I asked him why he was asking, he responded that he was helping a friend to sell anti-piracy systems to shipowners. He was already doing business in Germany and of course in Greece. He saw me come into his shop and he thought…”he is spanish, maybe he knows spanish shipowners..”
The best part of this story is that I do know the shipowners, I used to work in the shipping sector in Spain for some time and have all the contacts.
I was shocked by this coincidence and congratulated him on his luck. This story just shows that although chances maybe small, we do not lose anything just for asking.
You just may get lucky!
Image source: www.sxc.hu
Changes
I have been very quiet lately. Why? Well, it has been a period of changes, profesionally I mean.
After a period of 4 years as an Export Manager at Farmeco I decided it was time to move on.
I now work at Genepharm Group as Director of Distributor Management to drive sales of Genepharm products in international markets.
This new position is stimulating and full of challenges!
Do not scare your clients away
Today I just passed a fish taberna in Halandri we used to go to very frequently a year a go. Suddenly I realized we haven’t been for a very long time.
The reason: I was scared away
The place wasn’t very popular until it was featured in a Sunday paper. All of a sudden people started going. It is small 10 tables, family run and really good food. I even ate there one night next to Giorgos Papandreu, yes you know who, I am not joking.
The owner got to know us, but strangely enough the more often we went the higher my bill was getting. We could say that because we were already a repeating client they felt they could push and push no matter what, that we will still come back. It was a mistake, I never went back again.
This is just an everyday example to demonstrate that your clients do have a limit and if you push too much you may loose them to the competition.
You should always study your client learn about him, what he can and cannot do. Always try to do business but don’t forget that the client always has to feel that he is getting a benefit from the partnership. As soon as he feels pushed he will look for alternatives.
That’s how life works, I look for alternatives, you look for alternatives, we all search if we feel we can get a better option.
What is a brand?
Can you definde a brand?
Just think about it for a second….what is it for you, a logo or a design….
A brand is much more than that. This is Seth Godin’s definition:
A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another. If the consumer (whether it’s a business, a buyer, a voter or a donor) doesn’t pay a premium, make a selection or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer.
A brand’s value is merely the sum total of how much extra people will pay, or how often they choose, the expectations, memories, stories and relationships of one brand over the alternatives.
A brand used to be something else. It used to be a logo or a design or a wrapper. Today, that’s a shadow of the brand, something that might mark the brand’s existence. But just as it takes more than a hat to be a cowboy, it takes more than a designer prattling on about texture to make a brand.
If you’ve never heard of it, if you wouldn’t choose it, if you don’t recommend it, then there is no brand, at least not for you.
Customer service online vs offline
Customer service is an essential part of your business, whatever you do.
You may have a bakery, a restaurant, a supermarket, a bank or an airline, a good customer service makes a big difference. In fact, if you give me good service and a smile, you have a very big chance that if I need that particular service again, I will come back. I am even willing to pay a little bit extra if necessary. I am sure that I am not the only one that thinks this way.
However, why is it so difficult to get a good service out of some people. Especially when we speak about high-street shops, offline retailers.
Why do online business try their utmost to give you that great customer service? There is strong competition and any small detail makes a difference. I know, but there is also fierce competition offline and no one seems to give customer service the real importance.
The other day I bought a 8 Euros pair of socks in Calzedonia of Halandri for my son. I got home and they were small. So, I went back to change them and the person in charge says, no way I cannot change them because you have torn the seal. So what?! are you willing to loose a regular customer for 8 Euros? (less than that if you think what their real cost is) The answer is yes I do not care, thank you very much.
On the other hand you have online retailers like amanzon.com that will go out of their way to give you an excellent customer service. I mention amazon.com because we all know it, but there are many other online businesses that focus strongly on customer service. These details count and definitely make me go back.
Why offline business do not see this? why don’t they care?
For me the answer is clear, I prefer to buy my stuff online and support those real entrepreneurs trying to make a difference.
Stay hungry, stay foolish
Today I read a tweet by @tristanelosegui where he recalls the video below. I know that in my last post there was also a speech and graduates involved, but I just wanted to share this while it was still fresh.
Stay hungry, stay foolish.
This is Steve Jobs’ message in his commencement speech to Stanford University graduates of in 2005.
Actually, I had already seen this video a couple of times a while ago and saved it to my favourites. However, I decided to view it again today.
Its impressive and if you haven’t seen it yet, you should spear some minutes to watch it because maybe….. it will change the way you think about certain things.
What struck me most was this:
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
When I ask my self this question, I come to the conclusion there are things I want to change. I have made a list and I am taking action.
How about you?
Full text of the speech: Full text
My companion in 2010
Inspiration for 2010
I always carry with me this quote inspiring and driving most decisions I take in life:
Go do whatever it takes to get yourself in a position where you love what you do, where you care about what you do, where you want to inspire others, build great things, do great deeds.
Pure gold by Shelly Lazarus, chair of the advertising, marketing, and public relations agency Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, addressing graduates of the Smeal College of Business class of 2009.
What do you think?
Full text: Shelly Lazarus
Image source: www.sxc.hu
Vinissimus.com
vinissimus.com
A great selection of Spanish wines delivered directly to your door in Greece.
As you may know I grew up in Spain, Cadiz to be more precise. I really enjoy Spanish wines, but since I live in Greece I find it very difficult to get used to Greek red wines.
Don’t get me wrong! (this is for my Greek friends) I don’t judge if they are better or worse, for me, they are just different from what I am used to. Also, here in Greece the options for Spanish wines are few and overpriced.
Fortunately, about a month a go, I visited a friend for lunch and he laid on the table a bottle of PSI 2007, and excellent Ribera del Duero from the producers of the famous Pingus wines. I asked him where he got it from and he mentioned Vinissimus.com a Spanish wine store specialising in internet sales.
Wow, I couldn’t believe it, there I was checking on my Iphone the online store and their selection of wines. As Christmas was approaching, a few days later, I decided to join their club and get sent to Athens their Christmas selection, composed of:
- Michel Arnould Brut Réserve Grand Cru (2 bottles)
- Foss Marai Cuvée Brut (Italy) (2 bottles)
- Wittmann Cuvée Brut 2002 (Germany) (1 bottle)
- Vall Dolina Reserva Brut Nature (1 bottle)
The price for that selection was 86.88 € and 24.26 € for delivery costs to Greece of 6 bottles. (the delivery cost for 12 bottles to Greece is 29.94 €)
The Michel Arnould was amazing and the rest were also good, but definitely I am repeating with Michel Arnould.
Prices are really good, if you think that I could have ordered Veuve Clicquot Brut Carte Jaune for 34.60 € when the average price in a Greek supermarket is 46.00 €.
Why am I sharing this with you:
- If you like Spanish wines it is a great way to enjoy the ones you already know and discover new, unknown wines.
- Prices are really good.
- The site is in Spanish, English, French and Italian.
- Good customer service. If you receive any damaged bottles they say the will replace them. (it did not happen to me.)
I want to clarify that I am not being paid by vinissimus.com for this post, I am just sharing this with you because I am a satisfied customer and I believe that we all should make and effort to share a good online experience.
If any of you actually try them out, please let me know your opinion.
Google Spain advertising in traditional print media!
Google Spain advertisement
Wow! I didn’t know that Google is advertising ad-words in print media!
On a recent business trip to Spain I found the same ad in 2 magazines. I was browsing at the bookstore and decided to buy this one just to get a good picture of it. The two page advertisement is for Google AdWords offering 50.00 Euros free.
Maybe, I am the last to hear about this, but in Greece we do not see this, or at least I have not seen it. Personally, I have received via email 75.00 Euros from Google Analytics to use in Google AdWords, but never seen it in a printed magazine.
Although initially it may seem contradictory, it actually makes sense in some markets to reach the more traditional companies that still do not know about AdWords.
Have you seen this ad?
